Hannah loosened the rope that tethered the boat and Norman started the motor. “It’s not an outboard motor?” she asked, glancing at the back of the boat.
“There’s an outboard back there, but it’s a small one and it’s just for trolling. This one’s an inboard and it starts like a car. All I have to do is turn the key and press the Start button.”
“Things have changed since the last time I went fishing,” Hannah said, once they’d pulled away from the dock. “I remember my dad pulling the cord about a million times to start the motor.”
“Same here. Everything is easier now, Hannah. I’ve been thinking about buying this boat, or one just like it. I talked to Dick about it and he said he rents summer dock space for fishermen who want to leave their boats here.”
“He has that much room?” Hannah asked, surprised.
“Not on the dock we just left, but he has another dock right past the convention center. I brought the boat up and tethered it here while I was waiting for you to get ready to go. The other dock is U-shaped and it’s a lot larger. It’s the perfect setup for fishing, Hannah. Dick even has a bait shop and a boat rental business down there.”
“Are you going to be using live bait?” Hannah asked, crossing her fingers for luck. She really hoped Norman wouldn’t ask her to put angleworms or grubs on the hook. Everybody said that worms couldn’t feel it, but she didn’t believe it and she always felt sorry for them.
“Live bait isn’t permitted in this contest,” Norman said, causing Hannah to give a little sigh of relief. “Wally’s promoting his new line of tackle, and he gave every contestant a full tackle box with his gear in it when we signed up for the tournament.”
“What’s in it?” Hannah asked.
“Take a look. It’s right in back of your seat and it’s a really nice tackle box. I’m sure Wally is hoping that everyone will come to Wally’s Sporting World when the competition is over and add some of his new lines of tackle.”
“Does he have very many lines?”
“Yes, and he has other tackle boxes for them. If you want to, you can buy a tackle box for every kind of fish, depending on whether you’re lake fishing or fly fishing.”
“And you got the Walleye tackle box?”
“Yes. Take a look, Hannah. There’s all sorts of goodies in there.”
Hannah turned around and spotted a small red tackle box. She retrieved it, placed it on her lap, and opened it.
“There’s practically everything in here and it’s all labeled,” she said, impressed at the way the tackle box was organized. “I bet this would cost a fortune if you bought it at one of Wally’s sporting goods stores.”
“You’re probably right.”
“The tackle box has got a whole section in here labeled spoons. They look like something my dad would have used when we used to go fishing. What do you do with this one, Norman?” Hannah inquired.
“That’s called a Silver Streak mini. I would probably rig that on a line weighted down to run at about 25 or 30 feet deep and troll along at about 3 miles per hour or so. Some people really like to use crankbait on Walleyes but you have to go slower with crankbait at those depths. I like to fish a bit deeper than most Lake Edenites, because I have a feeling that is where the really big fish hang out!”
“Have you ever caught a really big Walleye, Norman?”
“Hmm, that’s quite a leading question to ask any fisherman, Hannah. I suppose I could tell you about the one that got away.”
“Really?” Hannah asked with a small smile. “The one that got away, huh? Just how big was it?”
“It was so big that for a minute I thought that Jonah would pop out of his mouth!”
Hannah laughed. “Seriously, is there anything I can do for you, Norman?”
Norman turned to smile at her. “Just keep me company, Hannah. You’ve been working all morning. There’s a bench seat in the back of the boat, and if you get sleepy you can take a little nap while you enjoy the breeze on the lake.”
“But you might need me to help you net a fish. Dad taught all three of us girls to handle a net.”
“I’ll let you know if I need help. I thought we’d head out to that area by the water lily pond. It seems the most likely place to catch Walleyes.”
“Really?” Hannah asked, a bit surprised. “Why is it the most likely place?”
“Because Walleyes have very photosensitive eyes. They like the shadows when it’s bright daylight, so in the daytime they prefer water with some plant cover or overhanging limbs. The plant cover protects them from predators, yet it spreads out enough to still let some light get through the water so that they can identify their prey.”
“That makes sense, I guess. What do Walleyes usually eat?”
“Smaller fish like minnows, shads, insects, and other small live things.”
“Then why did Wally say no live bait?”
“I’m sure it’s partially because he wanted us to try his new line of Walleye tackle, but there’s probably another reason, too. Using live bait can contaminate the water, and Eden Lake is known for its clear water. I’m sure Wally didn’t want to do anything that might hurt the environment.”
“That makes sense and I’m sure Wally was concerned with public opinion, too. I doubt he’d want the conservationists on his back.”
“You’re right.” Norman smiled at her. “Most fishermen care about the environment, especially in Minnesota. We try to keep our lakes clean and our wildlife, including our fish, healthy.”
Hannah smiled back at Norman. Even though he’d spent some of his adult life in other states, he was a true Minnesotan at heart.
As they made their way out on the lake, Hannah looked up at the sky. What she saw made her frown. The moment she’d left the air-conditioned Inn, she’d noticed that it was very muggy. The air was heavy and very still. Normally out on Eden Lake, you could hear the gulls and some of the shore birds. This afternoon, it was silent. Except for the occasional buzzing of an insect, there were no sounds at all.
“It’s quiet out here today,” she said, turning to look up at the sky. It was grey, and as she swiveled to look toward the West, she realized that it was growing darker. “Do you think it’s going to rain?” she asked.
“Maybe. I’ve got two raincoats in the bench seat. All you have to do is lift it and pull it out if you need one.”
“Thanks,” Hannah said quickly. “I used to always bring a poncho with me when I went fishing with my dad. He really liked to fish in the rain. He said the fishing was better then.”
“I’ve heard that before, but I’m not sure I believe it. We can go in if it starts raining, Hannah.”
Hannah shrugged. “Rain doesn’t bother me all that much. I don’t melt.”
“Keep your eye on the sky, Hannah. If it starts to turn a kind of greyish yellow, point it out to me right away and we’ll head for the dock at full speed.”
“Because it could be a tornado?” Hannah asked.
“Yes. I’ve never been out on a lake during a tornado before, and I don’t think I want to experience it.”