September 18th 2018

Scott was back with me again today and this time he brought Chris, (AKA Frenchie) along as well. They weren’t looking for anything in particular, just to catch fish! I would be going to several areas and hoping to hook them up in all. Maybe even a dinosaur or two!

We got a slightly later start as they drove in early this morning and were fishing before 8:00. First spot had them drop shotting in deeper water and despite several missed strikes, they only managed to get into one nice bass and a couple of walleye. Although I was marking fish, they didn’t seem to want their offerings and a move was made.

The next place saw similar success but with a twist. While I was spot fishing the area with them, I managed to hook into a small walleye that almost got eaten by a good sized lunge. It followed the hooked fish all the way to the boat and I had to lift it out of the water so as not to be eaten. Chris was right beside me and also saw the submarine image chasing the walleye. I guess it was his lucky day! Several casts later I was hooked up on a small bass and it wasn’t as fortunate. Right before I was to land it, another smaller musky attacked the smallie and line began to scream from my reel. Although short lived, it wasn’t pretty for the bass! I eventually reeled the little guy in only to find some jaw patterned marks all over each side. He too was lucky as he only ended up scarred for life!

I had changed locations again due to old toothy and now had them throwing soft plastics over another area. They both made multiple casts over a long stretch of water but only Scott was able to hook any fish. He managed to land a handful of good smallies but none photo worthy!

I had wanted to take them for sturgeon but throughout the morning the winds were blowing pretty good and anchoring up would have been difficult. Eventually the winds layed down enough to make a move and we were heading for the big dogs now! I was pleasantly surprised to see only one other boat out there and began idling over the area in search of some fish.

With rods set, it didn’t take long before we had some action. Unfortunately it was due to all the fish bumping into our lines and not actual bites! Eventually one made a mistake and opened its mouth to eat and I reared back on something solid. Frenchie was first up and I handed him the rod to fight his fish. This thing fought like a giant but when it jumped we saw that it was just an average sized sturgeon. About five minutes later I netted his catch and gave it to him for several pics. After a quick release we were back in and wanting more!

Another bite soon after had Scott battling a smaller one and this time I gloved it instead of using the net. Despite its size, the fish still put up quite a fight and took several minutes to land. These things can pull no matter how small they are!

We had been having all kinds of action from fish bumping into the lines and I knew it was just a matter of time before we had another take. Sure enough I noticed a small bite on the middle rod and set into something large. Chris took the rod and began to do battle with the real deal! After a couple of spectacular jumps his fish decided to make long runs and stay on the bottom. It fought hard and took a while before he was able to bring it boatside for me to net. Not overly fat but extremely long, this fish was the biggest so far today. I think he was glad to release the beast after several pics as it was also quite heavy!

We were still seeing plenty of marks on the bottom and I was pretty sure we would have more action. This time however, Scott picked up the rod when it bit, set into one of his own. Another lengthy battle filled with jumps and runs and bottom hugging had him landing his fish 5 minutes later. It was definitely bigger than his first one but he decided that he didn’t need any pics and the fish was released after the hook was removed.

I wasn’t sure how much longer we would be staying, but Scott managed to get another hookup on his own and figured we’d give it a little longer. This time however, he brought to net a drum that was also released immediately after the hook removal. With the winds picking up slightly I had to use the aid of the electric motor to remain where I was and we held there for about another 30 minutes without any more action. Time to pull the plug completely!

After packing everything up, I decided to end the day with some more smallies and headed to an area to fish. Unfortunately there was a boat close to where I wanted to go and I decided to hit another area instead. No sense educating them on where to fish and what to do!

With limited time remaining, we covered a shallow flat and only landed one good bass. There were several others that followed but nothing seemed to want to bite. I had also seen a wind beginning from the north and a major temperature change occurring. In fact, the winds kicked up so bad that there were huge rollers building on the main lake. It wasn’t going to pretty going back! I informed them that they most likely had seen there last fish with this weather change and we packed everything up and headed back.

The run back was a little rough with the winds coning out of the north and the waves were good size as I neared the channel. Fortunately with the new motor on the Ranger, it made for a dry, comfortable ride!

Today may have started out a little slow but by mid day the fishing picked up and many good fish were landed. Although mostly dinosaurs, Frenchie and Scott were happy to have caught them. I think that in the weeks to come, there will be even bigger monsters boated along with some great bass & walleye action too! I can’t wait for the cooler weather to arrive!!

