September 13th 2018

Matt was back again today and this time he brought his brother Phillip along as well. They wanted to fish for bass right away so I headed to an area that was loaded with big fish. Hopefully they would be able to keep them pinned!

A quick explanation and demonstration on how to present their baits had them both hit on their first casts. As usual though, they both missed their fish! Matt redeemed himself quickly afterwards by bringing a really good one to the net. His brother however could only manage to get bit, but never really kept them pinned for long. Although Matt wasn’t fending as well as I had hoped, he did manage to catch one other fish before I decided to make a move. Between them they had over 10 chances at these fish, but were only able to land a couple.

Our next area had a slow start to it but eventually I found the fish and they began to hook up. At one point Phillip fought a nice bass to the boat that brought another big one with it. Matt tossed his bait right in and doubled up almost immediately. We covered plenty of water and they both managed to land a few more, but the fish weren’t cooperating very well. We were seeing more bass just cruising than they were actually catching. This became very frustrating and it was happening everywhere we went. The flat calm conditions actually felt like there was zero current as well. Time for another move and a switch of species too!

They had decided to give the sturgeon a try under these conditions and I made a long run to where I needed to set up. With the lines all in I raised the top, providing a much more comfortable waiting area. With only a couple more hours remaining in the day, we gave it our best shot!

As luck would have it, the first bite turned into a hookup and I passed the rod to Matt’s brother to fight. He had never landed a sturgeon before and was amazed at just how hard they pulled. At one point while downing the roof, his fish breached and he was even more amazed at how big it actually was. After a few good runs and almost 10 minutes later, I netted his catch. Several great pics were taken before the release as well.

I reset the lines and a little while later, set into another fish. This time Matt reeled it in, but I could tell by the fight that it probably wasn’t the right species. It turned out to be a nice drum and Matt’s first ever. He needed several pics before dumping it back into the water as he had never even seen one before!

With time getting on I really wanted another bite and made a small move to relocate more fish. After about 15 minutes of waiting, I felt a small bite and set into something pretty heavy. I immediately gave the rod to Matt and he began doing battle with a good fish. I told Phillip to reel in the other line and we both began to clear the area for Matt to fight his beast. To my surprise, Phillip reeled right into another fish too! We now had a double and things were about to get interesting! Fortunately the second fish wasn’t as big as the first and came to the boat much quicker. I was able to tail this one and release it before concentrating on Matt’s fish.

After about another 10 minute battle, Matt finally brought his sturgeon close enough for me to net. It wasn’t thick but it was very long. This would turn out to be bigger than the one he had landed the previous week while fishing with me too. He released the male after several good shots and they decided to end the day on a high!

Today saw a great mix of fishing that ended with a bang. The bass may not have been too cooperative but the sturgeon definitely were. In just about two hours they managed to do battle with a couple of big ones and under extreme conditions. Bright sunshine, high humidity and flat calm waters had plagued us all day! I think we fended quite well with what we were dealt today! All I know is that fall will eventually be upon us and the fishing will continue to get better in the coming weeks. I don’t want to rush the weather, but I can’t wait for some cooler temperatures and more active fish. It won’t be long now!!

September 12th 2018

I had a group of three this morning that wanted to try for sturgeon. Pierre, Bruce & Charlie decided that even having chance at one was the way to go. I told them that the odds were in their favor as we headed out to fish. I hoped that I was right!

It didn’t take long to find what I needed to see and set the anchor in place. I had idled over a good concentration of fish and was pretty sure one of them would bite. With lines in, the wait began!

We had been anchored in the first area for about an hour and despite marking all kinds of fish, we still hadn’t gotten a single bite. I decided to relocate and began searching for another area and more fish.

The second spot looked good and apparently it was because it didn’t take 3 minutes before we were bit! I reared back on something heavy and knew someone was in for a great fight!

Pierre was immediately given the rod and instructions on what to do. At 81 years of age he would be the oldest person ever to land a sturgeon in my boat. All he had to do was suffer through the pain for another 5 or ten minutes! I could tell that this wasn’t the first big fish he had fought by the way he took control and later found out that he had caught plenty of tarpon and big game fish in his life. Other than the fish going from one side of the boat to the other, around the motor, he kept the rod in his hands the whole time. At one point the line began to rise and the breach was inevitable. Everyone saw the actual size of his fish when it leaped into the air and the fight was on! It sounded to the bottom immediately after and kept him bust for about ten minutes before I was able to net the beast. He had succeeded in landing his first ever sturgeon and was able to tick a giant freshwater fish from his bucket list!

