A new bass season brings with it new promise. After a long winter in the north country, where only dreams of casting to smallmouth on the northern waters of Michigan will suffice, it’s good to be back on the water. Gone are the days where we struggled. Forgotten are the days when we got poured on. Instead, upon us are promises of great fishing, and getting to greet old customers, and meet new customers. Here are the days I live for.
One of my favorite things about the new season is the sheer excitement I get just by launching the boat once again. Seeing the boat slip off the trailer into the water, firing up the motor for the first time, and idling out past the shallows is a thrill every time. Getting my bass boat up on plane, feeling the wind in my face is such a rush. I admit it; I have a ritual every year to begin the new season. I bring both of my labs with me—one’s an excitable black lab, and the other is a liver-nosed yellow lab. Having them with me, seeing their ears flap in the wind, nose pointed toward the sky sniffing the air is just pure joy to me. I can’t imagine a season beginning any other way.