After a few so, so days on the water with not much to report, I was back out with Rick, Dan & Dave looking for revenge. Between the wind & rain and the low water temps, the fishing had been difficult and today didn’t look much better. We started out with intermittent rain falling and the forecast called for an all day wet. I decided to hit another lake in hopes that we would find more aggressive fish and we weren’t disappointed. Although it started out a little slow, we eventually found lake trout suspended over deep water that were willing to eat. The fly rods shallow only accounted for a few bass and nay a trout was seen. I decided to go way off shore and began looking for some bait in a section that I had caught in past years. This was like being on Lake Ontario as I was fishing over 200 feet of water or deeper. With the boards set up with leadcore line and the downriggers loaded, we were off to the races. Heavy rains were falling at times and a strong west wind was blowing 2 footers, but they definitely wanted to eat. In about 3.5 hours there were a total of 8 lake trout landed, along with a couple of small browns. Water temps were about 45 degrees at best for today and they weren’t going to get any higher with all the mist and fog from the cold rain. When we finally ended this day and were back at the ramp, the rain stopped and some of the clouds broke up. Go figure! I think I was the only person in the boat that was comfortable today as the wetness really went through the others. Everyone was glad to have survived this hateful day as we drove off in a heated truck. What will tomorrow bring? We awoke to the sound of heavy rain pounding the tin roof the next morning and decided to take our time getting ready. We even went to eat breakfast, allowing everything to pass and launched in sunny skies for a change. This day had the makings of a beautiful one and we were pumped! It didn’t take too long for the first rod to pop and a slightly short laker of 19.5 inches was immediately released after measurement. Another trout of similar size and a drive bye on one of the boards was had in the next hour before we relocated. I was looking for more action and wasn’t wasting time waiting for the fish to come to us. We switched sides due to the strong east winds of 10 to 15 knots and found a sheltered section on the other side to troll. Almost instantly, the board fired and the first of many legal lakers went into the well. They wanted to take some fish back with them and were on a quest! A few more releases on the riggers had the numbers climbing and it was looking pretty good. Three fish were swimming in the box and it was only 11 o’clock. Plenty of time to bump that up even more! The sun was high and the air was warm but the east winds had turned now & were blowing west at 10 to 20. After lunch I thought we would try a change and they began casting towards sheer rock bluff walls hoping for a rainbow or brownie. They had a few follows but were unable to determine exactly what they were until Dan hooked up. Although it was small, this feisty brown trout put up quite a battle before being landed. We could have kept it but decided to let it live another day and grow up. About another hundred yards later, Dan had another of almost equal size and it too was released after the fight. I thought we were going to get something better and followed this deep water for almost a half mile before pulling the plug and moving on. I thought we’d try something different once again as they were also hoping for some northerns and headed to an old weedy bay I knew should be holding. Well, we weren’t disappointed as Dave drew first blood with a 6.5 pound gator soon after we arrived. There was a big fish bet on the line and he had just locked it up! Along with this pike there were several others smaller and many a perch as well. Eventually I backed off this shallow, warm flat and started casting along a deeper drop off. Dan & Dave thought they’d chill and I told them to long line troll their baits as Rick casted from the bow. I kept a steady speed going and soon after, Dan was rewarded with a violent strike. They weren’t sure what he had but I could tell by the squirrelly head shakes that he had another laker. Into the net it went and boy was this one long! No need to measure, just into the livewell she went. Number 4 and only 2 more needed to fill their limits. Unfortunately this was all for here as we changed gears once again and headed to the other side. Riggers and boards went out and trolling was once more the order of the day. They had another short laker release the rigger and things weren’t looking good. I was marking plenty of hooks up high along with bait periodically but no one was eating. This went on for about an hour before one of the boards went back screaming line from the reel. I was in the process of clearing the riggers in order to move and was pleasantly surprised. This lake trout also made the cut and joined his friends in the well, swimming right along side them. It was number 8 for the day once again but only the 5th one to make it into the livewell as the other three fell just short. It was after 5 o’clock now and the guys decided to call it a day, finishing with a bang. This day was definitely more enjoyable as it was rain free! The two days spent on the water were also productive as 18 lakers and 4 browns were landed along with a mix of other fish species too. As we pulled the boat out they spoke to a couple of fishermen that hadn’t fended as well. They returned with a skunk and I could see their disappointment as Rick informed them of our success. Oh well, we’ve all been there before and I was glad we weren’t there again! This would be a two day trip to remember. Overall, a successfully productive outing!!

