Lake Michigan: Kids' First Run

For years been wanting to get my two sons on Michigami.  Finally happened.  I gauged the walking according to what I figured they could do.  This generally precluded fishing the best water (at the current water level).  Three different days (but only 3-4 hours per day) my older son fished the "old good" waters.  In fairness to him he didn't have many good targets.  A lot of carp sleeping in grass and cattails.  Very high degree of difficulty.  He worked pretty hard.  He saw a lot.  Waded some miles.  In the end he learned that carp are a lot tougher than bass.  The SMB provided a bit of a crutch and he leaned on it.  Pictured here is the first fish he caught from the lake.  He sight-fished to it with an orange bunny streamer.  It was around 17 inches.

Second fish.  Another sight-fishing deal.  Not on a nest.  It was patrolling in a regular pattern a radius of cattails maybe 20 feet.  He set up at a little inlet and each time the fish came by he dapped on it.  Five minutes or so and he hooked up.  This one was big enough to tape and scale.  20.5 inches and 5.4 lbs.  I think the best SMB we've logged on Lake Michigan.  Keeping in mind we don't target them.

Little bro came out one day.  He did really well too.

This is what I really wanted the kids to see: unending wadeable deadclear water full of giant fish.  A lifetime of walking in beautiful country.  So this seems like a simple image but it's one I created many times leading up to the realization.  No carp for either kid.  Fair number of bass for the older guy.  He had some sleepers try to eat the fly but no connections.  Overall I didn't see him fish to a carp that I thought was a good target.  As such I credit them for doing their best to approach the opportunities afforded.  Better guiding next year.