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Darren, Mark & Dave were back this weekend for what was supposed to be their annual, 2 day trip. Unfortunately the weather took us out the first day, but not the second! They were going fishing!

I made a little road trip due to the big westerly winds scheduled and was glad I had done so. It took Darren but one cast to get the ball rolling with a nice smallie! Hopefully the rest of the day would be the same!

We were fishing current breaks and both Daren and his brother Mark were hammering the bass. Dave was having a little difficulty getting started but I was sure that was going to change. There were too many spots to fish and way too many fish to catch from all of them.

With each move, numbers of good smallies were landed and Dave did finally get in the game. In fact on one spot he was locked up on a nice bass that I was about to net, when I saw a bunch of others following. In a few seconds it went from one to all three! They were tripled up!

The winds were pretty strong where we were and conserving battery power was a priority. I knew that if we fought current and wind all day long that I was going to drain the batteries quickly. I made a few stops in places that were less in the current, but not out of the wind. One way or the other, we were hopefully going to make it last!

Our final area of the day saw them catching the most fish but it was Darren that managed to land the big bass of the day. I’m not sure what it actually weighed but it was a true giant! Meanwhile Dave who had a slow start was ending with a bang. He had managed to find the sweet spot and was hooking up on practically every cast. This went on for quite a while but the others were also holding their own too! It seemed like everyone was ending with a bang!

We had been holding in one area for well over an hour and they were still catching fish. Unfortunately the batteries were about to make us end the day sooner than expected. Eventually, I had to pull the plug and call it quits but only about 15 minutes earlier than expected. We had somehow managed to hold out for almost the entire day in heavy current and strong westerly winds. I guess my batteries are better than I thought!

Overall today was probably the best day so far this fall for numbers of bass. They may not have all been giants but the amount of fish caught was definitely a great change. They had action all day long and finished strong. Who could ask for anything more!!

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Karen was back today with her father Richard for another day of fishing. We were going to be targeting sturgeon and keeping a couple of hours at the end to try for smaller fish. Hopefully it would all work out!

I set up in the usual area and began searching for fish on the bottom. Within minutes we were anchored up with a few good ones showing. I don’t think it took ten minutes before I was handing the rod to Richard with a decent one on the line. He wasn’t able to move around much so I tried to keep the fish on his side of the boat, for the battle. It sulked for most of the time on the bottom but did come up for a good jump that Karen was able to record. After the breach, it immediately returned to the bottom where it remained for the balance of the fight.

It was probably 15 minutes later before I was able to net his sturgeon and he was relieved that it was over. Holding the fish for the pictures was difficult and I had to rest the sturgeon on a tarp, on his lap. Not the greatest method for pics but it worked!

We had relocated several times after the first fish and only landed 3 other smaller ones. I idled all over the place looking for bigger marks and eventually found a couple that looked large. After waiting almost 15 minutes, I saw a light bite and set into some heavy weight. Richard was about to fight his second big fish of the day. Minutes in, the fish breached behind the boat & I saw that it was definitely larger than the previous one he had landed. He was going to be struggling for longer this time!

This fish was a real treat going from one side of the boat to the other. I had to take the rod from Richard several times so as not to get the line caught in the motor. With Karen’s father sitting, it would have been tough for him to manoeuvre around!

This battle lasted about the same amount of time as the first and eventually I was able to net this one too. It was longer, but not as thick as the first. It was however heavier as he soon found out! I placed the fish on the tarp again that rested on his lap and he held it for a few more pics. Soon after it was returned to the water and swam off perfectly.

We returned to fishing for about 30 minutes longer without another touch. It was time for a move and a different species of fish!

I packed everything up and brought the lighter tackle out for bass & walleye. First stop saw 5 bass landed but no eyes. Richard may have lost one, but we’ll never know for sure! With very little time remaining I decided to hit another area that I was sure would produce. Unfortunately it wasn’t great either and only saw 2 walleye come aboard. One was legal but the other fell an inch short and was returned. A few more light hits were had, but only perch were caught. By 3:00 we were done!

Although the fishing was slow today, Richard got to play with a few good fish. The two sturgeon he fought made the day all worthwhile. Add to that the quality time that Karen had spent with her father and one would say it was just perfect! I always enjoy having them on the boat and even more, the smile on his face when he’s fighting a big fish. He’ll have a few more stories to tell after today’s fishing trip. He’ll also have plenty of photos to show around for everyone to enjoy!

