Phil was finally back with me today and this time he brought Zev, his youngest son. We were heading out to try for a variety of species and hopefully they would all cooperate. The conditions wouldn’t be the best, but we were going to try!

Our first targeted fish fell short, as the sturgeon eluded us in three different areas. Zev did however manage to catch the first fish of the day, when he landed a keeper walleye. We soon pulled the plug on these fish and decided to try for something that would bite.

I made a long run to another spot for bass & walleye, only to find a couple of boats already fishing there! Plan C went into play and we drifted an outside area close by, waiting for them to leave. Once gone, we tried one drift and ended up leaving quickly. I wasn’t marking anything, including bait and decided to move.

The next place saw the bulk of the fish landed with Zev reeling in some pretty nice eyes! Several perch and one good smallie also fell victim to their offerings before we relocated to the last spot of the day.

Our final location saw Phil catching a few more walleye along with a couple of bass. Several fish were missed as well before we were done.

Flat calm water with practically zero flow was what we were faced with today. The bright sun and high heat may have been nice for this time of year, but also added to the tough conditions. In the end however, we fended alright and managed to still put some good fish in the boat. Phil even went home with several nice fish for their dinner tonight! Good times were had by all!

Rich was back today for another outing and flying solo! He had picked the best day of the week for conditions and I was glad to be on flat water for a change. Hopefully I would remember how to catch fish without giant waves! We were on a mission, hitting all kinds of areas I hadn’t fished in quite some time. With any luck, they would all produce today!

First stop saw a few walleye and a couple of bass landed before the rest of them just stopped biting. The second area was a bit different as I was marking all kinds of fish with the FFS, but couldn’t get them to bite. We were also seeing several fish break the surface and still couldn’t get them to hit. Eventually I managed to get one to commit and battled a heavy fish to the boat. To both our surprise I had hooked a channel catfish! This thing had actually eaten a dropshot! I weighed it before the release and at over 11 pounds, I knew why the battle was so long. We covered more water after with faster moving baits and managed to pick up a few decent bass before moving on.

With each move, there were fish caught but not the numbers I had expected. Both walleye and bass were landed from just about everywhere we stopped. I had decided at the start of today, that we would only fish places I hadn’t touched in quite a while. Some of them even in years! All produced fish!

With limited time remaining in the afternoon, I went to a place for a few walleye. Rich landed several good keepers and a couple of big overs before we were done. Time really flew by today, fishing all the old areas. It was great trying them and seeing that they were still productive. Hopefully it won’t be years before I fish them again. Too many spots, too little time!!

Yesterday’s afternoon cancellation had J.P. and his sons returning this morning, due to the giant winds. Nathan & Liam were eager to catch some fish and a little disappointed when we postponed fishing, but excited today. The afternoon would see Sandra and Aaron out with me and another double trip day. Hopefully the winds would cooperate for a change!

We started out in a NW wind that had me making adjustments for the drift. J.P. got the ball rolling with a good smallie and they were off to a good start. Unfortunately, other fish were being missed with too quick hook sets! We also had another problem, with two other boats fishing the same area. People just love following me around and laying claim to specific spots in the middle of nowhere!

After trying to fish where I wanted to, I just moved off. I can’t understand why people feel the need to fish on top of someone that is catching fish! Love the etiquette!

I had moved off to more rocky areas in deep water and everyone managed to catch fish. I just wish that they could have landed more than they missed, but this was new to them. Trying to distinguish between a bite and the actual bottom was a little difficult but they did land fish. Both bass & walleye were caught by everyone before we had to return to the dock. Four hours passes by quickly, especially when you’re a kid and love fishing! In the end, they all enjoyed their time on the water and left satisfied with their results!

The afternoon was a little more difficult with the winds kicking up to another big blow day! Sandra and Aaron started out fishing in two-foot waves and it only got worse! By afternoon we were in 3 to 4 footers and blowing out of the W NW. After trying to fish a mid-lake spot and only coming up with perch, I decided to try trolling. It didn’t take long to hook up and Aaron landed the first over walleye. It was difficult to control the boat in these cross-direction waves but I somehow made it work. Floaters were all over the surface, causing me to clean the lines frequently. We managed one more bass and another that jumped off the line before just giving up. It was nasty and not easy to troll here anymore!

