Scott, Chris & John were back with me again today, looking for a little redemption. Their last couple of outings were great for the smallies, but not so for those mythical creatures. Would this change today? We hit the water around 8:00 and were fishing not long after in flat calm conditions. The sun was starting to warm the air and things looked good for us, but those hateful beasts had other ideas. After about 90 minutes of washing lures, we switched it up and went to catching. Smallies were now the target and they were about to put a hurt on them! I don’t remember who drew first blood but both John & Chris were tight to a fish almost upon arrival. Chris had been back boated after his previous trips, something about favoritism! This apparently didn’t matter as he was about to put a beating on both the bass and the others in the boat. He had found the small hole behind the boat and repeatedly casted into it, hooking up plenty. While the other two did hook into fish up front, Chris didn’t skip a beat from behind. Eventually they were all holding their own and many fish in the 2 to 4 pound range were being boated. I don’t think anyone managed to land a five today but quality fish were the norm. We skipped around a bit but concentrated on certain areas more than others. Water temps were almost 48.5 degrees and these bass weren’t everywhere. When I found a concentration, I held there long enough for everyone to thin them out. The bite lasted all day and despite the other no eating hateful ones, the smallies were more than eager to take the baits. We fished until about 4:00 and called it soon after for the drive home. It would be dark soon and backing into my driveway after the light sets is always a treat. People just have so much courtesy in them when it comes to blocking their path home! This was one of those days when being on the water was a pleasure and most of the fish actually cooperated. Plenty more just like it, I hope!!

We were back this morning and tried to hit another lake without any success. Waves were crashing big on the ramp and I knew we had only one option. We needed some shelter from the wind and had to settle for a body of water that held it for us. The overnight air hadn’t dropped the morning temps below the freezing mark and we were actually expecting them in the 40’s today. Wow, it was going to feel like Florida! It wasn’t a quick start but we eventually got into them as Craig started once again. This time however, Herm wasn’t far behind and picked up several of his own as we slowly moved around. We actually hit an area where Herm got into them pretty good and Craig just picked at them. What a difference a day makes! Most of these fish were big ones of four pounds or better but as with yesterday, fives were scarce. In fact the largest of this day was to be a 4.94 caught later in the afternoon. Along with the numbers of fatty smallies, we also managed to get a few bonus walleye today. Up until recently, the water temps hadn’t been cool enough to bring in these fish to where they were easy pickings. With the temps dipping below the 50 degree mark it will only continue to load up even more in the next couple of weeks. Mixed in with the walleye were a few more 4 pound plus bass and Herm looked like he had the lead today. Every time we looked back, his rod was bent and he was locked up again! He was on fire today and fishing slow enough to have the fish find his offering. Although Craig did manage to catch his share of fish, I think Herm came out on top. He had waited until the last trip of the season to put a beating on the fish and we were all glad. As with yesterday, we called it early due to the lack of light and headed back to the ramp by 3:30. As much as I love the fall for the fishing, I hate it for the short days on the water. I also don’t like the fact that the season is coming to an end for the open water fishing. It won’t be long before the only way to catch a fish will be by drilling holes in the ice. I figure that there’s three weeks or so left before I’ll have to winterize the boat and put it in hibernation. Too bad too because this is a great time to be on the water! There’s no pleasure craft and everyone you see is a fisherman. It’s definitely worth enduring a little cold for the chance at some real big fish. Fall is the time for “Big Heavies” and you never know what the next bite will be. We’re just one cast away from the trophy of a lifetime and I can’t wait to get back out for that chance again!!

Craig & Herm were here again for a couple of days, looking for more of that great smallie action. The weather looked good, despite the strong winds forecasted and I was sure we would do well. Air temps were barely above freezing when we started and only climbed into the upper 30’s by days end. With the added west winds of 15 to 25 knots, it felt a little cooler to say the least! Water temps were just above 49 degrees and the ticket was slow! Craig managed to hook into the first fish of around three pounds and the game was on. Several casts later, another and Herm wanted his! Eventually both were getting into fish, but it was tough. We had to move around plenty in order to find the active ones and it was still one here and one there. Although some of the fish were over 4 pounds, nothing of five was seen for quite a while. Eventually, Craig managed to bring a short, fat fish to the net that I just had to weigh. It may have only been 19.5 inches but the scale showed that it weighed just over 5 pounds. Talk about a football! We found a couple of areas later in the day that actually held numbers of quality fish and managed to get into them pretty good. Unfortunately, there weren’t any more five pounders taken and they had to settle for the fours instead! With the days getting shorter, we pulled the plug early and headed back to the ramp. Another successful outing with numbers of fish in the four pound range but only one five. Hopefully tomorrow will hold several more!!

