Instead of sharing every detail, I'll just hit a few of my favorite moments.  My first day back on the water brought ideal conditions.  Clouds and a little bit of wind greeted Eric and I as we attempted to make it the ultimate "Eric" day.  I learned that the ultimate day meant a date with a muskie was to be followed by another with a special girl.  To land a fish would be the first goal, a solid first date with his sweets was the next.  About 8 muskie encounters into our morning he spilled the beans on his hot date, and said "it would be awesome if I could land a muskie and then have my date go well tonight."  That was all the fish needed to hear.  Moments later he was battling his first topwater muskie.  Shaking like a leaf, we headed for the next spot.  "If I get another fish today it's going to be the best day of my life," he chuckled.  As luck would have it, only a few casts later he was holding a slightly larger fish.  At that point our morning was pretty much through.  He spent the rest of the time texting his buds and sharing the news.  It couldn't have been any cooler.  It reminded me of my start to muskie fishing.  The reason why I'm out there every day, and  the reason why I continue to chase the dream.  You simply cannot beat the rush.  As far as the date with the girl, he checked in later that night with a facebook update saying. "Best day ever!"  I guess that was a success too.

In an attempt to beat the story of Eric's "Best day ever" comes another tale from the water.  A few weeks back I had a lucky man catch his first muskie at 53.5 inches.  Everything about the fish, the strike and the lucky shoes made it a story to remember.  For Jeff, it turned out to be the beginning of a very strong muskie career.  For myself, it was a moment I'll never forget.  Fast forward to the present time and we find ourselves back in the ring.  Jeff brought a new partner in crime, and as the evening went along, he jokingly grabbed his lucky shoes out of a bag he had stuffed in storage.  Laughing histarically, I lost it and I instantly I knew we were in for a treat.  It just so happened that the moon was going to rise 6 minutes after he put on the lucky office footwear.  It didn't take 4 minutes and we had the mouth of jaws trying to eat his buddies lure boatside.  While the fish managed to avoid our net, Jeff seeled the deal on muskie number two moments after on the very next spot.  A fish that shocked us senselss on a blind figure 8 strike.  Jeff is now 2 for 2 in his muskie quest.  I'd call that a good start.  It now leaves me wondering.  Was it the moon that triggered the strike, or the lucky shoes?  I'm leaning towards the shoes.  Stay tuned for more of the action and more stories as I recap on all the excitement happening in the life of a muskie crazed lunatic.  Until then, keep on livin' your dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

I could go into the details of the the catch, but I'll just sum it up right here.  There is nothing better than a bone crushing strike of a flathead catfish.  In the raging river waters, they have a mindset that if I don't get it right now, it will be gone.  With that said, my poor bait doesn't stand a chance when that big mouth decides to open.  In fact, I'm sure it's a terrifying situation to be in.  As the sun set last night I drowned a lively bullhead in a mass of sunken trees and logs.  It's been a while, but the incredible strike brought the past right back and I was able to horse the beast out of the log jam.  Man vs Beast, and this time I was the winner!

The cat last night was not a giant by flathead terms, but it was a good fealing to finally do battle again.  The heat and humidity that has sidelined the muskie fishing for most of the past month has made for a bit of a boring stretch.  I'm happy to report that a new option now exists.  The weather man says that the highs for the next several days will be in the mid to upper 80's.  It turns out that this catfish might be the best thing to hold me over until we get another break in the heat.  Either way, I just did battle again, so once again I thank God for spoiling me with another prize, and I will patiently wait for the next strike to occur.  Until then, maybe you should give catfish a try, or just keep on livin' your dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

The morning started out with a mixed bag of adventures.  A group of several anglers and several guides gathered for a Lake Minnetonka Bonanza.  The goal of the day was to catch a bunch of fish and award one lucky angler with the coveted Rapala trophy.  The trophy was to be presented to the one with the biggest fish of the day.  With men and women from all over the country, we set out to see what would tug on the end of the line.

With a mixed bag in mind, the morning was a success and all the boats caught bass, pike, panfish and walleye like it was going out of style.  The amounts totalled in the hundreds and smiles were on the faces of every single angler.  There must have been something in the rainy air that day, because I haven't seen the bite that hot in weeks.  Even the guides were giddy with excitement.

