I headed out again this morning with four clients looking for a variety of fish for them to play with. The air temps had stabilized somewhat with the switch in wind direction from yesterdays N/E to a S/W of 5 to 10 knots. This was definitely going to make the fishing a little bit better, I hoped! Although we didn’t get set up until after 9:00 A.M. it didn’t take long for the reels to go off. Within a couple of minutes, both Sammy and Ouissam had landed fish and one of them was a decent walleye that was to be the main attraction at dinner tonight. The other was a northern of 4 pounds and released immediately. I knew now that we were going to have a successful day and reset the lines for more action. About every five minutes or less, one of the reels fired for almost an hour and there were many pike coming to the boat providing plenty of action for all. With the cloud cover overhead and the temps around 60 degrees, it made the conditions really comfortable to be on the water. The boat traffic was a little heavier than I was use to and I knew it was only going to get worse as this was the final day in a long weekend. I was working hard covering all the waypoints and icons I had for this area trying to get a big walleye and keep the tradition rolling when another rod went off and Stephan was into a good fish. By the way it was acting, I thought it might be the one and coached him on how to finesse the fish so as not to pull the hooks free. When I finally caught a glimpse of this one, all was confirmed. It was a big eye! As soon as I slipped the net under the fish, the hooks flew out and she was free. What a beautiful fish of over 26 inches and Stephan’s personal best at over 6 pounds. After a few pics, she was free to go and back to the bottom she went. I told them that we weren’t going to kill a big fish like that just so that someone could eat it and they agreed. These are our big spawners and you have to continue the cycle! Back to the troll we went and almost immediately after setting the lines out, another reel fired and more pike were coming aboard once again. I am sure there were a few walleye lost while reeling in when some of the fish came unpinned, but we’ll never know for sure. All I know is that in the 3 or 4 hours of trolling there were many fish landed as well as lost before we cut out of this area. By now the boat traffic was just insane and I was forced to relocate due to everyone trying to fish. Other than one of the boats, I never saw anyone catch a thing while I trolled through the obstacle course. We stopped for smallmouth bass at another spot in hopes of getting into some of the same action that I had the day before but were somewhat disappointed. Hassan hooked into the first one and just like yesterday, there were plenty more followers as he fought the fish to the boat. Unfortunately, nobody could monopolize on this situation and they all disappeared. A few smaller ones were caught by all but nothing of the size I was looking at and we left not too long after. They just didn’t want to feed and I wasn’t going to stay there waiting for them to turn on. I thought I would try a deep drift with all the bodies in the boat and moved out to between 15 & 25 feet and began. The first fish to get landed was another walleye around the same size as the3 pounder in the morning and it too went into the livewell. Several smaller bass were taken in the next hour or so by all but once again they weren’t really what I was looking for so we threw in the towel and went back to trolling. They all had a good time earlier and it was unanimously decided upon! Back to the troll and instantly a reel fired once again as Hassan jumped on the rod like a cat to a mouse. He’s like lightning when the reels go off! Lots of pike came in the last hour or so and one of the last fish was landed by Hassan and it too was a good one at over 8 pounds. Without a doubt, trolling was the way to go for the numbers today as well as the number of bodies in the boat. It was definitely the easiest method for everyone to catch and boy did they catch fish! It was another mixed bag, multi species kind of day and loaded with action. The fish in the livewell even caught a break when we released the walleye back to the lake due to no one wanting to clean their catch. All in all a pretty good day and nobody got hurt!!

After driving for 11 hours yesterday on a return pickup trip, I was ready to hit the water and do some fishing. Christiane & I headed out looking to see about a possible muskie bite and thought we would throw in several other species along the way too. We decided to start early and were launched before 7:30 and loaded for bear! There were so many rods in the boat that we almost didn’t know where to start! Unfortunately we started with muskie, didn’t do anything for the first couple of hours and decided to switch up for another species instead. Muskie are just hateful creatures! With a N/E wind blowing at 10 to 15 knots, we were not loving the waves as they were contrary to the current and rolling big. The air was also on the cool side with temps in the low 50’s at the start and climbing all the way to 70 degrees by days end. The next attempt at a fish was trolling for pike & walleye and that wasn’t great either as only one pike committed suicide. I covered so much water that I was almost in a different lake when I decided to give bass a shot, with the others not cooperating. At first we tried a drift & drag in deeper water only to have to give it up when the wind was pushing us up current, not allowing a proper presentation to the fish. By now we were into the early afternoon and I really needed to make some adjustments in order to salvage this day. I gave up on using Mother Nature and headed in tight to an area that I had some success in before and prayed for better results. Our prayers were answered as we located a concentration of bass that kept us entertained for over an hour with multiple hook ups. Most of the fish were in the 3 pound range but there were a few that went over 4 pounds and they were just so aggressive on the bite. We had multiple doubles when several others followed, bringing the numbers way up. I knew this wasn’t going to last and milked the area for all it was worth before they just turned off the switch and died all together. Time to relocate and we went back for those hateful creatures once more, also without good results. We trolled a new area for almost 30 minutes and came up empty once more causing us to ponder a possible end to this day. I figured we had nothing to lose so I headed to another spot that put out big bass as well as large walleye and set the lines once again. We covered plenty of water before one of the reels fired, but it was a good one this time. I was able to slip the net under a beautiful walleye of 26 inches and things were looking up. After a few quick pics, we returned the fish back and reset the lines once again in hopes of another, just like the other. A coupe of drive byes happened before another fish actually locked up and a three pound walleye was soon landed. By now we were just pressing our luck and decided to end the day on a high note, as always and unanimously called it. By not giving up, we were able to salvage a not so good day and turn it around landing a bunch of quality fish once again. Tough bite but we survived and overcame the hum drum day!!