September 17th 2018

Phil and I hit the water this morning after a bunch of failed attempts at fishing this season. I had tried to get him out but our schedules never matched. The winds forecasted for today wouldn’t be nice but I thought we’d give it a try anyway.

I took him straight for sturgeon as he hadn’t landed one in two years. Hopefully I would be able to anchor up if the winds got too big! They were suppose to arrive before 10:00 and gust over 20 knots from the SW, but fortunately we started in much less!

After a little idling over the area, I dropped anchor where I thought I wanted. Unfortunately it didn’t hold and I was forced to move before we even wet a line. Although not too big, the winds had made us drift too close to another boat and I wasn’t going to stay. I decided to try again and this time used the aid of the electric as well. No problem the second time around!

With a couple of lines down, we waited with rod in hand for a bite. Phil set into the first one and although not too big, it did fight pretty hard. One leap confirmed its size and I decided to tail it instead of using the net. We were not skunked and Phil had caught his first sturgeon in two years!

We reset the lines after releasing the fish and I noticed that the winds had increased. They were gusting pretty good but the combination of anchor and electric motor anchor feature had us holding strong. It wasn’t too long after that I felt a hit and reared back on another. This one felt pretty good and I gave the rod to Phil to fight. For some reason it wanted to stay down and mostly under the boat! Although she had several good runs, Phil had to reach over the motor multiple times as this fish kept moving from one side to the other. In under ten minutes however, he was able to bring her up, for me to net. This one was quality and I needed some pics before the release! Phil had caught most of his sturgeon later in the season and was always dressed heavier than today. This time he was in shorts and a t shirt and didn’t realize that the fish can create a rash, if their body comes in contact with your skin. Sure enough, he found this out the hard way when it began to develop on one of his arms. It never lasts but can cause a slight burning if not rinsed afterwards!

With the winds blowing pretty hard now, I wasn’t sure how much longer we would be able to remain here. I was glad we stayed though as Phil set the hooks into another sturgeon a little while after releasing the last one. This thing was just insane with crazy runs and one great leap. Although smaller than the previous sturgeon it gave a great fight and required the net once again. We had overcome the elements and somehow managed to catch 3 nice fish in the process. We also tried a little while longer but eventually realized it was too rough to even feel the bites. Time to relocate and change to a different species!

I wanted Phil to get into some nice smallies and headed to an area that I knew held quality. I showed him how to fish the bait and it wasn’t long before his rod was bent. Not only had he nailed a good one but there were others with it! I knew he was going to get plenty more and didn’t waste much time with the pics. Right back in, he was hit again on his very next cast! This one was slightly smaller and released immediately after being landed. Phil was amazed at how many there were in the area along with the size. He could see others following his bait on almost every cast and although he did miss many, he still hooked into a bunch. This went on for a while before I repositioned the boat and hit another area nearby. It was game on, all over again! He could barely get the bait in the water and fish were fighting over it. Schooling bass are incredibly competitive and even when you miss one, another hits you right away. This feeding frenzy went on for a while with the big waves we were in. I was glad that he got to fish through a period like this on a day that he wasn’t sure he would even get out.

I’m not really sure how many bass were landed but between the two of us, there were plenty. Unfortunately the day passed by quickly between the sturgeon & the smallies and before we knew it, it was time to go. Several last casts later, we headed back to the ramp to take out. I had wanted to bring him to open water for walleye late in the afternoon and was glad I hadn’t as the waves were even bigger where we would have fished. Good call remaining on the bass I guess!

Today was just another great outing filled with all kinds of action. Even in the big winds, we were able to land our targeted species, multiple times. We had finally managed to get out after so many failed attempts this season. I’m sure this won’t be the last time, with plenty more days left before freeze up. Hopefully we will continue to have more great fishing ahead. Who knows, maybe for some giant fall eyes next time!!

September 16th 2018

Satoru was with me today, all the way from Tokyo Japan. He was working in Montreal for 6 months and wanted to fish for something big. I knew just where to go and headed directly for the sturgeon in hopes of hooking him up!

I was surprised to see only one other boat when we arrived and began searching for the fish. Once found, I dropped anchor and waited for the first bite. Unfortunately we were plagued with small fish and likely gobies as well because I was re baiting the hooks often. Eventually however, I did get the right bite and set into something with weight. Satoru was about to fight the biggest fish of his life! He couldn’t believe the strength it had and struggled to hang on at first. I guess he just figured that he would be able to reel it in right away! Ten minutes later and exhausted, he was finally able to bring it close enough for me to net. Although fighting it was tough, he soon realized that holding it for the pics was even harder. In the end, he was bear hugging the sturgeon just to hang on for the shots. A quick release and back it went!

