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Christine had contacted me a while back for fishing with her husband. They were on their honeymoon had been travelling to a bunch of places, including Montreal to fish. We weren’t sure about the weather but headed out regardless shortly after 7:00 A.M. in very overcast conditions. Originally there was a good chance of thunder storms but we got lucky with only a heavy downpour mid morning. It sure was nice to raise the roof during the worst of the storm!

We struggled at the start trying to dropshot with wind against current, but managed several nice fish regardless. Evan had taken a few smaiiles along with a couple of small walleye and Christine had as well. I wasn’t feeling good about this area due to the conditions and decided to try another place nearby. It was about the same with terrible movement and after several more bass, we shifted gears completely. I decided to have them both cast shallower shoals and it didn’t take long. Evan wanted to try a Japanese twitch bait that he had success on in the past and apparently the fish here liked it too! Several good bass were landed and many others lost in the next hour or so. It was right around this time that we got crushed by heavy rain and the cover went up just in time. Although it didn’t last long, it was still needed as both Christine and Evan had only a light rain jacket and would have gotten soaked. Once this system passed I thought we’d change it up completely and try a little trolling. For the next couple of hours, plenty of fish came aboard. Although mostly pike, there were a couple of good eyes landed as well. Ironically the sun was now shining and it was getting quite warm out too. The winds were still out of the east but had dropped down considerably and I decided to give the deep another try. We went back to drop shotting an area and I quickly realized it hadn’t changed much. There was no movement and we were forced to cast the rigs instead of drifting. A few small fish were landed and I moved on once again. I headed to somewhere that usually has a little bit more current but the wind was out of the east and moving us sideways. I had to get on the electric just to keep us vertical and it wasn’t easy. Although they did have several bites, most of the fish were missed. They did however manage to get a couple of nice bass before we ended the day.

We had been dealt all kinds of different conditions today but managed to overcome the challenges, successfully. I would have preferred a little more wind from the right direction, but that wasn’t to be! Light winds from the east were enough to stall the boat almost like we were anchored. By trolling and casting different baits over many areas, they managed to land a bunch of good fish and have a great day. The cover during the rain was just a bonus, but we were sure glad to have it! Overall a pretty good day!

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Chuck & Linda were with me today for another action packed outing! They were in from Louisiana and wanted to catch some Canadian fish. They definitely did, and it didn’t take long to hook up on their first one. We were drifting in big waves while drop shotting and Chuck locked up on a really nice bass. This was his first northern smallie but it wasn’t going to be his last. Soon after, Linda also managed to set into one of her own and it was game on. These winds made standing a little difficult but the fishing was definitely on fire. Each drift yielded multiple fish and they had a good mix going on. Bass, walleye, pike, perch and even a sauger managed to come aboard. They had taken a trip on Lake Eerie a few days earlier and Mother Nature shut them down with big winds, not allowing them to catch anything. Today however, they were making up for it! It was payback time and they were getting even! For most of the morning they just pounded on the fish, catching one after the other. The winds even laid down a bit allowing them to actually stand while fighting most of their fish. They were definitely in their glory fighting one after the other. They even managed a couple of doubles that made for great pics! All good things must come to an end and this was no exception. Eventually the bite died and we were forced to relocate to another area of the lake and start all over.

Trolling was up next and I was about to show them something they had never seen before. As I readied the rods I explained what would happen and now they were trying something totally different. This wasn’t anything that they had ever done and they were anxious to see it in action. With lines in, I began covering water and right on cue, a reel fired. Chuck was officially sold as he began to battle the first northern on the troll. There were many more to come too! As fast as I released the fish, another reel screamed and he was beginning to see just why this was so effective. Fish after fish were ripping lines and they were catching one after the other. I really wanted to get them into a big eye and covered all the right stuff trying to make it happen. At one point, he did have a really good one on the line that we all saw, but somehow it came unpinned right beside the boat. We reset the line and continued our quest for another and after several more pike, he did manage to bring a nice one aboard. Although not as big as the previous one, it was still quality and made for a great pic. We continued catching plenty more pike before eventually pulling the plug and returning for bass.

I relocated once again but this time they were casting baits over shoals and Chuck got right back in the game. Several decent smallies were hooked into and one of them was a really good one worthy of another pic. Linda had a few hits, but for some reason wasn’t able to hook up. I had every intention of returning to drop shot at the end of the day but unfortunately it was cut a little short by the weather. We could see a storm system moving in and had to make a run back to the dock through a downpour, in order to miss it. We were greeted with sunshine on the other side and I knew it was the right decision!

