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!!

May 26th 2018

A couple of weeks back, Laurence booked a half day trip for his brother. It seems that this was to be a gift for his bachelor party and four of them would be coming fishing. Well, today was the day and by the looks of the weather, it wasn’t going to be pretty!

We met up at the ramp about 10:00, but not after all hell had broken loose! Just a few hours back, an electrical storm had passed through the area and I wasn’t sure what effect it would have on the fishing. Monsoon like rains had also fallen and it was still raining somewhat when they arrived. Laurence, Eric, Bob & Chuck would be in for an interesting one as the forecast was for another 5 to 10 mm of rain throughout the day. It was gonna be a wet one!

Trolling was going to be the ticket today with this many people and I set the four lines, awaiting our first bite. Within minutes an outside rod went off and Laurence was into the first fish of the day. Unfortunately it was a bass and after a brief battle, returned unharmed. The area I was covering had a mix of fish but mostly walleye, the species I was after. Minutes later another rod went off and Eric reeled in the first one of the day. They were wanting to bring a few home with them so it went in the livewell, with hopes of others, soon to follow.

Despite the miserable weather, they were having a great time and surprisingly, the fish were cooperating! We fished through several hours of rain & drizzle, but eventually it let up allowing us to remove our jackets. Many other fish were boated throughout this ordeal and now I was hoping for an even better bite. I relocated a short distance away and began covering deeper water. The hopes were to get into better quality fish and it didn’t take long. Multiple reels were firing and their rotation was going quick. They were also adding keeper walleye to the livewell and things were going great!

With all the fish landed so far, I was surprise to see that only one was an over and not by very much! Eric had boated a 21 incher that had to be returned, but a few quick pics were taken before the release. There were however plenty of smaller fish being caught that were also released. By covering water and focussing on specific areas I was able to get everyone into plenty of action throughout the day. When one place slowed down, I would just switch to another upping their numbers more. I was constantly looking for warmer water but 58 degrees was the best I could find. I guess the heavy rains this morning had also cooled the water somewhat, along with making it dirtier as well.

Sometime in the afternoon, the clouds sort of broke up and we were actually in the sun. This could only be a good thing and with the light NE winds all but gone, the water began to warm. I actually hit an area with temps over 60 degrees and began getting more quality bites. Walleye, pike, perch and some bass were falling victim to our offerings. These guys were enjoying their trip even more now that the weather took a turn for the better. I don’t think anyone had thought they would see the sun today, especially me!

With all the fish landed today, the time flew by quickly. Before we knew it, it was 3:00 and time to go! They had fish to clean and reservations to keep this evening and needed time to prepare.

I’m pretty sure that they all had a great time today, despite the miserable weather to start. Fortunately they were prepared with foul weather gear and it didn’t seem to bother them at all. Catching as many fish as they did also added to the enjoyment of their day. In fact, by the time it was all over, they were bringing a good number of keeper walleye home with them. Sometime this weekend the entire family would be eating a great mess of fresh fish, compliments of them! Eric had a different king of Bachelor party than most but something tells me this was just a prelude of what’s to come! Great day of fishing with even better days to come!!

May 24th 2018

A late day booking had me heading out early today, to scout a few new areas again. Andrew had asked if we could start at 4:00 due to his work schedule and fish till about 8:00. No problem! Mother Nature was expected to show her cruel side with a big SW wind by mid day and I needed to find an area that we would be able to fish, comfortably!

With the water warming slowly and the spawn all but done now, I decided to search a few post spawn places in hopes of finding some aggressive fish. The 57 degree water wasn’t what I wanted, but I covered plenty of it, hoping for better temps. Eventually I hit above 60, topping out at 62 degrees and began hooking up. It’s always difficult getting a good idea when you’re only one rod! I located both pike as well as walleye and fished till about 3:30 before heading back to await Andrew’s arrival.