I prepped everything for a few pics and sat him down to hold the fish for the photos. There was no way he would be able to do it standing! With a little help from the other two, I was able to get some great shots both together and alone before the release. This fish swam off unharmed to fight another day!

I set the rods back and readied everything, anticipating another bite. I was still marking some good fish under the boat and was pretty sure we would get at least one more. About ten minutes in, it happened and Charlie was given the rod to fight the fish. With lines cleared he was able to do battle with another monster and what a battle it was. It didn’t jump just once, but rather 4 times while he fought his fish. Several times when he thought he was gaining line, the sturgeon sounded and took it all back and more. This ended up being the best battle I had seen so far this season! Eventually it was all over though when I slid the net under the beast. What I had thought was just a good one turned out to be even larger than the previous one. It was much heavier and a pretty good reason why it fought so hard!

Charlie held the fish up for some great shots before releasing her back once again. It still amazes me as to why someone would want to kill such a beautiful fish! Unfortunately there are more guys out there that keep these things, rather than release them back where they belong!

I set the lines one more time afterwards but unfortunately wasn’t able to get bit again. They did manage to bring a perch to the boat, but no more of the dinosaurs wanted to play. Time had elapsed quickly with the big game search but we had accomplished what we had set out to do. Pierre had done battle with something he had never caught before, at 81 years of age! The second fish was just a bonus!

I’m sure these guys will be talking about today for a while, or at least until they get out again. With any luck the fishing will be even better if they do! All I know is that the memories from this morning will remain etched in their minds for quite some time. It was definitely worth the trip!!

September 11th 2018

After a cancellation yesterday afternoon, due to high winds and big waves, I was back out again this morning. Scott, Manson & Cory were with me and looking for something big. I knew just where to go!

I made a long run and idled over the area that I wanted to fish. It didn’t take long before I saw what I was looking for and dropped the anchor to set up. With lines in, all we could do was wait for the first bite. Unfortunately the first couple were junk fish and not what I wanted. The third time was a charm as Manson was finally into his first ever sturgeon. It may not have been big by my standards, but it was still a good fish! It made a spectacular jump and sounded to the bottom a couple of times, giving him a great fight. A few quick pics and back it went, to the bottom where it belonged!

The bite wasn’t great and I had to make a few moves to stay on them, but the fish were definitely there! Not long after we anchored for the third time, I saw a bite and set into a heavy fish. It was Cory’s turn and the rod was passed. The other two lines were cleared to make way for his fight as I knew this was a much better fish! At one point in the battle, I could see the line rising and told everyone to watch as the fish was about to breach. When it did, I knew he was in for a long battle. It was the largest one so far this season and it was a male. They usually put up a better fight than the females with their long slender profiles!

Cory couldn’t believe how strong these things were and was doing everything he could do bring it to the boat. Several times it went around the motors causing him to switch sides, carefully. After several good runs and about ten minutes later, I was finally able to net his fish. It may not have been fat but it was really long! It was going to get interesting as I told him the easy part was over. Now he would have to hold it for the pic!

After torturing him with different angles for the shots, Cory was finally able to release the fish back to the water. A sigh of relief was made, as he no longer had to hold up his heavyweight! I quickly got the lines back in and hoped for an even bigger one next. Unfortunately we weren’t as lucky with several other junk fish being landed and one 10 pound catfish by Scott. We did manage to get 8 fish from the area but only two of them were the targeted species! Everyone decided that it was time for a little bass action!

After a short run, I settled on a location that had been producing quality fish recently and locked the trolling motor in place. I rigged up 3 rods with soft plastics and showed them what they needed to do. Manny was the first to lock up on a bass and it was an average big fish for the area. I took a few pics of his catch and he released it back where it belonged. The others weren’t having much luck as they just kept missing bites! Eventually I had to show them what to do and immediately locked up! I gave the rod back to Cory to fight the fish. At the same time, Manson hooked up again and this eventually made for a great double pic. Scott on the other hand could only get a piece of his bites and was missing all of the fish. Eventually he redeemed himself and finally brought one to net! This area wasn’t an easy place to fish and you really had to pay attention throughout the cast. Manny seemed like the only person that was consistently hooking up and he was fishing real slow.

We moved around the area we were in and they managed several more bites. Too bad most of them were missed or lost on the jumps! I decided to make another cast for Cory and immediately locked up on another giant. At least he was getting to fight some fish! The other two were fending equally as well but Cory managed one more landed fish, giving him a total of five for this spot. I didn’t want to stay much longer as I had other areas I wanted to go to before we were done. I took Cory’s rod one last time for a couple of casts and hooked into another quality bass. I passed it back to him once again and we were done!

