Looks amazing!!!!
And Pike is totally underrated in my opinion.
It is such a mild fish and makes a great meal.
Thanks for sharing.

Could you put my topic available on a Main page so that people from many states see it?
I am asking because my topic is actually asking for info about pickerel locations outside of Michigan.
Thank you.

Hi Everyone,
Obviously, with my name on the Stage, I love fishing for Muskies. Not just to catch them, but to just get out into the beautiful areas that they typically reside. I always tell my kids that it's called fishing...Not necessarily Catching.
That said, I am trying for the Esox Grand Slam (in the U.S.).
I still need to catch all three Pickerel species to finish out with my Grand Slam.
I have a good handle on the Redfin and Grass Pickerels, but haven't had the time to go for them yet.

Could anyone share some locations as close to Michigan with decent populations of Chain Pickerel where I could catch a few? I understand that folks do not always like to share their fishing holes. And totally understand if you do not want to post online such valued information. I am only catch and release and will not hurt the population.

I am hoping for a place with good numbers in Ohio or Pennsylvania or Georgia.
I should be doing my Redfin stint around the time of the Alabama Grand Prix in late April. So, Alabama and Northern Florida work well too.

Thank you for any help you can offer. And I get it if you are uncomfortable with sharing.

Have a good Sunday.

Nice fish!!!!
That's what I want to do next. To travel around and do the Esox Grand Slam, by catching all of the Esox species.
I hear those are a gas to catch!!

Thank you for sharing!

Wow!
What a bad-ass!!!
That's all I can say.
Well told.
Thanks RJS.

I take full responsibility for all of it.
I apologize for it and promise not to do it again.
I had just come back from my Wisconsin Cabin and must've sent the weather South.
It was -22 overnight.
It is definitely all on me.

Thank for letting me know.

Hey Bob,
I read them both. I wasn't sure where to respond.
It's just crazy that you sent that today, of all days.
I think I picked the place that I did respond because of the cool ideas that everyone had to appreciate that song further.
Thanks Bob.
Have a good day.

Wow!!! You guys are on it musically!!
I'd love to hear any of your suggestions regarding this great tune.
That said, and I love that song and am a Christian man, always was and always will be.
One thing I (as well as tons of other people) have discovered is that the words of the Bible are Living.
Meaning that this ancient book, that should be out of date, never becomes out of date.
It always speaks to us in different ways seemingly when we need it.
Bob, I felt the same way about you sharing this story today of all days.
My Step Brother-in-Law, a good and gracious man passed away unexpectedly a week and a half ago of the same thing that took John Ritter of Three's Company fame. Aortic Dissection, I think they call it.
Tim's funeral was on Friday. I was still fighting off a nasty cold during the funeral. It was a rough one to get through. It really was.
And, of course, they played Amazing Grace. I love the song, as I have said. But to think that I could sing it at a funeral for my fallen brother is a big stretch. I couldn't sing it, of course. And just stood and mouthed the words until I lost it. I had to sit and just gather myself to make it through the service.
I carry blue shop towels around instead of Kleenex. Kleenex never really does the trick for me. If anyone hands me a box of Kleenex, I politely decline it and pull out my roll of Shop Towels. I can check your oil and blow like a champion.
The coincidence of RJS, sharing the tale of that song today is almost mind blowing to me. Tim is in a better place, though there will be a massive void. His giant church was packed to the brim.
Unfortunately, I will never be able to sing that song without losing it.
Maybe that's O.K.
Who knows?
But thank you for sharing another great story with us, Bob.

Crazy stuff, RJS.
Someone was looking out for you.
If it were me I'd be dead for sure as I don't like pizza.
Thanks for sharing.

Wow!
Good stuff Robert!
I can attest to miracles without question. I have been through several of them. I am supposed to be here for some reason. I just hope I can figure out why, one day.
The most recent two miracles, were when my son, Jacob, and I were hit head-on on I-94, a big highway up here going East/ West. A texting driver lost control on the Westbound side of the highway. She hit a large pickup truck, which went through the median and hit us head on while we were going East.
My little stick shift Kia Soul went flying through the air and landed on the passenger side off the highway and up on a hill. 9 people were sent to emergency rooms that day. Amazingly, all lived. I was in the worst shape followed by a man that was part of a documentary film crew from Alabama. They lost $100k of filming equipment in the wreck, not that that matters. I was in intensive care for a month and home with nurses for another month before I could start to go back to work with my walker.
I was in bad shape with 7 shattered ribs, broken pelvis, head trauma, punctured and collapsed left lung, torn spleen, kidney and liver. My diaphragm muscle was torn open and my large intestine was stuck in near where my lung would normally be. Thank God, my son got away with minor cuts. He still trash talks me today about how he is tougher than me and got out with barely any injuries.
While I was groaning and hanging from my seat belts, I knew it was all going to work out fine. My wife was outside my car talking to me. She was following us to Applebees for BBQ ribs. We both knew at that moment it would be fine. During my first surgery, the doctors cut my open and were looking at the situation to decide what to do first. But stuff started moving, so they watched. My large intestine moved right back into its normal home and everything went right back as it should've been. They blotted the liver, kidney and spleen to stop the bleeding and it worked. I was still messed up but everything was back where it belonged. I almost died a couple weeks later when my heart was found to have a massive blood clot in it that caused me to go into contortions and some other stuff.
So, they had to cut me open again to fix it. But that again, was a miracle as I was lucky the staff was in my room when it happened, or I wouldn't be doing any Musky fishing today, but in Heaven.
Those are just two examples of many spectacular wrecks that I've been in. Never my fault, but always high flying rollover situations. And it was also a miracle that we knew right away from God / Jesus or an Angel. He didn't give his name, but my wife and I got the same message and it all worked out.
Funny thing. The nurses that I spent every day with bought me a card and gave it to me right before I left.
It had an Applebees gift card in it. The card said "We wanted to buy you your BBQ ribs that you were trying to get when you had many of yours broken."
Sweethearts.
Miracles are real. It's all real.
And I have no obvious signs that I have had so many wrecks. If I take my shirt off it might tell a few stories.
But most people think I look better now.

