The annual Pennsylvania-Michigan fishing contest has developed into quite a rivalry over the past few years.

Unfortunately for Cousin Joe, he has had some close decisions go my way with one fish advantages. This year, the contest was set up for Port Clinton (Ohio) as we were going to try our hand at drift fishing in the self proclaimed walleye capitol of the world.

Port Clinton was at the nearly halfway point for both of us and it looked like we would hit prime western Lake Erie fishing as walleyes gathered in these shallow waters before heading to the central basin of Ashtabula.

I made arrangements with Capt. Walt of Trophy Charters to meet us at the docks and the family contest would be on. The rules were simple: legal walleyes that were caught using spinning rods jigging off the bottom at 17-20 feet of water.

The jigs were lead head ¾ to 1 ounce with some feather dressing and a trailer hook. The colors preferred on this day would be chartreuse green or purple. The secret was to feel the bottom of the lake and to sharply jig your presentation with the flip of your wrist.

Two factors came into play that day that we didn’t expect. The weather forecast was ominous and the cousins from Virginia wanted in on the action as well. I saw the trend start in high school track, but it now transcended onto our fishing contest.

A tri-state family fishing contest between Pennsylvania, Michigan and Virginia was now on!

Those Virginia boys came prepared with their own special equipment and years of experience on the Chesapeake Bay, but stripers are a little different from walleyes, as they were about to find out.

The fishing started out a little ominous as we donned raingear and started out if the rain would let up enough for us to leave the docks. We saw a few hour window of opportunity appear and we made the call. Let’s fish!

It took us very little time to get into the area we wanted to fish and the contest was on. Pennsylvania took an early lead 1-0-0, but size controversy appeared when Virginia pulled in a hefty fish to make it 1-1-0. Before I knew what to think, Virginia had a 2-1-0 lead and was missing some light hits.

I guess those stripers and blues don’t hit light boys! I felt a tap on the way down to the bottom and I set the steel on a nice fish to even things up at 2-2-0.

Michigan was unheard of for a while and then Cousin Joe lucked into a fish and had another up to the net, but it was lost in the landing. Almost doesn’t count and it stood at 2-2-1 and I reminded Joe that poor net work cost him during the trout contest as well.

He used some Michigan language on me which caused all the teams to lose focus as we laughed at his antics. Joe was determined and got hold of a real nice lunker, but it also spit the hook back at him.

The rain started to fall in earnest and it caused Virginia to fish in more earnest and sure enough the Virginia team scored another walleye and the lead 3-2-1. Joe pulled a stunt and adopted Capt. Walt as a Michigan team member and he started to fish.

All of a sudden, I had a hit and so did Capt. Walt, he’d pull in and my fish would peel line and I’d pull in and his fish would peel line.

Wait a minute, we were pulling a Three Stooges routine and had each other’s line underneath the boat. That caused a laugh until Virginia had a fish follow the jig up through the water, only to turn and take my jig as it headed for the bottom.

The nice fish made it 3-3-1 and the rain came in earnest and everyone but me took cover. I was wet and determined to give Virginia a Great Lakes lesson that fish don’t care if they are wet. Sure enough, I found another willing walleye, but Capt. Walt suspiciously lost it at the net! The weather turned worse and we decided that we could finish this contest on a better day.

We also agreed that there is no better day than being with family and I hope that you get to spend time with your family and especially wish all of the mothers a Happy Mother’s Day!