October 22, 2009 -- On Leech Lake

Tonight's spectacular sunset over Sucker Bay, Leech Lake

At 10:00 a.m. the temperature is 30 degrees, the sun is out for the first time in days with just a few clouds hovering over the western shore of Sucker Bay, and the wind is light at 5-8 mph out of the NNW.

I got a call from Shore Brothers this morning letting me know that they would be out here either Tuesday or Wednesday of next week to pull the docks and boat lift out of the water. This Saturday the weather is supposed to be sunny with light winds out of the east, making it an ideal to get the canopy off my boat lift and the boat out of the water. Tom Malay offered to lend me a hand in both operations. I'll check with him later today to see what time he might be available on Saturday to help me.

Kathleen went to Bemidji this afternoon for a 2:00 p.m. meeting with various people from the Bemidji Hospital regarding physical therapy jobs at the hospital. We've often talked about moving here full-time, and if we do, Kathleen would like to continue working and the only logical place for her to do that would be the hospital in Bemidji.

While Kathleen was in town, I took down the screens from the windows and doors at the cabin and replaced them with storm windows. When I was done with the storm windows I decided to go fishing.

I hit the water at just after 3:00 p.m. under partly sunny skies, light winds at 5-8 mph out of the ENE, a temperature of 40 degrees and a water temperature of 42.7 degrees.

I started fishing at The Birches in 9 feet of water. I used my usual set up of a jig and fathead. The breeze was such that it pushed the boat away from shore and slightly south toward Malay's.

I caught a few perch including one that measured close to a foot long. All fish went back into the water.

At 4:30 p.m. I motored back to the cabin and realized how cold I really was. Kathleen had just gotten home and asked if I could give her a ride on the ATV so she could see the Peninsula.

We went down W. Shores to 26th the south on Ottertail Point Rd. We explored the new housing development at Duck Point, checked out the lots for sale along Ottertail Point Rd. and eventually made it home. When we got home we took a nice walk in the woods.

By the time we got inside I was freezing. I had been outside for several hours and my head in particular was very cold. Despite the cold, we went out onto the dock at 6:15 p.m. to enjoy the amazing sunset over Sucker Bay.

I decided not to go fishing this evening even though I don't have much time left with my boat in the water. I opted to stay inside and hang out with Kathleen. We made dinner, had a fire, and just hung out.

It's supposed to be cloudy and possibly rain tomorrow, but since it may be the last day I have my boat in the water this year, I'm going to try to get to do some fishing on Leech Lake.

October 21, 2009 -- On Leech Lake

This morning we woke up to dark skies and a steady rain. The temperature is 36 degrees at 9:00 a.m. and the wind is light at 5-8 mph out of the NNE.

Mark and his team from Shore Brothers showed up on the Peninsula by noon and took out Newman's dock and boat lift, Poage's, Malay's and a couple of other folks. I spoke to Mark and he said he'd be back next week to take out our boat lift and two docks and do the same for a couple of other people in the area.

That will enable me to keep my boat in the water until this weekend. I just hope the weather improves a little so I can get out on the water without it raining or snowing.

It rained all afternoon so Kathleen and I stayed inside and had a very slow paced, relaxing day. We even did something we hadn't done in years, maybe decades. We took a nap.

After our nap we took a walk. I went to the Paulsen's and back (2 miles) while Kathleen went all the way to the Community Center and back (6 miles).

It's now 6:20 p.m. The temperature is 37 degrees, there's a light rain falling and the wind is at8-10 mph out of the NNE. I think I'm going to go fishing. The sunset tonight was a minute ago and the moon is 13% waxing.
________

I got the boat off the lift, the lights on, the landing net ready, the rod holders in place and motored out to 9 feet of water in front of the cabin. I positioned the boat so I would travel south, set the SmartCraft controls to 2.50 mph ground speed, and dropped my #9 Minnow Rap into the 43 degree water.

Just 5 minutes after starting my troll, I hooked into a fish. At first I thought it might be a northern given the way it hit, but once I began reeling it to the boat I could tell it was a walleye. I got the landing net ready and landed a beautiful 19-inch walleye.

I carefully removed the front treble from its mouth and put the fish back into the cold, dark waters of Leech Lake.

I made two passes through The Alley, but caught no more fish nor did I have any bites. At 7:45 p.m. I came ashore with a light rain still falling.

