Cubs WIN!

Derrek Lee...

takes a called third strike to end the 8th with runners on.

Bum.

I am worried.

Had to get a proper Chicago dog.

The seat vendor version was deficient. Cubs winning 4-3.

Play Ball!

We're in.

Box seats. Six rows off the field. First base side. On the edge of the infield grass and on the aisle.

Got tickets

I need to replace my cub hat

since my favorite is on the bottom of the bay in Shag Lake.

Heading to the Cub game.

After listening to the Cubs on the radio overcome an eight run deficit to beat the Rockies 10-9 during the drive back from Michigan yesterday, I decided I needed to get out to Wrigley today.

Going to the game with nephew Erik, who graduates from high school tomorrow.

Why does it always smell so bad here?

We picked up WGN South of Menominee, to learn the Cubs were losing 9-1. By the time we got to Milwaukee, the Cubs won 10-9. Unbelievable.

Rolling. Finally.

Only four hours behind schedule.

CAMP NOTES 10: ATTENTION DOG OWNERS

There is an armed and baited mouse trap behind the stove. If a mouse does not find it, you may want to insure that your dog does not.

CAMP NOTE 9: New vacuum is mandatory.

Assigned to Otts- bring new vacuum for camp. Throw out all old ones. You will find a poorly swept camp upon your arrival in July, due to lack of adequate cleaning tools.

CAMP NOTES 8: Gas was not refilled.

I closed (turned off) the two right tanks and presumably they still have gas. I also turned off the gas switch behind the stove.

CAMP UPDATE 7: freezer

Contains 3 pasties, ground beef, 2 steaks, frozen cooking champagne, all safe at the time of freezing. And an ice cube sculpture.

CAMP NOTE 6: Spring water level checkpoint

CAMP NOTE 5: Salt reloaded

So far so good

No cover pooling evident with this mornings light rain.

A rainy sendoff

Mr. Tacklebox does not like the rain.

SJW Guest Post

For future reference - SJW's Shag Lake Journal entry from May 2008. Relevant quote:

"Mike had an unusual experience. While fishing for large fish he accidentally threw his pole in the water. I gave him my pole and he put a heavy lure on it and unbelievably he actually hooked the line of this pole and got his pole back." - SJW

I am not breathing fire ...

That is actually the Ojibway Casino sign in the background.

Papa won $100 and I won $155, successfully recovering the unsecured loan I made last week to the Island Casino, while earning some modest interest in the transaction.

CAMP NOTE 4: The interior wood rack is fully stacked.

However, this is all the wood that is left. If it is cold over the summer and a wood fire is needed, more wood will need to be ordered. As I have heard griping about the quality of wood I have ordered in the past, I will extend this opportunity for someone else to secure better quality wood over the summer. Otherwise I will order two more cords in the fall.

CAMP NOTE 3: Roof tiles

There is an odd ripple in the roof tiles over the bedroom of the new section. This might indicate moisture leaking and wood warping. It appears to be in the section of the bedroom directly above where we have falling ceiling tiles, as documented in last year's camp closing e-mail.

CAMP NOTE 2: The Escanaba pot.

We boil sausages in this pot at lil' camp. It was brought to Shag to clean. It is clean now. The next visitors to Lil' camp should return it.

CAMP NOTE 1: The growlers

First in a series of notes for future 2008 Shagolian residents:
These are empty growlers. They are empty and rinsed out. If you take them to a Marquette micro-brewery, they will fill them with a very fine beer for $8.00.

Camp cleanup day

Is underway.

The last bluegill.

Fry, that is... The last bluegill fry.

I did a better job with this batch. Note to self: If you are going to do a bluegill fry - do a bluegill fry, including a full breading - beer dip, flour, egg dip, bread crumbs - and hot oil at @350 degrees.

Seeds sprouting in the muckfill?

Could be.

40 degree warmer than this morning.

7o degrees now. 30 degrees this morning. Papa shows off a trophy driftwood catch - retrived from Mitchell Lake and destined for the fish tank.

A lucky blug.

This one was a beauty, but it is International Bluegill Amnesty Day, and since we still have more bluegills than we can eat, she is still in the lake for you to catch next time.

Semi-annual recycling run

My audacity of hope is that I will not have to deal with this in the fall, since all the summer visitors will take care of their own stuff.

Cold night warm day

30 degrees last night. 67 degrees forecast today. We'll see.

The HDW Mobile Blog has departed camp

And taken Roy and Jonah with him. We also noticed this morning that Brian is no longer here. No one has seen him for several days and no one remembers what happened to him. We are pretty sure that he drove up here with us.

