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August 12th 2018

 

Another full boat once again today with two Bob’s, Dave & Kevin. They were from Ontario and hoping to get into some pickerel. AKA walleye, for those of you that aren’t familiar with how they say it over there! I was sure they wouldn’t be disappointed!

Our first couple of areas were a little slow as there was only one fish and it came off while reeling in. It didn’t really matter as it was a pike anyway and not what they were looking for! I had hit some new places that should have been holding fish, but for some reason this year, they weren’t. Not to waste too much more time, I pulled the plug and headed to where I knew they would catch.

Almost immediately after arriving, they were into fish with a few northerns coming aboard quickly. Uncle Dave was having the time of his life bringing in some of them and soon after, he captured the first pickerel of the day. This got the ball rolling because there was another one right after that came in as well. We were on the fish and I was going to make sure that they were able to take some of them back with them today!

Throughout the morning there were many pike brought to net but there were also a good number of walleye landed as well, Some of them made their way into the livewell and some of them had to be released due to their size. It seemed like whenever they caught one, another pickerel came right behind. We were picking at them pretty good but then it just stopped. All we were able to catch for a while were pike and I knew why. The water had gone flat calm and we were in bright sunshine. It became so hot that I was forced to raise the roof just to get some shade!

Fish after fish were coming aboard, but only pike in these conditions. I could see in the distance wind starting to create a chop on the water and it was coming our way. It was almost like someone hit a switch when it arrived, as one of the reels fired. A good sized walleye was brought to net but had to be released due to its size. While taking the pics, Bob noticed one of the other rods bent and immediately was into an even bigger walleye. It was technically a double as the first fish was still in the boat! It’s amazing what a little wind can do!

The afternoon also saw a mix of fish landed with most of them being northerns. Whenever the clouds rolled in, we would get a few more walleye to bite, but sunshine was upon us most of the day. Very late in the afternoon however, bob grabbed one of the rods when he noticed the bend and was tight to a pretty good fish. As I looked behind the boat I realized that it wasn’t what we were used to seeing, but much larger. He had a big musky on and the chaos began! I immediately had all the other lines cleared and was about to drop the roof making it easier to manage when all of a sudden, he reeled in a walleye. We had both seen the size of the fish he was hooked into and weren’t imagining it. I netted the pickerel and proof was had! This fish had all kinds of lacerations on it but was lucky. It would get to live and wasn’t dinner for either the musky or them. It was way over the slot and almost a good meal for old toothy!

We fished a little longer and eventually after a few more fish, pulled the lines and headed to the ramp. It was 3:30 and they had a long drive to Ottawa and were quite satisfied with their day. Although that last fish would have been nice to land, it did make for a great story for everyone! They were also taking a good number of walleye back and had all enjoyed catching them too. This was a great family day and a nice way to unwind while fishing for pickerel. The numbers of fish they landed today were unknown as nobody kept count. All I know is that I used that net countless times so there were high numbers of fish landed, once again! Another great day for fishing!!

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August 11th 2018

With a group of 7 people scheduled today, I required a second boat to accommodate everyone. Don was happy to assist and together we were able to take them out for a great day of fishing. We would be splitting up and fishing for a variety of species, on different parts of the water and I hoped the fish would bite!

Sergio had planned this trip a while back and I had the pleasure of his company, along with some of his family. Together they would be in for the time of their lives as we trolled for pike & walleye. These were a couple of species none of them had ever caught before and I knew they would have a blast landing big numbers of them.

Throughout the morning there were plenty of reels firing allowing many rotations by everyone. Although most of the fish were pike, there were also several good walleye brought aboard, with some of them going into the well for their dinner. They were a big group here in Montreal and hoping to taste some of the fish from our waters. I knew this wouldn’t be a problem and kept a few pike as well.