I took a quick shower, got a fire going in the fireplace and then made dinner. I made risotto, baked walleye and asparagus. After dinner Kathleen and I sat in the living room watching the fire, listened to music and talked.

The weather today was cold and rainy, but it was another fantastic day at Leech Lake.

October 20, 2009 -- On Leech Lake

This morning at 8:30 a.m. the temperature is 38 degrees, the sky is completely cloudy and gray, the wind is light at 5-7 mph from the NW and the ground is wet from an overnight rain. It is supposed to rain on and off for the next several days.

At 1:15 p.m. Kathleen and I went for a walk. I walked with her as far as the beaver swamp, then turned and walked home (about 2.5 miles) while Kathleen went all the way to the Community Center and back (a 6 mile trip).

On my way back to the house I stopped by Malay's to discover that Tom had pulled his boat out of the water by himself. He thought the water level may have been too low to do it, but he decided to try anyway. Apparently he donned his waders and walked the boat around the dock and onto the trailer, then used the strap and wench to secure his boat onto the trailer. He never even fired up the motor.

After my stop at Malay's I went to the cabin where I retrieved the walleye from the wire basket, cleaned it, and got it ready for our dinner tonight. I am going to make baked walleye, risotto and asparagus.

I brought a load of firewood into the garage and cleaned out the fireplace in case Kathleen and I decide to have a fire tonight.

The temperature at 3:45 p.m. is 38 degrees, the sky is gray and overcast, there is a light rain falling and the wind is light at 5-8 mph out of the NW.

At 5:00 p.m. I went fishing. There was still a light rain falling, the temperature was 39 degrees, the wind had shifted and was blowing at 5-8 mph out of the NNE and the water temperature was 43.7 degrees.

The way the wind was blowing enabled me to start at The Birches in 9-10 feet of water and drift in that same depth all the way back to my boat lift. I used an 1/8 oz. pink jig tipped with a fathead minnow. I caught one nice jumbo perch, which I put back into the lake, but caught no other fish, and didn't have any other bites.

I came ashore around 6:15 p.m. I was planning to cook the walleye I had cleaned earlier in the day, but Kathleen and I decided to eat light, opting instead for some hors d'ouvres and salad. We'll have the walleye and risotto tomorrow night.

We listened to music, watched the fire in the fireplace and eventually watched a movie. Once again we went to bed late. Oh well, that's what you do when you're at Leech Lake.

October 19, 2009 -- Kathleen's Birthday

Happy Birthday Kathleen! I love you.

I'm so glad Kathleen can be here at Leech Lake to celebrate her birthday. She loves it here in the Northwoods, as do I, and there is no place better to enjoy your birthday than here at the lake.

At 10:00 a.m. the temperature is 45 degrees, the sky is cloudy and the wind is fairly strong at 15-18 mph out of the NW. I was hoping to pull my boat out of the water today, but it's a little too windy now to do that easily and safely.

Tom Malay was going to pull his boat out of the water today as well, at my boat ramp, but now we're thinking we'll do it tomorrow. The weather tomorrow is supposed to be rainy, but the forecast is for light winds at no more than 5-7 mph out of the ENE. I don't mind getting wet if I there are calm waters in which to pull my boat out of the lake.

By mid-afternoon the temperature climbed close to 50 degrees and there was a little sun peeking through the clouds. Kathleen and I took a walk through our woods then down to Paulsen's house. That's where I turned back and came home, while Kathleen started her run. She did the entire loop -- down 26th to Ottertail Peninsula Rd. to the end near Two Points onward to the Community Center and then down W. Shores Rd. back to our house. About a 6-mile trip.

When Kathleen got home she asked if we could take a boat ride. The wind had died down to about 5-8 mph from the NW, so I said sure. I got the boat off the lift and we made a leisurely trip down to The Birches. Kathleen enjoyed seeing the color of the trees from the water and the beauty of the lake in general.

I took the opportunity to put a minnow on a jig and drop it into the water. I fished for no more than 10 minutes in the 44.3 degree water and didn't get a bite. But technically, I did get some fishing in today.

When we got home I received a call from Tom Malay. He had heard from Shore Brothers -- the outfit that takes out my dock and boat lift -- and apparently they are going to have to make two separate trips out to Ottertail Peninsula, so the guy told Tom that I could leave my boat in the water until the week of October 26. So instead of pulling my boat out of the water tomorrow, I'll have an extra week to fish.