I headed back on the water this morning with Hugues & Steven hoping for a better fishing day than the previous two. We launched in the cloud & fog, but at least it wasn’t raining and that was a plus. I figured that with the cover of darkness, the bait would be up high and the salmon would be readily feeding on them. Air temps were low 50’s but the dampness made it feel a whole lot colder. Water temps were barely 41 degrees when we set the lines and began the quest for the “Holy Grail.” I realized that if we were going to get bit, I would have to run a little deeper and set two lines down 10 to 15 feet. The third one would be the usual high line as it had been the most productive each year running. Well, the first couple of hours had us marking plenty of bait and numerous hooks, but no takers were had. I decided to switch locations and the move was on! For the next few hours we jumped around plenty covering lots of water and fishing many areas with similar results. It wasn’t until afternoon and a completely different presentation that we actually hooked something. In desperation, I decided to run one downrigger and a couple of boards with lead core and slow down completely. I knew when the rigger popped that it wasn’t a salmon but most likely a lake trout. Steven had wanted to eat fish for dinner and this was going to be just what he ordered. As with all lakers, the battle was over quickly and I slipped the net under a 23 inch meal. The skunk was officially out of the boat and everyone was glad! We continued fishing and shortly after, one of the boards fell back and another laker was on. This one fought even less than the previous one and Hugues reeled the fish in. Once measured, it fell short and had to be released. It was almost 20 inches but fell under the legal size and was returned to, sort of fight, another day! After all this action, we decided to return to the quest at hand and pulled the plug on this area. We were back to faster trolling and hoping for a reel to fire with the show of silver attached to the flies. As with the first part of the day, we covered a lot of water and different areas without a touch. At one point we actually found 50 degree water and I was confident a reel would go off. This was quickly lost as results were the same. In desperation, we even tried fishing the deep drop offs adjacent to shoals in 20 to 30 feet of water. Drop shots & jigs were used, but they only came up with a few bass in the process. Nothing was moving today so we decided to end this painful outing and call it quits. I know that we would have caught loads of lakers had we fished longer where we were, but the plan was for salmon today. I may need to rethink this entire picture until the fish rise up and become active. Lakers aren’t so bad, I guess! Overall a tough and unsatisfying day of fishing but at least some fish were caught in the process and all is good!! I’ll be back and will get even!!!

Alain & Cindy were with me this morning for a frigid spring fishing day. I knew we were going to have a tough time when the water temps were more than the air temps but hit the water early, nonetheless. We began with 32 degrees and I think by the end of the day it might have even climbed all the way to 40 degrees. With a strong NW wind blowing 15 to 25 knots it felt more like the 20’s. Water temps were at best 43 degrees and somewhat stained with all the north winds lately. My set up was going to be two deep lines and only one shallow line as I was marking plenty of bait down and hoped for a quick biter. This wasn’t going to happen however as it took until almost noon for one of the reels to go off. Cindy was quick to react and was tight to a heavy fish on a deep line. As she was fighting hers, the other deep one went off and now Alain was battling a heavy fish as well. I was pretty sure that they were both lake trout as there were plenty of head shakes and some weight was definitely there. Well to everyone’s amazement, Cindy was the only one with a laker on the end of her line. I was surprised to see that Alain actually had a Northern Pike on his and concentrated on the better fish. Both were netted and only one released as the 24 inch laker went into the livewell. We weren’t going to be skunked today! We continued fishing this area and as usual, boats started to gather. It really doesn’t take much for someone to get excited and fish right on top of another boat! Unfortunately, we managed to hook up twice more in the next 20 minutes and both were pike of equal size. Seeing as how Cindy & Alain were feeling the cold, we decided to head back to their place on the lake and break for lunch. It’s really nice to have that option and I was quickly in agreement! I thought this would be a good time to take a couple of pics and they decided to release the laker afterwards. This was to be its lucky day! After lunch we headed right back to where the action had taken place and made sever unsuccessful passes through the same zone untouched. Off to other places with similar results and finally we stumbled into a warmer area of 43 degrees and the long, high line went a screaming. Alain was tight to another heavy fish and I really hoped it wasn’t a pike! We were thankful to see by the boat that it was of a trout persuasion but weren’t sure if it was a brown or a laker. It was a big one though and that’s all that mattered! Eventually I was able to get a better look at the fish in the waves and slipped the net under an even bigger lake trout than the one from this morning. It would have gone about 25 inches or more and was a real fatty! Into the livewell it went and back to fishing we went as well. Despite all the moves and water we were to cover afterwards, we weren’t to hook up again. Somewhere after 4:30, we decided to call it a day and I dropped Cindy off at the dock, released the laker and headed back to take out. Although we were to only land two trout today it was still a great one. It wasn’t my first trip of the season but they were the first lakers of the year. Previously I had boated many a salmon but on a different lake. Reports hadn’t been done up but there will be a pic to follow. Overall it was a pretty good day for the initial trip, two days after the season opener. Can’t wait for tomorrow!!