The day was going by quickly and before we knew it, noon was getting near. The other group of 3 in Don’s boat had left so fast that they hadn’t taken any food with them. We had all the lunches and they would be forced to meet us if they wanted to eat. We all shared a few stories and many laughs while eating before getting back to the afternoon fishing. It actually worked out pretty good as they would fish nearby for bass afterwards.

With the sun high I knew that the fishing would be a little tougher and focussed on a little deeper water in order to get bit. It didn’t take long after I reset the lines before we had the first pike! The other boat was still in sight as they reeled in the northern! From this point on, the fishing would continue to produce many more strikes, with most being keepers. We even had one pike later in the day that decided to grab two lines simultaneously, eating both baits. Talk about being a pig!

With the day winding down and the fishing becoming slower, I covered much more water in order to get the bites. They still managed to land plenty of fish but only one of them was a walleye and all the others were pike. We were scheduled to meet back at the dock by 4:00 and shortly before, I pulled the lines for the run.

Today was one filled with many fish but for some reason we never really had a peak period. Although I picked at them steadily, I never saw any major activity. Usually there is at least one time during the day where everything goes crazy and chaos occurs. Despite the lack of this, they still landed incredible numbers of both pike & walleye and had enough fish for their dinner tonight. Don’s group had remained on bass and enjoyed a similar one filled with plenty of action too. Overall I don’t think we could have had a better day with fairly light boat traffic on the water and cooperative fish. The weather was picture perfect as well with cool temps in the morning and highs in the afternoon in the 80’s. This was a comfortable day for them, being from Vegas, where they had 115 degrees the day they left. Thankfully only the fishing was hot here today!!

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August 10th 2018

 

I had another full boat again today with Jeffrey and his family. Two of them were visiting all the way from China and were hoping to get a chance to fish. They would not be disappointed!

A quick run on the water had me setting up in another area that I hoped would be holding some pike and walleye. I covered the water looking for what I wanted and once I found it, the reels began to fire. These fish are really locked in on specific areas due to this and I am having no trouble getting both, once I find it. Sorry, can’t say what!

The first few fish were all pike but I knew we would get into the eyes as well and kept at the troll. Everyone was reeling in their fair share of these fish but it was Mack, the youngest, that was having the most fun. Every time a reel screamed, he was always there waiting for the rod! It paid off too as he managed to land most of the walleye. A couple of them were the giants I was searching for and made for some great pics!

We had been at the troll for most of the morning and closing in on lunch when Jeffrey requested we break. I had the perfect place for them as they wanted to go ashore and sit down to eat. It was his birthday and they had brought a bunch of stuff to celebrate, including a cake. I headed to a nearby island and let them off, giving them a nice relaxing lunch. There was a picnic table and plenty of shade that they would be able to enjoy and best of all, no bugs!

We resumed our fishing by 1:00 and decided to try something different for the afternoon. I would be taking them drop shotting as the wind had picked up enough to get a good drift. There would be 4 people fishing and this would allow me to cover the water effectively without anyone getting hurt.

I made multiple drifts over various hard bottom flats with very little to show for our efforts. Oh they had plenty of bites, but they just couldn’t hook up! These fish were acting a little strange, but eventually one of them locked up on smallie. This gave them the confidence that they needed and several more fish were hooked soon after. Unfortunately they almost all came off but at least they had them on, if only briefly!

I made one last move to another area in hoped of putting more fish in the boat before we had to leave. On the first drift they had a few fish and some of them even came to the net. Too bad the largest walleye was lost before I could get a shot at her! Three of them had tangled lines and it just came unpinned while trying to reel it in. A couple more bass and several small walleye were landed before I eventually called it a day. We were nearing 4:00 and it was time to go. Fortunately we weren’t too far from the dock and I didn’t have a long run. It had gotten quite a bit windier while we were fishing and so did the waves!

This day was definitely another good one filled with lots of quality fish. Not only had they landed plenty of pike & walleye but they even had a few keepers for their dinner tonight. I think the highlight of the day was the shore lunch though. It was the first time I had done this but something tells me that it won’t be the last. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? We definitely did!!

