John brought his two young sons, Mathis & William out fishing today. We began a bit early and met up at 10:00, as I didn’t have any morning bookings. Hopefully the trolling bite would work out for the kids!

Unfortunately we trolled for almost 90 minutes with only a couple of hits and managed to bring one nice walleye into the boat. I was sure glad, because it went into the livewell for the boys to watch!

I switched gears much earlier than I had planned and decided to teach his sons how to cast. We headed for shallow water and smallmouth bass with soft plastics. Although a challenge, both William & Mathis learned quickly and were able to cast fairly well on their own. Good enough to get a few bites each and land some pretty nice bass! They did have problems with reeling in too far and constant adjustment of the baits was necessary, but overall they did great! Their father even had several fish as well in the few hours we remained.

Today wasn’t as much about fishing as it was spending time with his sons for John. His boys enjoyed the boat ride and had a blast learning how to cast. Catching bass was an added bonus once they concentrated on the fishing part too! The weather couldn’t have been any better either as we had sunshine and light winds the whole time we were out. Time passed by so quickly that I didn’t see how late it had gotten and we finished up at 3:00. Overall it couldn’t have gone much better and now his two sons are ready to fish with him on their own. Hopefully they’ll remember everything they learned today!

Kevin & his son Braydon were with me this morning and agreed to try for a sturgeon or two before we shifted to a smaller species of fish. Little did we know that the sturgeon would cooperate and all other fish would be taking a back seat today!

After searching over the area for a little while, I settled on a spot that showed signs of life. With three lines in, all we could do was wait. It wouldn’t be hard to see the bite with practically flat calm waters from no wind. It was a refreshing change from the hurricane like winds from yesterday!

Our first bite was unlike what I expected from a sturgeon as the rod almost doubled over from the hit. A light bounce is usually what is seen but not this time. I set the hook into some weight and feared that the fish might have been foul hooked. Kevin took the rod and battled the fish for a bit before we saw why the bite was what it was. As it turned out, this was a channel catfish and a welcomed exotic catch! It weighed in at over 15 pounds on the Boga scale and was released right after a few pics. It may not have been the species we were after but we were on the board!

After resetting the lines, we didn’t wait long before the second bite. This time Braydon took the rod and he brought in the right species. It was a small sturgeon but it was what we were fishing for. He held it for a couple of pics before turning it loose. Now they were both on the board and I wanted more!

As luck would have it, we didn’t wait very long for our next bite. I had been seeing some larger marks on the sonar and hoped that some of them would find our baits. When I saw the next bite I immediately grabbed the rod and set into some weight. I knew it was the right one and passed the rod to Kevin to fight his first beast!

The sheer power of this thing impressed Kevin as all he could do was hold on while it took out line. As much as he reeled in, the fish just took it all back out and more! I told him that it was an endurance battle and not a race, so he would have to let the fish dictate what to do. Reel when you can but not when you can’t! He had never fought anything like this before but did well with a little coaching. After almost 15 minutes, we finally got a sighting and I was able to slide the net under his catch. It was definitely the largest fish he had ever seen!

It became a struggle for him to get a proper hold on the sturgeon but he managed to hold it upright for a few pics. They may have been mostly belly shots but it did show the overall mass of this beast! A quick release saw the fish disappearing back to the depths where it had come from. Mission accomplished!

We reset the lines after the release and just waited before getting our next bite. This time I was sitting right next to the rod, re baiting another line when it started to bounce. I just reeled with the rod while it was still in the holder to tighten up on the fish. It had the makings of another cat by the way it hit and Braydon managed to bring in his first channel. Although not as big as the previous one, it was still quality and welcomed. More pics were taken and the fish was sent on its way.

The pressure was off on producing fish and I wasn’t surprised to get another quick bite soon after resetting the lines. This time Kevin reeled in a small sturgeon and it was released afterwards. The next bite however wasn’t small and Braydon took the rod after I reared back on the fish. It felt big and I knew he was in for a struggle. Lots of coaching was needed for him to get in the groove if he was going to fight this fish till the end.

Early in the battle I could see the line starting to rise and I let him know not to pull when it breached, but to bow when he saw it go into the air. It was big and quite impressive when it finally jumped and we all saw what he was battling. As usual, it went directly back to the bottom again! Several more runs and a couple more jumps were made and 10 more minutes passed before it eventually came up to the surface. It had rolled in the line and Braydon struggled to reel it back to the boat. He did finally manage to get it close enough for me to slip the net under his catch! At 10 years old he was quite impressive, battling something almost his own weight!

