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Phil & I had been trying to hook up since May and today it actually happened. A very last minute cancellation had us finally synched up! He brought along a couple of his sons, Eli & Zev hoping for some great action. As always I had no idea where we were going to fish due to the bizarre year we’ve been having and decided on the fly. I stopped in one area but the current wasn’t right and immediately decided to head to a place to troll. With winds out of the N it made for a terrible drift and trolling was our best option. I was able to set all four lines and although we had cooler water and the wrong direction for flow, I knew we would still score.

At only 5, Zev had already landed some nice fish with Phil, but this was his first time in a boat catching anything. I covered water and he reeled in several good pike along with his older brother, Eli. The action wasn’t fast & furious and I really had to focus on certain areas in order to get bit. We had lost 5 degrees in water temp and these fish just weren’t very active! Although they managed to catch plenty of pike, the walleye seemed non existent. After a couple of hours of looking for them, I finally caught a break with the wind when it layed down. I decided to change locations as well as species and try for smallmouth instead.

This new area had them tossing soft plastics for the bass & it didn’t take long before rods were bent. I was helping out Eli & Phil was doing the same with Zev. Multiple smallies were landed in a little over an hour and the kids were having a blast. When the action slowed, I decided to head off shore and try a little deeper drop shotitng now that the winds had died off. I needed the current to get a proper drift and it looked good!

With a different technique now being used, I instructed Eli on exactly what to do. We were in an area that held both bass & walleye and I knew it was just a matter of time before we were locked up! While I was explaining to Eli how to position the rod I felt that subtle tick and loaded his rod. He now was tight to a good smallie and battling it to the boat. Unlike the ones earlier, this one really fought hard and it took longer to come to the net. Several good pics were taken and it was released to be caught again. We also managed to get into a bunch of walleye but unfortunately they were all on the smaller side. Multiple drifts were made and both bass & walleye were landed on each & every one. As I really wanted to get into some bigger eyes, I continued the search for active fish. We had been marking plenty of fish on the bottom but the bite wasn’t what I thought it would be. Time to relocate once again!

I headed back to troll once more and although we landed a pile more fish, they were unfortunately all pike. Lately I had been getting into some really big eyes and hoped to put a few more of them in the boat for the boys. I guess it was not meant to be as all we were able to catch were more northerns. Eli didn’t seem to mind however as his younger brother was napping and he was reeling all the fish in! While trolling, I had noticed another wind change and this time it was out of the SW. Time to move again!

I decided to spend the last hour drop shotting once again and headed to another area to fish. Winds were now moving us along much better and the fish were also biting somewhat better too. Multiple smallies were landed but the walleye weren’t cooperating very well. Although Phil did managed to hook up on a nice one, it was only that one! Eventually we just ran out of time and on our last drift the winds picked up considerably. We were now moving much quicker than before! In fact, waves were building and it was getting more difficult to keep the baits on the bottom. We were done!

There may not have been many quality walleye caught today but there were definitely high numbers of good pike & big smallies. Plenty of fish were reeled in by everyone, especially Phil’s two sons! They had action the entire day with very little down time. I know they enjoyed themselves and am pretty sure they will sleep well tonight. Overall, another great day of fishing!

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Dave had contacted me yesterday, in hopes that I might have something open for today. As luck would have it, this was the only day available for the week and he settled on the afternoon with his son. Mathieu was only 6 years old but showed a great interest in fishing. They had been on vacation last week on a beautiful lake and fished whenever they could from their canoe. Although the bite wasn’t great, they still had a good time. I knew that after today, he would be hooked for life!

We met up around 11:30 and headed out, not knowing exactly where I was gong to fish. This time I was unsure because of all the boats fishing where I wanted to start and decided to make a long run when I passed the occupied areas. We were going to troll instead and I knew the little guy would have a blast reeling in the fish. With the lines in, I began covering water under the overcast skies, knowing that we would get bit soon. As luck would have it, the first reel to fire was the short line and Mathieu was into a nice big walleye. With the aid of his dad, he was able to reel in the biggest fish of his life, so far! This fish was way over the slot and after several good pics, released unharmed. What a great starter fish for the day! We regrouped, continuing our troll and a few pike later, another reel fired hard. I knew by the sound exactly what it was once again! Mathieu was into another big eye and although slightly smaller than his first one, still way over the slot. He was only 6 years old and had already managed to reel in 2 walleye bigger than his dad had ever caught. Several pics later we resumed trolling and this time I began covering water to see if we could get into more fish. By moving around I was able to monopolize on all the scattered fish and trigger some of them into biting. At one point, I actually landed a small musky while checking the lines and was happy to see one of this size. I just had to take a quick pic before letting it go! With several more pike under his belt, I decided to make one more pass in the area for walleye and Mathieu managed to finally reel in a keeper walleye that immediately went into the livewell. This would give him something to do and occupy some of the down time we were having. Eventually after a few more passes however, another reel fired hard and thoughts of a big eye once again entered my mind. This one seemed even larger than Mathieu’s first one and fought much better than most. He struggled to bring it to net but eventually was able to land another monster. This little guy had somehow managed to catch 3 beautiful golden walleye and he was only 6 years old! After this fish, I decided to pull the plug on trolling and try another area for some bass..