Tom is thinking he may still pull his boat out of the water, and I'd be happy to help him as we had originally planned. I also would be happy to take Tom fishing once his boat is out of the lake.

After Kathleen and I got cleaned up, I made her a shrimp pasta dinner for her birthday meal. We then retired to the living room for a fire in the fireplace and competitive game of Scrabble, of which Kathleen won.

We had another wonderful day at Leech Lake.

October 18, 2009 -- On Leech Lake

Today was a beautiful day right from the start. The sun was out, the wind was light at 8-12 mph out of the south and the temperature hit a high of 50 degrees. A spectacular autumn day in northern Minnesota.

After a brunch with Kathleen, her mother Marge, Mike, Barb and Sean, we all decided to go for a walk in the woods.

We took a leisurely stroll through the woods and it was absolutely beautiful. Most of the leaves on the trees in the woods are still green, despite several days of sub-freezing temperatures and shorter daylight hours. But there was enough color -- mostly yellows -- to remind everyone that it was mid-October.

Once we were all back home, Sean and I got ready to go fishing. Last year when Sean visited Leech Lake during MEA weekend he took home a nice 17" walleye. I was hoping he could repeat that performance this year.

We pulled the boat off the lift with light winds from the south at 8-10 mph, under partly sunny skies and a temperature of 50 degrees. The water temperature was 43.3 degrees.

I motored the boat to The Birches and Sean and I started fishing, using jigs and minnows. We fished for nearly two hours but just as it was on Saturday, we had no bites and caught no fish.

We came ashore around 4:00 p.m., and I was surprised at how cold it had been on the water. During the past week I'd been on the lake with the temperatures in the 30s and low 40s and thought it was cold so I figured with the temperature being 50 today it wouldn't be as cold so I didn't wear my Gore Tex bib overalls and parka opting instead for just a couple of sweatshirts. In hindsight, my insulated parka might have been a better choice.

Around 5:30 p.m. Mike, Barb, Sean and Marge got into the Coyle's minivan and left for points in southern Minnesota. Kathleen and I went for a walk, and then she went for a run.

This evening Kathleen and I had a wonderful time playing cribbage by the fire in the fireplace before getting to bed way too late again -- I wanted to stay up to wish her a happy birthday.

Another in a series of great times at Leech Lake.

October 17, 2009 -- OPA Potluck Saturday

We woke up late again this morning because we didn't get to bed until after 2:00 a.m. Kathleen's brother Mike, his wife Barb, their son Sean and Kathleen's mom Marge arrived at our house just before 11:00 p.m. on Friday night, so we stayed up talking and listening to music.

When I did roll out of bed at 10:00 a.m., the temperature was 32 degrees, the sky was overcast and the wind was about 8-10 mph out of the SSW and there was a heavy fog so thick that I couldn't see the shoreline across the lake.

As the day wore on, and more and more of the people on our compound got out of bed, the fog burned off, although the sky remained gray.

By mid-afternoon, Sean was ready to go fishing and I asked John Newman if he'd like to join us. Since he was heading south on Sunday morning, and his boat was already out of the water, he jumped at the chance to go fishing. As he said, this might be the last time he holds a fishing rod in his hands until ice fishing season.

We bundled up in warm clothes, got into the boat and backed off the lift onto Leech Lake. We started fishing at The Birches; where John and I had caught numerous fish earlier in the week. We all used variations of a jig and minnow set up, but none of us were getting any bites.

I had a northern hit my jig and bite right through the line forcing me to retie another jig onto my line. A few minutes later I caught a small perch, which turned out to be the only fish any of us caught all day.

We moved to two other locations, but no one caught any fish. While we were out on the water the wind picked up to 18-22 mph out of the SSW which created large swells and white caps on the lake.

We came ashore around 3:45 p.m. and it took all three of us to battle the waves to get the boat securely onto the boat lift.

Once I was back in the house I got ready for the Ottertail Peninsula Association annual potluck dinner at the Community Center. I can't believe this will be my ninth straight potluck. Time sure flies (we bought our place in July, 2001).

Turnout at the potluck was light this year compared to years past, with somewhere between 30-40 people in attendance. There have been some years where there have been more than 70 people at the potluck.

It was nice to chat with my friends and neighbors, but I left right as the event was winding down so I could come home and help get dinner ready for Kathleen and her family.

We had a nice dinner with Kathleen's mom, brother and his family, and we topped things off with a birthday cake for Kathleen; her birthday is Monday, Oct. 19.

