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September 15th 2018

Ray had booked a day with me a while back as a birthday gift for his girlfriend, Alena. He was hoping to get into some sturgeon and I was pretty sure we would. I just didn’t know how big or how many they would catch!

With this being the weekend, I knew there would be other boats on the water and I just hoped the traffic wouldn’t be too bad, this late in the year. A quick idle over the area had us anchored up in no time. With the lines in, all we could do is wait!

I had been marking some good fish on the screen but it took quite a while before we had our first bite. When I reared back to set on the fish, I only got a piece of it and I felt the hook pop out. Too bad as this one had some weight! We continued fishing the area and eventually I set into something that didn’t really feel like a sturgeon, but Alena reel in a very small one. Although not what I wanted, it was the right species. We remained on this spot for a while longer but eventually moved to another area nearby and re anchored. I had seen good concentrations of fish here and was sure things would get better.

We had been getting plenty of bites with our move but mostly by junk fish. It turned out that we were able to land two bass and one sucker but were still awaiting our first real sturgeon. They were now understanding what was needed when the fish hit and on one of the bites, Ray set into something quite heavy. He finally had the fish we were looking for but it too came unpinned after about 10 seconds. More disappointment was had, as he was left with a slack line once again!

With not much action going on, I decided to idle over the area again looking for some fish. While I was searching, we were flagged down by someone that was hooked up here as well. They weren’t really prepared for what they had on the line nor rigged with proper tackle either. We helped them out after waiting for quite a while by netting their fish. I even had to get in their boat and show them how to hold the fish for the pics. The only good thing about all of this was that they actually released the sturgeon instead of keeping it like so many others do!

After the ordeal, I continued my search for more fish and eventually anchored up on a few good marks. I had hoped that Karma would bring us some good luck with the good deed we had just done!

As it was mid afternoon now the boat waves were at a high with all the traffic on the water. We were forced to hold the rods instead of actually leaving them in the rod holders and everyone felt for their next bite! This isn’t a bad thing as you can feel just about everything, including all the floating weeds that gather on the line drifting in the current. I had to bring the lines in several times just to take the weight of the debris off the lines. Eventually I did feel a bite though and set into a nice fish for Alena to battle. This thing fought really well and she finally got to feel the power of these sturgeon.

With all lines in and the area cleared, Alena battled her fish for almost ten minutes. It took her from one side of the boat to the other several times and I had to maneuver the rod around the motors a couple of times as well. Although it didn’t jump, it did give her quite a workout until I was able to net her catch. She had finally landed a fish worthy of some pics! It was quite funny watching her try to hold this thing but she managed to raise it up enough for a few good shots before the release. Little did she know that it wasn’t over yet!

I reset all the lines and got back to fishing and not long after, Alena had a bite. I instructed her on what to do and she was tight lined once again. This time however, she brought her fish to the boat much quicker as it was only a juvenile. Despite its size, it still fought like a champ and even jumped a couple of times as well.

We were back in after the release and about ten minutes later, Alena was locked up again. She definitely had the hot hand as she was putting on a clinic! This fish was in the medium size category but fought like a giant! It took to the air in a spectacular jump that Ray was able to capture while he was filming. She also knew what to do now as she had battled a couple of others already. After a lengthy battle filled with many runs, I was finally able to net what turned out to be the last fish of the day.

Although we continued fishing for a while longer, we weren’t fortunate enough to get any more bites and eventually packed up and headed back. This was a great birthday present for Alena as she got to do battle with several sturgeon, for her very first time. Ray on the other hand wasn’t as fortunate as he only had one chance and the hook just pulled out. Despite the disappointment of losing his fish, he couldn’t have been happier for Alena! She had done battle with a few dinosaurs and won! What a great way to spend your birthday!!

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September 14th 2018

Patrick was with me today in hopes of getting into some great smallmouth fishing. He said that he wouldn’t mind catching walleye either and would be happy with either. No problem, I aim to please!

We headed to an open water flat and drop shotted it for about a half hour, but without any success. I idled over the area and despite seeing a few fish present, they didn’t want to bite. I eventually went to an area I hadn’t fished in several weeks looking for some smallies but this place only coughed up one decent bass. It did however put the first walleye in the boat for him to bring home tonight.

