Marquette Farmers Market and not eating fish

 Since we are not catching fish we are not eating fish.  We decided to check out the Saturday morning Marquette Farmers Market to stave off starvation.

We picked up some locally raised, organic, free range, beef and pork brats to tide us over. You can't get any more PC.

While Dad caught up with "Booner" -our neighboring patrarch on the bay...

I fired up the grill and prepared a fishless dinner.

Grilled garlic, onion, and peppers accompanied the pork brats.

I mean - it's not grilled bluegills, but it'll do.

Fishing. Not Catching.

Mike and Kris stayed the night.  Before they departed Thursday afternoon, we took the pontoon boat on an extended Northern Pike hunt.  Trolling and at anchor, using spinners, rapalas, floaters, sinkers, spoons, propeller nosed slashers - we even dropped a worm on a hook.

Rare photo of Mike K with a spin reel in his hand.

The weather was sunny and warm. The water was clear and calm.

But the fish were not biting.  The pontoon boat seems like a perfect fishing platform. Comfortable and quiet, we can anchor at all our favorite spots - Carlson point,  Summerville corner,  Jacobsen Bay, the Rutherford dock - and cast with 360 degrees of freedom. There is no reason why we should not be able to catch fish from the pontoon boat. And yet after 3 hours, Mike's 7 inch northern pike was all we had to show for our efforts.

Our efforts continued apace after the Kettu's departure.  Not sure how many pictures of us not catching fish in the pontoon boat  you want to see, but here are a few more.

Thursday - not catching fish in our bay

Friday - not catching fish in Jacobson's bay.

First Official Cruise of 2014 Commemerative Portaiture by Olive

 Papa's new/old pontoon boat  (purchased last fall) was back in the lake Wednesday morning after an off season electrical makeover.

The Kettu clan converged on camp for a visit and a cruise around the lake. Em, Matt, and Olive were here on a school night, so could not stay long.

We had time for one slow-speed circumnavigation, so loaded everyone on the boat for the first official cruise of 2014.

As the captain was busy trying to remember how to drive the boat, he relinquished his photographic responsibilities, handed the Olympus over to Olive, and promoted her to official Cruise Photographer.  She chose to commemorate this inaugural cruise with intimate portraits of passenger and crew:

A bold artisitic choice, but the right choice.

Memorial Day Weekend Roundup

The Memorial Day weekend crew

 The Lake House at Big Shag Lake was at capacity over the holiday weekend. Harlan, Wendy, Kristy, Zach, Brian, Roy, Jonah, Dad, Bowser and Maverick all enjoyed the beautiful weather.

I'm running behind on the blog, so we'll just post a selection of pics the encompass the three primary activities over the three day weekend - fishing, eating, drinking.  Not necessarily in that order.

FISHING:

Lots and lots of fishing going on over the holiday weekend.

Even including some "born again" Ott fisherpeople.

Yep, lots of fishing...

... just not much catching.

A  nephew/niece fishing expedition heads out filled with all the optimism and high expectations of a newly elected Obama Administration...

... only to have their hopes dashed when they are ignominiously towed back to the dock under cover of darkness. An EPIC FAIL.. Just like... well... you know.

Apparently the speedboat requires a supply of gasoline. Who knew? 

EATING AND DRINKING:

Shockingly - we ate and drank too well over the extended holiday weekend.

 A half slab of Up North Ribs for the birthday boy was the weekend warm-up.

Roy demonstrates his grilling chops with perfectly seared potato sausage and steaks grilled to taste.

Our short order fry chef served up his breakfast specialties, including matzo eggs, 

potato pancakes, and eggs cooked to order.

 BLAT sandwiches and corn on the cob.

Roy's racist white bean chili served with Two Brother's racist white beer followed by equally racist New Glarus white Belgium beer. 

Yooperkranian Pickles

 Locally harvested Bambi Jalapeno sausage and locally farmed beef bratwurst 

with locally brewed Vierling porter.

 Wendy served as dessert chef...

 ... preparing grilled fruit skewers and blueberry rasberry coffee cake.

 Zach manned the bar and served up Mohitos.

The fishing was not good enough for a full blown fish fry with this crew. But by Monday dinnertime everyone had left except Dad and me. The only reliable fisherman in the group hd caught enough bluegills for an intimate dinner for two.

Papa has the trophy catch thus far.

 Blugs prepared "Lou's North Beach" style. 

 A fine finish to the weekend.