Leslie needed a break from his hectic work schedule and I knew just the solution. Bass fishing at its finest was on the menu and he would remember this day for quite some time. Although we got a little later start than usual, he wasted no time getting the ball rolling as he hooked up on his very first cast. A three pounder had fallen victim to the offering and it wouldn’t be the last. We had the makings of a great day with warm air temps and winds from the west blowing 10 to 15 knots. Overcast skies were present with an occasional sunny period as we focused on the task at hand. Although this area was new to Leslie, he soon caught on and was detecting even the lightest pick ups. With water temps below 48 degrees, the fish were rather lethargic and hits were light. Without a tight line presentation, strikes would be missed! In the first few hours, there were plenty of quality smallies caught ranging from 3 to over 4 pounds. Along with these, many fish in the 2 to 3 pound size were also landed making it an unbelievable start to the day. Whenever one area slowed, we shifted to another and continued catching all over again. It was becoming obvious that the fall was fully upon us, as these fish wanted to eat. I decided to hit a few smaller sections looking for a big bite and Leslie landed a few more fish in the four pound range. Despite the lack of really big ones today, he was satisfied with the many, many fish he landed! This is the season to catch piles of fish both small & large and high number days are the norm. Leslie definitely learned this today! With the recent time change, daylight falls quickly now and we found ourselves calling it early. Several more fish later, we were headed back to the boat ramp to take out. I’m not too sure how much longer I’ll have before I’m forced to store the boat, but I will take advantage of this season as long as possible. Anticipation of fishing into December is looking better & better with all this above normal weather. I just hope it doesn’t have the light switch effect again and shut down overnight in the weeks to come. Overall, a great day for fishing!!

Max & Denis joined me today on another walleye quest. They had fished with me several times before in the past but not really for walleye. This would be a challenge, as they were more bass enthusiasts and I wasn’t sure if they would have the finesse needed to catch these finicky eaters. They couldn’t have picked a better day though as the winds were light and the clouds were in. Perfect conditions for pounding fish all day! Along with these conditions, we had warm air temps of almost 55 degrees and the stars had aligned again! When we arrived at where we were to fish, I needed to instruct them on how to present the rigs. I quickly made a cast to the open water and within seconds was setting the hook with a firm sweep of the rod. Locked up! They didn’t know what to make of this as I slid the net under a plump 19 inch fish. “It’s just that easy”, I told them! They proceeded to cast and fish without anything for a while as I continued to try and instruct them. I was forced to make another demonstration cast and told them to both pay attention this time. As with the first cast, locked up again! Another decent fish of almost 19 inches later, they were both left with their mouth open. “It’s not rocket science”, I told them and monitored their every move after. There were a pile of things they were doing wrong and it was becoming difficult at best as I watched and tried to correct. Eventually they did get a couple of hits, but never even knew they were bit. Slack line, too fast, not the right area and daydreaming were the most common and they were tough to break. I told them that if they stood any chance of catching anything, they would have to really refine their fishing and pay a lot more attention to detail. These fish were not going to commit suicide! Another demonstration was needed and on the second cast, I hooked into one that went 24 inches. I had made 4 casts and caught three fish, it was loaded! They finally realized that their technique needed more attention to detail and after a few more blunders, they actually hooked a couple of fish. By not being familiar with these fish and the environment they were in, they had no idea where their line was or if it was even on the bottom. Fortunately there were plenty of fish to be had and once they started to get the hang of it, they were hooking up. From that point on, the fish were in trouble as they were now keeping tight lines, staying on bottom and feeling the lightest hits. They had officially graduated! I no longer had to cast, hooking into fish and was much better off. All I had to do was keep the boat positioned correctly, have them fire casts in the right direction and they hooked fish. They both wanted to take a few of these tasty critters home and managed to land some for the table. The remainder of the day saw plenty of action, both good and bad but the bottom line was that they had learned. We released many quality walleye up to 25 inches and a bonus fish too. Denis hooked into something in the afternoon that I knew wasn’t a walleye. From the time he set the hook, he had no control and all we could do was follow the fish with the electric motor. I was pretty sure what it was and had a confirmation soon after. He was battling a small muskie but it was pretty big to him. I was finally able to slip the net under the 39 inch fish and he officially had his first lunge. The light tackle fight was something that he thoroughly enjoyed. After a couple of quick pics, I released the fish and it blazed right to the depths. This was definitely the icing on the cake! We went back to walleye fishing for a while before we called it a day and headed home. They both managed to get several more fish and despite the difficult start to the day, it ended with a bang! Hopefully if they ever get back out this season, they won’t be starting from scratch again. Days like these don’t come along too often and I’m glad they got to experience one of the best. Let’s hope there’s a few more left for others to enjoy as well!!