Stephane was with me today along with his girlfriend and her two children from France. We met up before 7:00 hoping to get a jump on the boat traffic as it was to become another beautiful day. Although cool this morning, temps were forecasted to reach into the 80’s by afternoon. With this many bodies aboard and both kids never having fished before, trolling was the way to go! After a short run to our first location, I set the lines and instructed Stephane on how to remove the rods. I wouldn’t always be able to get to them and needed a backup person when the reels fired. With four lines in the water, I knew we would be into fish quickly and wasn’t trolling for 2 minutes when one of them went off. First fish of the day and Stephane was into a rather large pike again. I had been seeing quality pike lately and this was another. A quick pic and back to the water to be caught another day. Plenty of fish followed and everyone was taking turns reeling them in. The entire morning passed by quickly as both pike and walleye were seen by each person, multiple times. As noon was approaching I knew the traffic was about to get worse and sure enough, the cruisers came out. It’s really amazing how they really don’t care about others. Boat after boat went plowing by, rocking & rolling us in the process. Several of them were within 50 feet while one of the kids was fighting a fish, rolling 3 to 4 foot waves. Eventually I just had to cut our loss and relocate! The next area began to produce more walleye than pike and Stephan was happy. They were hoping on taking a few back with them to show the kids what they tasted like. Tonight they would be having fish for dinner! We remained in this area for a while and picked at some good ones before Stephane decided to call it quits. By now it was after 2:30 and they had been fishing for almost 8 hours. One more fish and we were done. I packed everything up and we were off to the ramp, hoping for the best. Fortunately there wasn’t a traffic jam there and I was out quickly. For a first time experience, these children had the time of their lives. They had landed so many fish that they wanted to come back. Hopefully the next time they’re here, I’ll see them again! A great time was had by all and only a few fish got hurt!!

Well I found out today why the traffic was so light on Canada Day! Eric & his sons, Clayton & Cameron accompanied me this morning after a day of the « Big Blow ». We still had some winds this morning from the SW but nothing the likes of yesterday. We made our way through two footers and arrived to our first location with anticipation. I had loaded the boat for bear today as they wanted to try for everything. After trolling for some mythical creature for about an hour, we pulled the plug with just one pike as our reward. I needed to hear the reels fire and it was about to happen. As soon as I switched the big sticks up for the walleye rods, we were rewarded with some action. For the next several hours of trolling, many pike and a bunch of walleye were landed. Even this action wasn’t what I was use to but with barely 65 degree water I wasn’t surprised! The boats were also plentiful today with all the sunshine and traffic became insane right around mid day. I knew I had to pay somehow for the rainy holiday earlier this week. With the winds diminishing you would think the waves would as well, but they were rolling from every direction from all the boats. We made a few attempts at running to other areas of the lake to fish but with only limited results managed to make our way back to near where we had begun. In one area we even were approached by a police boat for a routine inspection. I guess they had nothing better to do as we had to bring in all the lines just so we could comply. Cards, registration, lifejackets, throw ropes, flares, etc. were all checked & verified for yet a second time this season. I really wish they had a sticker or something they could give so that they didn’t have to do repeat checks. I guess it’s a good thing that they are actually out there, but they need to be a little more organized. Once all done we resumed our fishing and managed a few more pike before calling it a day. I had invited them to feast on walleye for dinner and needed time to clean the fish before. We made our way back to the dock around 4:00 and to my surprise, the ramp was clear for me to take out. A rare thing! Although I would have rather seen more cooperative fish today, I was definitely marking them. A mix of techniques were tried but the troll proved to be the most successful. With 4 lines in the water we were able to cover plenty of water and monopolize on the most active biters. With warmer weather forecasted in the next few days, I can only hope the water temps increase and the fish turn on. This roller coaster weather that we keep having definitely keeps me on my toes! A good day on the water with great company followed by a delicious dinner of freshly caught eyes. Who could ask for anything more!!

After a couple of cancellations and postponements, I was back out with Valerie and Max today. Although not a great looking one, we were fishing nonetheless! With plenty of rain and possible thunder storms forecasted, traffic would be at a minimum. Canada Day usually brings out as many boats as St. Jean Baptist, but the weather would kill that today. Valerie didn’t seem to care about rain and neither did Max as we made our way out. They were wanting pike today and I knew they wouldn’t be disappointed! I figured with the cold night and shift to SE winds this morning that the fish would be a little deeper and began there. Although we had a few rips and managed one small northern in the first 15 minutes, it wasn’t what I expected. A quick change of locations had them tight lined and multiple pike were coming aboard. Max even managed to get what looked like a 10 pounder when it sky rocketed into the air behind the boat. Once in the net however, I realized that it was skinny and closer to 8 pounds. It definitely had the length of a ten but needed a little more girth. We were fortunate enough to be able to fish rainless for a few hours this morning but around 11:00, I had to put the top up. From that point on, the rain started to fall and we were happy to be under to roof. It didn’t seem to matter to the fish though as the reels kept going off. Not all the hits were aggressive and throttling down with light hits was becoming the norm. With water temps around 65 degrees, it was no wonder that the fish weren’t aggressive. I’m beginning to wonder if it will ever top 70 degrees again! We fished through several downpours and remained relatively dry, if not for the winds. Spray managed to get us from the sides at times but it was a lot better than getting poured on! I covered a lot of water today but remained trolling for most of it. Both walleye and pike were hooked on a regular basis and there was very little down time throughout the day. Valerie managed to catch the better eyes and Max had top honors with the pike. There were even a few rather large fish that were never even seen. They came unpinned before we could see them leaving us wondering what might have been. Despite all the miserable conditions today, there was a positive side to it. No boat traffic and a vacant ramp at the end of the day. The last hour of fishing even had us exposed to sunshine and allowed me to take the top down after it had dried. We managed a few more fish and then pulled the plug on this one. I’m not sure exactly how many fish they caught but it was a lot. All things considered, I was happy to see bad weather on, « Canada Day »! It felt like a regular weekday and not a major holiday on the water. Overall a very relaxing day of productive fishing!!

