A Great Father's Day Gift

Fished the tail end of the walleye for the Maumee River run with my Dad. He wanted to use live bait and had set a trap down at his end at the Vermilion River. I went down to the a creek inlet next to the Avon Lake boat launch and caught about fifty in a couple minutes with a drop net. When we went down to get his bait catch the cage was nearly empty. So, he was content that I had taken the initiative  to catch some the night before and had kept them alive and healthy in one of my many aquariums with an aerator. And the neighbor girls got a kick out of catching the little shiners with their bare hands.

Lily holding a minnow.

The banks of the chocolatey Maumee River.

No one was really catching much that day. One of the guys wading by us pulled in a walleye, used my tape measure and being half an inch too shy of 16 he released it. I think it equated to one white bass per angler that day, but during the heat of the run there is no limit on white bass and it is not uncommon to bring in 100-150 in a day.

Regardless of catching 100 or none at all, there is nothing like fishing with your retired father on a beautiful day. We planned another trip out to Maumee (one hour drive) but our schedules never fit right and eventually the run was over, the walleye & white bass finished the spawn and were back out into Lake Erie. But I took him to my secret smallmouth Vermilion River smallmouth hole and pulled in an 3 1/2 lbs. 18 inch smally. He really liked the spot and we go there whenever I come out to visit because it is only about a mile from my folks' farm house. 

Fishing with your Dad is an excellent Father's Day gift.