Reporter's Notebook: Hooked on fishing

I put down my camera and picked up a fishing pole. It felt good to finally fish again. Fishing is a hobby of mine, but I haven't done much of it the past couple of years. My husband, Jason, and I fished a lot throughout our relationship. We always had better luck fishing in the evening so it was a common time we'd go out to the Huron River or Sandusky Bay to catch catfish. We'd watch the sunset and fish until sometime after midnight. It depended on how the fish were biting. When we had our son, Connor, we ended up taking a break from fishing. Mine and Jason's work schedules didn't always line up so fishing during the daytime was difficult and I never wanted to take a baby/toddler to fish at night. Now that Connor is 2 years old and loves being outside, it's about time for us to take him fishing — he already has his own fishing pole. We'll probably start at Resthaven Wildlife Area where there's plenty of bluegill. The only time I went fishing during the past two years was through Governor's Fish Ohio Day. It's one of my favorite days of the year. The day, which highlights the importance of Lake Erie, combines two of my interests: taking photos and catching fish. Thursday's event was my fourth time participating since working at the Register. Being a participant means I had to wake up much earlier than usual. My first alarm went off at 5 a.m. and I was at the Shores & Islands Ohio Welcome Center in Port Clinton just after 6 o'clock. I checked in and was assigned to boat No. 5. People on the same boat as me included Michele Butler, Erie County's wildlife officer; Steve Gray, an assistant director at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources; and Lisa Peterson, a communications director for Governor Mike DeWine. During the short drive to Channel Grove Marina, Gray told us how our boat's captain, Jerry Abele of Headhunter Fishing Adventures, has been a captain for Governor's Fish Ohio Day since the very beginning. This was the 43rd year for the event. Channel Grove Marina, which is Abele's home marina, also served as the home base for the first several Governor's Fish Ohio Day events. With Abele as our captain, I knew we were in good hands. Without the captains who donated their time and talent, the event would not be possible. We left the marina and headed out to Lake Erie to catch walleye. First, I spent time taking pictures of everyone fishing. They started out by catching a couple of walleye too small to keep, so those were tossed back in the water. Walleye need to be a minimum of 15 inches. For the record, Gray caught the first fish on our boat. Once I had a decent amount of photos, I decided to join in on the fun. I hoped that putting down the camera would mean everyone would start catching larger walleye — but I made sure my camera was at my feet so I could grab it quickly if I heard someone hook a fish. Our group also caught fish like catfish and sheepshead, but those went back to the water. They eventually caught walleye long enough to put in the cooler. As soon as I hooked my first fish, I was excited to, hopefully, reel in a walleye — but it had a familiar feel at the end of the line. The way the fish swam with the hook reminded me catfishing. I reeled the fish to the surface and it was, of course, a catfish. After some time, I caught a walleye worth keeping. I was thrilled I was able to contribute to the cooler. From then on, I reeled in walleye, sheepshead and more catfish. I appreciated Abele and Gray because both of them made sure our hooks always had enough bait. Butler also assisted by grabbing the net when needed. As our time out on Lake Erie was coming to an end, I wished it lasted longer. Being out on the water is so peaceful — it actually felt like I was on vacation. Our group had wonderful conversations and shared stories from the past. It was an enjoyable time. The final count of walleye in the cooler came to 14. They were cleaned and bags of fillets were given to participants to take home. We are incredibly lucky to have Lake Erie in our backyard. Tourism is a significant part of the economy around here, and the lake attracts people from all over Ohio and the country. For us, it's a great lake to live by and I'm glad it's here for us to enjoy. There's more to Lake Erie than just fishing. This past month, I took Connor to Huron so he could experience the beach and get his feet wet in the water. The way he smiled and giggled as a gentle wave reached his feet is a memory I'll have forever. I can't wait for our family to experience more things Lake Erie offers. And I'm already looking forward to next year's Governor's Fish Ohio Day.