While it's great to get out in a boat and have the whole lake available with all the best approaches, I've been enjoying shore fishing lately.
There is a little, mostly neglected lake about five minutes north of Bloomington. If I get the kids into bed by 8 or 8:30, I can run up there and have almost two hours of fishing.
So I've been going up a couple nights a week as the light is fading out, listening to the geese and herons, feeling the breeze. There's usually a couple guys near the road, but I can walk for three minutes and feel like I'm a world away.
No messing with a boat, no busy ramps, no smelly engine. Just peace and quiet. I step out of the car, grab my rod and tackle box and I'M READY TO GO. I usually already have a Spook or Pop-R already tied on, so I can just park alongside the lake, step out and I'm fishing.
I think the pleasures of shore fishing are somewhat neglected, eh?