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Today I had 4 people scheduled for an afternoon trip, so I hit the water before 8, searching for other areas to fish. Although I have plenty of places, I’m always looking for more. The fish have been constantly on the move and here today, gone tomorrow! With only one body in the boat that meant only one rod out. Tough way to search open water, but I made it work. I went back looking for sturgeon once again and could only find them in suspension. Difficult to catch when they’re not on the bottom feeding! I trolled for a while after and managed to pick up pike, bass & walleye that were scattered all over the water. No real pattern there! Time flies when you’re looking and before I knew it, it was almost 11:30 and time for the pick up.

Gabe & Ben arrived when I did but Nick & George took a little longer. In fact, they didn’t get there until noon, cutting into their fishing time. It was a real scorcher of a day and with almost no wind, I decided a troll under the cover was the way to go. We headed to an area that had plenty of fish and set the lines. Or so I thought! Although the first reel did fire quickly, it took a while for the second one to go. I was covering water and not getting bit. Not being use to this, I changed up baits multiple times and depths as well. We picked at the pike but the walleye eluded us. After a couple of hours of smaller than usual northerns, I figured we’d change up and do a little deep water drop shotting. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas for us. On route to the area, I saw a storm system pushing in. This alone wouldn’t have been a problem, but I also saw lightning! I immediately headed back to the dock to wait out the storm. According to the radar, it should have moved through in about 30 minutes or so. Unfortunately there was another larger system behind it that brought torrential rain and caused us to call the day. Although we waited on shore for about 45 minutes, I eventually had to bite the bullet and put the boat on the trailer. Half days are already short but half of a half is really short! It’s too bad that the weather changed so quickly because with 4 lines in the water, I’m sure they all would have caught drop shotting the deep.We will get back out soon and hopefully the next time it won’t be for only a couple of hours. With any luck they will experience the sturgeon bite again like they did in the past. If not, at least a better day than they had today! Mother Nature Sucks!

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It had been a long time since I had seen Darren’s dad Al, but the stars finally aligned today and he was back! He was scheduled to fish with us and would be at the water before 9. As we had a couple of hours to kill, Darren & I headed out early to see if we could get into a few walleye for him to take home. The winds were blowing pretty good from the SW causing a couple of foot chop and I knew it would be great for what we would be doing. Drop shotting over deeper water shoals was on the menu and it didn’t take long for the first high end keeper eye to arrive in the net. We made a few passes over the area and hooked several bass and a couple of smaller walleye before we received the call. Al must have been excited because it was only 8:00 and he was already on his way! One more drift and we were headed back to the ramp for the pick up. He had brought along Yomel for assistance as he required some aid for doing certain things now. It was great to see the smile on his face as we helped him into the boat and headed out. I had thought that trolling would be the simplest method to get him into fish but it was all but that. I spent well over an hour covering good looking water without a single touch. Although I was marking all kinds of fish, they weren’t cooperating. Eventually I was forced to pull the plug on this area and make a long to another spot that had been previously producing. I reset the lines and continued the troll and eventually found some fish. A couple of smaller pike were landed but the bite was still rather slow. The reels weren’t even going off very hard and several times I was forced to throttle down in order to pin the fish to the lures. I don’t know what was going on but I knew that if I worked through it and made some adjustments, it would get better. Well it definitely worked as the next time the reel fired it went off hard! Big Al was into a really good fish and I knew exactly what it was. I was hoping to get him a big walleye and here it was! After struggling some, it eventually came to the net and he was all smiles. Daren held it for some great pics and it was soon released to grow again. I quickly reset the lines and ran back through the same area and almost immediately, another reel fired. This time Yomel was to reel in his first ever Canadian eye. It fell right in the slot and went into the livewell immediately after. For the next several hours we scoured the area and managed to land all kinds of pike, both small & large and even another keeper walleye. Al reeled in many fish before they decided to call it a day. They wanted to beat any possible traffic so we headed back by 2:00. Al definitely enjoyed himself today and I just hope he gets back out again this season! Yomel & Al headed home and Darren & I went back out for the last couple of hours to see if we could get a few more walleye for them as well.

We decided to try more drop shotting and jigging over deep shoals and in a the short time out, managed 3 more walleye for Darren to bring to his dad. Along with the walleye there were several good smallies also boated. It was hard to leave the fish biting but by 4:30 we finally pulled the plug on the day. It was all about Al today and even Darren was surprised at how well he looked and moved around. I think Al needs to get out and do more fishing this year as today did him the world of good! He was so full of energy and excitement that he was all smiles again! All in all, everyone had a great time today!