I didn’t waste long moving to another area and this time the bass cooperated! We had started on a drop and Patrick managed a couple of nice ones but then it got crazy. I could see further off in the distance fish busting the surface and raced over with the electric motor on high. No sooner had we arrived and they stopped. Patrick made one cast and was instantly rewarded with a nice smallie on the end of his line. They may have stopped feeding on the surface but they were still here! For almost 2 hours we had active fish and he boated all kinds of huge bass. Although there were plenty of misses and lost fish, there were also many landed! We couldn’t have asked for a better way to get the day started!

Eventually all good things must come to an end though and the feeding fish were done! We had seen them busting bait and were in the right place at the right time to take advantage of the frenzy. It was just insane!

I moved to another rocky area when the action stopped and covered more shallow water. Although there weren’t nearly as many fish here, we still managed to get into some real quality ones again. There were small pods of fish that aggressively chased our baits and some of them even ate. I tried several places close by and we picked at the bass on each and every one. Eventually we just ran out of areas and I decided to make a long run to another place that I hadn’t fished all season.

When I arrived, it didn’t take long for me to realize that it was dead. In fact, it didn’t look anything like what I remembered and 5 minutes in, we were out!

I stopped on a weed line for our next spot and despite working it for a while, we only managed a couple of bass and one small sturgeon that was accidentally snagged in the snout!

The next spot however put several fish in the boat. A combination of bass & walleye were landed here and Patrick even managed to get the three he wanted to bring home for dinner. We released the others to be caught again another day!

With time getting on, I decided one last move was in order and headed to another smallie spot further away. It was here that Patrick put his last photo fish in the boat. It was another quality smallie and definitely worthy of another pic. I also managed to pick up a few others and between the two of us, we had plenty of chances in the end.

Today was everything he had hoped for with the insane action in the morning and fish throughout the day. It’s always nice when the fish cooperate too! Patrick had landed some huge bass today and saw what a feeding frenzy was all about. All I know is that he had plenty of practice setting hooks and playing big bass! I only hope the weather gets a little cooler in the coming weeks so that this can become a normal thing instead of a hit and miss. The fall period is almost upon us but you wouldn’t know it with the weather lately. It seems that summer just doesn’t want to leave. Hopefully this will mean a longer fall and that I’ll be able to fish right into December again this year! Crossing my fingers and toes!!

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September 13th 2018

Matt was back again today and this time he brought his brother Phillip along as well. They wanted to fish for bass right away so I headed to an area that was loaded with big fish. Hopefully they would be able to keep them pinned!

A quick explanation and demonstration on how to present their baits had them both hit on their first casts. As usual though, they both missed their fish! Matt redeemed himself quickly afterwards by bringing a really good one to the net. His brother however could only manage to get bit, but never really kept them pinned for long. Although Matt wasn’t fending as well as I had hoped, he did manage to catch one other fish before I decided to make a move. Between them they had over 10 chances at these fish, but were only able to land a couple.

Our next area had a slow start to it but eventually I found the fish and they began to hook up. At one point Phillip fought a nice bass to the boat that brought another big one with it. Matt tossed his bait right in and doubled up almost immediately. We covered plenty of water and they both managed to land a few more, but the fish weren’t cooperating very well. We were seeing more bass just cruising than they were actually catching. This became very frustrating and it was happening everywhere we went. The flat calm conditions actually felt like there was zero current as well. Time for another move and a switch of species too!

They had decided to give the sturgeon a try under these conditions and I made a long run to where I needed to set up. With the lines all in I raised the top, providing a much more comfortable waiting area. With only a couple more hours remaining in the day, we gave it our best shot!

As luck would have it, the first bite turned into a hookup and I passed the rod to Matt’s brother to fight. He had never landed a sturgeon before and was amazed at just how hard they pulled. At one point while downing the roof, his fish breached and he was even more amazed at how big it actually was. After a few good runs and almost 10 minutes later, I netted his catch. Several great pics were taken before the release as well.

I reset the lines and a little while later, set into another fish. This time Matt reeled it in, but I could tell by the fight that it probably wasn’t the right species. It turned out to be a nice drum and Matt’s first ever. He needed several pics before dumping it back into the water as he had never even seen one before!

