BRP corporation announced Wednesday that they are no longer gonna make Evinrudes. They didn’t really announce this…it just kinda leaked out. I’ve been on the Evinrude pro staff for over 30 years, coming on long before OMC went belly up in 2000. jerry’s Sports Service in Beloit has sponsored me for over 30 years. They are still carrying me on the Lund team–but this is a real kick in the teeth to the great folks at Jerry’s, fellow hall of famers Jim Grandt & Tommy Skarlis (who is already battling cancer) and thousands of other Evinrude owners across the USA.

When OMC declared bankruptcy all motor warranties were voided. BRP says they will continue to stand by limited warranties to original owners. At least that’s what they are saying now.

Officially, BRP is blaming the covid crisis for ending production. Industry insiders several pay grades above my humble status say otherwise. Learned a valuable lesson about trust from my Dad when just a wee bairn. At least that’s the way he used to remind me years later. He said he put me up on the fireplace mantle, extended his arms to catch me and said ‘jump’. Then he let me hit the floor saying ‘that should teach you to never trust anybody’. The Old Guy was a beaut. Certainly wouldn’t put it past him. But this and many other old guy saying have stuck with me through the years.

Everybody who has shared a boat with me over the years has heard Dad’s wise observation ‘the surest way to get 2 rods tangled is get them within 10 feet of each other’ Maybe this will cross your mind the next time fishin’.

Boat traffic is so outrageous from noon Friday til Sunday at 2 p.m. that I’ve raised guide prices within this time frame to $1000/4 hrs. Just sayin’

The River is still on the rise and generally dirty as of right now. Supposed to crest on pool 9 tomorrow @ just over 628′ at the upper end of the pool. This will push fish back into haunts they became familiar with last year. But at 628 there are still some edges beyond firm shoreline like RR track rip-rap where fish will be following their forage base.

Forecast calls for the level to gradually decline over the next week. But if somebody in Mpls. quits rioting long enough to take a shower, the level could go the other way. if it goes up to 630′ I can motor across rather than jump a beaver dam which has clear water and a pile of pike and bass. There a are a couple of sweet spots which develop when you need to go to the half-mile scale on the boat’s nav chart to see blue which indicates water.

This evening I plan on grilling a couple of backstrap tenderloins then later sit around the campfire with the Admiral. yesterday she surprised me with the new M.I.T 70 automatic inflatable PFD from Mustang Survival. New vest is incredibly ergonomic and comfortable. Will be much easier to hold on to the wheel with one hand while waving the other over my head for the full eight seconds it takes to jump a beaver dam!

Topwater baits are producing a few fish with water temp now tickling 70 degrees and some emergent vegetation beginning to appear. Crappies and bass are done spawning.The return of higher water has probably moved the walleyes away from the rock pattern they’ve been on for the past couple weeks. Lord willin’ gonna find out where they went tomorrow afternoon.