Due to a last minute cancellation yesterday afternoon, I had no clients for today! Instead, Christiane & I went out for a few hours of pleasure fishing. She too had the day off and hadn’t fished in so long, so we decided to give it a go!

I immediately took her to an open water spot that was holding fish and she managed to get an oversized walleye soon after. We hit a bunch more walleye and big perch from here as well, until it just slowed down completely. The fish had dispersed and were nowhere to be found!

I had wanted to use a new technique for quite a while and decided to give it a try. On my first cast, I realized that it was going to be one that I would use from now on, as an oversized walleye fell victim to the presentation. The area had gone silent and I still managed to hook into and land this big fish!

We continued to fish here for a bit longer, but only perch were being caught. I decided to hit a new spot in hopes of repeating this newly found technique.

The winds had begun to gust now and 2 to 3 footers were upon us. I thought I’d switch gears and give a shot to a few bass on a rocky bottom flat nearby. It apparently was loaded as all Christiane had to do was drop her line in and she immediately became hooked up. They were all over the bottom and she landed several good ones before they became educated. As with the last place we had fished, I decided to pull out when they just stopped biting! I could have remained longer and worked the area but I wanted to hit one more area with these big winds before we were done.

After a couple of unsuccessful drifts over all kinds of fish with the drop shot, I thought I’d try the new secret technique once again. Just like before, I was tight to another good fish on the very first cast! While we had passed through the school with a couple of other presentations without getting bit, this technique definitely made a difference. I will now keep it on board for future trips when the fish are uncooperative again!

I continued to fish the area until we no longer saw the schooling walleye. All we were able to catch when they disappeared were perch and we had seen just about enough of them. It was time to head off the lake and hopefully beat the weather that was coming our way. Skies were looking a little threatening in the distance and we both agreed that it was a good choice!

In the few short hours we spent on the water, many good fish were boated. Christiane finally got to enjoy one of her days off instead of staying home while I was on the water with others. It was definitely a win, win kind of day! The only one that didn’t benefit from today was the client that cancelled due to the weather forecast. Too bad too as they could have had the time of their lives, catching all kinds of quality fish. Oh well, never believe everything the weather forecasters say!

Well as predicted, the SE winds arrived overnight and greeted me this morning! Although they weren’t too bad at the start, they would increase and make for difficult fishing. I was just going to have to grind it out!

Scott and his family arrived at 7:00 and we headed out in search of some active fish. They were new to fishing so I decided to begin by trolling. With 4 lines in, I started searching for aggressive feeders, but found only a few. We had a bunch either get off before coming to the net or just fire the reel without being on the line. Even when they did make it into the boat, they mostly fell off in the net! This definitely wasn’t going as I had hoped but at least some fish were being caught. They even managed to get one big, over walleye amongst all the northerns they landed!

With today being split into two half day trips, I was once again under the gun to produce. I decided to pull the plug on trolling and try drop shotting instead. This too would prove to be interesting as none of them had fished much before! I wasn’t sure if they would even be able to detect the bites!

The winds had now increased quite a bit and with the direction SE, I was really going to have to control the angle of the boat in order to drift. Between setting lines, making sure they were fishing correctly and working the electric motor, it was almost impossible to remain vertical. It was a real constant struggle for them to have the right amount of line out to present their baits properly!

The first couple of passes saw bites, but no fish were landed! Once they had a bit of a better understanding for this technique, things began to happen. Several fish came to the net on each drift afterwards and even a couple of good walleye were landed.

The time had passed quickly and I now had to get back for the second group. We packed it up and headed to the dock in a terrible SE wind and the waves grew bigger as we got closer. I knew it wouldn’t be pretty when we arrived!

The ramp looked more like the ocean with the rollers as I carefully pulled the boat to the inside, slightly protected from these waves. I quickly made the exchange and we were off!

I knew that backing up to get out would bring water into the boat and I was right. It was next to impossible, not to! As I made the turn to go forward, the pumps took care of what came in and we were on our way.

With the winds as bad as they were, there was no way that I would be able to fish this side of the lake. We took the pounding and ran to the other side to try our luck!

I wasn’t overly confident about trolling, but based on everyone being new to fishing, I thought that it was our best option! I set the lines and trolled for about an hour, covering plenty of water, with only one fish to show for our efforts. I really needed to make a move!

I decided to try the area that I had done well in this morning and made the long, to drop shot. As luck would have it, there was a giant cruiser anchored up directly on my waypoint, in the middle of nowhere! What are the odds of this? I would have still tried to fish it but he was complaining that we were too close to his damn boat and wanted some privacy. After exchanging a few words, I decided that it wasn’t worth the confrontation and headed elsewhere!

I made a long run once again to try and set up on another deep spot but due to the speed & direction of the wind, we didn’t stay long. A quick attempt at fishing here proved to be almost useless and I gave up instantly! Time to try elsewhere!