After a lunch break, it was time for the second shift.  This is where the story really gets interesting.  My partner for the afternoon was Jeff.  Being an angler after the next big catch, he decided that he wanted to take a stab in the dark and chase the mighty muskellunge.  Knowing that the morning bite was very solid and the rainy cool temps were making the fish go crazy, he opted out of the multi-specie action and hoped for one big bite and his chance at a trophy of a lifetime.  Normally for this time of the year and the recent heat, this wouldn't have been an option for us, but the cool weather had dropped the water temps to a comfortable range and it was finally game on!

After a quick tutorial on the in's and out's, Jeff was hard at it.  Looking for his first ever muskie encounter, we had no idea what was about to explode from the surface.  About an hour and a half into his muskie fishing career, we were scared stiff when an absolute giant broke the surface and grabbed his lure within feet of the boat.  With a head like a monster it was an all out war between Jeff and the fish.  A battle that I'm sure felt like an eternity for Jeff, resulted in a muskie in the net in about 20 seconds.  In utter shock, we put the fish on the board to see the tail touch 53.5 inches in length.  A quick photo and the muskie dissappeared back to the depths.  Before we even knew what happened, the fish had already swam away.  To say that Jeff was excited wouldn't do justice.  As for the guide?  I was on cloud 9.  To have the opportunity to witness a fish of such magnitude is incredible.  To watch it happen on a first time muskie anglers line?  Lets just say that you can't put words to it.  It is the reason that I love what I do!

Jeff and I laughed and joked about the entire scenario over the next two hours.  We sent text messages to the rest of the anglers on the water, and created more hype than we knew what to do with.  It was one of the most enjoyable experiences that I can remember.  The clouds, rain and cool winds were exactly what the doctor ordered.  In all, we had 5 boats and 17 happy anglers that caught 2 muskies (both first timers), about a dozen walleyes, a 6 pack of pike, and too many bass and panfish to count.  While it seemed that the fish were almost jumping in the boat at times, Jeff only caught one, but it took home top honors and the the Rapala trophy too.  You could chalk it up to pure luck, but if you ask Jeff, he'll say that it was all in the shoes!  Congratulations Jeff, on your first muskie and the fish of 10 lifetimes!  Until the next monster strikes, keep on livin' the dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

This is not the first year of the Waconia 'take a kid fishing day,' in fact, I remember my father being a part of it when I was very young.  He brought me fishing and a couple of other kids too.  I remember it as a fun outing where I got to do my favorite thing, fish, and some other kids got to come too.  Fast forward 17 years to the present, and I am blessed to have opportunities to teach and take people fishing on a regular basis.  Remembering the trip that I shared many years ago,  I jumped when the call came looking for more volunteers.

The jist of the day goes something like this.  Local parents sign up with the Waconia Lions Club to bring their kids to the lake.  A large group of volunteers are gathered and local companies kick in some product to give to the kids.  The morning of the event, volunteers gather at the In Towne Marina and get everything ready to roll.  Boats, bait and tackle are all prepared and ready for the eager anglers.  This year we had several boaters and a couple of pontoons to accomodate the masses.  When the kids show up they are given a jiggle stick ready for action and the guides pair up with the as many kids as they can handle.  Some boats have several volunteers and several kids.  Since I was solo, I chose two.  Then we head out for a few hours on the water.  The kids catch fish, laugh, have fun and catch more fish.  The little fish get tossed back, but the keepers come home with each boat.  A group of guys are gathered at the end and all the fish are cleaned. A lunch is prepared on shore and goodie bags are sorted out for each child to take home.

When all is said and done each child walks away with memories of the fish they caught, the ones that got away and a bag of fillets for the frying pan.  Each angler also receives a starter kit with tons of fishing supplies and a new rod and reel combo.  With all the volunteers, we were able to spend time teaching many of the kids how to tie knots and rig up their rod and reels.  A morning on the water that will hopefully last a lifetime.

Looking back on my past, I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if somebody wouldn't have taken the time to teach me how to fish.  I guess it fuels my passion even more when I am put in a position to help someone else.  This is the reason why I enjoyed our morning so much, and why I encourage you to give it a try too.  It will make a difference if you 'take a kid fishing.'  Until next time, keep on livin' the dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

“You won’t need a hard hat or ear plugs on my tour,” he said with a smile. “Instead, we’ll be on the water - casting lures toward lily pads, bulrush, rock rubble and the rest of the production facility.”

Though many folks don’t view lakes and rivers as factories, Peterson does. He knows they kick out the fish that contribute $4.8 billion a year to the state’s fishing-related economy. He also knows the lakes are incredibly fragile, comprising parts and processes that took thousands of years to evolve.