Andrew brought along a bunch today! He had his two sons and another friend of theirs for a successful half day of fishing. The boys were really looking forward to catching and despite another cold front, did just that. The morning air temps fell below 60 degrees and dropped the water temps as well. They were back down to 65 degrees and I knew the bite would be light. In fact, most of the hits while trolling were barely heard. One or two clicks from the reel had me hammering the gas, just like the first week of the season. Fortunately we were able to find many fish and the kids had a blast. There were plenty of small pike and some good walleye caught in the half day out. I think the afternoon would have been the better time as the air temps were beginning to warm the water as the morning passed. We were starting to get more and better quality fish the closer we got to departure time. The three kids were taking turns on the reels and all managed to catch in the double digits today. I wanted to finish with everyone landing one last fish and had two to go when we managed another double. Now that’s the way to end a day! We packed everything up and made our way back to the ramp to take out. By now the water was full of boats and it was like running an obstacle course. As always, the docking was nonexistent and I was forced to land the boat on the cement. It’s great having the keel protector in situations like this. I had the boat on the trailer and out of the water before anyone had even moved. Weekend warriors were out in full bloom once again today! I was actually glad to be off the water and not have to contend with all this chaos any more. Half days aren’t so bad on the weekends! I think Drew & the gang will remember today with all the fish they landed. They might even be able to apply some of the techniques we used when they return back home. Definitely a successful half day of fishing!!

Scott & his son Tristan joined me this morning for another multi species fishing day. Scott has been a long time client from almost as long as his son is old and wanted Tristan to experience a great day of fishing. They came to the right place as they were about to find out! Although the air temps were cool at 60 degrees this morning, it was expected to warm up a little later. Unfortunately the water temps had fallen overnight and went to a chilly 65 degrees where we began. I knew a slow troll was going to be necessary and dropped it down to under 2mph in order to get bit. A bunch of pike were landed in the first hour along with a couple of walleye and one rather heavy fish left with a lure. I knew exactly what that was as I had been encountering several large toothy critters lately! In fact a little later Tristan was handed the rod from his dad and had the pleasure of fighting his first ever lunge. It wasn’t a giant, just a perfect size for him to catch. Several pics were taken before the release and right back to trolling we went. Although we began with flat water, the winds had now started blowing from the NW creating a pretty good chop on the lake. We just can’t seem to get away from the cold blowing air lately! I wanted to give them a variety of fish today and later in the morning decided to switch to smallies and another technique. I opted for a semi sheltered section of the lake in order for them to be able to cast. Once again however, the water temps were cold and the fish were like ghosts. Tristan managed to hook & land a few smaller bass while his dad struggled to even get a hit. We could see a bunch of quality ones swimming in certain areas but they didn’t want to know anything about us. I hit a few spots along the way and they finally picked up several decent bass. Although not what I had expected, at least there were enough fish to keep us interested. I had one other place I wanted to fish before resuming the trolling and made the long run to the spot. We were now out in the open water and the winds were blowing pretty good making presentation difficult. After about an hour and only a few fish I pulled the plug and headed elsewhere! Scott had never been successful with the drop shot so we decided to give it a try in deeper water. I instructed them on what to do and told both of them not to set the hook when they got bit. Almost immediately Scott got bit and hammered the fish with a solid hook set. He came up completely empty when the fish bit him off. I reinstructed him again on just reeling to load the rod and raise it high with pressure. It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks! After this, Tristan managed to get a couple of smallies and we boated a few walleye as well. Scott was coming up a little short as he missed several bites from setting hooks too quick. Once he figured out the technique properly, he finally hooked a couple of bass himself and his skunk was gone! I’s all about technique & confidence! Hopefully now he’ll be able to apply this to areas back home where he fishes, successfully. As the time was getting on we decided to get a couple more fish and pull the plug. Scott had a long drive home and at 12 years old, Tristan would only be sleeping. I couldn’t believe the boat ramp when I got back. Middle of the week and a freaking zoo! I really wish people would be a little more courteous and learn that 20 or more minutes to take a boat out isn’t normal. Blocking docks for extended periods of time while you screw around isn’t great either. I waited over 20 minutes while one person occupied the ramp and three other boats waited to launch. Unbelievable! By the time it was all over I had been at the dock for almost 30 minutes but it only took me 1 minute to get out. It’s really hard to be patient when shit like this is going on. I guess « You Can’t Fix Stupid »! Almost a perfect end to a perfect day!!