Jay joined me again this morning but this time he brought his wife Kim along for another incredible, « Multi Species » fishing day. We hooked up around 7:00 and were fishing not long afterwards in hot pursuit of pike & walleye. The weather was a beautiful sunny, cool morning that was scheduled to reach 80 degrees by days end. Winds were out of the S/W, blowing 10 to 15 knots and putting a 1 to 2 foot chop on the lake. The cool nights had the water temps dropping once again and now they were below 70 degrees. It didn’t take lone before we had Kim locked up and reeling in her first fish in many years. I believe the last one she had caught was also with me, but it was at least 3 years before on another body of water. This one was a northern of around 4 pounds and quickly returned to the lake in hopes of bigger & better to follow. Although the rods weren’t firing off like I was use to, we still picked at them for several hours catching a bunch of fish while trolling in this area. There were even a couple of double headers and Jay managed to get a chance at reeling in some of his own. The biggest one to come from the morning was a pike of just over 6 pounds and surprisingly, there weren’t any walleye landed. I think there might have been a couple on but they came unpinned on the way to the boat leaving us without any real confirmation. We decided to give the smallies a shot and relocated to another area in hopes of more aggressive fish. Jay was the first to lock up on a tiny crankbait and a chunky 2 pounder was his reward. We fished the area for close to 90 minutes picking a fish here and there but once again, had to work for each and every one. Although it was tougher than usual, there were still a few nice ones landed with the largest going over 4 pounds. Unfortunately, Kim was only able to get into a pike here and we decided to try another spot when things just died. The next area wasn’t any better but both Jay & Kim managed to land a few more bass before we packed it in once again and opted for another troll. I figured with the big waves and all that we might be able to stir up some of the better walleye that frequent this location. Once again it wasn’t gang busters but when the reel fired off, Jay was able to reel in our first walleye of the day. It wasn’t a giant like I had hoped but just an average 3 pounder like I see so often. When the next reel fired I made sure that Kim grabbed the rod to complete her grand slam for the day and she reeled in yet another 3 pound walleye. She also managed a couple more around the same size in the next half hour and fought a 4 pound smallie all the way to the boat. Unfortunately, the smallie had other ideas and after 4 or 5 jumps, threw the hooks and was gone. It was getting on in the day and I probably would have called it had that fish come aboard as I always like to end on a high. When the next reel went off I was glad she had lost the bass as this fish was worth the wait! It too went to the air several times but was long and lean and not a bass. Kim had not only managed to land 3 species of fish but now had a fourth to add to her Grand Slam completing her home run as well. I netted the 33 inch muskie and after a few quick picks released it back to the water unharmed. I knew that this fish would be hard to top and officially ended the day on that high note. We had managed to get into lots of fish throughout the day by covering water and mixing it up and had turned a slow day into a very memorable one. I know Kim will remember this one for quite some time or at least until the next time she’s invited back to fish again! All in all a pretty good day to be on the water!!