“You can’t fix a lake with parts from Fleet Farm,” said Peterson. “That’s why we, as a society, must keep nature’s fish factory intact.”

To Peterson, that means maintaining clean water, spawning sites, nursery areas, and the vegetation that provides shelter for some species and ambush lairs for others. “If any of these elements are missing from the production line, fish go missing, too,” said Peterson.

He added that Minnesota’s excellent fishing is not guaranteed and cannot be taken for granted. He said anglers can easily see physical changes in habitat - more lakeshore development, more urbanization of watersheds, more removal of underwater logs and brush in the name of swimming and boating - but it is difficult to detect the subtle interactions beneath the surface.

Peter Jacobson, a DNR fisheries research biologist, explains. “The person who peers into the water and sees rocks covered in a green algal slime may think nothing of it, other than don’t step there because that’s slippery. But a fish manager sees a very different thing in those same rocks. He or she sees the outcome of excessive nutrient-loading, the deterioration of walleye spawning habitat that provides Minnesota’s most cost-efficient way to maintain a walleye population, which is for the fish to simply reproduce naturally.”

Jacobson explained certain algae-laden gravel bars are useless as walleye spawning habitat because the eggs are suffocated in the slime.

“The connection between walleyes and water quality cannot be stressed enough, said Jacobson. “In the century ahead, the lakes that will continue to provide the best fishing are those that remain clean, resilient, and contain all the elements of a complex natural system.”

Peterson, the DNR Fisheries Section chief, agrees. He encourages anglers statewide to get involved in local water policy planning, habitat conservation projects and funding initiatives for water-related conservation. Closer to the water, he encourages riparian property owners to conserve habitat, and to take steps that minimize soil erosion or nutrient loading by maintaining buffer strips or planting deep-rooted vegetation. These actions, as well as helping educate others on the importance of habitat, are in the best long-term interests of the angling and fishing-related business community.

“Minnesota has a very popular and effective $3 million-a-year walleye stocking program,” said Peterson. “Yet we should never forget that 85 percent of the state’s walleye harvest is the result of naturally reproducing wild fish. Therefore, we need to keep those natural factories in good shape. They are the low-cost way to produce fish for they require no labor, no trucks and no gasoline to take fish from here from the eggs to the end of your line.”

I know that there are no laws being broken and I have no right to do this, but I ask this anyway.  In a growing sport that has more anglers than fish, I think it is only fair for us to consider the resource before our very needs.  The fact that my livelihood has been put on hold and I have cancelled all of my muskie guide trips until it cools down should tell you where I stand on this issue.  If we think that we have no effect on the overall resource of our lakes, then we are wrong.  The truth is that we are recycling the fish with proper catch and release, and the current water conditions are making this a tough task to correctly do.

Here are a few things to consider when it comes to hot water and muskie fishing.  A muskie will battle to death when they are hooked.  This is no secret.  Having a good gameplan ensures that they are quickly put in the net, unhooked, measured and released before they fight too long.  When a muskie goes into battle they give it their all.  Similar to a human going from a resting position to running a 2 mile sprint.  Consider this anaology in that at the end of the 2 mile sprint, someone dunks your head under the water for 45 seconds.  While this might seem dramatic, it might be a fair comparison to what takes place when we battle a muskie.  Now consider doing this exercise in extremely hot temperatures.  I think you get my point.

Some other things to consider is the oxygen level in hot water.  I'm not a biologist, but research has shown that oxygen levels decrease as the temperature rises.  When we catch a muskie, they need time to recover.  This usually occurs boatside and on the surface, which is the hottest water in the lake, with the least amount of oxygen.  During a battle, muskies build up lactic acid in their bodies, and if the conditions don't allow them to appropriately recover it ends in death.  The hardest fact to consider in this equation is that it doesn't always occur immediately.  Studies have shown that muskies caught in hot water have been released only to die days later.  A sad fate for a fish that we cherish.

While I have put an end to my muskie fishing until the temps drop, there are some things to consider if you still plan on fishing.  First, plan your trips during cooler periods.  Night fishing can cool the surface slightly.  If you do choose to fish for muskies, come extra prepared and know exactly what you will do once a fish is hooked.  Time is of the essence.  Limit the amount of time you handle the fish.  A dozen pictures with your trophy will likely result in a dead trophy - even if you watch it swim away.  If you must take a pic in hot water, then a shot of the fish in the water is the best choice.  Leaving the fish in the water is by far the best option.