After pulling the plug on the troll, I returned to dropshotting another area of the lake. I tried to get somewhere where they would be able to feel bottom and still had a chance at catching a fish. With only a few perch to show for our efforts, I just decided to head offshore and bite the bullet. We went back to the big waves and rocky areas again.

With the aid of the electric motor, the drifts were doable and a bunch of fish were caught. Both bass and walleye came to net and the girls ended on a high! The last 90 minutes of their trip was filled with plenty of bites and activity. Talk about a Hail Mary!

Today was an interesting one to say the least with a few wind changes, once again. What began with a cold front and north winds, eventually rotated to NW and finally N NW and big waves. Multiple adjustments were needed to keep fishing in all conditions. I may have had a difficult time getting everyone into fish but I succeeded. Mother Nature definitely showed her teeth today! I only hope that she will calm down some in the future, but who knows. This was definitely a tough but rewarding day!

After taking a beating the last couple of days on the water with Herm, I finally had a calmer day today! The twisting and bouncing really takes a toll on the body when you spend 8 hours on your feet, but we at least caught fish! Hopefully today would be even better!

I had a double scheduled, with George and his gang for the morning and Thomas in the afternoon. Although the winds were not from a friendly direction, I was still able to make passes over the areas I wanted to fish. It was a challenge with 4 people fishing, but they never tangled up. Some good fish were landed by everyone and this was definitely a success. Simon even managed to catch 3 good keeper walleye that ended up going home with him. In the end, they all left with a sense of accomplishment, seeing as they were mostly new to the sport of fishing!

Thomas spent the second half of the day with me and landed several great fish in the four hours out. There were some good sized walleye along with a few nice smallies. He was new to a dropshot rig but caught on quickly with the first bass within minutes of his trip. The rest as they say, is history!

Double trip days are usually a challenge but today was easier than usual. The forecasted SE winds were supposed to be big but they never really arrived. In fact, the waters were actually calm at times which was a welcomed treat after the last week. My back appreciated the break from all the twisting in the rollers. Hoping for similar conditions in the coming days, but it’s not looking good! Might even have to cancel a few of the trips due to the big blows expected. Crossing my fingers that the weather geniuses are wrong as usual!!

Cory was back again today, but this time he was fishing with his daughters. Hailey had the morning and Skylar the afternoon, as he thought a full day for them would be too long. I decided to make it easier for everyone, by continuing the dropshot technique over rocky flats and it didn’t take long for Hailey to hook up. Multiple passes had them both landing fish and they even managed to put a few walleye in the box too! A quick switch to another area nearby had them catching more fish after the first spot went dry. This is where we remained until it was time to return for the switch! In the end, they managed to put 4 walleye in the livewell and plenty of smallmouth were caught & released too!

Skylar was the younger of the two girls but really eager to get out and fish. We headed to another place further away, hoping that the afternoon would be equally as good. I once again set them up with a dropshot rod and began the drift. I was marking plenty of fish but all they were catching were perch. Skylar did manage to bring in one good walleye that unfortunately was over the slot and had to be released. After several more drifts without any fish, I decided to relocate.

The conditions were practically perfect for most of the day so far but the fishing was much slower than I expected. I needed to find some active fish! Another move was in order and this one proved to be better as several more good fish came aboard. A couple of other walleye also made their way into the tank and the numbers were finally adding up. At least until the wind completely died!

The last 90 minutes of the day saw us fishing even slower than before, with very little movement. The waters were completely calm and we were vertically dropshotting now just to get bit. A bunch more fish were hooked into but not all of them were landed as several bass jumped off the hook. In the end, we finished strong with a few more walleye and bass and called it shortly after 4:00.

Both girls had a great time today with their father but I think Cory came out on top. He got to spend quality time with them, doing something he loves! All I know is that they will be swapping stories with each other tonight, while dining on the fresh fish from today. Great times with great people!!