There was no lack of fish today as they both managed to catch a boatload of quality. They even had enough walleye for a great dinner tonight! They were camping nearby and would be dining on some great eating walleye after a tremendous day of fishing. Something tells me that I might be seeing them again this year as talk of a return trip in September was mentioned. They would come back for another multi species day and a shot at some of those giant sturgeon. One thing for sure, there are plenty of memories from today along with a ton of pics to give them the incentive. Great times were had by all today!

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James & Rob were with me this morning in an overcast setting. It was like a light mist was in the air, without actually raining. We began the day at 7:30 and headed out not too far from the launch. His wife & children would be joining us a little later and I wanted to stay close bye. For a change there was little to no wind and I knew the drop shot would be the way to go. Unfortunately we were going to have to cast it as no wind means no movement. James was the first to hook up and it was on his first cast too! It’s never good luck to catch a fish on your first cast! He was into a really nice smallie and I hoped there would be plenty more. Rob hooked up not long after and he ended up with a pretty large northern. In the first few hours they picked up many bass & walleye before we got the call. I headed over to the ramp and picked up his wife Christina and his two children, Giulio & Sofia. At only 3 & 5 years of age, James was hoping to get them interested in fishing and I knew he would succeed. I had prepped other rods with drop shots and instructed Christina on what to do and she hooked up on the first drop. Unfortunately she wasn’t ready and lost the fish while trying to reel it in. Almost immediately after she did however land her first walleye and it joined the one taken earlier in the morning, in the tank. Sofia also had a quick encounter with a fish as she was nailed by a bass almost immediately. Unfortunately it raced to the surface and threw the hook as she was trying to reel. I knew it wouldn’t be the last as we were definitely on plenty of fish! Eventually both Giulio & Sofia managed to reel in several fish with a little help from their dad and they had a blast. Christina also landed 5 fish in the short time they were out making this little excursion a success. They all loved fishing for the first time and I don’t think it will be their last! We headed back to the dock and the three of them left the boat as Sofia had a birthday party to attend this afternoon. It’s always a good idea when kids are young to make their trips short and have them leave wanting more! James, Rob & myself headed back out but this time we made a long run to another area where they could do a little casting. I set them up with lures and they proceeded to put a beating on some nice smallies. Ironically the first fish to come aboard was a walleye however and it too went in the livewell for dinner tonight. I’m not sure how many bass were hooked here but there were a pile. Too bad not all of them made it to the net! When the action slowed, I decided to head to some offshore rocks in hopes of keeping the action going. Once again, the fish cooperated and several more bass came aboard, along with another walleye. It’s really strange this year as to where I am catching walleye. I have them in really shallow water as well as considerably deeper areas too. The high water has dispersed them all over the lake! The bass are also spread out all over as well and by moving around, the numbers are always high!

I was about to relocate to a different section of the lake when James nailed another bass on his last cast and this is when it got interesting! While trying to remove the fish from the net, it somehow managed to twist and set a hook into my finger as well. Now we were both pinned to the lure and the rubber net together! I’m usually very careful, but this fish was insane and caught me off guard. I quickly grabbed it with my good hand and had James assist me with the disaster. The lure was so tangled in the net and still attached to both of us that he had to cut some of the net in order to separate everything. We finally got it all worked out and the fish returned to the water so I could concentrate on my hand. I used the cutters to separate the hook from the lure and prepped some heavy line that Rob had from his clippers. He was going to have to do the removal as I pressed down on the hook shank. With one quick snap, it was out! Accidents like this do happen when dealing with small baits and multiple trebles, but hopefully not too often. This hook removal technique is a lot more efficient than the old school one where you pop it completely through. It’s also a lot less painful!

As the day was nearing an end, I decided to run to another section of the lake in hopes of more bass. It had been on fire only a few days earlier, but I wasn’t sure how it would be today with all the boat traffic. Just getting there was a nightmare with cruisers and speed boats going in all directions. You gotta love weekends! As I figured, the waves from all of the boats had stirred up the water and the fish weren’t as cooperative. Although they did catch a few, it wasn’t what I had expected and we left quickly. I had one more stop to make before we returned to the dock and while running there noticed a cruiser being towed by the Coast Guard. Not sure what happened but surely with all this high water, he didn’t hit? The last stop wasn’t easy to fish with all the boat waves and Rob managed the only fish here. He also missed landing another when it went airborne too! We packed it in and headed back to take out. The winds had somehow increased and the run back was a little rough between the boat waves and the big rollers. Not to mention all the boats all along the way! Fortunately the removal was fairly easy and I was out of the water quickly. This day was a great one for everyone, despite the minor incident. The introduction to fishing for James’s family will definitely have them wanting to get back out again. All in all, a pretty good day!