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Christine had contacted me a while back for fishing with her husband. They were on their honeymoon had been travelling to a bunch of places, including Montreal to fish. We weren’t sure about the weather but headed out regardless shortly after 7:00 A.M. in very overcast conditions. Originally there was a good chance of thunder storms but we got lucky with only a heavy downpour mid morning. It sure was nice to raise the roof during the worst of the storm!

We struggled at the start trying to dropshot with wind against current, but managed several nice fish regardless. Evan had taken a few smaiiles along with a couple of small walleye and Christine had as well. I wasn’t feeling good about this area due to the conditions and decided to try another place nearby. It was about the same with terrible movement and after several more bass, we shifted gears completely. I decided to have them both cast shallower shoals and it didn’t take long. Evan wanted to try a Japanese twitch bait that he had success on in the past and apparently the fish here liked it too! Several good bass were landed and many others lost in the next hour or so. It was right around this time that we got crushed by heavy rain and the cover went up just in time. Although it didn’t last long, it was still needed as both Christine and Evan had only a light rain jacket and would have gotten soaked. Once this system passed I thought we’d change it up completely and try a little trolling. For the next couple of hours, plenty of fish came aboard. Although mostly pike, there were a couple of good eyes landed as well. Ironically the sun was now shining and it was getting quite warm out too. The winds were still out of the east but had dropped down considerably and I decided to give the deep another try. We went back to drop shotting an area and I quickly realized it hadn’t changed much. There was no movement and we were forced to cast the rigs instead of drifting. A few small fish were landed and I moved on once again. I headed to somewhere that usually has a little bit more current but the wind was out of the east and moving us sideways. I had to get on the electric just to keep us vertical and it wasn’t easy. Although they did have several bites, most of the fish were missed. They did however manage to get a couple of nice bass before we ended the day.

We had been dealt all kinds of different conditions today but managed to overcome the challenges, successfully. I would have preferred a little more wind from the right direction, but that wasn’t to be! Light winds from the east were enough to stall the boat almost like we were anchored. By trolling and casting different baits over many areas, they managed to land a bunch of good fish and have a great day. The cover during the rain was just a bonus, but we were sure glad to have it! Overall a pretty good day!

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Chuck & Linda were with me today for another action packed outing! They were in from Louisiana and wanted to catch some Canadian fish. They definitely did, and it didn’t take long to hook up on their first one. We were drifting in big waves while drop shotting and Chuck locked up on a really nice bass. This was his first northern smallie but it wasn’t going to be his last. Soon after, Linda also managed to set into one of her own and it was game on. These winds made standing a little difficult but the fishing was definitely on fire. Each drift yielded multiple fish and they had a good mix going on. Bass, walleye, pike, perch and even a sauger managed to come aboard. They had taken a trip on Lake Eerie a few days earlier and Mother Nature shut them down with big winds, not allowing them to catch anything. Today however, they were making up for it! It was payback time and they were getting even! For most of the morning they just pounded on the fish, catching one after the other. The winds even laid down a bit allowing them to actually stand while fighting most of their fish. They were definitely in their glory fighting one after the other. They even managed a couple of doubles that made for great pics! All good things must come to an end and this was no exception. Eventually the bite died and we were forced to relocate to another area of the lake and start all over.

Trolling was up next and I was about to show them something they had never seen before. As I readied the rods I explained what would happen and now they were trying something totally different. This wasn’t anything that they had ever done and they were anxious to see it in action. With lines in, I began covering water and right on cue, a reel fired. Chuck was officially sold as he began to battle the first northern on the troll. There were many more to come too! As fast as I released the fish, another reel screamed and he was beginning to see just why this was so effective. Fish after fish were ripping lines and they were catching one after the other. I really wanted to get them into a big eye and covered all the right stuff trying to make it happen. At one point, he did have a really good one on the line that we all saw, but somehow it came unpinned right beside the boat. We reset the line and continued our quest for another and after several more pike, he did manage to bring a nice one aboard. Although not as big as the previous one, it was still quality and made for a great pic. We continued catching plenty more pike before eventually pulling the plug and returning for bass.

I relocated once again but this time they were casting baits over shoals and Chuck got right back in the game. Several decent smallies were hooked into and one of them was a really good one worthy of another pic. Linda had a few hits, but for some reason wasn’t able to hook up. I had every intention of returning to drop shot at the end of the day but unfortunately it was cut a little short by the weather. We could see a storm system moving in and had to make a run back to the dock through a downpour, in order to miss it. We were greeted with sunshine on the other side and I knew it was the right decision!

