Special Edition: Gators!

On the 24th of July, Mom, Dad and I went to the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary once again. The sanctuary is south of Battle Creek. My favorite part of the visit is feeding the alligators and playing with the little painted turtles. I held this little alligator named "Alphabet Soup." It's also very cool to see "Godzilla" who is almost eight feet long. Godzilla is not always the most pleasant alligator. He sometimes throws other alligators out of the pond. Mr. Critchlow, otherwise known as "Mr. C" is one of the nicest, alligatoriest people you will ever meet. I suggest that anyone travelling across Michigan this summer visit the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary.

The Longest Day of Fishing

The Saturday around the first day of summer is what I call the Longest Day of Fishing. On the Longest Day of Fishing, I can fish before 7:00 in the morning and after 9:00 at night and it will always be light outside.

First, we went to Park Lake. We met a nice fisherman there. He said he came from Macedonia. During our early morning hours at Park Lake, I caught about 15 bluegills.

In the afternoon, we made a stop at Grand River Bait and Tackle to buy some minnows. Then we headed to the Looking Glass to try and see if the pike were back from last year. They were! I caught a huge, behemoth, 26-inch pike that day. When I was reeling that pike in, I saw an even bigger pike that I will be back to catch!

Twenty-six Fish!

Dad and I went back to Sleepy Hollow State Park Sunday and I caught 26 fish. The biggest fish was a bass about 12 inches long. I also caught lots of panfish, including some very big bluegill.

Some of the fish at Sleepy Hollow are not very smart. Once, the worm came off my hook, but this one bluegill came and bit on the hook, even without any bait on it.

Today was one of my best fishing days!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (State Park, that is)

It was a very nice spring day and Dad and I went fishing at Lake Ovid at Sleepy Hollow State Park. I like going to Sleepy Hollow, but the guy without the head riding on the horse is kind of creepy.

I was fishing for pike and muskie at the boat launch and we heard a lady say she had once seen someone land a 50-inch muskie there. I didn't catch anything, so we went to the fishing dock by the campground where I fished for panfish. I caught two pumpkinseeds on worms. They were not the biggest fish I have ever caught, but it was nice to be fishing again!

Check back often to read more about my fishing exploits during 2011!

The Looking Glass Rivermonster

Most of my fishing this fall has been for pike in the Looking Glass River somewhere, um, nearby. One night, Dad and I were walking along the Looking Glass toward the farm market. We saw a huge pike! The next week, we came back to catch it. The first time, I broke my line and my pole. The next day, I caught him! The Looking Glass Rivermonster, I call him, was 32 inches and he pulled me into the river! The next week, I came back with my friend Noah, and I think we caught him again, but the hook came out of his mouth and he fell out of my net.

Special Edition: Frogs

A gray tree frog (left)

An American toad (middle)

A leopard frog (bottom)

This summer, I have been doing some research on frogs and have started a frog photo collection (or, as Dad would say, a phrog photo collection). I have seen frogs Up North, in DeWitt and even on my own porch. I have seen and photographed green frogs, gray tree frogs and leopard frogs. I have also taken pictures of American toads.

Here I am with a green frog along the Looking Glass River in DeWitt. I am kind of muddy from frog catching.

The Day of the Bass

Anglers near DeWitt will be happy to hear there are still big fish in the Looking Glass. So far in August, I have caught some big bass, river redhorse, some big, big white suckers and some good-sized rock bass. I have caught all these fish on nightcrawlers.

Whatever you do, don't fish near Bridge Street in DeWitt! Don't even waste your time! It's not like it's my secret fishing spot, or anything.