As I drove up to side of Gino’s Surf Lounge, I looked out over the lake and noticed a familiar sight, that I had not seen in years…It was the fishermen out early trying to get their first fish of the season.  For us, it always started just off shore like this, pretty blue water, crisp air and not far from home.  It was good because it was close and always filled with great anticipation because these were the first walleyes of the year.  Sure there were some large perch and an occasional rock bass but we all knew why we were here.  From here, it was down to the river…where most people today do some jigging, but my family came from a long line of hand liners or what we called “chugging.”  A one-foot stick rapped in line with a shiny buoy-like sinker and a double treble hook and a shiner was all we needed and we had fun.  If your hands weren’t bloody by days end, you had a lousy day.

Author: capthook

Greg Davies is a life-long resident of Harrison Township, MI. At the age on one, my family moved from Detroit, Mi to my first home just a few streets down on Jefferson from Metropolitan Beach. It was a dream location to grow up with the lake and all of the activities a kid and even a grown-up could enjoy. Although it has changed a lot over the years, it is still a quaint community with the right kind of people in it.