Another Grueling Double Day
September 3, 2024
Yesterday’s afternoon cancellation had J.P. and his sons returning this morning, due to the giant winds. Nathan & Liam were eager to catch some fish and a little disappointed when we postponed fishing, but excited today. The afternoon would see Sandra and Aaron out with me and another double trip day. Hopefully the winds would cooperate for a change!
We started out in a NW wind that had me making adjustments for the drift. J.P. got the ball rolling with a good smallie and they were off to a good start. Unfortunately, other fish were being missed with too quick hook sets! We also had another problem, with two other boats fishing the same area. People just love following me around and laying claim to specific spots in the middle of nowhere!
After trying to fish where I wanted to, I just moved off. I can’t understand why people feel the need to fish on top of someone that is catching fish! Love the etiquette!
I had moved off to more rocky areas in deep water and everyone managed to catch fish. I just wish that they could have landed more than they missed, but this was new to them. Trying to distinguish between a bite and the actual bottom was a little difficult but they did land fish. Both bass & walleye were caught by everyone before we had to return to the dock. Four hours passes by quickly, especially when you’re a kid and love fishing! In the end, they all enjoyed their time on the water and left satisfied with their results!
The afternoon was a little more difficult with the winds kicking up to another big blow day! Sandra and Aaron started out fishing in two-foot waves and it only got worse! By afternoon we were in 3 to 4 footers and blowing out of the W NW. After trying to fish a mid-lake spot and only coming up with perch, I decided to try trolling. It didn’t take long to hook up and Aaron landed the first over walleye. It was difficult to control the boat in these cross-direction waves but I somehow made it work. Floaters were all over the surface, causing me to clean the lines frequently. We managed one more bass and another that jumped off the line before just giving up. It was nasty and not easy to troll here anymore!
After pulling the plug on the troll, I returned to dropshotting another area of the lake. I tried to get somewhere where they would be able to feel bottom and still had a chance at catching a fish. With only a few perch to show for our efforts, I just decided to head offshore and bite the bullet. We went back to the big waves and rocky areas again.
With the aid of the electric motor, the drifts were doable and a bunch of fish were caught. Both bass and walleye came to net and the girls ended on a high! The last 90 minutes of their trip was filled with plenty of bites and activity. Talk about a Hail Mary!
Today was an interesting one to say the least with a few wind changes, once again. What began with a cold front and north winds, eventually rotated to NW and finally N NW and big waves. Multiple adjustments were needed to keep fishing in all conditions. I may have had a difficult time getting everyone into fish but I succeeded. Mother Nature definitely showed her teeth today! I only hope that she will calm down some in the future, but who knows. This was definitely a tough but rewarding day!