I was running out of time as well as places to effectively be able to fish. With 4 newbies, I made another long run to an open water spot that I hoped held fish. Once I arrived I realized that it was doable, just difficult! I wouldn’t be able to make the proper drifts but rather smaller, cross drifts instead. We were going to give it a try!

In the remaining 2 hours we had left, there were several quality fish landed, including a couple of good keeper eyes. Plenty of fish were lost and just missed altogether, but that’s to be expected. This was their first time fishing and that always makes it harder.

We eventually ran out of time and were in the process of packing everything up for the ride back when one final fish was hooked. Ironically it turned out to be a pretty good northern and from a bass & walleye spot too! We were officially done after that!

I had made a call earlier in the day and was fortunate to have Don drop my trailer in the water for me to take out. When we arrived, it was waiting and took no time to pull out! Thank god too as the ramp was another shit show, both with waves and people! Weekends are always a zoo, regardless of the weather!

It may have been a big challenge today both with the conditions and novices I had, but in the end it all worked out. Plenty of moving around and adjusting to the wind & waves definitely had its challenges, but I put everyone on fish and that’s what counts. Too bad most of them didn’t want to hold their catch as very few pics were taken today. Oh well, less work for me to do!

Joe and his daughter Ashley were with me this morning for what I hoped would be a banner outing. She also brought her boyfriend Mohit along as well, who had done practically no fishing, ever! We would definitely be starting with the troll!

With the winds still blowing from the NE, I knew floating weeds would be my main issue and constantly cleaned the rods until I found an area with much less. I eventually focused most of my time there and we managed to actually start catching fish. Mohit & Ashley were the first ones up and they both landed northerns. Joe also caught a few pike and a nice over walleye in the time we spent trolling. Once the sun got up a bit higher, the bite died and I decided to move to a different place and try something else. We would be going drop shotting instead!

We drifted over deep water in opposing winds that had up to 2 footers. I wouldn’t have minded if they were from the same direction as the current, but we weren’t that fortunate! Boat control with the electric was a little tricky at times but I made it work! Enough so that they all landed smallies from here with Mohit bringing in the biggest one!

For a couple of hours we made drifts, covering different depth and they picked at the bass. Some were landed, but unfortunately, most were lost! This was new to them and it was a learning curve that they would need time to master. Time that we didn’t really have as we were about to head back to the dock and exchange two people for his three other kids. I packed everything up and readied the boat for the long run back, but not fast enough! The police boat saw us and singled me out for one of their spot checks, again!

I had left us about 15 minutes to get back for the pickup, but we were going to be detained and most likely late in arriving. For the third time this season, I was going to have to show them everything necessary for being on the water. I do like seeing them patrolling, but wish they had some sort of documentation or sticker that they could give, showing them that you’ve already passed their spot check! I had to go through the drill once again and while bouncing around in two footers in the middle of the lake! Fun times!

After the ordeal, we finally made it to the dock for the exchange and now I had Michael, Matthew and Katelyn in the boat. Also new to the fishing, I had my work cut out for me once again!

We made a long run to escape the boat traffic that was officially on the water now and opted for an area out of the way. They would be throwing soft plastics for smallies but it wouldn’t be easy. We still had big waves where we were as the winds had gone full east now and there was nowhere to hide!

I made a cast to show Katelyn how to work the bait and almost immediately felt a bite. I set into the fish hard and passed her the rod to fight the bass but unfortunately due to her slack line, it came off soon after. I could feel by the weight that it was a big one!

For the next couple of hours we scoured the area and they managed to get a few smaller fish. Michael however brought in a nice big one that had fallen for a drop shot rig. I think the only person that hadn’t landed something from here was Katelyn and she had the first chance when we had arrived.

I changed it up and headed offshore to some deeper spots and set them all up to be able to drop shot here. First pass yielded multiple hookups but the fish were on the small side. At least they were catching!

Michael had the hot hand as he was bringing them aboard quicker than the rest. With each move and stop on new areas, it never took long for someone to get bit. I only wish that the fish had of been bigger but they did have a few of those large ones on, briefly. In the end, it just wasn’t meant to be!

We had a somewhat tougher time than I would have liked, but under the circumstances, they did well. Both the morning and afternoon outings had seen enough fish to keep everyone happy. We were officially done!

On our way back to the ramp I noticed that the lake was filled with boats even more than usual for a weekend. I think everyone was out today! I really had to watch the water while running as waves were from every direction. Fortunately we made it back safe & dry!

Tomorrow’s weather forecast calls for a wind switch once again and this time it is supposed to blow SE. Should make for another interesting day on the water! I can hardly wait!

It was another difficult day today with Nick & Eric on the water. We had a NE wind to start that turned east late in the afternoon. I knew the deep drift was going to be tough!