Today I had the pleasure of fishing with Guy and his little girl for another unbelievable fish catching bonanza. At only five years of age, Catherine just loves fishing and awaited my arrival with tackle box & little rod in hand. We met up around 7:00 and were on the water soon after anticipating the obvious, fish! The second day of a cold front had me wondering what effect it might have had on the fish along with the easterly winds of 10 knots. I had experienced the turnaround only a couple of days before and felt the shut down trolling for pike & walleye. I didn’t want today to be the same! I had a little girl to please and the gods would have to show some compassion as the « Kid Factor » rule always takes precedence. Air temps were still a little low for the end of August at less than 60 degrees, climbing only to 68 by the end of the day. We had cloud cover for the most part during the first few hours of the day but the sun eventually came out and by afternoon, we were fishing in total sunshine. As I began to set the lines out, we had a rip on one of them before I could complete the spread. Although it was only a drive bye, it was still a good sign! We had the first strike in less than a minute making me believe that the fish were back on the bite and eager to eat. This was to prove to be wrong as I had to work for each and every strike we received. Catou soon reeled in her first pike and although it was slightly smaller than I usually see, it really didn’t seem to matter to her as she had a smile from ear to ear! I knew there would be many more and definitely larger so we released this one and continued along our trolling path. It didn’t take long after the first one that a second & third reel fired and she was battling more pike to the boat. Her dad had to give her a hand on a few of them as they were just too strong for her little arms to handle. I had started in slightly deeper water anticipating a better bite but soon found out that most of the fish were in the shallows and concentrated there. We trolled up a bunch of northerns and even managed to get a largemouth bass at one point of around 3 pounds that gave her quite a tussle. I was wondering where the walleye went when another reel fired and we had a confirmation. They were still here, but quite inactive as I netted the 3 pound fish and placed it in the livewell. She would be providing dinner tonight! I was now on a quest and covering water in search of active fish of the walleye type all the while hooking into fish every few minutes that would provide Catou with plenty of enjoyment. Her dad even got a few in as well, in between helping his daughter with all the battles. One more walleye around the same size was also brought to net and slipped into the livewell along with the other one from earlier. I was covering lots of water just looking for some activity and decided to hit a spot that had produced smallmouth before, hoping for a rip. Wouldn’t you know it, two of them fired and we had a double! When I realized which one had the bass I made sure that Catherine got that rod with her dad & I reeled in the pike for a quick release. She really needed his help on this one as it was fighting like nothing she had caught so far today. Eventually I was able to slip the net under the 4 pounder and after a few quick pics, release it back to the lake unharmed. This area wasn’t producing like I wanted to so we packed up and made a run to another location further away in hopes of better bites. This section wasn’t great either, but it did provide some excellent action as there were a few more decent smallmouth bass landed along with pike and walleye too. Somewhere after 3:00 we decided to pack it in and head back to the ramp calling it a day. A little girl had her day on the water and managed to land more than enough fish to satiate her appetite for while, I think! This may prove to have the opposite effect on her as she may want even more the next time she wets a line. Taking a kid fishing can only have a positive reaction and I love seeing their faces light up when they’re tight to a fish in battle. Catherine was one happy camper today as she ended it with her very first « Grand Slam Home Run »!!

Another no show on Tuesday had me taking care of things at home instead of being where I wanted to be, on the water once again. Today however, I was back out with Jay and his two nephews, Shane & Devin looking to get them into plenty of fish. I hadn’t seen them in a few years and they had really grown since we were out last with their father. The weather was a mish mash of terrible, with winds starting out from the S/W at 15 t0 20 knots and closer to 30 knot gusts. The skies were heavily clouded and most of them were gray & black rain clouds too! Although we never really got rained on, the run on the lake was a little splashy due to the direction I had to take and some rain fell upwards instead. I was glad I had chosen the rain gear! We began by trolling in an area and after about 35 minutes in the waves without any success, transferred locations in hopes of better results. Once more I criss crossed the wave direction in order to get to where we were headed, causing more upward splashes and wetness. I hadn’t had the lines in the water 5 minutes when a reel fired and Devin was officially into the first northern of the day. Although it wasn’t a very big one, it was still nice to see the fish were here! Trolling into the wind & waves was quite challenging to say the least as boat control wasn’t easy! Although the down wind troll was easier, it wasn’t as productive, as we had more hits from the opposite direction. The bites weren’t fast & furious like I was accustomed to but we were able to pick at them alright in the next couple of hours, catching a bunch of pike and a few walleye. One of the northerns acted like a really big walleye when Shane let him dive down into the weeds during the fight. He had a tough time getting the fish to the boat and although the pike was in the 8 pound class, there were 10 pounds of weeds along for the ride! This fish never really fought after the burial, it just gave up and was dragged all the way in. Devin managed to get into another big one a little later and showed his brother how to do it when he brought the fish back in record time. This was another quality northern and very worthy of a picture, but I was forced to hold it for him when he refused to stick his hand into the gills for the pic. We continued to troll through this area all the while hoping for a better walleye bite without any real success. To make matters worse, the bite totally died when the winds went west and then N/W blowing even stronger. Usually when you get a wind change the bite gets really hot but not when it turns into a northward blow as we found out. I thought we would make another run and switch it up completely, going for smallies instead. Once at the new location, we were into them almost immediately as Devin got slammed on a blade right at the side of the boat. This was the start of the smallmouth bite as everyone managed to get into them on a variety of presentations. The crank-bait that Jay was throwing turned really hot when we got over some shallower rocks and he started to just pound them. Both the boys had slacked off a bit and their uncle was monopolizing on their lack of catching by reeling in one after the other! Devin did hook up on a big one but it turned out to be the wrong species for this area as I unhooked a 6 pound pike for him after the fight. As we slid along this area, there wasn’t any one better lure than the other, with everyone catching on whatever they were throwing. I wanted to try another spot, but I have a hard time leaving fish when fish are biting, so we settled in and just kept fishing this one a little longer. We cut the day slightly shorter than I am use to when Jay mentioned that everyone had to be somewhere by a certain time and ran back to the ramp around 4:30. Considering the changes that we had in weather, I think that we fended quite well all around. We had 3 wind directions, a drop in temperature through the day and clouds with bright sunshine later on in the day. I don’t know who was more confused, the fish or the fishermen! Overall it was still a great day with many, many fish landed by all!!