Another road trip today had me meeting up with Don & Andy by 8:30 for some smallmouth action. We hit the water and were fishing shortly after 9:00. The lake was flat but the weather was forecasting huge winds near mid day and I wanted to get started fast. It seemed like for some reason or another with these guys that each day was a challenge and I was always pressed for time. The weather was definitely tough to say the least! They began throwing blades and Andy hit several decent smallies before Don finally connected with one of his own. They were officially both on the board! Although the air was quite chilly, the lack of a breeze made the temps quite comfortable and it wasn’t long before layers were being shed by everyone. With the conditions like this, I thought I’d see if a top water bite might be happening. Well it didn’t take long as my first cast got the attention of an aggressive smallmouth. I quickly changed Don over to the surface and he also got hit on the very first cast. He was now in his glory with the fish attacking his pop r. Andy was also catching fish on the blades and at one point while untangling the line from his rod, the lure got hit while lying on the bottom with 4 feet of line out. He caught that one too! Don was just happy to be fishing for bass his favourite way and having blow ups about every other cast. Seeing this gave me an idea and I changed Andy to another soft plastic that he could fish somewhat slower. Almost immediately he was into fish again and now they were both taking advantage of everything swimming in the area. It didn’t even matter how big the fish were as the action was just on fire for the time being. I covered plenty of water having them focus on all the hard bottom areas and monopolized on all the feeders. Once things slowed down, we relocated to another section of the lake in hopes of repeating this again. Unfortunately with the winds now blowing from the NW the air temps dropped, clothes were re layered and the fish stopped biting. I hit offshore areas in deeper water without even a touch when the shallows went dead and began the scramble to find fish. With all the action before, everyone had skipped lunch and now we decided to eat after 1:30. The winds were officially blowing 15 to 20 knots out of the NW and creating quite a roll on the water. I thought I’d try some other areas using the land as a blocker from the worst winds, but with the low water I soon found that I couldn’t get close enough to take advantage. We were still being blown around but they managed to catch a few more smaller bass in the process. It picked up pretty big and I decided to head further off shore and re rig for fishing in the deeper weeds. This too proved useless as they could barely feel their baits let alone anything that might eat them! We tried one last attempt at fishing the same areas that had produced for us earlier in the morning and soon found that it was next to impossible in this wind. Shortly after 3:00, it was a unanimous decision to pull the plug and head in. No sense fighting « Mother Nature » and her fury! Because we had launched on the SE side of the lake due to it being the only boat ramp with any water, we were going to have a tough time getting out. I let them off the boat in a protected area and put the boat on the trailer in 3 to 4 footers, crashing on the ramp. I also had a few rogue waves just roll over the back while loading. I was just glad to get off the water! They had seen all  types of terrible conditions in the three days they were here and managed to catch fish throughout it all. The temperatures had dropped significantly from when they had arrived as the first major cold front greeted them. Fall had rolled in like a lion and tried to take us out! Fortunately with a little adjustment and relocation we were able to make the best of a bad situation and actually catch some fish in the process. Once this weather stabilizes and the fish settle in, the fishing will become even better. I know Don & Andy will be back next year, but I will be out again tomorrow hoping for a little less wind from the north. With any luck, even catching fish too!!

Don and Andy were with me again today but this time we fished locally. By the time they figured out how to get here, it was 11:30 and once again I was under the gun to produce. I really wanted to get them into some sturgeon and started out giving it a try. The winds were pretty big and out of the NE, blowing 15 to 20 knots with stronger gusts at times. We managed to get the anchor to hold and I realized quickly that the rod holders would be useless. The boat was surging with the wind against the current, making it impossible to detect bites. We immediately went to holding them and it didn’t take long before I had the first one locked up. Andy received the rod and landed a smaller than usual sturgeon but was happy to have caught his very first one. Although the fight was good, I told him it was nothing compared to what he would have if he hooked into a big one. We got the lines back in and waited a little while before I detected another bite and immediately was tight to a larger fish. I passed the rod to Don and he had about a one minute battle before the hooks just pulled out and the fish was gone. Too bad too as it felt heavy! We regrouped and got the lines in once again and about 10 minutes later after contemplating a move, I reared back on another one. I gave the rod to Don again, in hopes of him landing his first sturgeon. This time it stayed pinned and he had a battle! Lots of line peeled from the reel and about one minute in, the fish showed itself with a great leap that we all got to see. Although the fight lasted about ten minutes, Don was able to bring it to net only a little exhausted. I was glad, because the hard part was next! We got everything prepped and I helped him lift it for the pics. Several good ones were taken and a quick release right back afterwards. One down, one to go! I really wanted both of them to fight a big one and reset the lines in hopes of getting Andy a larger one to play with too. Despite all our efforts to hook up, we waited a long time and were pulling out before 3:00 to fish the remainder of the day for walleye & bass. Right when I was about to tell them to reel in, I once again felt a bite and loaded the rod up on another big fish. Andy was about to get his chance at fighting something large! Talk about a « Hail Mary »! He couldn’t believe how strong this one was and once it took to the air, realized why. It was definitely a good one and larger than the previous one Don had landed. He fought it great with a little coaching and had to do the sturgeon shuffle a few times when the fish changed direction below the boat. In under ten minutes he had the beast alongside and I was able to finally net her. It wasn’t as long as Don’s but it was definitely fatter. We set everything up and shot several pics before setting her free. I still don’t know why anyone would want to kill one of these creatures! Mission accomplished! Now we were off to see what we could do about catching Andy his very first walleye. Although the winds were terrible and from the NE, I was sure I would be able to get them into some good fish. Once I located what I needed, they began casting lures to try and entice some of the fish I was marking. Don had no trouble getting the hang of it and boated several before Andy started hooking up too. It may have taken him a little longer but once he caught a couple, he knew what to feel for and was boating plenty on his own. I had stayed out a little longer than usual due to their late arrival and ended the day with a few more fish just before 6:00. I think this day was a successful one with both of them getting sturgeon and finishing with many walleye at the end. Tomorrow is their last day here and I will be heading back in the morning to hook up with them. This time I have the road trip but at least I know where I’m going and should be arriving by 8:30 to hopefully have another great day of fishing. I’m sure that if the winds allow, they will be catching plenty of small & largemouth bass to complete their three day trip. Who knows, maybe even a large northern or two!!

