Désolé, cet article est seulement disponible en Anglais Américain. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.

October 29th 2018

First day with no wind in a while and I headed to fish sturgeon with Michael & his two sons, Shawn & Brandon. They had fished plenty, but never for these beasts. I was sure we would get them today!

After idling around for a while, I finally settled on an area that showed some signs of life. With the anchor easily in place, the rods were rigged and the wait began. Unfortunately we were in a weed drifting area and after 15 minutes were forced to move to another spot. It was next to impossible to keep the lines clean!

Our second stop looked promising and weed free enough to produce fish. I don’t think we were here for 5 minutes before I set into some weight. Brandon was up first but needed a little help from his brother to hold the rod. This fish was heavy and it was a struggle for him to fight the fish! It surely didn’t feel like any bass they had ever hooked into before! This was the real deal and I was glad they were experiencing it firsthand today!

After close to ten minutes the combined pair finally brought the fish to net and everyone was in awe at its size. It was definitely bigger than anything they had ever caught Brandon had reeled in a fish about half his size in body weight, with a little help from his bro of course! We shot a bunch of pics quickly before the release and reset the lines looking for more.

Shawn was up next and a short while later I loaded the rod again. Now it was his turn to feel the power of the beast! This fish took plenty of line, several times! Although it never jumped, the fight was still great. This fish was powerful and the runs were amazing. After 5 minutes or so he finally brought it to net and the battle was over. The first part anyway as now he had to hold it for the pics! Moments later it was returned unharmed and she swam off perfectly.

We reset all the lines again and now it was their father’s turn next. I really wanted everyone to feel the power of these fish and hoped for another bite. As luck would have it in these conditions, it wasn’t a problem. We may have waited longer than I had hoped but we eventually got bit. Michael was now tight to one of his own and loving it. His fish even gave us a great jump close to the boat and although not as big as the previous two, still a good fish. He brought it to net in a little under 5 minutes and we shot several more pics. Now they had all landed one, but I still wanted more!

After remaining in one area for a while with nothing to show for our efforts but drive byes and one carp, I made another move. We reset the lines in a new section, awaiting another bite. The winds had started to pick up around 1:30 and now it wasn’t as easy to see the bites. We did manage to see one however and I reared back on more weight. Shawn got the rod as his brother was the one who landed the carp earlier. This fish acted small in the beginning but soon grew! As it neared the boat it became much heavier and at one point went around the anchor line. I literally had to pass the rod under the rope and it wasn’t easy! The fish had done a 180 and was 100 feet behind the boat as well. We were lucky to still have it on! At one point it went ballistic, rolling and twisting under the water and the line popped. Although it still remained hooked, it felt more like dead weight now. I knew that his fish had rolled in the line, tying itself up in a knot. He was now fighting the weight of the fish and the current at the same time. He was actually pulling it backwards! In fact when I finally netted the beast, it had been re hooked in the body. That must have happened when the line popped during the crazy rolls earlier! He was lucky to have landed it under these circumstances! We quickly shot several pics and returned her to where she belonged.

Time was getting on now and the winds were creating two footers where we were, making it impossible to see the bites. I instructed them on how to hold the rods and minutes later I felt a bite. This time when I set into the fish, I passed the rod to Brandon hoping that he would land his last fish of the day. I also hoped that the fight would warm him up as he had been cold for most of the day. The misty rain and now windy conditions didn’t help but the battle might! His brother helped him less this time and he eventually had the fish to the boat. Unfortunately it sounded and ran out at least 50 feet of line, extending his time on the rod. He was definitely warming up now and minutes later, glad it was finally in the net. We had also drifted considerably while he was fighting the fish and the anchor wasn’t holding anymore. Unanimously they decided to end on a high. We packed everything up after the pics and returned to the ramp.

Today couldn’t have worked out any better with everyone landing their first sturgeon ever. We could have switched up anytime to bass & walleye but they chose to remain with a fish that they may never target again. In the end it was definitely a good choice with 5 good fish being caught. They also saw the largest fish that swim in the St. Lawrence & caught the biggest fish of their lives in the process. We had ended on a high before the winds picked up too bad and exited the lake just in time. This was a perfect ending to a great day on the water and nobody got hurt. It was a win, win all around!!

Désolé, cet article est seulement disponible en Anglais Américain. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.