Next, fish with a friend.  I don't want to step on any toes here, but if you plan on fishing solo, I would strongly encourage you to wait a few weeks until it cools down.  Another set of hands can make a huge difference in getting the fish back in the water and on its way to a speedy release.  Plus, if a picture is what you are after, trying to do it solo is a tough chore with a struggling fish.

This should apply all year long, but especially now - once you catch and release a fish, wait around for a while to make sure the fish is doing okay.  I can't tell you how many times I have seen fish swim away and resurface a short while later.  They need time to recover and we owe it to the fish to make sure they get back on track.

Lastly, become an educator.  If you are a musky fisherman that has the opportunity to be an influence on your friends or other anglers, then you should take the time and be the difference.  Become a positive mentor for another angler who simply might not know right from wrong or proper techniques.  You would be surprised at how a few technques and ideas can positively influence an angler that has never handled a 35, 40 or even 50 inch fish.  Positive encouragement goes a long way to preserve our resources.

On a positive note, this can be the best time of the year to head north.  All reports and personal experiences have indicated a good bite happening on big time muskie lakes up north.  I'm not saying you need to spend a bunch of money, but lets be honest here.  A tank of gas is the same as 2 muskie lures and we all have way too many of them in our box to let money get in the way of our passion.

Whatever your plan, please consider that we are responsible for the state of our muskie fishing.  I am just one of the many muskie addicts that have taken the stance to wait until the water cools down.  I think I speak for many when I ask for you to do the same.  Besides, the wait will be over before we know it and the fishing will only get better.  Until the temps cool, catch a bass, a bluegill or a catfish, just keep on livin' your dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

To make a long story short and get to the good parts, I'll recap and get to the point.  I've been craving Mille Lacs muskies for the past two weeks.  Hot water temps in the metro have limited my muskie desire around home to nil.  With big fish on the brain, I've had three opportunities at the big girls on the big pond.  The first time came a few weeks back with first time Mille Lacs muskie junkies, Ben Brettingen and Eric Wolf.  The action came fast and occured often, but after 4 hours of fishing, we found ourselves with 8 encounters and nothing in the net.  A night outing and a short morning before a storm revealed 4 fish that missed our topwater, 3 intense figure "8" opportunities and 1 hot follow that simply vanished.  A fun outing, but nothing to show for our efforts.

With all the action I was eager to return.  Fast forward to the 4th of July weekend and two new guests named Mike Ernst and Matt Hennen.  On our journey north to a Brainerd area cabin, we couldn't resist the chance to toss a few muskie baits.  Knowing we only had a short amount of time, we went right for the juggular and hit some "prime spots" that have produced countless times over the years.  Once again the action was there, and once again we had fish miss wildly on our topwater offerings.  Four to be exact.  Our 2 fishless hours on the water set things up perfectly for the climax of the story - Friday night.

It seems every time I am lucky enough to have Todd "Muskie" Mosher in the boat, good things happen.  This past friday was no exception.  Joining us was my other lucky charm, Matt Hennen for his second shot at the slimy Mille Lacs beasts.  This time we weren't on a time schedule, and this time we were going to fish until the muskies were ready to do the darn thing.  With two extremely lucky anglers in my boat, I was confident that my persistence would finally pay off.

As the sun started to fade, the conditions set themselves up for an epic night on the water.  You could feel the intensity with each cast, and for the first time in a while, I could sense that my "Muskie Mojo" had finally returned.  Todd was the first to thrash the surface with a ski.  Shortly after the lights went out, a muskie grabbed his bait boatside and took him for a wild ride.  Fortunately, for the fish, Todd was not on the winning end of the tug-o-war.

A few moments later came our first monster sighting.  A giant appeared like a ghost in the darkness and chased Matt around the boat several times.  The fish brought the game to a whole new level.  Knowing that we were in the presence of a giant, we were all on high alert.

With the increase in activity we knew that it was only a matter of time.  A few casts after the monster appeared I was throttled on my "8".  This time the muskie ran full steam into my rod while trying to T-bone my bait.  I assure you that I was more startled than the fish, and afterwards I had to check my shorts to make sure I was still clean.

