September 12, 2023 Otis Fishing Report

Otis Fishing Report for September 12, 2023: When last we left you, we were headed to the airport and then a birthday celebration. Everything, including Otis, was seemingly in its place, with the latter in his Office — fishing, of course! We saved this quick snap, posted a report update for September 11, and then chaos ensued here (well, there, too, if we count the Overflow-Otis confusion. ahahah). And now, the rest of the story…

As best we can substantiate using tags (thank you!), Comments and Snaps on the last chat board, the Explore Gallery, and — wait for it — our memory of that day, here’s what happened next, including highlights from Chatty Bear Lovers who helped us piece together events.

Around 12:30 a.m. Katmai time, 274 Overflow visits the Office’s take-out window for a quick hit of salmon, as 128 Grazer grazes for salmon around the River. Don’t ask how we know we know it was Overflow, but we made this note without any question marks. 😉 Otis, the Fishless Fisherbear this night, remains in his otherwise Uneventful Office until about 3:30 a.m. Katmai time. We’re left to wonder whether he is snoozling or meandering.

About an hour later, Mod Geo captures a bear on the River. He waits in stealth to see Otis’ Old No. 7, and then confidently tags and says “Definitely him.” VermontBear chimes in with a tag. We agree.

Minutes later, Otis is dining on something wiggleless! And then our boy heads in for some Gator Fishing and other bears appear on cam (a lot of bears for Night Fishing on the River…). With body shapes obscured by water, it’s too difficult to discern Otis from others in the dark.

When daylight engulfs the River, making it easier to identify our favorite bears (except for those of us so challenged… light doesn’t help us lol), we determine that Otis must be off in the high grasses and off cams. We see him nowhere.

Holly’s Booty makes a really BIG appearance, and we see Who Bear and Unknown Bear and Cute Little Bear and Pairs of Bears, a Pear-Shaped Bear and Bear Who Could Be Otis But Isn’t and even Madonna’s Who’s That Bear (see what we mean about being challenged?)… but No Otis Rollin’ on the River for hours.

And then just after 9:00 a.m., Otis appears on Kat’s River View and is captured by Libbiticus. He’s doing a little dance out on the Spit (no doubt, he had a yearning because we said he doesn’t typically do that…)

Libbiticus continues snapping and gets Otis dipping his toes to test the waters and, in a blink, captures him fully engaged with the water, save his head (because we don’t like getting our adorable ears wet).

FromAway snaps Otis with DOAs. Several others snap Otis Snorkeling and Periscoping in the River — we get another DOA! Just before 10:00 a.m., he’s smooth-moving around the River, and we’re treated to this out-of-water shot.

BearLover56 snaps Otis with a DOA. VermontBear swoops in with a tag. Bookmom with a snap and a tag. MNBearWatcher with this snap and a tag.

Then MammieYocum1 notes Otis enjoying the sushi bar. When tagging doesn’t work, Sandy(MO) gives a helping hand, and then MNBearWatcher captures the snap — teamwork is having its finest hour!

Just before noon, MNBearWatcher tags us as Otis arriving at his Office, and MasieMule captures this vision of loveliness — it never gets old, so for those of you missing the vision of Otis in his Office (including DJ of Nature based on last Wednesday’s Live Bear Chat comments), here ya go! Always diligent, whether he’s fishing here, there, or anywhere, or… snoozling. 🙂 This one is the Cover Shot for the 2023 Buff Bears of Brooks Calendar. 😉

Apparently capturing no fish (but a very nice view of Holly’s notorious hind end), Otis leaves his Office at 4:00 p.m. Perhaps he’s ready to Meander Fish at the Falls or perhaps the clock has hit the Snoozles Hour. As he departs, SydneyH captures this Otis-Overflow drive-by as reminiscence of our two-screen version of the two bears from earlier in the day. The two big burly bears glance at each other and then pretend they don’t see each other. hahahah

At 4:40 p.m., Bommy — as diligent in stalking Otis and tagging us as Otis is fishing– notes that Otis appears to be leaving the Falls and headed Down River. About 20 minutes later, keen-eyed Bookmom and time-keeper SydneyH double-team Otis to note his arrival at the Lower River and time of said arrival — 5:03 p.m.

Nearing 6:00 p.m., MNBearWatcher has (apparently) sent in an U-Bear-Eats order of Fish Sticks and notes Otis dining on same.

Later, Bommy and 901fan capture Otis smacking them adorable bear lips in the on River Watch. MNBearWatcher joins the party with two more tags.

And then Otis is caught on River Watch by SydneyH enjoying a little DOA salmon against a bear butt backdrop.

As late as 7:45 p.m. Katmai time, Ileana_explores captures Otis still dining in the Lower River, and as best we can tell, this is the last time Otis was seen prior to his Second Walkabout of 2023. If you have a snap later than this one, please let us know, so we can keep our records straight.

All in and with everyone’s snaps and tags and then discounting for duplicates, we counted 24 DOAs for September 12. And we actually think there were more, but are trying to count conservatively due to circumstances. Whew!

Footnote: There are *many* chatters who capture photos and don’t post in Chat, and we won’t call them out by name but to you, *THANK YOU* for snapping to the Gallery — it was tremendously helpful!

Lastly, until Otis returns again, we leave you with this comforting image captured by merry_mermaid-Mermaids4Otis of Otis in his Office and many wishes for fishes! ♥