June 3rd 2018

Another day, another ton of fish! Stephane finally made it out with his kids today and despite the terrible conditions, they had a blast. He also brought along his brother Alex who had never fished before. I definitely had my work cut out for me!

Winds were out of the E/NE when we dropped the boat in and they were blowing! Sustained 15 knot with gusts upwards or over 25 knots made for a real roller coaster. Boat control was going to be an issue but I set the lines and hoped for the best.

I hit some waypoints close to the ramp, but in 30 minutes, they had only landed a few small fish, trolling. I knew I had to make a run and it wasn’t going to be easy. With wind against current the lake was rolling pretty good. Thankfully we were in a big boat as we headed across to the next spot.

We arrived safely and amazingly the water seemed better! I decided to give it a try and reset the four lines to troll again. I had started further away and up wind of the spot I wanted to fish just so I could troll comfortably downwind. As I approached the area I wanted, a down rod fired and one of the kids got to battle a fat walleye. Although it was in the slot, barely, I decided to release her due to how large she actually was. I’m not sure if it was George or Michael as they were difficult to tell apart. At only 4 & 5 years old, they looked so much alike and also dressed quite similar. Regardless, things were starting to look up as we had several more fish on in the next 15 minutes and they were all large. Steph’s other son, either George or Michael, fought a decent northern with a little help from his dad. They now officially both had decent fish and I knew there were going to be many more!

I trolled my way over to the better area slowly, all the while picking at fish along the way. Pike were being landed and there were lots! In fact, Steph and his brother even got a chance to land a few of their own! There was really no bad area, just some better than others! I had a good spread of depths running and every rod was going off. All we were missing were a few doubles!

I eventually made it to where I wanted and George & Michael were into fish often now. They were taking turns reeling them in and there were many! So many in fact that Steph & Alex even got a few turns! The bites were fast & furious and the reels were really howling when they fired! They both landed enough fish that it tired them out, causing both to take naps. I guess I broke two more! This worked out perfectly as now Steph and his brother could land a bunch of their own!

In the next hour or so, during nap time, there were many pike caught & released. There was even a double header on walleye too! Steph landed a really nice over and Alex managed to finally put one in the well for them to bring home. With the kids sleeping they were really able to focus on their fishing and enjoyed every minute of the downtime! Eventually they both awoke and it was back to business. It was also off to the shore as one of them had to take care of business!

We broke for a late lunch after they returned and took a few minutes to relax and eat. Once done, I decided to run to an area I was saving for the afternoon bite. I also wanted both kids to land some bigger fish and knew it would happen here!

Lines all in and a couple of minutes later, one of the long lines fired. Big fish on and Michael was battling a nice northern. He struggled somewhat but with the help of his dad was able to bring it to net. It was definitely his biggest fish ever and pics were in order. Back she went and we did too! George was soon to fight one of his own when another reel started screaming. He too required a little help from dad but did most of the work himself. With both kids landing personal bests it was now time for more rotation.

For the next couple of hours the action was almost nonstop with fish after fish coming to net. Most were pike but a couple of big walleye were also landed making this a great day for all. The winds may not have been cooperative but by relocating I was able to find fishable areas. Boat control was still difficult at times but we made it work! After we got one of the boys into another quality pike, we decided to call it a day. They had all landed more fish than they could have imagined and were ready to go.

I’m not sure what they enjoyed more, the fishing or the boat ride! The run back was a little bumpy and they loved it the whole way! I on the other hand was just trying to keep us dry and not pound the boat in the rollers. I was riding the waves due to the wind direction. Fortunately with only a little splashing, we arrived without incident.

Steph’s two sons were great today and lasted the whole time without getting bored. I guess that’s what happens when you’re catching lots of big fish! I don’t even think their father expected it to go so long. He would have been happy just getting to noon! I believe that this won’t be the last time I see them as they just had a great time catching.

This is without a doubt the best time of the season to introduce kids into fishing. The number of fish being caught, even on difficult days, is absolutely incredible! They definitely don’t lose interest as there is very little downtime! Father’s day is just around the corner and what a better way to spend it than fishing with your kids. Open days are still available! Just saying!!

June 2nd 2018

Well the fishing just keeps getting better with the water temps on the rise. Peter & his son John experienced another spectacular day, filled with both size and numbers. We started out with a bunch of walleye, trolling over post spawn flats and boated a good number of keepers. As they wanted to bring some home for dinner, I put several into the livewell for them to take.