 

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August 8th 2018

 

I had a couple of clients from Brazil today. Francisco had just moved from the states a couple of months back and wanted to treat his father in law to a fishing day. He was on vacation visiting the family and welcomed the invitation. They had no idea what was in store for them as we headed on the water!

I had decided to try an area I hadn’t fished much lately and dropped the lines in beginning the troll. They had never seen anything like this before and were amazed at how I was trolling. As usual, I began deep, gradually moving shallower, searching for active fish. Ironically the first fish to hit turned out to be a bass. It may not have been a big one but it was the start of our day and they were thrilled to see it.

I had been trolling for a little while now without any other takes when the long line finally fired. I thought that the weight was due to some of the weeds on the bottom but soon realized that Francisco was locked up with a big dog. He eventually brought it closer and neither of them could believe their eyes. It was a rather large lunge and barely hooked! Several times she surged off as she neared the boat and I knew I was going to have a difficult time landing it. Too bad this wasn’t yesterday as I had brought the big net for sturgeon fishing! Unfortunately one more run by the boat and the hooks just pulled free! It was just not meant to be today, but Francisco still enjoyed the battle.

We resumed trolling for a little longer, hoping for another chance but only managed one more fish. It was an over sized walleye and released after some pics. We had spent over an hour in this area with very little to show for our efforts and now it was time for a change. I wanted to get them some walleye for dinner and headed to another area to drop shot.

Once I was positioned, I hit the anchor button on the electric and held exactly where I needed to be. I gave them a quick demonstration on what to do, showing them what to feel for when they got bit. Ernesto had about 5 hits in a short time, but didn’t manage to hook into any of them. With this method, it’s all about pressure sets and he was having a hard time not setting the hook. Francisco however managed to land a couple of walleye and one really nice smallie that turned out to be his personal best! With three low end keepers in the well, and about an hour later, I decided to move again. I was trying to locate as many fish as possible for them to catch and headed elsewhere.

I was on good fish lately and decided to try and duplicate it in another similar area. Although it took a while to find what I was looking for, when I did, it was on fire! From this moment on, they were catching fish one after the other. Sometimes two at a time too! Big pike and walleye were hitting as fast as I could get the lines in. They had so many double headers that we just lost count! They even had a triple that unfortunately ended in another double. This day was beginning to look like one of the better ones and I was glad to have them experiencing it.

I had put up the top late in the morning due to the high humidity to try and make it a little more comfortable for everyone. Even though we had limited amounts of sunshine, it still helped. With zero wind at least it provided a bit of shade as they battled all their fish!

By mid afternoon I had refined the area we were in pretty good and there was very little down time. In fact at one point it was just insane! I don’t think we went a minute in between rips without hearing at least one of the reels firing. These days don’t occur too often at this time of the year and I told them to just enjoy the fact that it was happening to them!

Sometime around 2:30 a storm system moved into the area and a light rain began to fall. By the looks of the radar, it wouldn’t amount to much and we really didn’t care, being under the roof. I only wish that there had of been a little wind as the air temps were so humid. It didn’t seem to matter to the fish either as they just kept coming! Apparently « Fish do Bite in The Rain »!

Big pike and big walleye were landed by both Francisco and Ernesto today and plenty of them were returned. They even managed to scratch up a good limit of keepers for their family dinner tonight! This was about as perfect a day as anyone could expect. Despite the loss of the lunge earlier this morning of course!

With the day nearly over, I decided to troll right till the end to see if we could catch a few more. I really don’t like leaving fish biting but we had no choice. The last 5 hours were just insane and filled with so much action that one or two more bites really didn’t matter! While storing the top, I think I had to stop 3 or 4 times just to net more fish. In fact, Ernesto reeled in his largest walleye of the day with a real fatty. This thing looked like it had swallowed a softball. It was so fat, that it actually seemed pregnant! We shot several pics and released her to fight again. The bite was on fire as I continued packing up to go. One more fish and we were done! I reeled the other two lines in and almost expected something to hit along the way. Talk about ending with a bang!

