As Gerald Swindle has moved north on Lake Decatur, the white caps have vanished. We're in Basin No. 5, which is narrow and more protected from the northwest wind, especially on the west bank that Swindle is fishing. The relative calm offered the opportunity to have a brief conversation with Swindle, without the roaring wind drowning him out. As usual, he had a humorous take on a so-far miserable day.
"Illinois has got some of the best deer hunting in the world, but not bass fishing," he said. "Fat women don't high jump, they eat cupcakes. There's just some things you don't mix up."
Swindle said his trolling motor is going straight to the trash barrel after this week, not from any flaws in manufacturing, but from the constant abuse the shaft is taking in this shallow lake with no visibility. You can't dodge rocks you can't see. After breaking off another crankbait, Swindle could only shrug his shoulders and say, "Fourteen-hundred dollars worth of crankbaits later…"
Yep, he's pretty miserable right now, but not any more so than he was when he was fish-less on Lake Shelbyville yesterday morning. He managed to pull himself out of that tailspin, and he's still got time to do it today. But the clock keeps ticking down.