With time getting on I really wanted another bite and made a small move to relocate more fish. After about 15 minutes of waiting, I felt a small bite and set into something pretty heavy. I immediately gave the rod to Matt and he began doing battle with a good fish. I told Phillip to reel in the other line and we both began to clear the area for Matt to fight his beast. To my surprise, Phillip reeled right into another fish too! We now had a double and things were about to get interesting! Fortunately the second fish wasn’t as big as the first and came to the boat much quicker. I was able to tail this one and release it before concentrating on Matt’s fish.

After about another 10 minute battle, Matt finally brought his sturgeon close enough for me to net. It wasn’t thick but it was very long. This would turn out to be bigger than the one he had landed the previous week while fishing with me too. He released the male after several good shots and they decided to end the day on a high!

Today saw a great mix of fishing that ended with a bang. The bass may not have been too cooperative but the sturgeon definitely were. In just about two hours they managed to do battle with a couple of big ones and under extreme conditions. Bright sunshine, high humidity and flat calm waters had plagued us all day! I think we fended quite well with what we were dealt today! All I know is that fall will eventually be upon us and the fishing will continue to get better in the coming weeks. I don’t want to rush the weather, but I can’t wait for some cooler temperatures and more active fish. It won’t be long now!!

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September 12th 2018

I had a group of three this morning that wanted to try for sturgeon. Pierre, Bruce & Charlie decided that even having chance at one was the way to go. I told them that the odds were in their favor as we headed out to fish. I hoped that I was right!

It didn’t take long to find what I needed to see and set the anchor in place. I had idled over a good concentration of fish and was pretty sure one of them would bite. With lines in, the wait began!

We had been anchored in the first area for about an hour and despite marking all kinds of fish, we still hadn’t gotten a single bite. I decided to relocate and began searching for another area and more fish.

The second spot looked good and apparently it was because it didn’t take 3 minutes before we were bit! I reared back on something heavy and knew someone was in for a great fight!

Pierre was immediately given the rod and instructions on what to do. At 81 years of age he would be the oldest person ever to land a sturgeon in my boat. All he had to do was suffer through the pain for another 5 or ten minutes! I could tell that this wasn’t the first big fish he had fought by the way he took control and later found out that he had caught plenty of tarpon and big game fish in his life. Other than the fish going from one side of the boat to the other, around the motor, he kept the rod in his hands the whole time. At one point the line began to rise and the breach was inevitable. Everyone saw the actual size of his fish when it leaped into the air and the fight was on! It sounded to the bottom immediately after and kept him bust for about ten minutes before I was able to net the beast. He had succeeded in landing his first ever sturgeon and was able to tick a giant freshwater fish from his bucket list!

I prepped everything for a few pics and sat him down to hold the fish for the photos. There was no way he would be able to do it standing! With a little help from the other two, I was able to get some great shots both together and alone before the release. This fish swam off unharmed to fight another day!

I set the rods back and readied everything, anticipating another bite. I was still marking some good fish under the boat and was pretty sure we would get at least one more. About ten minutes in, it happened and Charlie was given the rod to fight the fish. With lines cleared he was able to do battle with another monster and what a battle it was. It didn’t jump just once, but rather 4 times while he fought his fish. Several times when he thought he was gaining line, the sturgeon sounded and took it all back and more. This ended up being the best battle I had seen so far this season! Eventually it was all over though when I slid the net under the beast. What I had thought was just a good one turned out to be even larger than the previous one. It was much heavier and a pretty good reason why it fought so hard!

Charlie held the fish up for some great shots before releasing her back once again. It still amazes me as to why someone would want to kill such a beautiful fish! Unfortunately there are more guys out there that keep these things, rather than release them back where they belong!

I set the lines one more time afterwards but unfortunately wasn’t able to get bit again. They did manage to bring a perch to the boat, but no more of the dinosaurs wanted to play. Time had elapsed quickly with the big game search but we had accomplished what we had set out to do. Pierre had done battle with something he had never caught before, at 81 years of age! The second fish was just a bonus!

I’m sure these guys will be talking about today for a while, or at least until they get out again. With any luck the fishing will be even better if they do! All I know is that the memories from this morning will remain etched in their minds for quite some time. It was definitely worth the trip!!