We began in deep water and tried to drift the area I had done so well in yesterday, but the wind direction had 2 footers blowing up current. This definitely made it a little more challenging, to say the least! Although I was marking some fish, we didn’t get bit and I decided to try casting in a different area, much shallower.

The bite here wasn’t great at the start, but picked up as we covered the water. They were throwing soft plastics and a light drop shot and managed to get several decent bass in the time we fished. We were somewhat protected from the wind and I think this helped!

Our next stop was to be in deep water again and despite our second attempt at the fish, we didn’t stay long. I made one half pass along the edge and realized that this was just not happening. The boat control was perfect but the fish didn’t want to bite. Time to relocate once again!

I thought I’d give the guys a break and headed somewhere to troll. Apparently this wasn’t a good choice either as it was next to impossible to keep the lines clean with all the floating weeds. The NE winds had even more surface crap and I didn’t remain here for very long!

I opted for another drop shot drift in midrange waters and both Nick and Eric hooked up quickly. Although the bass were on the small side, it was a good sign! We made several passes and each one produced fish. Eric even managed to get a real nice smallie that was worthy of a pic! Along with the bass, Eric also boated a couple of small walleye that didn’t quite make the cut.

The day was nearing the end and I wanted to get them a few more fish before we had to leave. I ran to another deep shoal and they started the drift once again. As with before, it was Eric that was hooking up from here too! He managed to put 4 more bass in the boat with one of them being a real good one. Nick wasn’t as fortunate and just looked on in disbelief! This was how we would end the day!

Although the fishing was challenging today, they still managed to get into good action at times. I had to move around plenty, just looking for areas to fish. The opposing winds always make it difficult when dealing with current and we saw that again today! Overall not the best fishing day, but definitely not the worst! Hopefully better days ahead!

Rich, Kristine & Chabil joined me this morning for a full day of fishing! We would be doing a bunch of different things including deep drop shotting. I expected better results than the last couple of days, with this one being a longer trip!

I decided to try trolling once again at the start, hoping to get them a few walleye to bring home. Well, it didn’t go as planned though, with only one being caught. Kristine boated a real big one and we had to settle for only the pics. There weren’t even many northerns from the area and I pulled the plug earlier than usual. We were heading to the deep!

After making a long run to a smallmouth area, I instructed them on how to fish the rig, vertical. Not having ever fished this way before, I knew it would be a learning curve for them but felt confident that they would fend well.

Kristine was expected to be the first one to hook up and she didn’t disappoint. We hadn’t gone 100 yards and she was into a smallie. In fact she boated three fish before any of the others even had a bite! They were having a tough time figuring out if they were on bottom or not and not remaining vertical. Once I corrected the problem, they began to get bit!

Our first drift produced over 10 bass and Chabil even managed to land a nice keeper walleye that immediately went in the box. Kristine was doing most of the damage however as she caught over 75% of the fish! Plenty of others were missed or lost as well. including a real giant that Chabil had on his line. Although we never really saw the fish, I knew it was big by the way it was digging. In the end, he snapped the line and was left with only the swivel. You really need to play these big ones and he tried to bring it in way to fast! Inexperience also caused him to snap one of my rods earlier, when he tried to bring another bass to the net. Instead of using the entire rod to drag the fish over he accidently reached out and grabbed the middle of the rod to pull it to me. Instantly I heard the snap and he lost the fish too!

Once the deeper bite slowed, I thought we’d try a little shallower and headed to another area to fish. They would be tossing soft plastics and hopefully the guys would have better results!

Rich was feeling more at home with this method and within the first 5 minutes, boated 3 bass. They were all good ones but two of them were bigger than anything he had caught so far today! He was in the zone as many more followed!

Both Kristine and Chabil weren’t having as much luck but they were hooking into plenty. Unfortunately their landing percentage wasn’t great, as most of them were coming off before the net. Rich however was putting on a clinic, boating bass after bass. I really don’t know how many he caught but it was a lot!

After scouring the area for quite some time, I decided to move out slightly deeper and Rich hooked into a real giant. Not being overly familiar with fighting a fish this big, he tried to land it way too fast. In the end, the hooks just pulled out and all he was left with was memories of the one that got away!

Time had passed by so fast while they were catching fish and I realized that I needed to make a move if they were to have any chance at getting more fish to bring home. I began sliding out to deeper water as they ate and managed to put a couple more walleye in the boat. Too bad that was all she wrote!

One more stop in open water for a last 15 minute shot at fish had them swimming instead. It was so damn hot that even with the roof up for most of the day, they needed to cool off again! I packed everything up while they were in the water and readied the boat for the run back.

Today was a much better one filled with plenty of action. By having the full day, I was able to make the necessary adjustments that kept them on fish throughout. We fished deep and we fished shallow when the time was right and the results showed. They had learned a few new techniques that hopefully will aid them in their future shore fishing. If nothing else, at least have them losing less lures to the rocks! Overall it was a great day for fishing!