With conditions almost perfect for fishing, I knew we would get into more. I did have to make a move though as the junk fish were just nibbling the baits like piranhas. He even reeled in a small walleye that had gotten hooked from this spot!

Our second location saw some signs of life and I was convinced that something would bite. We had waited quite a while for it to happen but when it did, it was another good one. I reared back on the rod and loaded it for Satoru to battle. This one fought different than his first and made some great long runs. Surprisingly though, neither of them jumped! The fights last longer when they don’t exert themselves by breaching. This battle was epic as he looked like he was reeling in a cement block! The whole thing took place on the bottom and it wasn’t until he had changed sides multiple times before it actually began to come up. It looked giant in the water but it wasn’t thick. I also noticed a huge lamprey attached to its fin and hoped it wouldn’t fall off before I had it in the net.

This was the first time this season that I actually used the tarp for the fish as I saw how much Satoru struggled with his previous one. I lifted it out of the water and onto the plastic to protect it and make it easier to grab for the pics. I was also happy to see that the lamprey had fallen off in the boat and cut its head off immediately. Hateful things! Despite bringing the fish into the boat to make it easier for Satoru, he still struggled to pick it up for the photos. Another bear hug shot and back it went!

We fished for the remainder of the day hoping for a few more bites but were only able to get nibbles from smaller fish. I also made several moves and re anchored many times in the process. The afternoon wasn’t easy and the boat traffic didn’t help either. We were forced to hold the rods almost the entire time as we were rocking and rolling from all the waves. I think everyone was out today with this weekend being so nice! We were even checked by conservation officers for our licenses and possible fish on board. Nice to see them out, finally!

Satoru had hoped to catch a big fish today and he did just that, twice! I could have taken him for bass, pike or even walleye, but he wanted something that he could remember and brag about back home. Sturgeon was definitely the way to go! I only wish that we could have landed a few more of these dinosaurs but we were still happy with our results. It’s always a little tougher with the summer daytime heat but eventually the fall will arrive. Cooler nights and dropping water temps will have the fish a little more active soon enough. I can’t wait both for the colder weather and also less boat traffic on the water. Better days to come!!

September 15th 2018

Ray had booked a day with me a while back as a birthday gift for his girlfriend, Alena. He was hoping to get into some sturgeon and I was pretty sure we would. I just didn’t know how big or how many they would catch!

With this being the weekend, I knew there would be other boats on the water and I just hoped the traffic wouldn’t be too bad, this late in the year. A quick idle over the area had us anchored up in no time. With the lines in, all we could do is wait!

I had been marking some good fish on the screen but it took quite a while before we had our first bite. When I reared back to set on the fish, I only got a piece of it and I felt the hook pop out. Too bad as this one had some weight! We continued fishing the area and eventually I set into something that didn’t really feel like a sturgeon, but Alena reel in a very small one. Although not what I wanted, it was the right species. We remained on this spot for a while longer but eventually moved to another area nearby and re anchored. I had seen good concentrations of fish here and was sure things would get better.

We had been getting plenty of bites with our move but mostly by junk fish. It turned out that we were able to land two bass and one sucker but were still awaiting our first real sturgeon. They were now understanding what was needed when the fish hit and on one of the bites, Ray set into something quite heavy. He finally had the fish we were looking for but it too came unpinned after about 10 seconds. More disappointment was had, as he was left with a slack line once again!

With not much action going on, I decided to idle over the area again looking for some fish. While I was searching, we were flagged down by someone that was hooked up here as well. They weren’t really prepared for what they had on the line nor rigged with proper tackle either. We helped them out after waiting for quite a while by netting their fish. I even had to get in their boat and show them how to hold the fish for the pics. The only good thing about all of this was that they actually released the sturgeon instead of keeping it like so many others do!

After the ordeal, I continued my search for more fish and eventually anchored up on a few good marks. I had hoped that Karma would bring us some good luck with the good deed we had just done!

As it was mid afternoon now the boat waves were at a high with all the traffic on the water. We were forced to hold the rods instead of actually leaving them in the rod holders and everyone felt for their next bite! This isn’t a bad thing as you can feel just about everything, including all the floating weeds that gather on the line drifting in the current. I had to bring the lines in several times just to take the weight of the debris off the lines. Eventually I did feel a bite though and set into a nice fish for Alena to battle. This thing fought really well and she finally got to feel the power of these sturgeon.