After dinner we decided to get to bed early since we had had two late nights in a row. So by 11:30 p.m. or midnight, everyone was in bed. Hey, when you consider we'd gotten to bed after 2:00 a.m. the previous two nights, midnight is early.

It was another wonderful day at Leech Lake.

October 16, 2009 -- On Leech Lake

Kathleen and I slept in this morning since we didn't get to bed until close to 3:00 a.m. because of her ordeal with Northworst Airlines.

We needed groceries so after we had some breakfast/lunch, we got dressed and drove into Bemidji to do our shopping.

At 5:00 p.m. we got home, unloaded the truck, I had a quick sandwich while Kathleen got ready to go for a run. While Kathleen went running, John Newman and I went fishing.

The temperature was a pleasent 40 degrees, the wind was light at 5-8 mph out of the NW, the sky was mostly clear and the water temperature was 43.2 degrees. The moon was nearly new at 3% waning.

John and I both used #9 Minnow Raps as we trolled The Alley. John had a hit and miss or two, and the only bite I had resulted in the netting of a beautiful 17 1/2 walleye; which I kept. I want to make Kathleen a tasty fish dinner and this walleye will make a perfect meal.

John and I came ashore at 8:00 p.m. and when I came into the house Kathleen was busy making a pot of vegetarian chili (which was very tasty and spicy). I got a fire going in the fireplace and Kathleen and I hung out together as we waited for her brother Mike, his wife Barb, their son Sean and Kathleen's mother Marge to arrive.

The Coyle crew arrived at Leech Lake at 10:30 p.m. We stayed up way too late talking, listening to music and enjoying each other's company.

We had a wonderful day at Leech Lake.

October 15, 2009 -- On Leech Lake

Kathleen arrives in Minnesota today!

At least she's scheduled to. With all of our problems with Northwest/Delta yesterday regarding flight schedules, cancelled flights and rescheduling issues, who knows for sure.

This morning the temperature is right around 32 degrees, the sky is gray and there is a light snow/rain mix falling on and off. The winds are calm.

I'm going to take care of cleaning chores around the house, then sometime around 1:30 p.m. John and I are going to go fishing. I figure even if we stay out three hours, that will still give me plenty of time to have dinner, take a shower and go into Cass Lake and Bemidji to the liquor store and grocery store before I have to pick up Kathleen at 11:30 p.m. It will be a long day and a late night for both of us.

John and I went fishing from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. The rain had stopped, the wind was calm, the sky was gray and overcast with just a few spots of blue and the temperature was 37 degrees. We fished the entire time at The Birches.

Unlike yesterday the bite was slow. I caught a number of small- to medium-sized perch, as did John, but he added a couple of nice jumbos that went into the live well. I also caught a small northern.

When we came ashore I received a call from Kathleen saying her flight was delayed. Delta/Northwest has got to be the lamest airline in the nation. Both were bad before the merger, and now after the merger things have gone from bad to worst. I'm not alone in feeling this way. Check out this guy's blog entry.

At 6:30 p.m. CDT, I checked and Kathleen's flight had taken off from SF and was due to arrive in Minneapolis at 9:37 p.m. Her flight to Bemidji departs at 10:10 p.m., so she just might have enough time to make it if she runs very fast. I'm going to drive into Bemidji in hopes she makes the flight, but there is a good chance I'll be driving in tomorrow morning as well if she misses her connection.

Did I mention that Delta/Northwest suck?

As I was typing this Kathleen sent me a text message saying the flight has NOT yet left SF. Northwest's web site says the plane left at 4:15 p.m. PDT, but at 4:41 p.m. PDT Kathleen sent me her text saying that they're still on the ground. What a horrible airline!

Kathleen's plane finally took off from SF at 5:00 p.m. PDT, or 7:00 p.m. CDT. I've been on this flight dozens of times, and the fastest I've ever made it from SF to Minneapolis is around 3 hours. Which means even if the plane finds some incredibly strong tailwinds, it is unlikely that Kathleen will make her connection to Bemidji, which is scheduled to leave at 10:10 p.m. CDT.

I called Kathleen's sister Mary, and Mary has agreed to meet Kathleen at the airport in Minneapolis should she miss her flight. Kathleen would stay at Mary's tonight and catch either a flight tomorrow morning, or if Northwest can't get her on that flight, then Kathleen will probably rent a car and drive up here. Northwest is a horrible airline.

