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Yesterday I had the pleasure to talk to one of my old mentors .A fisherman that helped when I was a young guy learning to fish the lake. David Kaminski. In the 70's Dave and his son Chris were fishing out of a Mako 20ft. center console with twin 55hp.Johnson outboards. They fished,, I mean they really fished hard. Didn't matter where the fish were at they were there fishing. Eventually David upgraded to a large Bertram and his son Chris is still hitting it hard with the Christopher K. We had some good laughs as we talked about how fishemen today wouldn't believe some of the stories we could tell. If I told you 8-12lb. coho out of Jerose Park(now EC) in July. 51 degree water temp coming out of EC would you believe me?. The best part of those old days are the memories shared. Lakers on the beach in front of Midwest in fall fishing 5-7ft down in 8ft. of water. Lakers stacked like cord wood. Yes the good old days shared with good friends like David and his son Chris. The old king returns inside the port of Indiana etc. Fishing today is alot different but what isn't is, the mentors that some of us have had, and you younger fellas, the mentors that you have today. Fishermen that are willing to share what they have learned and might learn from you in return. David I know you follow this site, so thanks Dave. It was fellas like you, Bob Cash, Bill Carr and my brother Bob, that helped me and that help is and was so appreciated. We shared the best of times!!!!!!!!!

That was very nice Ed.

Very nice Ed. My dad shares stories of the past with me all the time and when out on the lake he might say throw down this certain bait, it caught fish in the 70s and 80s. I usually give him a weird look but then send it down and a lot of the times we would catch fish on them. Fishing 30 down only 5ft back Jplugs all yr, no speed probe or GPS. Also the stories of Lefties Coho Landing and how the ditch had poles instead of a breakwall. All good stories.

Thanks Ed, I've met all the guys you mentioned. I am working on my first cup of coffee this morning so I'm having trouble recalling all the "names" from the past I could add. Among those are Jack Parry, Wayne Stoddard, (Jim?) Kilgore, Dale (BrainFart) aka Sandy Marie, Carl Pardue, Bobby Frome, I'm sure there are many others, all "Hail Fellows Well Met."

Teo Espesito who ran lefty's gas dock and bait shack. Great guy!
Brad Parry, Jacks oldest son who was the captain that the DNR used for their deep water reef stocking for the lake trout rehabilitation start.
Art Maynard another early captain.
Wish I had a nickel for every SteelHead that has come off of #4 marker over the years. Always have felt it was better before the reef went in. Seemed to have a better cross current pre- reef.
People think that silver fish don't eat perch,, they did when we lost a big portion of alewife forage on this end in the early eighties. #3 J-plugs or Canadian plugs in green back/black ladder was all you really needed to run during the time they were on perch.

Indeed Ed lots of memories. Dick Rudzinski and the Fishing Pole, Jack and Norm Westfotth on the Slippery Jack. When we all had smaller boats and launching at Lake Street with a north wind. Lots of fun. Caught my first laker off Buffington pier when I was 10 yrs old while perch fishing, an exciting day. It still excites me when a rod goes off, just as it did 72 yrs ago. I’ll be 83 this Monday and I hope I have a few more good years to fish. Again thanks Ed for all you do to help the fiishery.

Happy Birthday. Dave

Wow David 83 years young. congrats sir and wishing you many,many more.

Thanks Ed, the picture tells quite a story. We all started this way. I ordered the print and it will hang in my home.

I don't have the salmon experience most on this board have but i did get out on charters around 25 years ago, lit the fire that I've just recently been able to ignite by going out myself. We used to charter the Leprechaun with i believe, Capt Bill Kelly, does that ring a bell with anyone?