Follow the code to enjoy fishing

Minnesota fishing opener morning, my son Joseph and I arrived at Boy Scout Landing on the St. Louis River just past 5 a.m. The lower parking lot was already packed. We pulled in and found ourselves stacked a dozen rigs from the landing. We unbuckled our transom straps. Pulled forward one spot. Lifted the Honda 90 off the transom saver. Crept forward two spots. Fired up the graph. Nobody moved. Put the boat plug in. Slid forward one more spot. Grabbed the rest of our gear, loaded the boat and waited.

Most days, launching and loading a boat is not much cause for excitement. But on opening morning the tension builds.

Many anglers are patient as long as you abide by "the code." Certain things are tolerated at a busy boat landing, others will cause mass hysteria. The code is not written nor read aloud on opening morning, it is simply understood.

Rule 1

Don't go anywhere near the landing if you're not ready to launch your boat. If it's a nice summer day on a quiet lake, go for it. If it's opening morning and there are 15 boats waiting behind you to launch, you better have your ducks in a row. Blood will boil as you casually load your Yeti cooler and ratchet strap it to the deck of your boat.

Rule 2

Same as Rule 1. Seriously, if you are snapping a selfie with the sunrise or visiting the porta potty while your rig is at the landing, you risk someone sliding it in reverse. Having some notion of how to back up a trailer would also come in handy.

Rule 3

Have your main motor ready to go. Squeezing a gas bulb and adjusting your choke is fine and dandy. Tracing the source of your wiring problem or unscrewing your spark plugs ... just don't.

Rule 4

Be efficient, but safe. Nobody wants to see equipment busted or someone injured. Don't be rammy and forget something simple - like the boat plug. Or shoving the boat off without a rope attached: classic. On the banks of the Rainy River one spring I was prepping my boat when a group came hurtling in, gravel flying. They were dead set on beating me to the landing. If I close my eyes I can still hear the sound of that brand-new Crestliner sliding off their roller trailer and crashing to the concrete. They missed the river by 20 feet, shattering their transducers and hopes for the day.

Rule 5

Stay patient. As we waited a half dozen spots back, an older gentleman decided he would tackle the river solo. Fellow anglers held his bow rope as he backed in. Nobody barked at him as he tied off his boat on the landing side of the dock and drove away. From that point until his eventual return we were at his mercy.

Rule 6

Help others. By mid-morning rigs lined Commonwealth Avenue nearly a half mile from the landing. I've never picked up a hitchhiker, not even to cross the Walmart parking lot. However, I will gladly give you a lift to your trailer. I'll even disregard your neck tattoo. We're all friends.

Rule 7

Park respectfully. Don't park on private property or block a driveway. Also, park straight. A crooked trailer is a recipe for trapping another angler in, or ending up with a scuffed fender or busted taillight.

On Sunday, Mother's Day morning, the Baker crew pulled into the same landing at the exact time as the day before. Not a single truck or trailer welcomed our arrival. No headlights blinded our approach. No boats raced upstream in the darkness. None. Not one. I chuckled to myself as I unhooked the boat and shoved Joseph off into the darkness. The entire parking lot was empty. An eerie silence engulfed us, shattered only by a lone goose announcing his flight path overhead. I parked carefully in the choicest of spots. I took my sweet time sauntering to the Lund. I penguin-walked across the icy metal of the dock. With the boat pointed upstream we blocked the path of both landings.

No need for the code today.

Bret Baker is a lifetime resident of Cloquet. He is a proud husband, father, educator and outdoorsman. Bret began guiding fishing trips when he was 16 years old. Today, in his 40s, his passion is to introduce people to the tremendous outdoor adventures available in our region.