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September 11th 2018

After a cancellation yesterday afternoon, due to high winds and big waves, I was back out again this morning. Scott, Manson & Cory were with me and looking for something big. I knew just where to go!

I made a long run and idled over the area that I wanted to fish. It didn’t take long before I saw what I was looking for and dropped the anchor to set up. With lines in, all we could do was wait for the first bite. Unfortunately the first couple were junk fish and not what I wanted. The third time was a charm as Manson was finally into his first ever sturgeon. It may not have been big by my standards, but it was still a good fish! It made a spectacular jump and sounded to the bottom a couple of times, giving him a great fight. A few quick pics and back it went, to the bottom where it belonged!

The bite wasn’t great and I had to make a few moves to stay on them, but the fish were definitely there! Not long after we anchored for the third time, I saw a bite and set into a heavy fish. It was Cory’s turn and the rod was passed. The other two lines were cleared to make way for his fight as I knew this was a much better fish! At one point in the battle, I could see the line rising and told everyone to watch as the fish was about to breach. When it did, I knew he was in for a long battle. It was the largest one so far this season and it was a male. They usually put up a better fight than the females with their long slender profiles!

Cory couldn’t believe how strong these things were and was doing everything he could do bring it to the boat. Several times it went around the motors causing him to switch sides, carefully. After several good runs and about ten minutes later, I was finally able to net his fish. It may not have been fat but it was really long! It was going to get interesting as I told him the easy part was over. Now he would have to hold it for the pic!

After torturing him with different angles for the shots, Cory was finally able to release the fish back to the water. A sigh of relief was made, as he no longer had to hold up his heavyweight! I quickly got the lines back in and hoped for an even bigger one next. Unfortunately we weren’t as lucky with several other junk fish being landed and one 10 pound catfish by Scott. We did manage to get 8 fish from the area but only two of them were the targeted species! Everyone decided that it was time for a little bass action!

After a short run, I settled on a location that had been producing quality fish recently and locked the trolling motor in place. I rigged up 3 rods with soft plastics and showed them what they needed to do. Manny was the first to lock up on a bass and it was an average big fish for the area. I took a few pics of his catch and he released it back where it belonged. The others weren’t having much luck as they just kept missing bites! Eventually I had to show them what to do and immediately locked up! I gave the rod back to Cory to fight the fish. At the same time, Manson hooked up again and this eventually made for a great double pic. Scott on the other hand could only get a piece of his bites and was missing all of the fish. Eventually he redeemed himself and finally brought one to net! This area wasn’t an easy place to fish and you really had to pay attention throughout the cast. Manny seemed like the only person that was consistently hooking up and he was fishing real slow.

We moved around the area we were in and they managed several more bites. Too bad most of them were missed or lost on the jumps! I decided to make another cast for Cory and immediately locked up on another giant. At least he was getting to fight some fish! The other two were fending equally as well but Cory managed one more landed fish, giving him a total of five for this spot. I didn’t want to stay much longer as I had other areas I wanted to go to before we were done. I took Cory’s rod one last time for a couple of casts and hooked into another quality bass. I passed it back to him once again and we were done!

I had decided to try one last shoal before we called the day and made another short run to the rocky flat. The low light made it tough to see, but there were definitely fish in the area. Short strikes on Scott’s rod were had but the results were similar to before. Missed fish and nothing to show for his effort! Cory wasn’t doing much better and I decided to make another cast with his rod to show him how to work the bait again. As luck would have it, I set into another big bass and passed the rod back to him to fight the fish. Unfortunately this was to be the only fish for this area before we were done! Scott did manage to miss a couple of other fish but we never had anything afterwards and pulled the plug on the day.

Scott had hoped to get Manny and Cory into a sturgeon and we had accomplished this. He had landed some big ones the previous year and just hoped that they could feel the power as well. The late afternoon smallmouth fishing wasn’t great but the caliber of fish were. They had plenty of chances and landed some really good ones in the time remaining. Scott will be back out with me again next week and hopefully the weather will cooperate enough to catch a few more big fish. If not, we’ll just have to settle for the huge smallies and walleye that live here as well. It’s always great to have a backup plan, in case mother nature doesn’t cooperate. This also makes for a great multi species kind of day!!