Thanks Dan K...

[djkimmel]

Because I'm kinda like a big ole Teddy Bear...??

[Firefighter Jeff]

  I can't even imagine how much time you put in for this event for us Dan.  Thank you very much !!! Thanks also to the generous sponsors.  Kudos to Mike Smith for working so hard at the Grills !!  I was the one that chased down the missing items.  You should have seen the looks on the employees faces when I walked back into the party store for the third time  !!!!  lol
  I headed up Friday morning after getting off work.  It was odd going non boater, but boy was the trip up ever nice.  Took me less than 3 1/2 hours without the boat and I made it all the way without having to stop for gas. lol  You non boaters have to really keep your ducks in a row, don't you.  So much as your gear and other stuff you need.  Going from boat to boat and hotel and such.  I broke off one rod eye, and thought I had lost my camera until Motorcross said he had it the morning of the Open.
  I met Motocross "Pikemaster" at Crocker Friday morning.  Just happened to get there about the same time as the Dude and TCook.  Boy, did the fishing change a lot from the previous week. Yikes I don't think " a lot " really describes it!  Temp was up 10 degrees or more.  We didn't get a bunch of fish, but I had a great time fishing with Brian.  Thanks again !!!
  Brian had plans for late afternoon, so we pulled the boat about 3:30 or so.  By chance my partner for Saturday, Baybass, Brad was on the water and he came to Crocker to pick me up.  I walked out the dock as he approached and asked.. "Are you my man?"  lolol  And he didn't turn the boat and speed off !!!  lol  We fished for a couple hours.  He headed back to the hotel and I went to visit some friends in town.
  Well, we had a tough time on Saturday.  Could only muster 14.14.  Mostly males.  I should have thought more about talking with Eric Smith before the tourney.  About how the females were prolly on beds.  We should have fished shallower, and probably searched for a little cleaner water than Crocker south.  I'm assuming that's what the big weight teams did.  Thing is I have no experience on Anchor or the other bays up north.  Still, We had a fun time fishing and I made a new friend.  Baybass is a super nice guy !!!  Thanks again for bringing your boat down Brad.
   The eats were great.  I wish I had taken more time to get around to talk to some more of the members.  Didn't really talk too much fishing after the Open.  I did go out with Bassfan586 afterwards and did some channel fishing.  That was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be.  I wouldn't purposely drive that far to do it, but it's a nice backup. Thanks again Brad for taking me out !!!
    I headed back to the hotel after picking up some Famous Dave's.  I had put up a post looking for a backseat for Sunday, but didn't get any responses.  But you know what, I didn't care.  I had spent 75 hours fishing on three trips over the last 2 1/2 weeks.  Most of it in cold nasty weather.  Caught tons of fish, but was just plum wore out.  It's Hell getting older!!  lol  I welcomed the break and slept in til 10:30 Sunday morning.  I did get up to pee at 6:15.  I looked out the window and saw guys in the cold rain, getting their boats ready for fishing.  I had no desire to join them! 
   I checked the radar shortly before leaving the hotel.  It didn't look good.  The drive home wasn't going to be fun.  As a matter of fact the weather channel app had a warning about travel and water ponding on the roads and such.  Guess not many people saw that.  There were two multi-car accidents on 94 within 12 miles of the hotel  !!!! Luckily the two cars involved going southbound were at the median and the edge of the road.  I made it home just fine.  Prolly won't be back to St. Clair til next spring.  But I am planning on going to the Fall Open.  See some of you then  !!
                         Jeff