Was it the big one?  That, I didn't know.  As I started to wonder that very thought, Todd stole the show when he hooked a beast.  A boatside strike that sent the water churning in every direction.  It was absolute chaos!  The monster threw water in every direction, and just when I thought that we had finally done it, she came unhooked and swam away.  Heartbreak was an understatement and I thought Todd was going to cry.  Deep down, I think I was too.  She was "the one" and all Todd was left with was a mangled bait.

Still, we pushed on.  Hopeful for another opportunity.  After all, it had only been an hour into the night.  As we circled our pod for another chance, I started to count up the number of fish that had recently won the battle.  In my head I was up to 16.  An astronomical amount over the last three outings.  Luckily, Matt was determined to win the boatside battle and make sure that the number didn't reach 17.  As luck would have it, we didn't have to wait very long.

A quiet grunt and a whisper revealed a muskie beneath our feet yet again.  I guess that was his cue that he was hooked up.  This time Matt was ready for the boatside game and this time he took the bull by the horns.  As I turned my headlamp on, I was surprised to see a dandy being drug around the boat like a dog on a leash.  A tactic that I was hoping to see when a big one ate boatside.  This textbook maneauver resulted in chaos at the boat, but also Matt's first night muskie and his first one on the figure '8.'  Not to mention the end to a horrific streak of "the ones that got away."  The second the fish hit the net we exploded with excitement.  It was like a 500 lb weight had just been lifted off our shoulders.  The skunk was gone, the jinx was broken, and we had finally taken back our spot as the top predator on the food chain. 

The picture will forever retain that memory, but words cannot explain the moment the three of us shared.  As Matt released the fish back into the darkness, I patted him on the back and said "thank you for bringing my mojo back!"  Our evening ended shortly after and as we drove across the dark water I thanked the big guy up above for such an incredible opportunity to fish, persevere and succeed.  In the muskie world, persistence does pay off.  Until the next monster strikes, keep on livin' your dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

Monday night found myself and good friend Mike Ernst down at the WCCO studio for our Live radio show.  I was honored to have my fishing pal Mike join me in the studio and Bob Turgeon made a guest appearance to talk muskies too.  Keeping it local, I also had Jeff Byrne from Cabin Fever share some mid-summer thoughts about the metro area.  Click below if you'd like to listen in...

Tuesday night my fishin' buddy, Matt Hennen and I went on a mission to catch whatever would bite our jigs.  The weather was spectacular, and in preparation for several upcoming multi-specie guide trips, I thought I would see what the fish were up to.  In our short time on the water we had a blast catching everything lake Waconia had to offer.  Everything except a muskie that is.  We caught bass like it was our job.  Several panfish took our baits too, and the always willing sheephead battled us like crazy. I even managed to land a nice pike before Matt caught the first walleye of the evening.  It reminded me of fishing as a kid.  You know, the fishing trips where you just go for "whatever bites."

With our national holiday fast approaching I can't say when my muskie mojo will return.  It might be tomorrow or maybe next week.  I know many of you are thinking that I may have turned soft.  I guess it's true.  Or, maybe I'm just not that mad at the muskies right now.   As I look at my calendar I have to wonder when I'll get the attitude back.  Tonight I venture to Tonka for a bass bonanza with a father and son. Tomorrow I'm heading to Mille Lacs.  Maybe the big pond will spark my muskie interest?  Or, maybe not.  If there is one lake that can get me jacked up, it is that big piece of water so I've got my fingers crossed.  Until the mojo returns, keep on livin' your dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

As any trip with a newcomer, you always wish for the best.  You wish for a huge fish to strike, but more importantly you wish for it to strike their line.  This was our goal last night, and as we set out just before the sun hit the trees, we had hopes that Jenn would see her first muskie.  It was a short stint to say the least, but it was better than nothing.   We skipped the introductory lessons to muskie fishing and started immediately with the fishing.  Not a typical approach, but when you only have an hour you just get down to business.

As the sun hit the trees and the darkness started to set in, Jenn's boyfriend Mike let out the most beautiful words in the entire world.  "Got one!"  A few screams from Jenn and a surfacing muskie revealed that he was correct.  As I reached for the net I was reminded that I left it at home.  Ooops.  It was a hand to hand combat to the fullest extent.  Mike got the fish close and I stuck the ol' mitt in the water.  A few seconds later we posed for our catch and the fish was on its way.  It wasn't until the dust settled that Mike and I turned to each other and realized that we totally hogged the show.  During the chaos of the battle, lack of net and a few other factors, Jenn was all but taken out of the equation.  She was happy to take the pictures, but we wanted that fish to be hers.  I guess it now makes this title a little ironic, huh?  Sorry Jenn.  If anything it means that we get to try it over again.  It was an unforgettable night on the water with two of my favorite people.  Short, but oh so sweet.  Until next time, keep on chasing your dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