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After almost two years I finally hooked up with Phil, to do a little fishing today. Between being so busy and the Covid, we never could sync our dates. He brought along his son Levi as he was on a study break and had some time to spare. We were going to attempt a mixed bag day, beginning with the beasts!

I headed to the usual area and was pleasantly surprised to see only one other boat around. I had skipped fishing them over the holiday weekend due to the insane amount of boats all clustered together. Not only does this make it difficult to get bit, but the fish tend to scatter and leave the area completely, with all that pressure. Today we had the place to ourselves!

I set everything up and searched for a few marks with the sonar. It didn’t take long before we had the lines in and were bit. I set into a good fish and immediately passed the rod to Levi. We were officially locked up! He fought the fish well and within minutes it rocketed into the air for us to see. Although not a giant, it was definitely quality and he was about to have a great battle.

Within ten minutes and after several powerful runs, I was able to net the fish and the fight was over. Holding it for the pics was a different story however as Levi bear hugged it in order to get a handle on his grip. They are slippery devils! It was returned afterwards and we reset the lines to attempt another one.

I had been marking fish while anchored in the area so there was no need to move just yet. Shortly after we had another hit and Phil reeled in a small sturgeon that was tossed back as fast as it arrived. Another small juvenile after, for Phil again and I was contemplating a move. I was glad that it was only a thought because soon after I set into even more weight. Levi began his battle with a larger fish this time! This one took to the air in under a minute and we could see quickly that it was thicker than the previous one. It also fought much better too with strong runs and another breach close to the boat, 5 minutes in. It took at least 10 minutes for him to bring the fish up for me to be able to net and the battle was done. Pics and a release followed and we reset the lines hoping for one even bigger!

The gobies were exceptionally annoying this morning and I had to move several times before receiving another legit bite. Unfortunately it was a small fish and Levi reeled it in quickly, after having battled the two big ones. I decided to continue my search with an unsuccessful attempt at locating bigger marks. I finally decided to pull the plug and change to another species. We were going for bass instead!

Although I didn’t mark too many fish on the bottom in deep water, Phil was able to connect with a decent smallie on one of the reefs. We covered it thoroughly and despite seeing a few more fish, we never got bit again. I relocated to another spot and similar results were had. Time for a long run with very little time remaining in the day!

I stopped on another deeper place and decided to drift it vertically. Phil once again hooked up first and managed to bring in a two pound smallie. Levi countered with a good keeper and apparently his first walleye ever. He continued to catch more walleye from this area along with his father and several were sent to the tank for them tonight. With each drift there were fish caught and the time lapsed by quickly. Before we knew it, we were done and they had put a solid limit of walleye in the boat.

Today was a great day of mixed fish with some quality sturgeon landed by Levi. The bonus was all the fish caught in the last hour of the day and Levi’s first Walter. He would be getting a crash course in cleaning walleye by his dad tonight. He would also be having a firsthand look at how they tasted, but I’m sure it won’t be his last. Overall, another great day for fishing!!

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Vito spent the second & third days with me amongst a whole lot more boat traffic! We moved around plenty, jumping from one spot to the other and catching fish almost everywhere. The holiday weekend didn’t allow me to fish all the places I wanted, but we somehow managed to overcome.

Vito started out on smallies with a hard bodied jerkbait and had a half dozen chances at some big bass. He switched to a slower bait afterwards and cleaned up with a different presentation! We did this both mornings but the second one was a little more complicated with some idiots moving in on us. They would have probably anchored right where we were if I didn’t start yelling at them! You have to love nice, holiday weekend traffic! In the end, we left with only a few more fish as the bass were totally spooked off the spot!

A whole lot of the places I fished were slower than expected and I realized why, quickly. The water had dropped and the flow was at a minimum this weekend. Apparently it happens every year around this time in order to take some of the bigger boats out of the water. We spent a bunch of time fishing deep and probably found better fish offshore. Although the shallow bite wasn’t great, there were still some fish to catch!

