James Overstreet and I are set to spend the day with Aaron Martens in South Lauderdale – the local name for a cut off the Black River, where you can hear I-90 traffic roaring in the background on an otherwise lovely day.
It feels like the movie Ground Hog Day. JO and I did exactly this one year ago on Day Four at La Crosse, with one exception: no mayflies today. The massive mayfly hatch that ruined Martens' day last year hasn't appeared.
Martens has caught one small non-keeper. He has asked the boaters around him – 15 or 20 – to turn off their electronics. It's time to get down to business.
Finally, a big shout-out to our boat driver Brian Beebe, shown here with an entire loaf of peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches (that's Martens in the background). I think I tried to collect too many Flintstones jelly glasses as a kid, so PB&J don't do it for me anymore. But JO loves 'em – could live on 'em.
So as long as momma's happy….