I’m sure many of you have heard the Carrie Underwood song, “Something In The Water.” It’s a great song, a passionate song, and a song that very-closely related to our little fishing outing tonight. Things have been absolutely crazy around here already, and we have been a bit short staffed – a common theme in the world today. We’ve settled into a 7-day/week routine: Flour Lake USFS Campground rounds at 7:30 am, open the lodge at 8 am, accomplish everything we possibly can between 8am and 6pm, and close the lodge at 6pm. We then head home, make dinner, feed Whiskey the Wonder Dog, and take an hour of leisure. Around 8 pm, we head out for our second Flour Lake USFS Campground round of the day. On a good night, when we aren’t feeling too drained, and assuming the campground round was uneventful, we head down to our own dock, hop in our boat, and enjoy 45-60 minutes on the water.

Some nights we fish with just the three of us, (Zach, Whiskey, and I,) but more often, our managers, Roxy and Sarah, come along, making it five of us. Tonight was just such a night, with a full crew of ever-so-tired team on-board… except Whiskey – he was still quite energetic… Zach planned his course. As we trolled our usual line, Whiskey bounced from person-to-person, begging for attention. At one point, he entirely fixated on Roxy’s sour gummy worms. Surprisingly, when she finally gave him a tiny piece of one, he was not fazed and wanted another. Are you a dog, or are you a human? We may never know! Our first 30 minutes of fishing were extremely uneventful, yielding nothing but mosquito bites, so Captain Zach decided to take us to another location. It wasn’t long before he had a fish on the line! Roxy and I reeled in frantically. As soon as Roxy had her Secret Bait safely in the boat, she grabbed the net. Oh goodness, grab a net and Whiskey is THERE. The only problem was, as Roxy lunged for the fish, Whiskey, in his excitement, stepped overboard. I don’t think any of us know how he kept himself in the boat. Sheer athleticism, perhaps? Roxy netted the fish, while Sarah and I laughed about the prospect of having a fish (a walleye, no less) on the line, and Whiskey in the water. Whiskey was entirely unphased by the event, and carefully examined both of the other walleyes that Team Ruth brought into the boat. Somebody should tell Zach to ask his wife or Roxy about their Secret Baits. Secret Baits=5, all other lures = 1. Also, folks, we do sell this lure in the store. I can set you up with your very own Secret Bait!

Only catch one walleye? Try Bacon Wrapped Walleye Bites! I’ve invented this recipe myself.

Ingredients/Instructions:
Walleye – dice Walleye into 1” pieces.
Lightly season Walleye with a maple bacon or applewood seasoning.
Bacon, cut into 1/3 strips.
Wrap walleye pieces in bacon and fasten with a toothpick.
Cook in a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. High heat will result in burnt bacon and under-cooked fish. Low heat will result in bacon that is not crispy. A lid is helpful in crisping the bacon over medium heat, while making sure the fish cooks completely.
Remove from heat and place on paper towel to remove excess grease.
Enjoy as appetizer!