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A last minute cancellation opened the door for Justin and his friends to head out on the water this morning. We had talked and they were wondering if they would catch anything, as they’ve had bad experiences in the past. Hard to believe in this day and age! I assured him that whatever the weather would throw at us, they would have the time of their lives. Lately I haven’t had any game plan ready and have been making decisions on the fly. The weather has been so crazy that planning on where to go & what to do doesn’t seem to work out. I now make decisions when I arrive at the ramp in the morning! Today was no different as the winds were blowing big again and from the east, eliminating many places I had hoped to fish. I told everyone that we were making a long run and would be trolling to start the day. They didn’t seem to mind, they just wanted to catch fish! The two & three footers may have been a little bumpy getting across the lake but it was much calmer now where we were fishing. I set the lines in a deeper area and awaited our first rip. Although it didn’t come as quickly as I had hoped, it really didn’t take that long. Within the first 10 minutes someone was tight to a decent northern and things were starting to look up. I had four guys in the boat and I wanted to make sure that everyone landed plenty of fish. Their last trip was on Magog and it wasn’t very memorable! It was however quite expensive! Justin, Alex, Danny & Steven would hopefully be remembering this trip for much better reasons! As I continued the troll I realized that the fish were incredibly inactive and I knew it was going to be a grind. Most of the hits were springtime like and I had to throttle down on almost every one of them. I fished a lot of water and found areas that were holding plenty of good walleye & pike and covered it thoroughly. Many fish were landed and even a couple of doubles were had as well. At one point, while on the phone with a potential customer, we even managed a triple! This turned out to be a great selling feature as she booked up shortly after. We were only going to be out for the morning so I really didn’t want to leave fish now that I found them and remained in this area for most of the time. If the water hadn’t have been 69 degrees, I’m sure they would have caught plenty more. We had great numbers of pike & walleye and some really good ones were landed as well. It was actually hard to get a keeper walleye as most were way over and had to be released!

I had left the last hour of the morning for some casting for bass & walleye and as difficult as it may have been, they still managed to catch a few fish. Justin landed a nice smallie and lost a mooneye, which doesn’t happen very often and Danny added another keeper eye to the tank. The others had follows that never managed to get pinned. By 12:15, we were done and I packed everything up for the run back to the dock.

These guys may have had bad experiences in the past but today wasn’t one of them! They had seen first hand what great fishing can be like by targeting a specific species and catching them. They not only caught plenty but some real quality as well. They even managed to take home 3 keeper walleye! Something tells me that this won’t be the last time we see each other. There’s already talk about a return trip for sturgeon later in the season and that should have them hooked for life!

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This was the last day of the three day trip for Chris & Sam and I wanted to see if I could get them into some bigger fish . We started out the day drop shotting open water shoals in some of the best wind conditions this week! The first area only produced 1 walleye so I shifted to the second spot quickly. This place was showing life as plenty of bait & hooks were on the screen. They both landed some pretty decent fish and a couple of high end keepers in only a few drifts. Once the sonar started looking empty, I pulled the plug and ran to another distant area to throw more lures. Chris was on fire with many fish being hooked. Too bad not all of them made it to the net! The smallies were throwing the hooks pretty good and several of them got off on the jump. These fish were also really scattered and I had to cover plenty of water in order to get bit. After a while we moved again as I really wanted a big fish or two for them! Almost every place we hit showed some signs of life, but most of the fish were just average to me. They thought the fish were great though and happy to tangle with all of them! I finally managed to hit on one place that had some better bass and it seemed like they were schooled. The water looked much cleaner where we were and I think the fish were able to see the baits much better. Sam located the first fish and I held in the area while Chris pounded on them. He was hooking into fish on almost every cast and happy to be battling each one. It was here that he managed to land his biggest brownie of the trip! I’m pretty sure they were in feeding and we had arrived at the right time. He even caught a monster perch on the same bait! High numbers and quality fish for over an hour and they were in heaven! We broke for a late lunch when the action slowed and were right back at it when we were done. I noticed that the winds had increased when we resumed and ran to more areas in search of better fish. As with all the places they fished today, fish were caught everywhere. Unfortunately getting into the bigger ones was not that easy. Water levels are still way up and only a handful of them are being seen each time out. Towards the end of the day I made another long run closer to the ramp and got them into more fish once again. Luckily Chris managed another photo fish and the two today were the largest ones of their trip. Sam on the other hand picked up another over golden walleye, but couldn’t keep any of the bass pinned during the fight.

We ended the day on a high and were back at the ramp soon after. Chris & Sam had landed more fish in the three days than they could have hoped for and were heading home quite satisfied. The Royal Valet service was also awaiting our removal and I was able to drive the boat right onto the trailer once again. I could really get use to this! Don had kept my keys from earlier and seen us coming in. I think I need to create something like this service for all the other people that use the ramp. Sort of like a parking attendant that backs them in and takes them out. After all, it’s a real circus show watching most people do it themselves!