It seems like just yesterday when I stored the boat in preparation for a long, hard winter. Where did it go? With any luck, I will be back on the water soon enough to take advantage of the early Walleye bite. Insane days with high numbers of both walleye & sauger are short lived as the season closes abruptly by March end. Mother Nature has the upper hand here as she decides whether or not I get out in the boat. Although this winter hasn’t been the best for anyone wanting to ice fish, there are still alternatives. Open water trout & steelhead are abundant on both sides of the border and certain rivers are producing daily. Lake Ontario tributaries are easy to access for those wanting to do a little leg work and can be quite rewarding as well. This bizarre winter has kept me busy, but not in the way I had intended. Instead of mixing up the hard & soft water fishing, I have been focusing on the business at hand. Preparation of the 2012 season has had me concentrating on revamping my website. It has been long overdue! There will be several changes made to both the locations as well as the pics sections. With a variety of fish species now being targeted, it was time to advertise them all. Although bass will always be the favorite, multi species fishing has allowed me to extend the year even longer. From the novice to the experienced, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! Bookings have begun for walleye in March, trout & salmon in April/May as well as pike & walleye opening in May. When bass season opens mid June, I will be targeting all species and fishing right into December once again. Be sure to check back soon at http://www.advancedbassin.com for updates and any booking days you may require. It won’t be long before we’ll be wetting lines and hitting the open water for another great season. Enjoy a few pics from this winters fishing. Tight Lines Everyone!!

Just when I thought it was over for the year, Darren calls and wants to go back out! We hooked up at the boat ramp before 9:00 and readied for the chilly morning run. The forecast called for a high of just above freezing but it definitely wasn’t there yet! In fact, if it weren’t for the sunshine, the 28 degree temps would have been bone numbing. A lack of wind also made it feel a whole lot warmer as we raced to our first area to fish. It didn’t take long before we realized why we were here, as a chunky 3.5 pound smallie came aboard. I hadn’t been on the water since the previous week and was surprised to find the water temps about the same. A 44 degree surface water temperature had these fish somewhat active and we were about to take advantage. I was on a quest for big fish and decided that a run & gun approach was to be the game plan. We would try to hit as many areas as we could today and hold a little longer on the ones that produced quality bites. After Darren landed a few more 3 pounders, we were off to our next spot in pursuit of heaviness! Water temps were a little cooler here with 41.5 and I knew the active ones, wouldn’t be many. Although we managed to get a few, they weren’t the large ones I had hoped for and shortly after, we were on the move again. Similar results were had at the next couple of stops and we just kept searching for bigger & better. Once I found a little warmer water, we located some bigger fish. A four pounder was the first to get landed and one over 5 pounds soon followed. I thought we had hit the mother load but soon realized that we had caught the only two eaters in the area. It was a fine line today between running & gunning and fishing slow enough to take advantage of the biters from each area. Our sunshine had been blocked by a heavy cloud bank early in the morning and air temps were feeling much colder. Ice was gathering on the guides and constant cleaning was necessary. The high percentage plan was soon adjusted to a finesse approach and a major slow down. We returned to a couple of areas that had produced earlier and changed our presentations to increase hookups. This was obviously the right decision and many other fish were landed with this technique. Fish of all sizes were now falling victim and the action was picking up nicely. In one particular refined area, Darren must have landed close to 10 fish in as many casts! They were definitely here and we were going to milk it before relocating again. Eventually the bite slowed to a crawl and I was forced to shift in search of others nearby. We picked at them, but not to my satisfaction and another move was necessary. One final stop before calling it a day and we managed to get them pretty good, once again! I think there was a bunch of fish in this small area as we both landed and lost several more. I’m sure we could have stayed longer and picked at the bass until dark, but the cold air had us rethinking this option. We had managed to cheat Mother Nature into December and wanted to end on a high. It’s not too often that fishing this late occurs and we were both content to throw in the towel. Plenty of fish were caught, including a dinner walleye for Darren today and we were done. A long term look at our future weather tells me that this may not be the last time the boat gets wet. I think I will be back next week to fight again!!