October 27th 2018

Ed & Dan booked today for sturgeon, a couple of months back, but it wasn’t looking good. The winds were out of the NE, supposedly and they were giant! To make matters even worse, they were wrong again! These winds were straight east and three to four footers were on the lake. It was just ugly out there! Add to that a below freezing temperature and most would have bailed. We on the other hand, were heading out regardless. We might not be able to anchor up for the beasts but we were going fishing!

The run across the lake was just insane with the wind and I had to really pay attention to the waves. Fortunately the Ranger made it without spearing any of the rollers, but sturgeon was definitely out. There was no way we were going to be able to hold in these conditions. Plan B was our only choice! We were going to try trolling for bass & walleye!

Dan didn’t take long to hook up and we soon had the first keeper eye in the livewell. Hopefully there would be more! Ed was next to hook up but his was over the slot and only worth a quick pic. They were even having a hard time standing, while trolling in the roller coaster like waves! I had picked an area that should have been protected in a NE, but we weren’t. Straight east it was! Dumbass weathermen!

We had fished one particular area for a while now and they had caught several fish, including another keeper eye. I decided to try a little shallower and instantly they were doubled. Two big smallies were what they were into and it looked like the fish were surfing when they fought them to the boat. A few shots later we were making the same pass and instantly Dan was locked up again! This one small area had a good number of fish by the looks of it and I planned on catching every one we could! For the next half dozen or so passes, someone was always hooked up. When it slowed down, I went back to the first spot and we battled more hell like conditions again.

Sometime around mid day they started getting into more fish, or at least Ed did! It took me three or four fish to realize that he had the color of lure the fish wanted more. Dan had watched his uncle land a bunch of walleye & bass without even getting a strike. As soon as Ed switched rods with Dan, he was tight to a fish of his own. I immediately changed the non catching lure to the same one that was producing. From this point on, they were both into fish. Although not fast and furious, we had to work hard for each and every bite. By trolling a break line carefully, I took advantage of the, sort of active fish in the area. As much as I would have liked to stop and have them drop shot, it wasn’t in the cards. There was no way we would have been able to hold our position, even with the electric motor in anchor mode. Trolling was all we could do!

I jumped back & forth from one shallow area to the deeper water close by and grinded out a few bites here & there. We were all surprised that we had lasted as long as we had with the afternoon winds predicted to get worse. We were still fishing and that was a good thing! In fact, the next fish made it even more worthwhile when Ed stuck what we thought was a good walleye. As it turned out, it was a good lunge instead! After a lengthy battle, I slid the beast into the musky net that I had brought for sturgeon. It was really nice to have a big net for this fish. It definitely made it a whole lot easier to land!

After the pics and release, we resumed fishing for about another hour or so managing a few more fish. They had a limit of walleye in the livewell now and had released a whole lot of smallies too. Considering the conditions, they had fended quite well, but now the winds were intensifying and it was time to go! I packed everything up and readied for the long ride back to the ramp. Luckily I had left a set of keys with Don this morning when he dropped us in and texted him that we were on our way. He immediately texted back and I knew he would be waiting.

In the time we had stopped fishing and began heading back, the winds had increased and switched more to E/SE. There was almost no easy path to take but I headed closer to the shore across the open ocean, hoping for smaller rollers. It was insane out in the middle of the lake and I was happy to be near the mainland! Once I got going into the wind, I was able to run on top of the waves better and in no time we were back at ramp. I could see the waves crashing on the shore and was glad Don had the trailer ready and waiting. The only water we took in the boat was when we were pulling out and the waves rolled over the back deck, swamping us with gallons of the lakes finest. I was just happy to be on land by this point and didn’t really care! We had endured probably the worst conditions I have ever fished in and succeeded! Hats off to people crazier than me as I had offered them to cancel before we ever hit the water. In the end though, I was glad that they hadn’t and really happy with the outcome. Almost as glad as having the Valet service from Don! He definitely made it a whole lot easier!!

Désolé, cet article est seulement disponible en Anglais Américain. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.

October 26th 2018

I had a boatload today with Sam, Steph, Phillip and Gaurav, all looking for big smallies. Another road trip had us meeting at the location with a slightly later than usual start. It didn’t matter though as the air temps were below freezing anyway. Hopefully everything would heat up soon!

