In Minnesota, the Land of the Lakes people rightfully claim the highest per capita boat registrations in the country. One out of six people have a personal affiliation with watercraft ownership. Compared to car registrations this is not high, but the figure makes boating the #2 outodoor recreation activity in the state – just behind walking.
The sea with a changed mind...
Getting mentally lost in our outdoor adventures is really at the heart of why we take on the discomforts that the elements can deliver. Wind, rain, humidity, no wind, sun, snow, unexpected darkness, and other combinations of nature take their turns at building our experiences.
Yesterday the mentally lost for me meant one more stretch of trolling in the world’s largest lake (Superior…) in whitecap waters that east winds were building into four & five-foot rollers. I didn’t take the changed conditions seriously until I untangled my downriggers lines and pulled in a final line with a patient lake trout on it. That done, my friend and I scooted our twenty-footer quickly into the channel and into a welcoming bay. A retired charter captain who got off the lake just ahead of us in a much bigger boat caught up with me on the phone today and chided me for being out in those hungry waters. Twenty minutes of extra fishing in conditions that left no margins. Boating and fishing is expensive enough without paying for the adventure with compromised safety.
Get lost in the adventure but never lose sight of the safety compass.