Okay. I admit. I love to have fun on the boat. I've even been accused of being a bit of a wise crack. I like to tell a few stories and I like to laugh now and then. Isn't that what all great fishing trips come down to? Well, I'll be first to admit, that can all quickly change when the fish just refuse to bite. But if you're a smart fisherman, you learn to adapt. That can make all the difference on a fishing trip. Let me explain. I had a chance to fish with a member of Minnesota's Happy Hookers Fishing Club last Friday. Don Sonsalla had won a Boys and Girls Club auction and we had a chance to fish together. Don brought along his 
grandson and hoped to catch a few walleyes on White Bear Lake. I don't pretend to be the world's best fisherman, just a guy who loves doing it, a lot. That's why I was a bit hesitant about finding the Sonsallas a bunch of walleyes on WBL. That's a tough task for a lot of fishermen. So, we decided to jump up the road a few blocks to Bald Eagle Lake where the official state fish tends to oblige, at least a bit more than on WBL. Don, his Grandson Grant and I fished Bald Eagle all morning dragging around 'rigs and minnows. Not even a bite. Nothing on the rocks. Nothing on the deep breaks. Nothing way up shallow. Nothing. Talk about frustrating the guide. To add insult to injury, the bouys on the rocks were darn near 100 yards off line 
and my stainless steel prop met Bald Eagle Rock. Ding! Ding Ding! I hate that sound. And to think I had protected that darn prop all summer long. Oh well.... We did manage to dodge a few waterfowlers blasting birds out on the lake. That made things interesting. By noon, we still hadn't had even a tap, so I made the call and we got off the darn lake. After a much-needed lunch break, we headed south a few miles to one of my favorite bassy haunts. Wouldn't you 
know, we started finding fish just minutes after dropping in the boat. Using a simple jig 'n minnow combination, the fish obliged. Don was first to cast right onto the weedline and hook a big fish. He followed with a few smaller fish and the braggin' started. Isn't that what great fishing trips are about? After listening to Don long enough, Grandson Grant got in on the action. At one point, he found a pod of fish and poked fish on just about every cast. It was great to watch! I had a chance to cast a couple too with solid results. The fish on 
the left there came on my first cast. In all, I'd guess we landed 15-20 fish on that second lake in just over three hours. Not lights out, but surely an improvement over the morning session. In this fishing trip we can learn a little something. Actually, a darn important lesson. While bass weren't what we set out to catch that day, they ended up saving the fishing trip. Sometimes it's best to fish for what's biting. If you want to catch walleyes and you try all the regular spots and a few different presentations and don't find fish, change it up. You might just like the results! Don and Grant, thanks for a great day and a all the great stories on the water! I'm looking forward to meeting the Happy Hookers!