I had decided to try one last shoal before we called the day and made another short run to the rocky flat. The low light made it tough to see, but there were definitely fish in the area. Short strikes on Scott’s rod were had but the results were similar to before. Missed fish and nothing to show for his effort! Cory wasn’t doing much better and I decided to make another cast with his rod to show him how to work the bait again. As luck would have it, I set into another big bass and passed the rod back to him to fight the fish. Unfortunately this was to be the only fish for this area before we were done! Scott did manage to miss a couple of other fish but we never had anything afterwards and pulled the plug on the day.

Scott had hoped to get Manny and Cory into a sturgeon and we had accomplished this. He had landed some big ones the previous year and just hoped that they could feel the power as well. The late afternoon smallmouth fishing wasn’t great but the caliber of fish were. They had plenty of chances and landed some really good ones in the time remaining. Scott will be back out with me again next week and hopefully the weather will cooperate enough to catch a few more big fish. If not, we’ll just have to settle for the huge smallies and walleye that live here as well. It’s always great to have a backup plan, in case mother nature doesn’t cooperate. This also makes for a great multi species kind of day!!

September 8th 2018

Matt had contacted me this week to book a trip, as a gift for his friend Sam. It was his birthday and he wanted to go fishing! Hopefully the weather and fish gods would come through!

A little later start than usual had us leaving the dock about 8:00 in search of sturgeon. I was sure we would get some but unsure of the numbers and size. The area I had been fishing recently hadn’t put out any of the big ones yet and I was hoping that this would be the day.

After a smooth run with the new engine, I began the search and eventually anchored up on some good marks. With lines set, we waited in anticipation of our first bite.

The winds were blowing out of the NW and even with the sun, it felt cold. There also didn’t seem to be much activity around and the wait seemed like forever. Eventually however, one of the lines got bit and I was tight to their first sturgeon. Sam was the lucky one as he got to do battle with the fish. Although not really big, it still gave him a great fight and some spectacular jumps. It even surged to the bottom a couple of times, screaming line from the reel. After a few minutes, I was able to tail his fish for several good pics before the release.

Matt was up next as I had found out that he too was celebrating the same birthday! I really wanted him to experience the power these fish delivered and made a move, searching for more marks. Once found, I dropped anchor and we began our wait again!

It didn’t take nearly as long this time as our first hit came within minutes. Unfortunately I only got a piece of the fish and the hook pulled immediately. My hookup ratio is usually closer to 100% and I wasn’t thrilled to have missed this fish!

I had noticed that the wind had calmed down a bit and switched more to the east now and that there was also more activity all around. Birds were flying and there were even some fish jumping where we were too. It was a good sign and I expected another bite soon!

As luck would have it, I noticed one of the rods getting hit and set into a good fish. Matt immediately took the rod and began to do battle with his first ever sturgeon. With the line rising, I informed him that the fish was about to jump and when it did, he couldn’t believe its size. It may not have been big to me, but it was to him! He fought the fish for about five minutes and really got to feel the power as it pulled line from the reel. Eventually I netted his catch and he held it for several pics before releasing it once again. I still don’t know why anyone would want to kill one of these things!

We remained in the area for a little longer, without any more bites and decided to pack it up and go for bass. Although the sturgeon were great, they wanted a little more action and bass was what we were going to target.

After a long run, I settled on a shallower flat where I had been seeing only big fish lately. I was sure that if they worked it thoroughly, they would hook up. After a few follows and missed strikes, Mark locked up on a bass that had been eye balling his bait. It was a good one and when it jumped, I realized just how big it actually was. I eventually netted it and had a tough time removing the hook. This thing would have never gotten off! Pics and a release and back to searching, now that everyone had more confidence!

Although they had several other chances at the bass, Matt was the only one that was able to land one on a jig. The others just weren’t as lucky and missed each and every fish they had. With time getting on, I decided to hit one last area hoping for a few more big bass!

After another long run, I set up on a current break and locked the motor in place. I instructed them on what to do and it didn’t take long before Mark was tight lined. Unfortunately he had set on slack and once his fish jumped, it threw the bait. I told them that the fish were big here and by paying attention, they would land every one they hooked. Matt also had a run of bad luck when he lost three fish, simultaneously! More slack line issues! I informed them again on paying attention as they wouldn’t get many more chances. These fish didn’t get that big by being dumb! They would eventually stop biting all together! Mark soon set into another good fish and this time he actually brought it to net. No pics as he wanted to get back in immediately and catch another.

