Estrogen levels rise with the waves at today’s Women’s Day Out on Lake Erie. The fourth-annual outing pits ladies with fishing poles against a lake filled with perch. Organizer Ausra Kaminskas says the event proves that gals can handle a rod and reel just as well as the guys. “A lot of women want to try fishing, but their spouses don’t want to go out on the lake with them,” she says. “It’s a time to get away from the husbands and the kids, and have a bonding moment with other women.”

The day starts with a bagel-and-coffee breakfast at the Grand River Marina, before the women split into two groups. One heads out to the lake for some fishing; the other attends how-to workshops focusing on filleting and making jewelry out of lures. At noon, everyone takes a break for a lunch consisting of — what else? — perch. Then the groups swap positions for the rest of the afternoon. The women wrap up the day by divvying up their catches — which are deboned by a crew from an area tackle shop. That’s good news for Kaminskas. “I’ve grown up on boats,” she says. “I like to catch fish, and I like to eat fish. I just don’t like cleaning them.”
Sat., Aug. 18, 7 a.m.

This article appears in Aug 15-21, 2007.