We arrived at a smallmouth spot and I instructed them on how to present the baits correctly. I had to show Mathieu how to cast the spinning outfit as he was only use to a spin cast reel before. With only a few minutes under his belt, he was now casting great. Too bad the fish weren’t cooperating as we only had a couple of bites here. We probably would have had more, but were overrun by paddle boarders that figured it was alright to just park where we were fishing. To make matters worse, they decided to do Yoga on their boards and block us out completely! We had no other choice but to change locations and leave!

The last stop of the day was where I had wanted to start, but was glad I hadn’t. We had definitely made the right choice by trolling! This time however, they were going to try drop shotting a flat in deeper water. First drop with the little guy I felt a tick and set into a nice smallie for him to fight. This one really tested him as it just didn’t want to come in. Eventually I slid the net under the fish and he now had 3 species landed for the day. A few pics later we resumed the drift and managed to boat some small eyes and another nice smallie before we were done. It was over and had passed by so fast. Although a little disappointed we were finished, Mathieu was thrilled to have caught so many big fish today. He had really gotten the fishing bug, seeing so many fish in only a few short hours. It’s always nice to introduce children into fishing at such a young age. This way they will have a lifetime ahead of them to enjoy the sport and hopefully pass it along to their own children. What a great half day on the water today!

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This morning I had the pleasure of taking Peter Svoboda on the water for a day of fishing. He brought along Jakub Voracek from the Flyers & his father Miloslav. The three of them were about to experience something special! We dropped the boat in with the winds out of the SW gusting well over 20 knots. Waves weren’t very nice and it seemed like I was the only boat on the lake. I realized quickly that I was going to have to make a long run in order to be able to fish. Although a little bumpy in average 3 footers, we finally made it to our destination. I set the lines to troll and almost immediately after the fourth one was in, one of them fired. Then another! Then another again! We had not been fishing for one minute and already had a triple header. Peter had a nice northern but unfortunately lost it beside the boat while I was trying to get things organized. No problem as the fourth rod fired giving him another chance. We went from a triple to a quad in no time and that’s how you start the day! There were 3 pike and one walleye in the mix and I realized that the pre frontal system coming had the fish active. I returned all the lines after taking care of business and we continued the troll once again. Several more pike & walleye made it into the net before the rains began. It wasn’t only raining but the winds were blowing so hard that even with the roof up, we were getting a little wet. It didn’t seem to matter though as they were catching fish hand over fist. Pike after pike and several walleye later, Miloslav was battling a nice smallie as I slid out of the area we were concentrating on. I was re rigging a three rod tangle and somehow made my way far from where I was catching all the fish. It didn’t matter, as they were biting all over!

Later in the morning and after many more fish, the rain finally stopped giving me a chance to try something else. I dropped the cover and secured it to change locations and fish species. We were now going to go for smallies and Jakub’s father Miloslav was looking forward to it. Apparently he had a thing about bass and loved the brownies.

Soft plastics were being thrown and I think Miloslav missed one on his very first cast. A few casts later he missed another and I re instructed him on what to do for the next fish. It didn’t take long and the third one was locked! He was officially into a nice bass and loving every minute of it. The other two were having a tough time but eventually rebounded with some hook ups of their own. Miloslav on the other hand just kept beating on the fish and seemingly putting on a clinic! He landed several more good ones and the others just watched amazed.

The winds had calmed down slightly and I was planning on relocating to an area to drop shot when Peter informed me that they wanted to call the day at noon. I was surprised and a little disappointed that I hadn’t moved earlier. We finished up in this place and headed back to the ramp in lesser seas than we had come out in. It would have been a perfect drift if we had of decided to drop shot, but we were done. They had experienced some difficult conditions thanks to « Mother Nature » but we plowed right through it and won in the end. We are suppose to meet again tomorrow for a second day but somehow I think the winds may take us out. We’ll have to wait & see and with any luck, we’ll get back out and beat on many more fish. Short but sweet day on the water today!

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This morning Mike & I split a group up into two boats for the day. He took the two guys and I had the two women and Lucas, a four year old boy. His mother, Kailah was also with her sister Rosie making for an interesting fishing day. We headed out just before 8:00, after a torrential down pour and right to an area to troll. Both the girls had hoped to beat the guys and I planned on making it happen! With lines set, we waited in anticipation for the first reel to fire. As usual, it didn’t take long and Rosie was into a pretty decent northern to start the day. The second fish wasn’t far behind with her sister Kailah reeling in another slightly smaller pike as well. They were already thrilled to have caught something as their last trip in Idaho saw them skunked. I can never understand how that happens! We spent several hours trolling through various setions in this zone and they managed to land high numbers of pike. As I really wanted them to catch a few walleye, I continued searching and eventually stumbled on an area that held the gold. Kailah landed the first keeper and I released it into the livewell for Lucas to view. It’s always a good idea to have a fish or two in the tank for kids to enjoy! It kept him occupied throughout the morning, looking at it many, many times. Although the fish was a nice one, I still wanted to see bigger and looped around hoping for another. The next time the reel went off, it fired hard and I knew it was a better fish. This one was the size I had hoped for and Kailah reeled in another eye that had to be returned after her pics. Several more pike later, Rosie finally got to catch one of her own and while in the net, a sescond reel screamed and she battled another one right after. This constant action went on for a long time but a bathroom break was needed so we headed back to the ramp. I figured that we would fish closer to the launch after and change it up to a deeper drop shot due to the flat calm water. High sunshine and intense heat had us under the roof all morning but it finally had to come down.