There was no way that he would be able to hold the fish after fighting it for over 15 minutes, so his father helped him out. A few more pics were taken and the fish was quickly on its way.

They were having a great time catching big fish and wanted to stay on the sturgeon instead of changing to another species. We remained on these fish and as luck have it, Kevin battled yet another monster after I saw the rod bounce. This one took to the air early and we all saw exactly what he was hooked into! Having fought the previous one, he now had a better idea of what to do. This one would be a little bit easier, he hoped!

Ten minutes or so had passed with several runs and another great jump before I was able to net the fish. This time he held it much better for the pics and seconds later it was released. We immediately went back to fishing and had another bite about 15 minutes later. I once again set into some weight and Braydon took another turn at the rod. Unfortunately when it jumped, he had way too much pressure on the fish and pulled the hook on the re-entry. You have to bow to the king! A little heartbroken at the outcome, he quickly learned why!

I re straightened and re baited the hook and set all the rods back looking for more. Although we did have a few other fish they were a mix of bass, perch, walleye and one more small sturgeon. The afternoon traffic was also a problem as boats were everywhere now, causing constant waves. This made it difficult to see the bites and especially with all the gobies. I was constantly checking the lines and finding the hooks bare! Eventually we decided to call it quits on these fish and try for a few bass instead.

After shifting gears, I headed over to an area that I was sure they would be able to hook up. I set the rods up with soft plastics and instructed them on how to fish the baits. It took a little longer than I had hoped but I did find some fish for them to fight. Both Kevin & Braydon had multiple bass on their lines and landed several before we were done. They had officially both slammed with everything they had caught and couldn’t believe how good the fishing had been!

We packed everything up and headed back to the dock to take out. This had definitely been the best fishing day they had ever seen and couldn’t have imagined it would end this way. Especially landing the biggest fish of their lives, multiple times! I’m sure they will be telling everyone about their experience and wouldn’t be surprised if they return soon for another shot at more great fishing! I look forward to having them back soon!

Another double trip today saw Joe & his wife Ashley joining me in the morning. We were heading out in pursuit of smallies when I made a turn due to the winds. I immediately switched gears and decided to go somewhere to troll for pike & walleye instead! It was blowing pretty good from the NW but when I neared the area I wanted to fish, it was more of a west. Good job I have backup plans!

Both Joe & his wife were happy to try for something they don’t usually fish for and not long after setting the lines, we were into fish. They landed a couple of northerns quickly and were on the board! We covered the area for a bit and eventually got plenty more strikes with some of them pretty good size. Ashley even fought a big walleye almost all the way to the boat before the lure pulled free from the fish. Disappointment set in but not for long as another rod fired soon after and she brought this walleye to net.

With about a little under an hour remaining in their trip, they asked to fish for smallies. I knew just the area and ran to see if they could hook up. Unfortunately all we had were about a half dozen missed bass that never stayed on the hooks. It was strange as they weren’t eating well in the big waves!

We headed back to the docks in average 3 footers from the west and an occasional 4 footer just for fun. It wasn’t pretty but we managed to make it back safe dry! It didn’t take long to exchange guests and I asked them if they still wanted to head out. It was pretty rough but they wanted to go anyway!

I had to take an alternate route due to the waves and managed to get out in the middle and fish an area with slightly less wind. Unfortunately the winds were 90 degrees to the current flow, making any drift next to impossible! The first pass saw a nice walleye from Sean that went directly into the livewell. Hopefully there would be more!

We had fished the area for over an hour and managed a few decent drifts but it wasn’t easy in the wind. In fact the winds got even bigger while we were there! Both Matt and Sean had a few misses with the fish but eventually Sean managed to get into another nice walleye that made it to the net. After a couple of pics it also made it into the livewell.

I had debated whether or not to make a long run to a spot to troll and after too many difficult drifts here, decided to go. It wasn’t pretty but we did make it to where we wanted and were able to get into a few more fish from this place. We were trolling in 2 & 3 footers and managed both pike & walleye with one more Walter going in the box.

Time passed quickly and before we knew it, we were heading back. It would take a little longer to get there due to the increase in winds again and this time we were running in 3’s & 4’s most of the way. I managed to navigate them without getting wet and 20 minutes later we arrived safely at the dock.

Today was a challenge to say the least as the water was more like an ocean. This made the fishing much more difficult for everyone to get bit. Although the troll was pretty good in the morning, the afternoon wasn’t as productive. Despite the conditions, I was still able to put everyone on fish and that’s all the matters. That and the fact that everyone returned safely! Hopefully the winds will lay down some for tomorrow’s outing as my body could use the rest!