With all lines in and the area cleared, Alena battled her fish for almost ten minutes. It took her from one side of the boat to the other several times and I had to maneuver the rod around the motors a couple of times as well. Although it didn’t jump, it did give her quite a workout until I was able to net her catch. She had finally landed a fish worthy of some pics! It was quite funny watching her try to hold this thing but she managed to raise it up enough for a few good shots before the release. Little did she know that it wasn’t over yet!

I reset all the lines and got back to fishing and not long after, Alena had a bite. I instructed her on what to do and she was tight lined once again. This time however, she brought her fish to the boat much quicker as it was only a juvenile. Despite its size, it still fought like a champ and even jumped a couple of times as well.

We were back in after the release and about ten minutes later, Alena was locked up again. She definitely had the hot hand as she was putting on a clinic! This fish was in the medium size category but fought like a giant! It took to the air in a spectacular jump that Ray was able to capture while he was filming. She also knew what to do now as she had battled a couple of others already. After a lengthy battle filled with many runs, I was finally able to net what turned out to be the last fish of the day.

Although we continued fishing for a while longer, we weren’t fortunate enough to get any more bites and eventually packed up and headed back. This was a great birthday present for Alena as she got to do battle with several sturgeon, for her very first time. Ray on the other hand wasn’t as fortunate as he only had one chance and the hook just pulled out. Despite the disappointment of losing his fish, he couldn’t have been happier for Alena! She had done battle with a few dinosaurs and won! What a great way to spend your birthday!!

September 14th 2018

Patrick was with me today in hopes of getting into some great smallmouth fishing. He said that he wouldn’t mind catching walleye either and would be happy with either. No problem, I aim to please!

We headed to an open water flat and drop shotted it for about a half hour, but without any success. I idled over the area and despite seeing a few fish present, they didn’t want to bite. I eventually went to an area I hadn’t fished in several weeks looking for some smallies but this place only coughed up one decent bass. It did however put the first walleye in the boat for him to bring home tonight.

I didn’t waste long moving to another area and this time the bass cooperated! We had started on a drop and Patrick managed a couple of nice ones but then it got crazy. I could see further off in the distance fish busting the surface and raced over with the electric motor on high. No sooner had we arrived and they stopped. Patrick made one cast and was instantly rewarded with a nice smallie on the end of his line. They may have stopped feeding on the surface but they were still here! For almost 2 hours we had active fish and he boated all kinds of huge bass. Although there were plenty of misses and lost fish, there were also many landed! We couldn’t have asked for a better way to get the day started!

Eventually all good things must come to an end though and the feeding fish were done! We had seen them busting bait and were in the right place at the right time to take advantage of the frenzy. It was just insane!

I moved to another rocky area when the action stopped and covered more shallow water. Although there weren’t nearly as many fish here, we still managed to get into some real quality ones again. There were small pods of fish that aggressively chased our baits and some of them even ate. I tried several places close by and we picked at the bass on each and every one. Eventually we just ran out of areas and I decided to make a long run to another place that I hadn’t fished all season.

When I arrived, it didn’t take long for me to realize that it was dead. In fact, it didn’t look anything like what I remembered and 5 minutes in, we were out!

I stopped on a weed line for our next spot and despite working it for a while, we only managed a couple of bass and one small sturgeon that was accidentally snagged in the snout!

The next spot however put several fish in the boat. A combination of bass & walleye were landed here and Patrick even managed to get the three he wanted to bring home for dinner. We released the others to be caught again another day!

With time getting on, I decided one last move was in order and headed to another smallie spot further away. It was here that Patrick put his last photo fish in the boat. It was another quality smallie and definitely worthy of another pic. I also managed to pick up a few others and between the two of us, we had plenty of chances in the end.

Today was everything he had hoped for with the insane action in the morning and fish throughout the day. It’s always nice when the fish cooperate too! Patrick had landed some huge bass today and saw what a feeding frenzy was all about. All I know is that he had plenty of practice setting hooks and playing big bass! I only hope the weather gets a little cooler in the coming weeks so that this can become a normal thing instead of a hit and miss. The fall period is almost upon us but you wouldn’t know it with the weather lately. It seems that summer just doesn’t want to leave. Hopefully this will mean a longer fall and that I’ll be able to fish right into December again this year! Crossing my fingers and toes!!