Afternoon Heat

July 5th 2018 (afternoon)

 

Keenan & his family were waiting when I dropped off the morning group and I did a quick turnaround. This time I decided to do a little drop shotting, not too far away. I stopped on a big flat and showed them what was needed for this technique. It didn’t take long before Keenan junior was locked up! His father also hooked something but unfortunately it was lost before the net. The first fish of the day was a walleye and just made the legal size for the well. I added it to the two from this morning and they were well on their way to a great meal.

Pretty much everyone was catching fish except Chamal but not for lack of trying. He probably had more chances than anyone! It was about to change though, when his mother hooked something and handed him the rod. This time he managed to land a nice walleye that went into the livewell with the others. Maybe his luck was about to change, or not?

We had made several short drifts over the rocky area and they had picked many fish in the process. Chamal however just kept losing everything he hooked and it was getting very frustrating. Most of them were bass and they tossed the hook on the jump. The others were all losing a few as well but they managed to bring some of them aboard. With a little competition going on, every fish counted! Numbers and longest were what they had going and things were changing quickly as the day passed.

The afternoon heat was almost unbearable, but thankfully we had the top up providing some shade. I had also noticed the water temps had risen from this and were now over 80 degrees. I was really glad they were working the bottom with this set up as nothing was moving.

With both bass & walleye being landed and lost, I decided to remain in this area and not move around too much. Less time running and more time fishing meant more chances of getting bit! Chamal was definitely having that as he would have had double digits if it weren’t for losing most of the ones he had on. In the end however, after his mother landed a really nice walleye, he hooked up on a large toothy critter. This was going to be the biggest fish of the day, if he could land it! I didn’t have an easy time getting it in the net. It tangled in another line and made several big runs before it was finally landed. At least this one came aboard! It was definitely the biggest fish of the day and wouldn’t get broken either. Numbers however went to his mother as she powered over her son Keenan in the end.

We called the day just about 4:00 with everyone having had a great time. Although Chamal may have lost most of his fish, he still landed some and had the longest fish of the day with his last pike catch. They were also taking a limit of fish back home with them from their day. Apparently this was their best fishing trip ever. Still hearing that a lot but it never gets old!!