We finished off both days targeting walleye and got into them pretty good on the first day. Too bad I had to encounter another moron trying to fish right where we were. I quickly took care of the problem and he backed off! What’s wrong with people that they don’t even know? I guess you really can’t fix stupid! We did manage to catch enough eyes for a good meal, after Vito’s trip was over. Great times with a great person! I hope he returns next season so that we can continue the tradition! Safe travels home Vic!

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What a difference a day makes! From yesterday’s spectacular weather, to today’s horrible SE winds. Vito & I headed out not knowing if we would even be able to fish for sturgeon. Regardless, I decided to go there and give it a try!

We arrived and I knew right away that it would be a hold the rod kinda bite! There would be no rod holders today as the boat was sideways and rocking all over the place in these south east winds. I set up and quickly anchored , awaiting the first bite. Too bad it was a nibbler that turned into a red horse sucker! Several moves later and quite a while too, I finally felt the subtle bounce of the rod tip and reared back into the real deal. Vito was about to catch his very first sturgeon!

This fish had some weight but not what I had hoped for. Vito brought it up quickly and I could tell right away that it was only a teen. As he did, it jumped right beside the boat and confirmed my thought on its size. It made a few short runs and fought a bit more, before he brought it back up. Within minutes I tailed his fish and handed it to him for the pics. I really wanted a big one!

We had spent the better part of the morning with not much to show for our efforts and pulling the plug on these fish was on my mind. All of a sudden it was forgotten when I felt another subtle take from a sturgeon and set into heavy weight. This was the one we were looking for!

Vito was handed the rod and he could immediately tell that it was much bigger than the previous one. Not being used to dealing with these sturgeon, he began to pump it up quickly like a salt water fish. As it neared the boat, it completely cleared the water and splashed both of us. It damn near landed in the boat too! After this, the battle began with plenty of line peeling from the reel on its first run. This went on for close to ten minutes and each time he managed to bring it back, the beast turned and took it all out again. Eventually all good things come to an end and I netted it for the pics. I took several and Vito released her back to where she had come from. At least our time spent here wasn’t a total waste with the big SE winds! Now it was time to move on!

Vito had come here for the smallies and we changed up to something smaller. I headed to an area that had been producing recently and on his first cast, he was locked up. It’s never good to catch a fish on your first cast! We soon found this out when he never had another one, through this entire area!

I moved to another place due to the big waves where we were and unfortunately had the same results. One fish was missed right at the boat but the visibility wasn’t great where we were and I pulled the plug quickly. This time I was going deeper and hopefully the fish would be more active there!

The winds were pretty big as I spot locked on this place and instructed Vito on were to cast. He picked up a couple of smaller bass on jigs but not the size I was used to seeing from here. I made a couple of casts and immediately hooked into a big bass. It never fails! We covered a bit of water and Vito managed to get a couple more small bass and I did it again. A short cast behind the boat and I ended up nailing a 24 inch walleye. Again, it never fails!

With the wind direction being our biggest problem, I relocated to another spot and Vito immediately had a fish on. He also continued nailing more bass several casts in a row after. This place had plenty of fish on it and by switching baits he pretty much caught them all. At least the action had picked up!

I had made another move to a shallower area that I thought Vito might get bigger fish from and right on cue, he nailed a nice one. We were even seeing some big bass cruising around and I knew there would be more to come. We probably spent about an hour here and Vito managed to catch a bunch of good ones with a couple in the 4 pound range. There were more fish not interested than he caught and long casts were necessary to hook up. Eventually things died and we moved on.

I had wanted to get a few walleye for dinner with Vito but when I ran to the area that was supposed to be easy, the winds had 3 footers on it. We made several passes and unfortunately only managed one small keeper before we were done. Hopefully tomorrow it will have settled down enough for us to get bit!

I knew that the take out wasn’t going to be fun with the wind blowing right on the ramp. I gave a call to a buddy to give me a hand and between the three of us we got it done quickly. Not without bringing plenty of water over the back of the boat though! The waves were monsters at the boat ramp and it was impossible not to!

Today was a difficult one with lots of moving around to catch the fish. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little bit less windy so that I can get to all the places I wasn’t able to go today. Vito is with me for three days and somewhere along the line we should have a great bite with many more fish coming aboard for him to enjoy. I just have to cut back on my casts and make sure I don’t get to them first!