A long road trip and a short afternoon of fishing with Don & Andy saw some fast action today. Don caught the largest bass on his second cast signaling that the fish were active. Flat calm waters and high heat & humidity greeted us and the bass were on fire. They both managed to get into some really nice smallies by just covering water with search baits. Oh yeah, some northerns too! We had only gotten started at 3:30 and were under the gun for time as a huge pressure system was about to move in. I wasn’t sure what it was going to do to the fish, but I knew it wouldn’t be good! After several more bass, it finally arrived around 5:30, with high winds. Along with the winds, the air temps started to plummet and we had to start adding layers just to keep warm. In 30 minutes it went from 80 degrees, to 65 degrees! Although the lake was still flat calm, it didn’t take long for the waves to build and by 6:30 we were heading back to take out. The fishing had died completely and I would have had to make major adjustments in order to compensate for the change. It was almost like a light switch had been turned off! We ran back in two & three footers and called it quits. Although only a short time was spent on the water, it was well worth it with the fish that were caught. I wish we could have gotten on a few hours earlier as I know they would have just crushed them before the cold front arrived. We may need to reconsider our options for tomorrow and relocate if the winds and weather remain the same. Only time will tell. Either way, they will have a full day of fishing, with hopefully even better results!!

Phil & his son Ari were my guests today. Our schedules had clashed several times in the last month or so, postponing our fishing until now. We met up at 7:30 and ventured out in waves already in the two foot range. Although they were from the SW, it wouldn’t allow me any shot at anchoring and they were going to intensify during the day. We would be fishing for walleye & bass instead and hopefully catching plenty. I started them off with a drop shot as we drifted over some deep water looking for the eyes. Last year it took Ari a while to get the hang of it and he just watched Phil pound on them, hand over fist. Not this time however as he boated the three first fish! He managed one bass and two walleye before his dad even hooked his first. The fish really weren’t active and they both had to work hard to get their bites. I decided to try something else and landed two fish in just a couple of minutes, changing Phil to the same presentation. He required a little coaching on how to work it properly but got the hang of it  quickly. First fish for him was a smallie and with the waves, it fought great! A little while later he boated a couple more eyes and another smallie while Ari also managed fish of his own. I livewelled a few of the walleye as Ari would be taking some of them home with him tonight. We made several drifts over lots of areas, each time managing to hook fish, but the action was very slow. The moon was high in the sky and only falling after noon causing mostly negative moods from the fish. I know there were more missed strikes than hooked fish but we worked through the non eating period regardless. Once the moon was under foot, everything changed. The winds intensified and the waves became 3 footers on average. This had us drifting faster than before and an adjustment was needed once again in order to feel the bites. Although it was tough they still managed to catch fish, but light bites were now even harder to detect. I had to concentrate on the sonar more in order to give them a heads up when we were coming over fish. The winds were blowing so hard now that slack was present more than not, We needed all the help we could get! Each time I went back to drift again, I used the main engine in order to get enough bow lift, not to swamp the boat. It didn’t matter though as they were catching fish! The last hour or so of the day saw schooling fish finally active in the wind and if attention to detail was paid, they hooked up. They even had a couple of double headers! As soon as I marked fish, someone got bit and rods were bent. It was too bad the fish only turned on towards the end of the day and we had to work through such a long, slow period because many more fish would have been caught. We pulled the plug before four and rock & rolled our way to the ramp! I guess we hadn’t really noticed how bad it actually was while fishing. The waves were more like four footers and definitely big on our way back. Really glad to be in the Ranger! We stayed dry the entire way despite going with the waves. Phil & Ari had seen many adjustments today and by refining some of the techniques, they monopolized on more fish. Not every day goes the way we’d like, but by paying attention to details, they can all be successful. Phil & Ari had to work harder in order to get the results they got, but they definitely caught plenty of fish. Mother Nature may have thrown us a curve, but we hit it out of the park regardless!!

