Well… I keep promising a report of some sort so I guess I’d better deliver! 😅 I haven’t spent as much time off of the water as I have in this past month for longer than I can remember, but I did finally manage to put in a few days recently…
I’ve had all sorts of things going on, just not allot of that fun stuff! A minor surgery and some back issues both took me out for a bit, but I seem to be back and functioning well now! 👍 An upcoming MRI will tell the tale a little better I guess, but in the meantime I’m ready and willing to go with more open dates than I like to see if you’d like to fill one! (Or, two… 🙄😅)
John K and John R both have openings as well and the word on the street is that some hexes have already been popping pretty good on a few nights. I haven’t personally been down in “the hex water”, but my social media feeds have been full of people that have been and are promoting trips for it. (Seems a little cool and wet today and tomorrow around here for it, but you don’t know if you don’t go I guess and I have seen great hatches in similar conditions before. 🤷♂️)
Recent rains are keeping the river at a nice level this year and the stain, at least in the sections I’ve floated, is what I’d call perfect. I got a little concerned on Friday the 12th when I was out with Bob, the fishing was a little slow and water temps hit 67° before going back down, but some much cooler weather that evening alleviated those concerns and fishing was solid for Bob and John R the next day.
Dennis and I very rarely have a “slow day” if the fish are on even just a little bit and we fish allot together, but Sunday was one of those rare occasions for us only putting a few to hand with cool to even cold weather at the end of the day and a barometer that was all over the place; Monday started out kind of the same until he hit a beauty not too far in!
After that, I can only say that I have a “feeling” that the rest of the day would have been really solid because we started turning a bunch more but only put one more to hand before Dennis decided he was content for this trip up to Baldwin on the fish & fishing end of things and just wanted to take in the scenery, listen to the birds, watch some wildlife and make conversation.
We actually floated from not too far below Bowman’s, on past McDougal’s and all the way to Rainbow Rapids without making another single cast and I have to admit, it was spectacularly relaxing, pleasant and even fun! (Not to mention VERY unlike us! 😳😅 That man is usually a fishing machine!)
Anyway… Hard to report on the rest of that day with all of that lollygagging we were doing, but I did see some hatch and mouse related fish in my social media feeds the next day…
Hey, I like catching fish and even showing them off (good for bookings usually) just as much as the next guy and I’ll put 100% into it if that’s your mindset, but the number one thing I care about is that you’re smiling at the end of the day and want to do it again sometime so you’ll get no pressure from me unless you want it! 😎👍
John R and I have plans to go up to Manistee tomorrow and finish some work on our big lake boat, but after that I’ve got some prime river dates open if you want to go out and go hard or just chill and fish a little! Entirely up to you… 😉 (231) 745-3529 8am – 6pm daily for motel or guide bookings!
Speaking of the big lake boat, I’ve had a few inquiries and here’s where we’re at… We had our DNR Dry Dock inspection a little while ago and hopefully the part we ordered for a muffler fix will be in so we can install it tomorrow and be done with all of that. (There were a few other very minor things but John got those done in a hurry while I was laid up so after the muffler we should be good to drop it in and have the Dockside inspection done.)
Once that is complete or maybe in the meantime, we still need to join the Michigan Charter Boat Association, but we are waiting on some paperwork from the State to make our new LLC official for that. (I’m hoping that’s in today’s mail! 🤷♂️)
I did have a delay in the renewal of my Master Captains License due to the homeland security funding debacle, but have since gotten a letter to keep with me that extends my current license until August 31st (Thanks for the heads up Sean!) and, even better, I just now got notification that the rest has now successfully gone thru so my new credentials should be arriving long before that.
Anyway, we “should be” good to go for most if not all of July and August as originally planned for this year, but we are not taking any reservations until we are completely done with all of the proper procedures to do so legally and I’ll be sure to let it be known when we are! 😎👍 (Some of those July/August dates are already tied up with friends, family and/or just for fun tournaments however and I’ll be doing Alaska stuff from August 6th or 7th to the 16th or 17th.)
Not much else for me to tell right now, but I hope to get out a bunch more now and if I do I’ll be more diligent on reports for sure! (Luckily, John has stayed fairly active on both accounts so I hope you’ve been reading his!)
See below for details, but we continue to seek new Sales Associates for the shop if know anyone who might enjoy that! (It’s a pretty sweet gig. 🤷♂️👍)
Have fun, be safe and play nice when you can! 😎🎣👍🇺🇸✌️
-Steve-
BBT Fly & Tackle Shop is seeking full and/or Part Time Retail Sales Associates
Description:
We are seeking a passionate, knowledgeable individual to provide top-tier customer service, assist with rod, reel, fly, tackle and accessories selections, manage point-of-sale operations in an often fast-paced environment and take reservations for Guide Trips & Motel Rooms.
Requirements:
A solid foundation of knowledge in fly, spin and bait fishing as well as the equipment needed, experience with POS systems, and strong interpersonal skills. (Interpersonal skills is the only actual unconditional requirement as the right person could be trained on the rest.)
Responsibilities Include:
Assisting customers with gear, taking reservations, managing inventory, and maintaining a clean and inviting shop/work environment.
Experience Needed:
This varies a lot depending upon your work ethic, personality and ability to learn, but being “experienced in fly and/or spin fishing” is most certainly a major bonus as is some history in retail sales…
Benefits:
Employee discounts are nearly universal, alongside product discounts direct from many of our manufacturers and a very laid-back work environment despite the fact that it can and does get hectic at times. Pay raises will be quickly granted based on good performance as we are looking for long term employee(s).
“It’s the shop environment, spending time with quality like-minded individuals, talking hunting and fishing all day…, quality of life, low pressure work environment… the list is long!!!”
So, please call the shop and talk with either Jake or Jimmy if you have any questions about the position. Applications can be picked up at the shop and résumés can be dropped off there or emailed to [email protected]
(231) 745-3529
