Island,butit soundslikea goodreplywhen
touristsaskwherethefisharebiting.
“Theymovedoffthatreef.Oncewe’reon
theboat,I canshowyouonthemapswhere
tofish,”Willoffers.
Aftertheboatis loaded,oneoftheolder
dockboys,calleda briefer,backsthehouse-
boatawayfrom thedockandguidesit into
openwater.Willtagsalong.Henoteshow
carefullythebrieferexplainstothenewguests
howtodriveandmoorthehouseboatinthe
designatedspotswithinthepark.
“Youhavetotiethehouseboatwithlines
offeachside.Thatwaythewinddoesn’t
pushyouaround.”Thebrieferevenexplains
how toturnonthekitchenstove andthe
grill.Hepointstothemapsonthehelm.
“The mapsandroutes areallhighlighted.
Thebuoysinthelakearenumbered,soyou
cankeeptrackonthemapwhereyouare.”Special attention is given to the marine
radio and how to call for directions or
request help.
Will someday hopes to be a briefer.
The lake is large, about the size of
Chicago with all its suburbs, and people get
lost. It’s no fun to get lost, but Will loves to
hunt for houseboats. When a call comes in
for help, Will and a crew go look for the lost
tourists. The search pattern includes the most
beautiful spots in the park.
First, they’ll head for the eastern arm
through the Brule Narrows. Here, during
bad storms, the waves can reach six to ten
feet high. They spin around Saginaw Bay
and then loop over to beautiful Anderson
Bay. The bay has a dock built by the park
with a picnic area and an outdoor toilet.
Will’s always cautious around that dock
because a snapping turtle as big as a garbageHERE,MOORMEANSTO
ANCHOROR TIEUP A
BOAT.THEHELM IS THE
PLACE WHERE YOU
STEER THE BOAT.14