August 20, 2012 -- On Leech Lake

This morning the sun was shining, the sky was mostly blue and bright, the temperature was 65 degrees and there was practically no wind, maybe just a slight breeze from the WSW creating a few ripples on the otherwise flat-calm lake.

The only part left on the house to stain were five different areas. One fairly large section over the garage, another fairly big section over the living room, a couple of small areas over the kitchen and in the back side of the house, and one section over the master bedroom window. I stained the part over the master bedroom since I could reach it with a ladder and extension pole. Joe handled the over parts by climbing up onto the roof and then using a roller attached to an extension pole. Despite the relatively small areas to stain, it took close to three hours since it the areas were hard to reach and required using the extension pole. But by 3:30 p.m. we would complete. The house was stained (not including the decks) and the materials and gear were cleaned up and stowed.

Joe wanted to spend the balance of the afternoon reading, talking a walk and hanging out at the cabin, so while he was busy doing that I went fishing.

The water was 73 degrees, the air temperature at that time was also 73 degrees and the wind had picked up and was coming out of the WSW at 8-12 mph. With the drift sock hanging over the side of the boat, I still was pushed northward on Sucker Bay at a ground speed of roughly .50 mph.

My method of fishing today was a jig and 3" plastic grub bounced just off the bottom of the lake as I drifted along. I caught two medium-sized northern pike, a couple of small perch, and then had my line snapped by something that hit hard and put a lot of weight on my line; most likely a good-sized pike. I tied on a new jig but decided to come ashore.

Joe and I had some dinner and then decided to go trolling with crankbaits; a proven method for catching walleye in the spring, early summer, and autumn. But since it was mid-August, I wasn't too sure we'd hook a walleye, and I was correct. We trolled in 10-12 feet of water from mid-Duck Bay up to the Malay's cabin, but the only fish we hooked was a northern pike that Joe caught.

Still, it was great to be on the water as the sky changed colors and darkened. Good night from Leech Lake.

Leech Lake sunset from the boat on Sucker Bay