I started them shallow in hopes of a few quick fish but soon found that we needed to go a little deeper to get bit. Sam locked up on a couple of nice ones on a jig that had everyone excited. We were even seeing some fish swimming in the area as well, adding to their confidence!

I had set up the rods with various baits, hoping to figure out a pattern and it didn’t take long. Although Gaurav did manage to get a couple of strikes on soft plastics, it was the jigs that produced more. Phillip hooked into a real giant that unfortunately got off on the very first jump. Time to make another adjustment and try something even slower.

I slid out to even deeper water and tried a drop shot rod to see if this would help. First cast, locked up and confirmation was made! I set up another rod and had two of them work the area and several other quality bass were landed. Between the drop shot and the jigs, they were definitely seeing better action than earlier this morning!

The air temps were feeling pretty good now with the sun and lack of wind, regardless that it was barely above freezing. I even think the sun helped with the fish activity! Bites weren’t everywhere but by slowing down and concentrating, they were able to hook some fish. I had only spot fished and managed plenty of hookups, telling me that the fish were definitely there. A little concentration and focus was all that was needed for the fish!

We had fished a bunch of different places and caught bass in almost every one of them by fishing slow. With the water temps barely over 50 degrees, this was required if you wanted to get bit. I decided to try one last area before we were to leave and within 15 minutes they had another half dozen or so fish, closing out the day.

Although a short one, it was still one of the more productive outings for numbers as well as size today. I’m sure that if we had gotten out a little earlier, they would have landed even more fish. I was unable to fish all the places I wanted, being limited to time and just remained on the ones that were producing best. The fishing may have been slow at times but the bites were definitely good ones when they hooked up. At least the conditions were nice, for a change!!

Désolé, cet article est seulement disponible en Anglais Américain. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.

October 25th 2018

Phillip & Ryan were with me today, looking for a few big smallies. I decided to take a road trip to another lake in search of personal best records. Hopefully they would get into them big time!

We hit the water after 8:30 in temps barely above freezing. Added to that was a NW wind that was expected to increase during the day. It was definitely going to be a challenge just to feel the bites !

Our first spot was on a fast current break and I was locked up instantly while making a demonstration cast. I immediately passed the rod to Phillip, letting him do battle with the fish. He was impressed at how strong it fought and loved every second of the fight. We had started the day with a bang and the first smallie was quality! Hopefully now they understood what they needed to do!

Both of them had made several casts to the same general area without much happening until Phillip finally got crushed. I could tell by the way this one was fighting that it was a heavy fish. When I finally saw it jump, I knew that this was the one I was looking for and that he had a monster on the line. It didn’t seem to want to come to the boat much so I released the anchor lock and drifted down to her. At least this way he wouldn’t be fighting the current as much, lessening the chance of it pulling free. Once we were close enough, I locked the motor again and netted his giant. It would definitely be his personal best and well worth several pics before the release. This one fish alone made his day, but I planned on getting them many more!

I repositioned the boat again and soon after Phillip was tight to another bass. Although it wasn’t as big as his previous one, it was still welcomed on this chilly day! Ryan wasn’t having as much luck and still looking for his first hookup. Although he may have had a few hits, he wasn’t able to hook any of them, as of yet! Phillip on the other hand was getting into fish quite regularly and landed several other decent ones while we were there.

A slight change in plans had us running back to the ramp to pick up another friend of theirs by mid day. This also gave Phillip a chance to change the boots he was wearing as his feet had been cold all morning. It would be a win, win for both!

We headed back out with Patrick in hopes of more big fish for the afternoon. With this many bodies casting, I decided to try something different. They would be using jigs and hopefully be able to feel the bites. The winds had picked up considerably now and it wouldn’t be easy to detect the hits with all the slack in their lines.

I had pulled into a rocky area, instructed them where to cast and it didn’t take long for the first fish to get hooked. Phillip battled another big bass and eventually brought it to the net. They may not have been getting loads of fish but the ones we were catching were big! He went right back in after the release and moments later was tight to another good one. This area definitely held fish as they could see. Too bad the others couldn’t hook up! Several misses later I was changing locations once again hoping for more big bites.