We depart

The two remaining mobile bloggers diverge

Cold Dawn

HDW has a better picture of frost on the dock than I could get with this TREO 600. I will link to it if and when he ever posts it to his blog. I can't believe it is this cold. It'll be June in less than a week.

Frosty footprints on the dock

The bottom of my feet are frost bitten.

Severe Weather Alert

Watches and Warnings

Gwinn Forecast

MARQUETTE-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...MARQUETTE
422 AM EDT TUE MAY 27 2008

...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING...
...FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY MORNING...

A FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING. A
FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY
MORNING.

LOW TEMPERATURES THIS MORNING OVER MARQUETTE COUNTY WILL RANGE
FROM AROUND 30 OVER THE INTERIOR WEST AROUND CHAMPION TO 33 AT
GWINN AND 35 NEAR THE LAKE SUPERIOR SHORE. TEMPERATURES SHOULD
WARM INTO THE LOWER 40S BY 10 AM.

MINIMUM TEMPERATURES TONIGHT ARE FORECAST TO DROP TO AS LOW AS 30
DEGREES OVER SOUTHERN MARQUETTE COUNTY. TEMPERATURES NEAR LAKE
SUPERIOR WILL FALL ONLY TO AROUND 37.

A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE IMMINENT OR
HIGHLY LIKELY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS AND OTHER
SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

Cold Air Warm Water

30 degrees this morning. Steam coming off the water.

We interrupt this Michigan holiday....

...to forward this picture submitted by JC of an Abalone salad being enjoyed by Robyn and Jeff this Memorial Day holiday. These abalone morsels represent the last of the MW and HDW May 9-10 abalone hunt.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Michigan holiday already in progress.

Mw confirms the snow

Snow

Maybe you cannot tell, but it is snowing.

Jonah climbing Mt. Presque Isle

Temperature dropping - down 10 degrees in the last hour.

Almost to the top

10" bluegills? book a charter.

An article of interest to Shagolians:

SHAG LAKES

"Shag Lakes are two of the best lakes in the area for big bluegills, and last ice is a great time to fish for 'em," suggested Dan Gorcella of Carpenter's Outdoor Outfitters in Marquette.

Located in southeast Marquette County, Big and Little Shag lakes are just southwest of the town of Gwinn. Gorcella said that Little Shag is the best of the two, but both have a reputation for producing plenty of 8- to 10-inch 'gills on last ice. Last ice comes late in the Great White North of the U.P. It's possible to still be ice-fishing in mid-April.

Gorcella said that the key to finding the biggest bluegills in Shag Lakes is to keep moving and probe the drop-offs in 10 to 15 feet of water. Typical bluegill fare, like teardrops and wax worms, accounts for plenty of limit catches on last ice.

10" bluegills on Shag Lake??? Huh. Who knew?

And if you want to fish this "hot spot", Charters are available:

Big Shag Lake

---

Big Shag Lake has a total lake surface area of 194 acres. This smaller Upper Peninsula lake produces Northern Pike, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Tiger Musky and your standard panfish such as Perch.

Tiger Muskies which are a species of fish that are part Muskie and Northern Pike can be caught up to 40” long in this U.P. inland lake. These fish are great fighters are the top predators in this body of water.

The walleye population of Big Shag Lake is small, but the average length are 14” to 24” long. Not bad, but they are very hard to find.

Charter Fishing Rates

$300 for 2 people 1/2 Day or 7 Hours

$350 for 3-4 people 1/2 Day or 7 Hours

Morning or Evening Trips Available.

We also give discounts if you book multiple trips for a season. Give us a call to find out more about this Upper Michigan fishing opportunity. Trips can be lengthened or shortened with price adjustment.

Past and Future of Bluegill Hunters

This post is a little out of date, but you get the idea. All of these fish have been fried and enjoyed.

Roy enjoys the early morning conversation...

Poppa, MW & HDW drink coffee and converse while Roy meditates on the combined wisdom of the Shag Lake elders.

In a hard fought battle...

Uncle Mike successfully beat 2nd grader Jonah at chess, repeating his victory over first grader Jonah from the year before. He is not sure he will beat 3rd grader Jonah one year hence.

Jonah's trout joins the bluegill fry

A simple fry - beer marinade, dipped in flour with salt and pepper, fried in canola oil.

As we got off the stream...

t

Thunder, lightning, and rain. Timed it just right.

Last casts.