Ken turns a fun fish to my learning experience, July 7, 2012

I’ve been made a fool of. I have learnt a valuable lesson. You can say I was gullible- but know that it will be the last time I am persuaded to take someone fishing that talks a big game, but falls short on the bill.

I was getting calls from Ken for weeks to take him fishing. Before I can explain my charter service and details about booking a trip, Ken describes himself as something more then my average client. He ran a charter boat out of Bluffers Park in Scarborough and talks freely about how he has caught all sorts of big fish. He claims he can show me a few big fish tactics and he would like to come out recreational fishing when I have a spot available. You can obviously tell by my tone that his stories were less then impressive when I finally got to know him in the boat.

This Saturday morning was my first registration in the new Summer Saturday Salmon Series derby held at Grimsby Tackle. I was eager to make an early start on Saturday despite the lack of sleep from yesterday’s fish on Lake Erie and a 2:00 am wake up to travel 2 ½ hours to Port Burwell and get on the water at day break.

I told Ken to meet me at the marina at 5:00 am and Mark Penner would also be there to give it a good try to enter a quality fish.

Ken stepped on board with three rods. One was a beautiful 8 ½ ft Fenwick twist downrigger rod with an almost brand-new looking Shimano Charter Special lever drag reel, the other two rods were something less desired to find on the boat. Ken suggests he run one side of the boat and Mark and I would have the other. This is unusual to the way I run my boat since everyone on the boat works as a team and no one side of the boat is put in competition against the other. It’s counter productive. But this is supposed to be a fun fish, nothing too serious so I obliged. Ken suggests we put a little side bet on who on the boat gets the biggest fish. Again this is unlike how we do things on my boat, I declined.

We set lines in 60 Feet of water straight out from Casablanca Rd in Grimsby. Ken sets two rods on his side, one in the downrigger and the other flatlined from his miniature 3 ft rod.

On the other side of the boat was my four rods, two in downriggers and the other two were divers with Flasher and fly rigs. We were finally set up and Ken tells us his side of the boat will take the biggest fish of the day with his set-ups and any fish on our side would be between Mark and I to reel in. It’s fun fishing – I thought – who cares about formalities.

I watched Ken pull out gang trolls and body baits the size used for muskie. In the meantime he shared stories about his financial successes and how he is a millionaire and lives comfortably. The phone conversations that persuaded me to take Ken out for a fun fish and accept his offer to help chip in for gas was clearly a mistake on my part for being so naïve. A wealthy man that is unwilling to pay for a charter. I knew I was the one at fault for this and felt bad that Mark had to share the boat in this circumstance. I instead took the line of professionalism and I could tell Mark also did the same. Big kudos to Mark for reading the circumstance understanding my mistake. Instead Mark and I concentrated on making our four rods fire with every opportunity.

From 5:30 to 9:30 Mark and I shared back and forth each of the first 9 fish that came on the four rods on the one side of the boat that was deemed “unfit for bigger fish”. Every fish we offered the rod to Ken and he shakes his head stubbornly and makes a few changes to his lure selections on his own rods.

9:30 am we watched the approaching black thunderstorm clouds and the fishing was only getting better and better as the black clouds rushed over head. Again the wire diver on our side starts with the drag screaming for mercy on yet another king over 20 lbs. this fish was number 10 in the morning, and I offer this one to Ken. He murmurs yes and I handed him the rod as the decent fish made for waters further from the boat. In the meantime the other diver rod goes off and I fight a 19 lbs king to the boat while Mark begins packing things away while bolts of lightening seemed closer.

With all the gear up, we slow the boat and Ken is able to manage his fish to the boat. This was to be the biggest of our morning but there is no time to put it on a scale, while being chased off by the thunderstorm.

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The three of us made it to dock with the rain pouring down and we jump in our vehicles and make our way down to Grimsby Tackle to weigh our fish in.

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Ken puts it on the scales at Grimsby Tackle and it weighs just under 23 lbs and holds the lead for the morning while three other boats arrive with fish caught before the storm. I had plans for the afternoon so getting back out on the lake after the storm blew over, wasn’t a possibility. Later that afternoon someone weighs in a fish 1 pound heavier and bumps us out of the lead.

I learnt a lesson not to be persuaded by a big talker. Friends and family are my only invitees for a recreational fish during my day off.

Shane Thombs
www.FINtasticSportfishing.com