Francisco had taken his father in law on a trip of a lifetime, without ever realizing it. Talk about racking up brownie points with the in laws! All I know is that they will be talking about this day for quite some time. I’m also pretty sure that it won’t be the last time I see them this season! Ernesto will be returning back to Brazil sometime in September and talk about getting out again was heard before they left. This will be a tough act to follow but I’m definitely up for the challenge. Who knows, maybe they’ll even tangle with the largest fish of their lives and do battle with a few dinosaurs. Only time will tell, but in the meantime they’ll be remembering this fishing day for a long time! It just doesn’t get much better!!

 

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August 7th 2018

 

I was back on the water again today with the same group as yesterday, less one! Little John decided to sit it out but the others were ready to fish. I only hoped that it would be as good as the day before!

We headed out in a light rain and good chop, so I decided to try areas a little closer to start. As soon as I stopped, I immediately set up the roof, hoping to stay out of the rain. It wouldn’t be easy with the wind but at least it would help while trolling!

I set the 4 lines out and began covering the area and it didn’t take long. Although the reel didn’t fire, it was really bent signaling a fish was on the other end. A keeper walleye was soon brought to net and we resumed the troll once again. After what seemed like forever, another rod was hit and Don fought his first Canadian smallie. Although not big by my standards, it was to him and also his personal best. They said that this was big for the waters they fish back in Kansas!

Eventually the rain stopped and the winds seemed to diminish, so I decided to try something new. We headed to an area to try for sturgeon hoping to do battle with a couple of dinosaurs. I hadn’t fished them yet this season and didn’t know what to expect when I began the search. Although we did see some take to the air, we were never really able to mark any concentrations on the bottom. Regardless, we set the lines where we had seen a few and hoped to get bit.

I was having a little difficulty keeping the anchor holding and after several attempts decided to try something. I not only set the anchor but I also used the anchor mode on the electric for some added assistance. This worked perfectly and we held nicely in the wind & current. I made several moves due to the lack of interest and marked some fish each time, but they just didn’t seem to want to bite. John may have had one that looked like the real deal but unfortunately it was short lived. After an hour or so of washing baits, I decided that we had seen enough and packed everything up. We were headed to catch some fish elsewhere!

 

After a long run, I settled on an area that I knew was holding both walleye & pike. We were back trolling and I would be covering water again, to find the fish! A few minutes later while checking the lines, I felt some weight and handed John the rod. I’m not sure how long the fish was on, but he reeled in a nice over eye that never even made a sound! After a few more hateful bites, I found the water I was looking for and they were finally into fish. From this point on there were fish being landed every couple of minutes and reels were screaming. Both walleye & pike were coming aboard and the action was great! We needed this after the slow morning we had seen and welcomed each and every one! I also had to put the cover back up again, but this time it was for some shade. The sun had become almost unbearable and a little cooler air was needed.

The second half of the day passed by so quickly and before we knew it, the day was over. I don’t know if it was because they had gotten into fish but it just flew by. I packed everything up while the lines were still in the water, hoping for a few more bites, but they never came. We rolled out just about 4:00 and headed back to the dock.

Although today may not have been as good as yesterday, there were still plenty of fish landed. The morning was a little slower than I had hoped for but if only one sturgeon had have cooperated, it would have been all worthwhile! Oh well, at least they got to see some great aerial jumps of our freshwater sharks, but not on their lines! They did however catch enough pike to satisfy them for a lifetime! The walleye were just an added bonus and there were also many of them boated, including some really nice ones too! They had just spent a great two days of fishing for a different species, other than their usual channel cats back home. Who could ask for anything more!!