This is not really a fishing report

[djkimmel]

More an educational report on an important activity I helped out with along with some valuable help from thedude and Reelin' Realtor. We did fish but our 'job' was to help others get a chance to cast and fish for the 2nd annual Michigan Legislative Sportmen's Caucus shoot and cast wild game dinner.

The event was held the afternoon on 5/18/2016 at the Capital Area Sportmen's League. We shared their stocked pond with the retriever dogs people. The pond is stocked but it is hard to fish from shore as it was wet, swampy with lots of reeds and some cattails. Not the perfect setting for shorefishing by people who may be dressed up and beginner anglers.

We made the best of it finding all we could catch was a bunch of tiny smallmouth bass of all things! thedude caught the most by wading into the pond a ways and moving around more than I could while staying dry... well, one foot stayed dry, the other one got wet eventually.

We all ended up helping several aides, club members, friends and staff members of state legislators and a few kids too! It was a worthwhile way to spend and evening finishing up by eating a wild game dinner while they gave away a bunch of prizes donated by caucus advisory council members including tackle, gear and 4 fishing rods donated by the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation. The rods went over very well as fishing rods usually do, with some perfect winners including one of the kids!

Here's some pictures from the event.


State Rep. Andrea LaFontaine staffer James Biehl gets ready to do some casting while another attendee fishes from shore at the Michigan Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus wild game dinner.


thedude gets his due with his trophy shot of one of his many big smallmouth bass from the Capital Area Sportsmen's League stocked pond. It may be actually small but you have to give some credit for style!


One of the only attendees of the event who actually caught a bass. He was twitching a wacky-rigged stickworm just outside the edge of the reeds when this smallmouth bass hit!


Here's a quick look at the only smallmouth bass caught by one of the attendees in some tough fishing conditions. Congratulations!


thedude with his boat and Reelin' Realtor (TBF of Michigan President Dave Reault) pose for a shot. Huge thanks to thedude for taking his valuable time and bringing his boat all the way to Lansing for this event. It put a nice touch on the event for the cast part of the shoot and cast. Thanks dude!


A great turnout of Legislators, aides and staffers, outdoor groups, MUCC staff and club members eat a wild game dinner while watching a presentation on MUCC's Gourmet Gone Wild!


State Rep. Andrea LaFontaine seems always lucky in drawings. Here she won the Skeet Reese, Jonathon VanDam autographed B.A.S.S. hat in the drawing and let me take her picture with it on!