The winds were out of the north when we started so I tried not to run very far. I knew the waves would be building during the day and remained close by and on the fish. Peter’s son was having the time of his life, reeling in more fish than he ever could have imagined. Although mostly walleye, there were a few pike & bass caught too. These flats become occupied by many different species as they recuperate from spawning and catching a mix is not uncommon. Although we were targeting the walleye and there were many, we did manage to land some other fish as well.

As the morning passed, I decided to make a long run to another area to try and get them into some bigger pike & walleye. They both liked the thought of battling something larger and welcomed the idea too. We were going with the wind and the waves didn’t seem too bad when we began. As we got out into the middle of the lake they were somewhat larger but John was having a blast. He not only got to fish, but the roller coaster ride was like icing on the cake!

I was pleasantly surprised to see that when we arrived, the winds were all but gone. It seemed that we were in an area that wasn’t really affected and wave height was minimal. I knew we were going to crush the fish now!

With three lines set, it didn’t take long for the first reel to fire. As usual, John was right there waiting for the handoff and was now fighting a much bigger fish. I removed the other lines and put the motor in neutral to lessen the strain of him reeling it in. I think he was quite surprised to see the size of the pike and after removing the mess of hooks from the net, we shot multiple pics, quickly. He was struggling to hold it with the boga and we needed to get her back in the lake!

I reset all the lines and continued our troll, but not for long! Almost immediately we had another reel go off and guess who was right there to take the rod? If Peter was to get any chance at landing a fish we were going to need another double and his wish was immediately granted. A second rod got hit and now they were both doing battle. Both fish were pike and a decent size too! As I was hoping for some bigger walleye, I released the fish quickly and resumed trolling the area. I knew they were here but the pike were so aggressive that they were getting to the lures first!

After many, many more fish, we finally hooked into a big eye and it wasn’t to be the last. Both Peter & his son managed a bunch more, along with, oh so many pike! It seemed like the ratio was about five to one! Their numbers climbed rapidly and somewhere around 3:30, they decided to call it a day. I just think they were exhausted!

Peter was hoping to catch some fish today, but never expected this many! The action was literally nonstop, all day long. If we went 5 minutes between bites, I wondered why! They not only had the best day of fishing of their lives but they were taking a limit of walleye home to eat. Fresh fish of the day would be compliments, of them!

I always love having people out like this that have struggled in the past to catch a few fish. It only shows them the potential that our waters actually have. Today was just another lesson in fish catching 101 and it was spectacular! In the days to come, it should be equally as good with the post spawn fish feeding and high numbers are expected each & every outing. Take advantage of the weeks to come if you want to have the time of your life! You won’t be disappointed!!

May 29th 2018

Paul was with me today all the way from France. Despite the bad start to his vacation, with the airlines losing everyone’s luggage, today would be different. In fact, the airline never even loaded the luggage! Called it a computer glitch! Uh Huh!

He started the day off with a bang as his first fish was the elusive musky. We were trolling over pike & walleye areas when it hit, but things would change quickly. The next dozen or so were the northerns I was after and rods were firing off rapidly. I had started out with one deep & one mid rod but soon changed to both deep diving when this was the only line getting bit! Immediately we were firing the two simultaneously! At one point it was just ridiculous as every time one ripped so did the other. I had found the fish quickly and it was due to the water temps. This was the first time all year that I was actually fishing in an area over 60 degrees. In fact it was almost 63 degrees and the fishing showed it too!

Paul was also hoping for a walleye to add to his firsts and I knew it wouldn’t be a problem. Although we had to filter through a ton of pike, he finally managed to get his wish! He reeled in a nice sized over and several pics were shot before the release. He also managed to get a few more nice ones along with plenty of other pike too! Most of the northerns were on the smaller side and were getting to be a bit of a pain so I decided on a move. I wanted him to at least have a shot at some better ones, as well as some more walleye. Off we went to the next spot!

After a long run, I set up in cooler water and mirror like conditions. Water temps were slightly less, but I knew it wouldn’t matter. The last couple of times here the fishing was great and today should be no different. With two deep lines set, it took about three minutes for the first reel to scream. This time the pike was substantially larger than the ones earlier and provided him with a better fight. Too bad these things like to roll because it ended quickly when it wrapped in the line. Oh she had plenty of fight left but decided to wait until in the net to go ballistic! Always a challenge to untangle in a rubber net too! Still a nice fish and the largest pike so far. Several other equally large ones were also landed in the next couple of hours, along with some really quality eyes. This place seemed to put out bigger fish and despite the slow bites, it was worth staying and waiting for the hits. We remained here until about 2:30 and then headed closer to the take out area to fish.