It is now 9:30 p.m. and according the flight map on NWA.com, Kathleen's flight is still over South Dakota. It is looking less and less likely that Kathleen will be here at Leech Lake today.

Kathleen finally landed in Minneapolis at 10:30 p.m. Her flight to Bemidji had been pushed back to 10:29 p.m., could Kathleen run so fast to her next gate to arrive at the gate before they close the door.

Luckily Kathleen is a runner in good shape. She ran 15 minutes to the gate only to find out that the Bemidji flight was delayed until 11:30 p.m. The plane actually left Minneapolis at 11: 50 p.m. and didn't arrive in Bemidji until 1:00 a.m.

We made a quick stop at the hated Wal-Mart for half-n-half, milk and bread for breakfast, and drove back to the lake. We finally made it home around 2:30 a.m. I was right earlier in the day when I said it would be a long day and a late night for both of us.

The good news is Kathleen is here at Leech Lake.

October 14, 2009 -- On Leech Lake

At 8:30 a.m. it was overcast and gray, the temperature was 30 degrees and the wind was light at 5-8 mph SSW.

Kathleen arrives tomorrow so I've got to do a little cleaning in the house in preparation. However, that will not take all day so I'm planning to some fishing later this afternoon.

John Newman arrived at his cabin earlier this morning. He has some work to attend to himself, but will most likely join me this afternoon on the water. John took his boat out of the water a couple of weeks ago so he's asked if he can join me. I'm more than happy to have some company on the lake while I fish.

At 3:30 p.m. John came over the house and together we walked over to the boat lift. The temperature had warmed to 40 degrees, the wind was light, but swirling -- coming first from the NNE, then the east, then SSE -- and there was a light drizzle that fell on and off. The water temperature was 43.2 degrees.

We decided to fish The Birches. Both John and I used jigs tipped with fatheads. John used a Northland jig, while I used a Bass Pro Shops XPS Walleye Angler jig. We fished until 6:00 p.m.

During the 2 1/2 hours we were on the water, I caught numerous perch, of which John asked if he could keep three. I said sure, and the perch went into the live well. John caught a northern, a very nice 19 1/2 walleye and a 16-inch eater walleye that also went into the live well. John will have a nice mess of fish fillets to take home with him.

Once on shore I was doing a little more cleaning in preparation for Kathleen's arrival tomorrow when the phone rang. It was Kathleen saying she'd received a message from Northwest Airlines saying they had cancelled her flight due to weather.

I did a quick check online and found out that NWA has three flights from Minneapolis to Bemidji throughout the day. One at 10:30 a.m., another at 2:40 p.m. and the last at 10:10 p.m. The airline cancelled the 2:40 p.m. flight, on which Kathleen was scheduled to arrive, but that the other two flights were still on schedule.

Cancelled due to weather my foot. If weather was the concern, why was the later flight still scheduled? Obviously the afternoon flight wasn't full enough and to save money NWA simply cancelled it. I just wish companies, such as Northwest Airlines wouldn't lie. I'd understand if they cancelled the flight to save money. Just say so.

I spent the next hour and a half trying to rearrange Kathleen's flight schedule so she could still arrive on Thursday as planned, even if on the later flight. After two different discussions with call-center representatives from India, Kathleen was once again booked on the same exact flights as originally planned!

I checked, double-checked and triple-checked with woman on the phone and she assured me that the 2:40 p.m. flight from Minneapolis to Bemidji was not cancelled. I took down the confirmation number, the flight info and then called Kathleen.

When Kathleen tried to check in online, she wasn't able to do so because, guess why?, the 2:40 p.m. flight to Bemidji was "cancelled due to weather." Argghhhh!!!

At this point I could no longer handle talking to the idiots at the airlines and Kathleen took over. Within an hour she called me back with a boarding pass in hand. She is now getting into Minneapolis from San Francisco at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, and taking the 10:10 p.m. flight to Bemidji which gets her into town at 11:30 p.m. Much later than we had originally hoped for, but at least she'll be here tomorrow as planned.

If Kathleen would have arrived as scheduled, then we could have gone grocery shopping together. As it is now, all of the stores close at 11:00 p.m., so I'll have to go in early to get some food for us for the weekend. Then next week, when I take the boat into town to store it for the winter, we can do a more extensive shopping run.

At least things are set for Kathleen's travel, and John and I caught numerous fish this late afternoon. Things turned out OK after all here at Leech Lake.