We had been holding on this spot for over 30 minutes now and several chances were had, with only one fish landed. Not a great percentage! Sam wasn’t doing much better either as he lost 2 or 3 as well, but soon redeemed himself. After losing a good fish moments before, he set into a nice one and was lucky enough to bring it to net. While we were taking pics, Mark slammed another one and kept it pinned long enough for me to finish with Sam’s photos. I netted his bass and again released it so that he could continue fishing.

Matt was up front watching everyone else catch but was unable to rebound after losing those 3 fish earlier. I took the rod and showed him exactly what to do and set into another good one almost instantly. The fish were still here but you had to pay attention!

Unfortunately, 20 minutes later, it was time to go. They had about 12 chances at these fish and only managed to bring 3 to the boat. Four if you count the cast I made! Despite the slow fishing, the quality was definitely there. They may not have landed a lot of fish today but it wasn’t for lack of trying. They all had many chances but didn’t monopolize on them as well as I would have liked. In the end though, they couldn’t have asked for a nicer day on the water. The cold morning gave way to a beautiful warm afternoon and the wind disappeared all together. This was the perfect end to another great day on the water!!

September 7th 2018

I was back on the water again today, but this time with new power. The last two days were used for a motor installation. Although the old one was still running, it was time for a new one and the 250 Verado was now powering my boat!

Jon & Fred were with me today and smallmouth bass were the requested species. We were going to hit as many places as we could in the 9 hour day. With any luck, the fish would cooperate!

I made a long run with the new engine and was extremely happy with its performance. Not only was it powerful but it was so quiet while moving. The decision to begin here was twofold and the fishing wasn’t my first priority. I knew they were going to catch big smallies today!

The first hour only saw a few bass landed and I was wondering why. I needed to make a few adjustments if we were going to make it happen. With the cool overnight temps and chilly morning, I figured shallow was the place to be. Although they did have many chances, the landing ratio wasn’t great. Time for another move!

We made a decent run and I positioned the boat on a deep current break. They were going to be using it to present their baits downstream to the fish. A quick demonstration cast had me locked up and I gave the rod to John to land. It was the caliber that I was searching for!

We remained here for a little while and they fished the area thoroughly before we were done. Fred had landed a few nice smallies but Jon only managed to bring a northern to the net. Both had many chances and could have caught a bunch of big fish but the bites were weird. Some of the bass were even getting off after they were pinned! Another move was in order!

I was hoping to see more active fish and this time I decided on a shallow shoal that had been producing pretty good over the last couple of weeks. It didn’t take Fred long to bend a rod as he set into a nice smallie on his very first cast. Fred mostly fished on Lake Ontario for salmon and was really starting to like the action he was having with the bass. It also seemed like they were getting bigger too! Jon was finally starting to get in the game as well with a few of his own. They were mostly being caught on jigs but he also had a few really big ones jump off on other soft plastics as well.

I had remained in this area for some time now and although the action was great, it had slowed down considerably. I don’t know if it was because they had stung almost every fish or if it was due to the lack of wind & current. We kept moving and they kept picking at more fish along the way. Unfortunately we were seeing more than they were catching now and it was getting harder to get bit. With each fish they hooked, they were lucky to keep them on. Most were taking to the air immediately after and throwing the hooks. It wasn’t for lack of trying!

With limited time remaining, I still had a bunch of places that I wanted to fish and jumped around, looking for more action. Each one had a few fish but they seemed a little smaller and less aggressive. The wind had also started to build and now was blowing stronger, but from the W/NW. I decided to move to an open water spot in hopes of getting them into a few drop shot fish before we were done.

I instructed Fred on how to fish this presentation and they both dropped down in the deeper water. I wasn’t sure how the bite would be with the cross winds blowing us along but tried regardless. After a few short drifts and no bites, I decided to move to one final spot. It was here that Jon had multiple chances at fish but only managed to land one, under walleye. Fred pulled out a smallie in the final minutes before we were done. It was his first time drop shotting and he was happy to have landed a fish with this method. We were officially done and headed back to take out!

I covered a lot of water today and found fish everywhere we stopped. Some areas were more productive than others but they all held bass. I had wanted to get them into some big ones and succeeded! They both left having landed quality smallies but probably lost more than they caught. Some days are just like that and there’s nothing you can do. All I know is that Fred is officially hooked on the bass now and I’ll probably see him again in the near future. Another great day of fishing!!