As luck would have it, he was able to get out a little early and arrived by 3:45. We departed shortly after and began a close troll. Within 3 minutes he was tight to his first fish and it was just the start! As there were only two of us in the boat, I decided that rod in hand was a better choice. Regardless of who was to hook up, he would take the rod to land the fish! Some of the areas were quite rocky and it was very easy to snag up if they were in the rod holders.

For the first hour or so it seemed like he was fighting a fish every few minutes. Both walleye and bass were eating and Andrew was having a blast! I covered plenty of water searching for a big bite but all I could locate were keeper sized walleye. Eventually we stumbled into a few overs but barely! Despite the bigger fish eluding us, there was still plenty of action. At one point I was even able to place the rod in the holder, allowing me to concentrate on the troll. He now had to jump back & forth between lines as they were hit about equally. Mother Nature even cooperated for a change with light winds from the SW instead of the expected hell. We fished comfortably in only a one foot chop the entire time out!

The fishing really went by fast as the sun set and I knew it was about to end. After several more fish, we pulled the plug on the last one of the evening. Andrew had landed perch, bass, walleye and northerns, giving him a 4 fish slam! I’m not really sure of the numbers for his trip, but they were high! Walleye made up the bulk of his catch and I even managed to take a limit home in the end. Too bad he had no way to bring any of them back with him, but he was flying out the next day. Oh well I guess he’ll just have to come back again this fall and enjoy it all over again! Great day of fishing all around!

May 15th 2018

Christopher & Dave were with me this morning, for a half day of fishing. Fortunately, it wasn’t too cold overnight and the water temps hadn’t fallen too bad. Unfortunately the skies didn’t look too nice and I was glad I had brought extra rain gear for them to wear. Not as glad as they were though as they were wearing shorts!

We began on a spot far from the launch and along the way, the rain started to fall. It got even heavier when we arrived, but it didn’t seem to matter. They were fishing and didn’t care! I decided to troll this area to see if I could find a few walleye for them to catch, but it looked almost void of fish. Christopher did however lose a few before we finally had one come aboard. They were fishing with rod in hand and I had set another in the holder to make three. This one went off and Christopher soon landed his first ever walleye! He immediately noticed how much it looked like a Zander, their European cousin. Being from Scotland, neither of them had ever caught one and were happy to have finally done so. We kept at the troll for a little longer but never landed another fish from here. With the waves building from the wind and the direction having changed, I decided to pull the plug. Off to another area and hopefully better fishing!

After a long run, I settled on shallower water and they began to troll. We used the same technique with the third rod in the holder and it didn’t take long. Chris was tight to another walleye and it joined the first one in the well. Dave was having a tough time keeping the fish pinned after losing a couple in the first spot but I knew it would soon change. Chris on the other hand was hooked up several more times before Dave finally got in the game. Now they were both catching fish and it was a mix of giant perch, walleye and the odd smallie. Although not fast and furious, there was enough action to keep them interested. I had to really cover water and hit every waypoint and icon I had in order to get bit. The 51 degree water temps and overcast skies with rain weren’t helping. The fish just didn’t seem to want to move! Stained water didn’t help either as visibility was almost zero! Unless you hit them on the head, they didn’t eat. In fact most of the ones that made it to the net, fell off once landed. All of this aside, they managed to get into a good number of fish in their short time on the water. Dave rebounded nicely and landed several good ones as well and in the end, they were tied. There was a friendly competition going on that Dave almost won. Unfortunately he dropped the last fish while reeling it in causing the results to end even.

We had fished for over 4 hours and by noon, called the day. They were heading to another area for several days to fish for carp and needed to get on the road. This was just the prelude to the actual reason why they had flown so far to fish. I’m sure that if the weather warms up some, they will be having a great time as well, landing all kinds of big fish. The same thing should occur here if we ever get stability and water temps. In the mean time, I’ll just have to keep grinding it out and covering water in search of fish. Better fishing, still to come!!