Thank you, RJS!!!!
Great stuff!

Very cool story!
I have never been able to shoot one either. My Dad had a very old Cap and ball rifle hanging below his mantle at his house. When Dad passed away, I purchased the gun out of the estate for like $200. I never plan on shooting it. It doesn't look safe to do that. I am sure it is 1800's.
I have a Iditarod winning vintage dog sled that is my TV stand, sort of, in my Wisconsin cabin. Since I just have a wood stove up there and no fireplace, I am trying to find and old rifle holster to hang on the dog sled like Sergeant Preston of the Yukon did in that cool 50's show. And I need a few antique blasting powder boxes and a TNT detonator for decor to sit on the sled.
At least that is the plan.

Thanks for another good story, RJS.

John

I haven't tried that one. I will look for it. Old Southern Smokehouse is a brand made by "Famous Dave" Anderson of Famous Dave's fame. He sold Famous Dave's - the company. The conglomerate that bought it had kept him as a spokesperson for Famous Dave's for a time. Then decided not to renew his contract, as I am told. The chain suffered because of it.
In the meantime, Dave Anderson started a small chain called Jimmy's Old Southern Smokehouse in MN and WI. I think they only had 3-4 restaurants. At least one has closed so far. But the sauce is usually available up in those areas, if it is not sold out. My neighbors always ask me to try to pick some up for them.
I do not know the ending of that story, but I heard Famous Dave's knew their mistake and rehired Dave.
Not sure if he is still with them. For me the Old Southern Smokehouse is better than the Famous Dave's Sauces.
But everyone has their favorites.
I know Dave partnered with a winery in Hayward WI and serves up BBQ there certain days of the week.
I would tell you the name of it, but I always forget it and haven't been there to try it.
They are only open a few days a week and I'm usually snowmobiling or Musky Fishing when up there and never really feel like dropping everything to run back for BBQ.
Thank you Short Order for the tip. I wonder if Menards has that sauce. They seem to have tons of different sauces there.
I hope it is O.K. that I mention the sauce here. It is no endorsement. I am not on any payroll for the sauce.
Everyone likes something different. But it is my current favorite as I have been cooking ribs for a very long time.
Sincerely,
John

Thank you for the tips and advice.
I will share some of the stories here as I write them down. I promise, but I do not know when that will be.
I have written down 5-7 stories that I have to detail better. I think I can make them captivating.
But I do not know if they will be told as well as you tell them.
I appreciate your direction.
Sincerely,
John

I agree with you DC. But even if it was lower in calories, I would never eat anything that was processed to the hilt and made to look and taste like something that it is not.
My idea of a processed meat is smoking baby back ribs and slathering "Old Southern Smokehouse" BBQ sauce on it.
And it is difficult to get that sauce. I have trouble getting it and I know where to look. It is just sold out more often than it is there.
Salmon patties are a good choice for a lower calorie burger. Why couldn't BK offer that?

Great Story, RJS! And you are a great story teller. We all know that. Lots of cool thoughts and detail in that story.
And there is something special about walking in the footsteps of one's ancestors. That is one of the things that drive me - to the core. I target practice at the gun club that my Grandfather founded in 1948. I visit graves of long forgotten family members that have passed long before I was born and have deep one-sided conversations with those folks. Everyone assumes that they are gone and can't hear you. But what if they can? If they can hear you, it would be rude to not talk with them. And if they can hear me, believe me, all those folks know all about Covid 19 and current events, etc. The folks that run the cemetery probably think I am a little "off".

My Great Grandfather was the first guy in the area to have running water inside his house. He rigged up an electric pump with a switch under the sink to have the water inside.
That house is long gone now and is just an empty field. I have wanted to figure out exactly where that old house was to walk the property. I will go there one day. But it is in a rough neighborhood now and I think I need to wait until things settle down a little or go with my Law Enforcement friends.
Anyway, as always, thank you for another great story. Please keep them coming. And hopefully, I can learn a little from your story telling abilities to get better at it. I plan on writing a book myself about the 5 stories that I need to share. Stories that glorify my now gone family. Stories of Adventure and with moral value. All of them have a "take away" from them that I need to make sure future generations know.
Thank you.
God Bless.