Fishing Bets!

[Jeff]

Spring isn't coming fast enough. Thought of the good old days when I was a kid and my Granpa used to take me fishing at Oahe when I'd go stay for a month in summer. I remember the bet he used to make with a friend of his...A dollar for the first, a dollar for the most and a dollar for the biggest. I was too young to participate financially but got chores if I lost.

One trip the fishing was terrible. After fishing for five or six hours, not a fish was caught by any of the three participants. We ate baloney sandwiches and drank grape pop while Granpa and his buddy talked of the good old days of fishing. Suddenly Grandpa thought he had something. It didn't want to come in too easily but he thought it felt funny. Finally he hauled in a fish basket, still shiny new. In the basket was one small walleye, and yes, it was still alive.

Grandpa claimed all three of the bets of course! Neither of us losers thought it was fair and refused to pay. We laughed and fought about it all the way back to Aberdeen. For the next twenty years until he died, I heard about welching on a perfectly honest bet. For all he taught me in my youth, I guess it was well worth the guff I had to endure. "Sonny, you work hard first, do it right the first time and then go fishing."

Any other of you cabin fever sufferers have a fishing bet? Let's hear it. Later I'll tell you of the championship bet of all time and who really won that one!

[Juls_WI]

I've been using that same bet with family and friends for many years...;-)

Juls

[Gilligan]

Nice post Jeff, ones like these make the winter go easier.

Best one I heard was from a guy I fish with. He and a friend who worked together also spent alot of time on Chautauqua Lake. They spent so much time there that their boss assumed them to be near the pro level; so when several business clients came to town dragging their boat along he offered the services of his 2 hotshot on staff guides; the clients following the guides in separate boats.

The conditions were horrible and the clients followed their 'guides' all around the lake without boating anything. They good naturedly started busting on what lousy guides they were. After several fishless hours they offered a $10 bet saying that they could outfish the guides and they did! At days end the guides dug deep into their pockets and covered the bet. The clients having their fill then asked "what direction is the launch?". To which they responded: "Now the guiding starts!" For a fee of $20 we will gladly point the direction.:-)