I have been fortunate enough to share this trip with the best group of friends in the world.  I don't know how, but I am greatful for it.  Each summer, nine of us friends take 5 days out of our busy schedules and enjoy life from the perch of an island.  Until you put the cell phones, computers and all technology to the wayside, you don't realize how peaceful, calm and relaxing life can be.  I'll be the first to agree that I am spoiled and get the opportunity to fish more than I deserve, but when I am up there, I am reminded about how it all began and why it is so special.  I can't explain it, I just look forward to each summer and I take it all in.

Walleye shore lunch is the obvious meal.  Each year we eat fresh walleye every day, and 2010 was no exception.  We caught and ate enough walleyes to make a fish factory jealous.  Many years we hammer the smallmouth bass.  This year was a struggled to catch them on every cast, but we still got a few and had several high flying jumps.  Since we have a few days and only set up camp one time, we find ourselves searching new waters and targeting new fish.  The last three trips have taken us into places where the giant panfish roam.  It's become a staple and once again we caught pannies too big for the frying pan.

While all of the above is great and worth the trip alone, I now have a newfound passion swimming in the pristine waters.  Pike.  Big pike!  Each year we have huge northern pike attack our walleye stringers.  You will be quietly fishing when a huge explosion occurs boatside and you realize that your stringer of walleyes is one short, or still in the mouth of a hungry giant.  I made it a point this year to bring some equipment and my goal was a 20 pounder.

I brought a few baits that I thought perfect for the job.  We pack light, so I only brought a couple. While I made good lure decisions, the down side to the equation was that I didn't give these big fish enough credit and I slacked on my rod, reel and line.  I figured that I could boat a giant on heavy bass gear and chose the ultra-light approach.  I tried a couple of smaller baits with minimal success.  It wasn't until I chucked the biggest bait in my box that I realized I was undermatched.  Upon the first cast of my muskie topwater lure, I became almost frightened when a giant pike exploded from beneath.  He missed the bait, but it was obvious that I found what they wanted.

For the next 30 minutes I had pike of every size exploding on my giant jackpot.  I could argue that it was some of the most intense fishing of my life.  It definitely rivals the excitement of a topwater muskie strike, but I will admit that it is even more fierce.  There is no warning.  They don't follow, they just explode.  After I thought I had it all figured out and my quest for a 20 pounder was going to be short-lived, it all came to an end.  As I worked my topwater lure over 20 foot depths and brought it boatside, a monster shot out like lightning, grabbed my bait and immediately shot back to the depths.  My years of boatside muskie strikes didn't prepare me for the intensity of a huge pike eating at my feet.  A big pike doesn't thrash around on the surface like a muskie.  Instead they immediately give the most powerful explosion downward and if you don't have heavy enough line, they will simply take your lure and leader with them.  This is just what happened to me, and after I wiped the water from my dripping face, I realized that I had hooked and lost the biggest pike of my life.  To make matters even worse, I lost my only giant topwater lure too, not to mention my dignity.  Apparently 20 pound braided line isn't enough for a monster attack boatside.  It took a while for my nerves to calm.  It was insane.  I assure you that next year I will be bringing the big stuff.  Shame on me!

While the fishing was great, the company was even better.  Time around the camp is the highlight of each day.  The fire is the center of it all and stories of years past and fishing tales never get old.  The best part is that each year we continue to make more.  For those of us that rise early, the sunrise over the island is an epic scene.  Sunset are pretty good too.  The weather was what you'd expect and changed by the minute.  We battled out a thunderstorm that would have made most cry for help.  Heavy downpours caused us to dig trenches and route gushing water away from our campsite.  A first time task that we hope is the last.  Like most years we experienced all that time would allow.  When I thought I had done everything possible, I was shocked yet again.  We found an inspiring group of kids and I was convinced to jump off of a cliff.  Yep, that's right, I can now cross that off my bucket list too.  If there is one bad thing about taking a trip to the B-Dub's, it's that at some point you have to pack up your gear and head back to reality.  It really is that good!  I want to thank Dusty, Sean, Matt, Ryan, Scott, Jason, Joe and Jeff for another trip of a lifetime!  Until next year, keep on livin' the dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com