The Outdoors

By Scott Rall, Outdoors Columnist

I recently spent the day in the boat with a professional fishing guide by the name of Travis Frank. You might recognize this name as he is also the host of the Pheasants Forever television show called the Flush. Travis is a fully jammed-up guy with a schedule this 63-year-old could never manage. He works for Ron Shara Productions and hosts several shows and is involved with the production of those same shows and a few additional ones.

I called him and explained that I was going to be in the metro area for a different function and wondered if he could find the time to take a few of us out for the mid-week morning action. A few calls later and I was on the list. Travis puts out his guiding schedule and in a matter of only a few days all his available dates are completely booked up. I was more than fortunate that he was willing to add an additional day to make our outing happen.

My group consisted of me and my gal Joan and one other good friend. We met at the boat ramp on Lake Waconia and everyone was right on time. Travis fishes out of 21-foot Lund Pro-V and this one had only been on the water for three outings. I can only imagine what a rig like this one could cost, but I am sure it’s more than I would invest for what little fishing I have done lately.

Have you ever hired a fishing guide? Most of us can say maybe a time or two, but what I have always said is that with a good guide you can learn more in a day than you could learn on your own in a lifetime. These folks have so much experience and know the what and where of hundreds of lakes across the state and region for that matter. You can watch all of the television shows on the weekends but there is nothing like getting the real scoop from a real pro.

We were fishing for bass on this day, and if you live where I live there are very few lakes that even have this species of fish. I consider myself a moderately knowledgeable fisherman, but that only stands up depending on who else is in the boat. With the most up to date fishing electronics you can find the spot on the spot. I figured if you could get within 20 or 30 feet you could then narrow the margin and find the same spot on the spot.

Several of the spots we fished were only about the size of Travis’ boat. He explained that on many occasions the difference between many fish and none was only a few feet. We were fishing openings in the weed beds that held fish when 15 feet away there were none.

He introduced me to some methods that any good bass angler would most likely know, but the details of the presentation were pretty intricate. Watching a video to learn how to tie a special fishing knot is not the same as having someone show you how to do it. By the time we ended the day we had about 85 bass that were caught and released.

We got a bite from a pike and about a minute later we caught the same pike that had our jig in its mouth from a bite only a minute earlier. That fish was hungry. There is fishing to eat, and harvest is certainly ok, but on this day it was just fun to feel the fish on the other end of the line.

Four hours later I had learned more about how to catch bass than I could have figured out on my own over the course of an entire summer. What to use when and how to use it effectively. What knots to tie and where to start looking when you’re on a new lake you have never fished before.

My gal had only ever fished from shore a couple of times and she caught as many as any of the others in the boat that day. Travis taught her how to cast and the proper action to use when retrieving the lure.

At the end of the day the fee you pay for a guide is a pretty small investment compared to the cost of owning and maintaining a boat. In many cases you could hire a guide and fish every week for 10 summers and still not spend anywhere the dollars it costs to purchase and maintain a boat.

I was lucky to get Travis on a Wednesday morning with two weeks’ notice, and I had a great time. If you want to become a better fisherman or are just looking for a relaxing day on the water, you should consider hiring a guide. They are so worth the money and the education you get pales in comparison to what they charge. It was a new lake in a new location fishing for a species not available close to me. What a great way to start off the summer fishing season.

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If you have any questions, reach out to me at scottarall@gmail.com.