Mopars that night sure had me thinking and it brought back memories of an evening when I was launching just before sunset. I had pulled in to Jamestown and was releasing my tie downs, I noticed the silhouette of a boat on the other side of the lake, just off the point.
My game plan was pulling lead core, back and forth, from the launch to the dam while keeping in 25' plus water until dark, when I switched to blade baits and jigs.
There was no moon that night and after sunset it got pitch black so I fired up my lantern and continued to fish. The night was dead still with no breeze, requiring the use of my electric motor to force a slow drift, as I continued fishing for the elusive Walleye. My curiosity was beginning to get the best of me as the other boat, now only marked by a dull flickering light, remained in the same location. So me being me, changed drift heading and set course to see what I could see.
As I closed in, not wanting to sneak up and maybe startle somebody enjoying a night of fishing (or sumpthin else) I called out "YO DUDE how they biting"?? No answer came from the boat so I gave a few blast with my air horn and that's when the dull flickering light became blinding white, almost like a extended lightning flash. When my eyes cleared, no light, no boat, only a very strong smell of burned kerosene.