My Best Birthday Ever!

Have you ever found yourself unsure of how to spend your birthday until the very last moment? Well, that was exactly how I felt on my ninth birthday! However, little did I know that this uncertainty would lead to one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. Instead of resorting to traditional birthday plans, I embarked on an exciting fishing trip with my dad and my best friend, Beckett, to the magnificent Torch Lake. Although our original intention was to catch some perch, fate had something far more thrilling in store for us!

We embarked on our journey from Torch River, only to encounter a minor issue with our Outboard Jet motor. Accidentally sucking up some weeds during the launch caused a brief setback before we could proceed to the lake.

Once we were all set up, Beckett's first drop for perch resulted in an impressive-sized Lake Trout. He continued to catch numerous perch and Atlantic Salmon throughout the day. As for me, I managed to hook several perch, a Burbot, and a multitude of Atlantic Salmon. My dad, on the other hand, acted as our skilled net man since we were constantly reeling in substantial catches. However, even he couldn't resist joining in on the action and ended up landing a good number of perch, just like Beckett and I.

For catching Atlantic salmon, we used slip bobber rods made by Lamiglas paired with Shimano spinning reels. Our setup included Aero Floats with small hooks made by Blood Run, and we positioned them at multiple levels in the water column, ranging from 10 to 35 feet deep, using minnows as bait.

When targeting perch, we utilized Frabill 39” ice rods paired with Pacifun inline reels. Our rig of choice was a homemade perch rig skillfully crafted by my dad, featuring powder-coated hooks and small sinkers. Baited with minnows and cut shrimp, we skillfully fished the bottom. Surprisingly, our perch equipment not only yielded perch but also landed a Burbot and a Lake Trout.

We had an amazing day fishing and caught some great fish. We reached our limit with Atlantic Salmon, Burbot, and perch. Beckett caught a post-spawn lake trout, but we decided to release it. Spending my birthday with my closest friends and my dad made it one of the best birthdays ever!