There was no lack of fish today as they both managed to catch a boatload of quality. They even had enough walleye for a great dinner tonight! They were camping nearby and would be dining on some great eating walleye after a tremendous day of fishing. Something tells me that I might be seeing them again this year as talk of a return trip in September was mentioned. They would come back for another multi species day and a shot at some of those giant sturgeon. One thing for sure, there are plenty of memories from today along with a ton of pics to give them the incentive. Great times were had by all today!

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James & Rob were with me this morning in an overcast setting. It was like a light mist was in the air, without actually raining. We began the day at 7:30 and headed out not too far from the launch. His wife & children would be joining us a little later and I wanted to stay close bye. For a change there was little to no wind and I knew the drop shot would be the way to go. Unfortunately we were going to have to cast it as no wind means no movement. James was the first to hook up and it was on his first cast too! It’s never good luck to catch a fish on your first cast! He was into a really nice smallie and I hoped there would be plenty more. Rob hooked up not long after and he ended up with a pretty large northern. In the first few hours they picked up many bass & walleye before we got the call. I headed over to the ramp and picked up his wife Christina and his two children, Giulio & Sofia. At only 3 & 5 years of age, James was hoping to get them interested in fishing and I knew he would succeed. I had prepped other rods with drop shots and instructed Christina on what to do and she hooked up on the first drop. Unfortunately she wasn’t ready and lost the fish while trying to reel it in. Almost immediately after she did however land her first walleye and it joined the one taken earlier in the morning, in the tank. Sofia also had a quick encounter with a fish as she was nailed by a bass almost immediately. Unfortunately it raced to the surface and threw the hook as she was trying to reel. I knew it wouldn’t be the last as we were definitely on plenty of fish! Eventually both Giulio & Sofia managed to reel in several fish with a little help from their dad and they had a blast. Christina also landed 5 fish in the short time they were out making this little excursion a success. They all loved fishing for the first time and I don’t think it will be their last! We headed back to the dock and the three of them left the boat as Sofia had a birthday party to attend this afternoon. It’s always a good idea when kids are young to make their trips short and have them leave wanting more! James, Rob & myself headed back out but this time we made a long run to another area where they could do a little casting. I set them up with lures and they proceeded to put a beating on some nice smallies. Ironically the first fish to come aboard was a walleye however and it too went in the livewell for dinner tonight. I’m not sure how many bass were hooked here but there were a pile. Too bad not all of them made it to the net! When the action slowed, I decided to head to some offshore rocks in hopes of keeping the action going. Once again, the fish cooperated and several more bass came aboard, along with another walleye. It’s really strange this year as to where I am catching walleye. I have them in really shallow water as well as considerably deeper areas too. The high water has dispersed them all over the lake! The bass are also spread out all over as well and by moving around, the numbers are always high!

I was about to relocate to a different section of the lake when James nailed another bass on his last cast and this is when it got interesting! While trying to remove the fish from the net, it somehow managed to twist and set a hook into my finger as well. Now we were both pinned to the lure and the rubber net together! I’m usually very careful, but this fish was insane and caught me off guard. I quickly grabbed it with my good hand and had James assist me with the disaster. The lure was so tangled in the net and still attached to both of us that he had to cut some of the net in order to separate everything. We finally got it all worked out and the fish returned to the water so I could concentrate on my hand. I used the cutters to separate the hook from the lure and prepped some heavy line that Rob had from his clippers. He was going to have to do the removal as I pressed down on the hook shank. With one quick snap, it was out! Accidents like this do happen when dealing with small baits and multiple trebles, but hopefully not too often. This hook removal technique is a lot more efficient than the old school one where you pop it completely through. It’s also a lot less painful!

As the day was nearing an end, I decided to run to another section of the lake in hopes of more bass. It had been on fire only a few days earlier, but I wasn’t sure how it would be today with all the boat traffic. Just getting there was a nightmare with cruisers and speed boats going in all directions. You gotta love weekends! As I figured, the waves from all of the boats had stirred up the water and the fish weren’t as cooperative. Although they did catch a few, it wasn’t what I had expected and we left quickly. I had one more stop to make before we returned to the dock and while running there noticed a cruiser being towed by the Coast Guard. Not sure what happened but surely with all this high water, he didn’t hit? The last stop wasn’t easy to fish with all the boat waves and Rob managed the only fish here. He also missed landing another when it went airborne too! We packed it in and headed back to take out. The winds had somehow increased and the run back was a little rough between the boat waves and the big rollers. Not to mention all the boats all along the way! Fortunately the removal was fairly easy and I was out of the water quickly. This day was a great one for everyone, despite the minor incident. The introduction to fishing for James’s family will definitely have them wanting to get back out again. All in all, a pretty good day!