When is the Last Swim at BBL Taken?

Typically, at what time of year do you take your first and last swim at Big Bass Lake? When does the lake usually warm up enough for swimming? And how long in September can you swim before the lake gets too cold?

Purple Hue on Big Bass Lake

these evenings I liked to dip an oar in the water and watch it drip back into the lake. The water was smooth as silk. The wind was light but a bit chilling.  I could see purple all over the lake. But as it got darker I headed back to our pier. The wondrous purple moment was over. At least for this night!

Update on Dublin General Store Fire

The Manistee Sheriff Department believes the fire set at the Dublin General Store last month to be arson that started near the front of the facility in  the hardware section. The store was a total loss.

Why Aren’t the Fish Biting at Big Bass Lake?

I have a friend who had become very concerned why the fish weren’t biting last summer at Big Bass Lake as they once did.  He was determined to find the cause so he rented some scuba equipment and took his speed boat to the north side of Big Bass Lake where the deepest portion of the lake can be found.

He dropped anchor and jumped overboard into the lake.  I’ve heard that the north side drops off to about sixty feet deep.  He took an underwater light with him to break through the darkness.  After about ten minutes in a deliberate search pattern, he nearly froze in place. 

The reason why stood highlighted in his search beam and left little to grasp as to why the fish had seemingly disappeared at the lake.  They really hadn’t and this is the reason why.  By the way, my friend was never heard from again so this is but mere speculation as to what happened to him on that fateful day.

Any questions?

Activities at Dusk

Often times this was about the time that we set out on our night time activities at our property either toward the Bloody Antler Trail or into our own forest. The boys from various boys clubs for the first few times preferred staying in our woods until they got the “feel” of the land so to speak. Actually they wanted to get their night bearings right.

The large percentage of our hikes were without flashlights, even though they were carried in the event of an emergency. Flashlights tend to rob us of our night vision. In time the boys saw right good even in the dark. They learned to listen better to the sounds of the forest. Kids enjoyed the trek to the tree farm at the end of the Bloody Antler Trail which was in the Manistee National Forest.

When we played scouting games the boys were paired in teams of three and were told to stay together as a team. Two teams of three were the hares, also to stay together, and I was the ref. The final pair of three were the hounds chasing and trying to locate the hares.

Other times we would stay together as a group and just enjoy the hiking experience. Night hiking was very popular on our trips. The kids of the Hoffman Estates Boys Club enjoyed tracking games the best and became quite good at it. Alan, one of our younger members, excelled in tracking games.