It may have been a scorcher when we were trolling but jackets were required during the run. Surface water temps still remain cool and the effect is definitely felt at high speeds! They quickly came off though once we came to a stop to fish! I set up a couple of mid running lures on spinning rods and started the troll over these shoals. I was now in walleye territory and assured him that there should be no more pike! First fish however was a pre spawn bass that apparently liked the area as well. As this was also a first for Paul, he thoroughly enjoyed the strength of the smallie! I told him that he would have to come back later in the season if he wanted more, as the season was still closed. Too bad others don’t practice this as well! I’ve seen way too many people targeting both smallmouth and largemouth bass lately! Quebec still doesn’t have a Catch & Release Season people!

Although the bass was a welcomed treat for Paul I was after walleye and after being released, we got right back at it. In the next hour he managed to land a half dozen nice keeper sized eyes that all got released. I wasn’t bringing anything back today and neither was he. There were even a couple of heavier fish that came unpinned during the battle that I was sure were large walleye. Oh well, it happens!

We eventually pulled the plug on the day after a little incident of a line tangle in the main engine prop. I never like taking chances with braid getting in behind the prop and chewing up the seals. Time to limp back to the dock to take out!

Paul’s day started with a bang and got even better as it went on. He landed more fish than he’s ever done before and to say he was happy would have been an understatement. He left one happy camper!

I expect similar or even better days in the next few weeks as the water continues to warm and fish become more active. With open days available, this is definitely the time to take advantage of the great fishing. Not much boat traffic on the lakes now make it even more enjoyable!!

May 28th 2018

What a difference a day makes! Easy launching and flat calm waters greeted us this morning, after yesterday’s hell. Scott and his friend George were with me today and based on these conditions, I knew it was going to be great!

After running across glassy calm waters I settled on the area we had ended at yesterday. I had left them biting and needed to know if they were still hungry. With a couple of deep lines and one medium running, I started the troll. Well it didn’t take long for a confirmation as the long line fired within minutes! George grabbed the rod and began battling the first pike of the day only to have it jump right out of net and back into the lake. These rubber nets with the shallow bowl just aren’t made for squirming pike I guess! It didn’t matter though as I knew there would be more!

Scott was up next and one of the deep lines went off only minutes later, with a pike of about the same size locked on the hooks. These fish were over the regular sized ones that I am use to seeing and fighting pretty good for only 56 degree water. Once in the net, I really saw the thickness and needed a few pics. It was quickly returned right after and we were back at it once again. The reels weren’t firing as much as yesterday afternoon but by covering water we were able to get into the pike regardless. Every few minutes something was hitting and that was fine by us! both George & Scott boated many of these chunky pike throughout the morning and George even managed to land a few nice eyes too! Unfortunately they were all overs and returned after several more pics.

We trolled around until shortly after 11:30 and then made our way back to the launch. John would be joining us for the afternoon. He was about to enjoy his birthday on the water and also catch a few fish!

After the pickup I decided that we would remain closer to the ramp to see if we could get into some smaller, eater sized walleye for Scott. Unfortunately this didn’t last too long as the action was a little on the slow side. They managed to land one small bass and possibly lose a couple of other eyes when the hooks just pulled out. Time to return to the scene of the crime!

We raced back across the water and straight to where the action was hot, all morning long! With 4 lines in now, I could run a better spread. Soon after, John was into a fish and he reeled in his first northern of the season. He also brought a couple more in, soon after and then the rotation began. They had let him have a few before they wanted to get back in the game!

It may not have been as good as the morning bite, but the afternoon provided more walleye than earlier in the day. It seemed like there were less pike in the area now and the walleye were on the feed. We did manage to get both but I was glad to see more of the eyes and managed to box a couple for Scott to return with.

Although we never went long between bites there was a time when it didn’t seem that way. I had been trolling for about 15 minutes without a hit and decided to see why. Apparently one of the deep lines must have taken a hit because the lure was tangled on the front hook and just coming in with no action. The other deep line just wasn’t there! Something must have missed the lure and cut the fluorocarbon leader like a pair of scissors. Our two best lines weren’t in the game and neither were we!

After taking care of the problem, it didn’t take long before the reels were howling once again! More pike & walleye were being caught and numbers were climbing nicely. The remaining time saw quite a few more fish boated but ironically there were no double headers. With this many fish in the area I was sure we’d see multiple hookups, but surprisingly not!

By 4:00 I decided to call it a day and pulled the lines for the run back. They had managed to land a good number of fish today and some really nice ones too. John got to spend his birthday with friends enjoying something that he loves doing as well. With no hurricane winds, no rain and overcast skies, you couldn’t have ordered it any better! There was definitely no suffering today! Just a great day for fishing!!