A larger than usual group today had me requesting the aid of Don for a second boat. I would take Scott, Andy & Mark with me & he would have A.J. and Ralph. We would switch up around mid day so that everyone got a chance at the sturgeon, as well as some bass. The lake conditions were absolutely perfect for what I wanted to do and I was sure we would hook up. No wind is always a good thing for anchoring and we had just that! Once located, I set the lines on the fish and the waiting began. Our first fish was to be a small walleye and although a keeper, it was tossed back immediately. We wanted the beasts! The lines were only back for a short time and one of the rods showed signs of getting bit. I felt it again when I picked it up and immediately set into something heavy. Scott received the first rod as he had organized the fishing day for everyone. It was nice to see the fish jump once again as the last few days saw very little jumpers. When this one went to the air, I saw that it wasn’t huge but it was to them. Regardless, the fight was great and Scott got beat up pretty good during the battle. In less than 10 minutes he was landing his first sturgeon and the skunk was out of the boat! I always love watching new guys try to hold the fish up for pics. Alive and slippery, it isn’t easy! Although Scott struggled at first, he eventually got a better hold on his catch and got it done. A quick torpedo back and it was gone. One down, two to go! Next up was Mark and it didn’t take long to get him into another. I could tell by the weight when I lifted up on the bite that this was the one! It was on and definitely large! A few minutes after being hooked up, it took to the air and we saw just how big it was. It was enormous and Mark was about to get the crap beat out of him! He had laughed when Scott battled his fish earlier and now karma was here to bite him in the ass. This fight was an endurance test as it lasted over 15 minutes and all grueling. The runs were long and the battle was insane! Big fish like these have so much body mass that every time they make a run, they go. As many times as he reeled it back to the boat, it took more from the reel. He eventually managed to bring it close enough for me to net and was just happy the battle was over. Or so he thought! Now he had to find enough strength to lift it up for some pics. He was lucky to have the help of Scott as I don’t think he would have been able to do it alone. Even with both of them lifting, it was still a struggle. With pics complete, they tossed her back and she bolted straight back to the bottom. Still in disbelief at what just happened, the two of them washed the slime off and we regrouped for more. Andy needed one as well and I hoped he would feel the burn! This was the second anchored up spot and seemed like it was producing so we held out in search of another. The bite was really good this morning and it wasn’t long before I was passing another rod off to the third person to fight. Andy was tight to another but it wasn’t the size of the previous one. It didn’t matter though as it was enormous to him! We got another jump from this one as well and I could see that it was bigger than the first one but smaller than the second. Andy still got crushed from the strength of his fish and the others just laughed. It took about ten minutes or so but he finally brought his sturgeon to net. Time for more pain! About all he could do was bear hug it for the photos and it was hilarious. I didn’t want to kill him so I shot fast and told him to toss it back. He was really slimed up and did a bit of laundry while I reset the rods. In fact, my boat looked like a clothes line with every ones shirts hanging out to dry. The rest of the morning saw plenty of action with a full rotation again and more. They caught several other sturgeon and a nice drum in the remaining time we had. Somewhere around noon, we swapped up and I had A.J. as well as Ralph. Scott remained allowing Don to take just two with him. I now had the task of locking them up and things had slowed considerably since the flurry we had this morning. I moved a few times due to all the gobies attacking our baits and finally found a clean spot. The first bite went to Ralph and despite his lack of previous fishing, he managed quite well. The fish came to the boat quickly as it was a juvenile and perfect for him. They took a few pics and we went back to the task at hand. A.J. was a veteran fisherman from Mass and was hoping for a bigger bite, as was I. As luck would have it, that’s exactly what he got! Although it took several moves and a little longer to happen, it finally occurred. When I reared back on the rod I knew it was the real deal and passed the rod to him to fight. When the fish breached all jaws dropped! It was a monster and exactly what I wanted. He was fighting it like he had fought big fish before and required little to no coaching until it was under the boat. I taught him the sturgeon shuffle so that he didn’t clip the line on the props when it crossed from one side to the other. Plenty of long runs and direction changes caused A.J. to maneuver all over the boat to ensure it stayed tight. He fought this fish like a champ and finally brought it up for me to net. It was a gorilla, even in the gigantic net I use! I had somehow managed to lock everyone up today on their first sturgeon and was happy to have accomplished this. Back to the task at hand, pictures! Although I was able to heave it in the boat, it wasn’t easy! A.J. would require the help of Scott to lift this fish up. Between the two of them, they managed to hold it long enough for several good pics before releasing her back to live another day. I reset the lines hoping for another bite but only managed a bass and a walleye. By 4:00 we were done and called the day to head back to take out. With a group like this today my mandate was to lock everybody up on at least one sturgeon each and hopefully more. Mission accomplished! Although I would have liked to try for bass & walleye in the afternoon, the conditions were just too perfect for the dinosaurs to change. No wind always makes it challenging anyway, when you’re trying to drift for bass & walleye! We definitely made the right decisions as everyone got to battle their first ever sturgeon and many of them were large! They also got to catch some bass with Don, to complete their day. It was a very successful one, all around!!