A morning trip cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances by my client had me spending some time on the water with a friend instead. We fished an area for smallies for a few hours and hammered several on soft plastics. The lake was an absolute mirror this morning!

The afternoon guests wanted to fish for sturgeon so we headed out to an area to anchor up & wait. Cedric & John had never caught or ever really seen one close up, but hoped to today. I wasn’t sure how it would go but decided to give it a try. I usually start fishing them around the end of the month but with the high heat we had been receiving lately, it might have grouped them up where I wanted to fish.

I idled around for a bit searching for signs of these dinosaurs but never really found much concentration. Eventually I found a few in one area and decided to give it a try. Everything was ready and I casted the lines back for the big, long wait! I decided that we would give it 15 minutes and make a move if nothing bit here and that we did. I made a move!

The sun was high and the heat was intense once again making me want to raise the roof for a little shade. Unfortunately the winds had picked up considerably as forecasted and this would make it more difficult to remain positioned. We relocated and endured the punishment instead!

Once again we remained for another 15 or 20 minutes after relocation but never had a nibble. Time for another move! This time however I did mark a few more fish close to where we originally set up and stopped there to fish. I was seeing life under the boat periodically and eventually set into a small fish. I knew it was the right species but it wasn’t very big. John took the rod and reeled in his first ever sturgeon. It was a juvenile but it was what we were looking for and he held it for a few pics before the release.

The winds had picked up quite a bit more, making it tough to see the rods with all the bouncing. We held in this area for a while and only managed one more fish, but it was just a perch. With time not on our side I made one more attempt at relocating and stopped on one last spot. This too produced another perch for Cedric to reel in. Not feeling like we were going to get it done I was getting ready to pull the lines when I saw one of the rods take a strange bounce. I grabbed it and felt another tug before realizing it was an actual bite. I set into some weight and passed it over to Cedric to reel in. I told him that it was larger than the first one but not a true giant that we had hoped for.

This fish fought line he was 50 pounds but I knew better. It dogged under the boat and took drag from the reel a few times giving him a great fight. A few minutes later, it was laying in the net waiting for the photo shoot!

Today was a little difficult to say the least with the conditions. The sturgeon weren’t plentiful but at least some of them were starting to group up. We managed to catch a couple of smaller ones but did get to see some giants go airborne around the boat. Overall it was a success as both guest got to land their first ever sturgeon. I call that a win!!

With two trips scheduled for today, Jonathan & John joined me for the morning outing. We began with a troll and despite one quick bite from a pike, I had to cover plenty of water to get the second fish. Although John had a few on the line, they somehow let go before we could even tell what they were!

After about an hour or more, I finally found some active fish and the rods started to load. For over two hours they had multiple hookups from both pike & walleye. They even had a few double headers too!

Once the action slowed, I decided to switch gears and try for bass. A demo cast had me locked up instantly and I knew there would be more. They were both throwing soft plastics and despite losing several good smallies they managed to catch a few in the remaining time. Too bad the larger ones got off the line!

A quick turnaround saw the morning guys leaving and Ryan joining me for hopefully a great afternoon. The winds had built up pretty good and were blowing out of the SW at 15 to over 20 knots. It was going to be interesting indeed!

I ran slowly to an area and was in constant 2 & 3 footers almost the entire way. Once we arrived the waters almost looked calm as they were sheltered from most of the wind and I knew it would be easier to fish here.

I decided to teach Ryan how to cast a drop shot and it didn’t take long before we were hooked up. Both walleye and bass were caught and Ryan almost had his first musky when one decided to attack his walleye while reeling in. Although not giant, it was cool to see!

Once we had covered the area thoroughly, I decided to run to another place and try a little trolling. I had a technique that would benefit him on his upcoming fishing trip. As I neared the spot I was liking the wind and direction as we would be fishing in a good 1 to 2 foot roll. This is always better for what I was about to do!

With both lines in, it only took about 3 minutes for the first fish to fire a reel and Ryan was convinced with this technique. He boated a decent northern but it wouldn’t be his last!

I hadn’t planned on staying with the troll but we were catching fish. With each pass over the area multiple pike & walleye were being caught. You never leave fish to find fish! We ended up trolling till the end and he consistently landed one after the other.

Today was a great day all around with both trips being a success. Everyone left satisfied and Ryan even had several walleye to take home from the morning and afternoon catch. Great day for fishing!