I had moved them from one rocky area to another and apparently it was the right choice. Phillip was right back to his old tricks by stabbing another huge bass almost instantly. Although it didn’t fight much until it neared the boat, it did go crazy when it saw the net. He had a difficult time bringing it up for me to get but eventually it came in the boat. Another absolutely huge smallie was added to the ones he had already landed and he was on a role for bigguns today! He even managed to catch a few more from the area before I relocated again. I really wanted to get the others into some fish and was determined to get it done.

We had slid out to deeper water now and I worked with Patrick, trying to get him hooked up. As soon as I hit the area I wanted, he was fighting his first bass! It was another good smallie and definitely worth a pic. It was also his biggest to date and another personal best was had! All that was left for me to do was get Ryan into one now and almost cue, he too was bringing one to net. More pics and more personal bests were had, as they continued casting the area looking for others. Too bad all they could come up with were missed strikes. Time for one last spot before we were done!

I had gone to a place that I wanted to start on this morning but due to another boat there, had opted for a different area. Now I was able to finish up with hopefully a few more fish! My first demonstration cast had me locked and passing the rod to Patrick to land the fish. He also had another on his own a little later and boated a decent bass again. The others only keep their fish pinned briefly before the hooks pulled free, leaving them with slack line. They may have only landed few fish from here but there were definitely plenty of chances!

By 4:00 I pulled the plug and headed back to take out. Today was one filled with size, not numbers and it couldn’t have ended any better. Despite difficult conditions, they were all able to land personal bests with Phillip coming out on top. He had caught several big fish, all of which would have been bigger than anything he had ever seen. This was definitely a day to remember by everyone!!

Désolé, cet article est seulement disponible en Anglais Américain. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language.

October 23rd 2018

Phil was back with me again for another grueling day on the water. The conditions had returned to the usual hell and we had a NE wind that would only get worse as the day went on. I decided to head directly for walleye in hopes that we could get them before it got too bad!

After a rough ride, we set up to do a little trolling in open water. The waves were already two footers but I was sure we would still get into some good fish. Unlike the usual troll, we were going to hold the rods and do a controlled contour pass looking for active fish. If I marked them, we should catch them!

I had covered a bit of water without seeing much activity, but soon came upon a few hooks. Almost instantly we were into a good fish! Phil had the first walleye pinned and moments later a chunky 23 incher was in the net. Quick pics and back she went!

We trolled plenty more water before the next bite, but it was a good one! Phil set into an almost 26 incher and brought it aboard for more pics. Things were starting to look up but the screen was still pretty empty. Although I did mark a few fish, it wasn’t what I was expecting. They were few & far between and we had to cover a lot of water in order to get the bites.

The next fish was on the smaller side and made its way into the livewell for dinner tonight. Although there were some fish in the area, they were pretty scarce. I decided to move a little shallower and as soon as I did, we were locked! This time however, it turned out to be a nice smallie, giving Phil his second species of the day. A couple more bass and a big bite off later, we decided to move back to deeper water looking for the walleye again.

We probably spent another hour or so with very few fish to show for our efforts and I decided to pull out and try something else. I was going for sturgeon, if the wind would let me anchor! It was pretty big now and wind against current is never a good thing!

The run to where I was going wasn’t pretty and I could see that the waves were much larger than they were, while we were trolling. It wasn’t looking good! I idled over the area and dropped the anchor hoping it would stick. Despite two drift socks and the anchor, we were still being blown up current. We gave it a try for about 30 minutes but were never firmly in place. In the end we just gave up!

We headed back at the area that we had trolled but this time I decided to try a little drop shotting instead. I could see that the water was rougher now and the waves were definitely bigger. With the electric in anchor mode, we held as best as we could and somehow managed three more good walleye in the process. I know we both missed a few bites but keeping the line tight was next to impossible in the gusting wind. Time to go back to the troll again!

We decided that we would finish the day by trolling again and almost immediately, Phil was locked up. This fish was acting a little strange and when it neared the boat, I knew why. Phil had somehow managed to hook into a small musky giving him a slam for the day. Although difficult, we kept trolling after the release and managed a few more bass. The walleye had somehow vanished but at least we had the smallies!

Despite the conditions today, we managed to get into a bunch of good fish. Phil had caught a variety of species and all on light tackle. I hope to have him out again before the season is done and with any luck, we might even have nicer conditions. Better luck next time!!