Once back, we ventured out to deeper water and I showed them how to properly fish. It was definitely difficult at first as they both missed several fish before Rosie finally boated a nice bass. Kailah wasn’t as fortunate as all her fish kept coming off the line. She even had one pinned that jumped beside the boat and threw the hook, making it more frustrating. They both definitely had their chances but despite all their efforts, only a handful of fish were landed.

The guys had called informing us that they were on their way back and wanting to end the day early. By 1:00 we were done and not a moment too soon. Thunder was heard in the distance and I knew the storm was coming. I was able to get the boat out of the water and on to the trailer before the rain even hit. Short days like these are always nice and especially when there is constant action throughout. I don’t know who won the battle but I’m pretty sure it was the girls. We may never know as the guys count was rather sketchy at best! Oh well, as long as everybody had a good time and no one got hurt! Another great day on the water filled with plenty of memories of all their fish landed. Who could ask for anything more!

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Lars and his son Niels were in Montreal from Copenhagen and fishing with me for the day. They had hoped for a few new species of Canadian fish and I didn’t want to disappoint them. We headed out shortly after 7:00 and they began catching walleye & smallmouth right away. By drop shotting open water flats they were both able to land several good fish and put a few walleye in the box for their dinner tonight. They had done a house vacation exchange and were staying at someone’s home instead of a hotel, allowing them the luxury of dining on their catch. We made several drifts and once the bite slowed, we moved to another area and began it all over again. This time however they were landing mostly bass and Lars was loving it! They had never felt the power of the smallie and enjoyed each & every one of them. I assured them that there would be much larger ones landed later in the day! As with the first location, this one too slowed and I thought we would give trolling a try, looking for a larger eye.

Once we arrived, I explained what to expect and showed them a new technique. Fortunately Lars was familiar with the rod holders and needed no explanation on how to remove the rods when a fish strikes. Good thing too as it only took a couple of minutes for the first reel to fire and they were into another species. I knew we were going to be catching many northerns and didn’t bother to take pics of these as they had caught bigger ones back home. I was searching for larger walleye and eventually after several more pike, managed to get Niels into his first ever walleye. Not much different from their zander back home, but nicer looking! While we were readying for a pic, another reel fired and Lars had a big eye as well. This would definitely make for a great pic! Another species ticked off the list of Canadian fish to catch! We resumed fishing for a little longer and after several more pike, Lars finally got a shot at a much bigger walleye. This one was closer to 25 inches and I quickly took care of netting his prize. He would now have a great pic of a golden version of their zander to show everyone back home. After the release we decided to pull the plug on trolling and I prepped some rods to cast for bass. I knew they would be loving this technique too!

I arrived in an area that had been putting out some real nice fish lately and instructed them on how to work the baits. As with every new technique, it didn’t take long before Lars was battling a really nice smallmouth and much larger than the ones landed earlier on drop shot rigs. He fought this thing like a pro despite only having experienced them earlier this morning. This fish was definitely worthy of a pic and his largest so far for the day. We stayed in this area for a couple of hours, all the while catching plenty more quality bass, before heading elsewhere. I wanted to check something out that I hadn’t fished before and we all took advantage of the long run by having lunch along the way.

When I arrived we set up and Lars managed to get another species under his belt. He had landed his first ever sturgeon and although not large by my standards, it was still great by his. We moved quickly after and went back to throwing soft plastics for bass, catching many more in the process. We covered plenty of water and they caught fish everywhere we went. Both Lars & his son Niels had bent rods pretty much every time I looked over and they loved every minute of it.

With the day nearing an end, I hoped to hit a few more areas before we were done and the first one was definitely a great choice. They continued to catch piles more fish and even had a couple of doubles in the process. One last stop had me wondering why they weren’t getting bit and it didn’t take long to realize why. This last fish proved to be the icing on the cake for Lars as he battled his first ever musky to the boat. He had seen pictures of them before but now he was experiencing one first hand! The light bass tackle & tiny bait had lured this fish into eating and Lars was almost in shock. He posed for a few quick pics and the fish was released unharmed. That would be it for the day as I told them both that anything else would just be a let down!

We headed back and they were all smiles from the day they had just experienced. Lars had managed a Canadian Grand Slam, catching all new fish. Who could ask for anything more? Oh yeah, they were also going to be dining on fresh fish that they had caught during the day as well. Now that’s a vacation to remember!