It is eight thirty in the evening.  This morning I started work early so that I could leave early.  With my bag packed and arrangements made, I climbed into a friend’s SUV for a three hour ride to the shores of Lake Michigan.  Six of us are going salmon fishing early in the morning.

This trip has been on the calendar for over two years.  Last year I had this date set aside for salmon fishing.  But, you guessed it, work got in the way.  It was painful to cancel my spot on the boat.  Of course my buddies went without me and limited out in my absence.

I was careful to plan, protect and insist on making the trip this year.  A few episodes almost scuttled the trip again.  But, God must want me to go!

It is a charter.  We go out with the pros and pay them for their expertise.  There’s never any guarantee when fishin but we can surely stack the deck in our favor.  The deck of the boat that is!

These skippers make their living on the water.  They study the patterns of the fish, consult with other captains, watch weather, note water conditions and of course log the successes of all their journeys into the deep waters.

The Chinook is our objective.  These are the King Salmon of the Lake.  Back in my beloved Oregon we called them Black Mouth.  Big and powerful and running deep, these magnificent fish swim with great strength and test both the endurance and strength of the fishermen.

Once the rod tip bends, one of us will leap up and grab the pole.  With hundreds of feet of fishing line piercing the depths of the cold waters down to several hundred feet below the surface, it is now a game of tug-o-war.  The Salmon is fighting for its life.  I will be fighting for dinner.

Yes, I have been skunked (unsuccessful) fishing for salmon many times.  But, I have always been successful when out on a charter for Salmon.  That kind of track record is worth taking to the bank.  I have only optimistic hopes for tomorrow’s fishing.

The weather is perfect.  The company is fabulous.  The time of year is ideal.  Now, God can bless with great abudance.  Hope burns eternal in the heart of every fisher person looking forward to the next day of fishing!