May 27th 2018

With the overnight temps dropping from the cold north winds, I knew today was going to be a challenge. Neil & his son Ben were with me and I had to make a game plan for the day. Big NE winds throughout the morning were to give way to a change of direction by afternoon and intensify. We would have to jump sides during the switch in order to continue fishing. They were forecasting 20 to over 30 knots and a SE isn’t pretty. The boat ramp would become a roller coaster for the take out and I knew exactly what I needed to do. I left a set of keys with a friend and asked him to have the trailer in the water, if necessary. Don would become a well appreciated Valet!

I dropped the boat in and the three of us headed out in search of active fish. It was everything but though, as we were about to find out! Ben took the first rod when the reel fired and he eventually boated a decent smallie. Not exactly what we were after but a fish nonetheless. The next reel to fire was a walleye and Neil almost had it to the boat before the barely hooked fish pulled free. I knew right then & there that the bite was going to be tough!

We trolled around plenty and despite putting a few fish in the livewell, watched almost everyone of them fall off in the net. I had informed Ben & his dad to smoothly bring the fish in and not to over pressure them while doing so. This was the only way we were to be able to land the fish as they were almost all, barely hooked. It seemed to work as more and more fish were being landed now, but we had to work for each & every one. I covered plenty of water and hit almost every waypoint I could before relocating further off shore and into the big winds. The thought of it blowing even harder didn’t look good, but the direction change looked even worse!

I set the lines once again but this time it felt like the ocean with the tide. Waves were surging opposite the current creating big rollers. I guess it was the right call because minutes later one of the reels fired and Neil landed a nice walleye. I continued fishing the area and picked up a few more fish in the process. Unfortunately the winds were starting to switch and I had to use the big motor to run back and fish it again. It was impossible to troll downstream with wind against current. I needed bow lift and the big motor was the only way to go! After a few more decent fish and one over, it was time to relocate to the south side of the lake. We had no choice if we wanted to continue to fish!

It was a little bumpy getting over there, but we were glad to have made the decision. It was still really windy here but the waves were much less. Unfortunately though, we managed to run into some rain that remained with us for a few hours! With lines set, I began the troll and this time it took a whole lot longer to get the first bite. The area I was focussing on seemed void of fish and I had to make many adjustments before we got our first bite. Although a good one, it wasn’t easy! Neil once again landed a nice walleye that joined a few of the others in the well. Several other fish were landed in the next hour but conditions had worsened. It was becoming more & more difficult to keep the boat on course with the giant cross winds and eventually I pulled out to relocate.

The next place was even worse and we didn’t stay long! I decided to make a long run to one last area closer to the leeward side in hopes of a few more bites. It was here that we were to finish our day as the reels just kept firing. Pike after pike were now coming in every couple of minutes and I think we even had several doubles. in fact the average size was considerably larger than the usual ones I was used to getting here. Both Ben & Neil were having a blast after working so hard for everything they had caught the rest of the day. After about an hour, Neil even landed the best walleye of the day! We fished a little longer, all the while catching one fish after the other. Eventually I knew we would have to leave so we ended it with another double header!

I packed everything up and made a phone call to Don to see if he would be able to help with the trailer. He was actually surprised that I hadn’t already gotten off but gladly helped out. He would be waiting with the trailer when we got there!

The first third of our run back wasn’t too bad but after that, it just got ugly! Eventually I wasn’t even able to go straight back and had to make like a sailboat and tack in the waves. They were giant and rolling so big that even with the 21 foot Ranger, I would have swamped it! I eventually made it to the ramp and saw that there were average 4 footers rolling on the shore with some even bigger. Thankfully Don was waiting with the trailer and I was able to put the boat up in one shot. What an absolute roller coaster! It really looked like the ocean! Ironically the entire ride back the boat stayed dry but once on the trailer and pulling out, a tidal wave rolled completely over the back deck, filling the boat. The pumps worked overtime unloading all the water as we drove it out.

I kind of figured at the beginning of the day that this would be the most difficult part and I was right. The waves on the lake I could handle to fish in, but giant winds directly on the boat ramp aren’t fun. I would never launch the boat in this but taking out had to be done! Oh well, it’s only water!

Neil & Ben had an excellent day overall with the best saved for last. We managed to catch fish throughout and ended it with a huge bang! I don’t really know how many fish were caught but I know it was many. They were even taking a limit of walleye home for dinner and plenty of others were released.

I’ll be back on the water again tomorrow with clients and hopefully Mother Nature will be more cooperative. A little less wind and maybe from a different direction would be nice! All I know is I’m thankful for the Ranger but even more for the Valet service provided by Don! It definitely made my life much easier!!