Eric and his son, Nathan as well as his father in law Bill were with me today looking for some sturgeon.  The conditions were perfect to be able to hook them up! We had no problem with the anchor holding with barely a ripple on the water and were set up quickly. With three lines in we waited anxiously for a bite. The first fish of the day felt rather small so I passed the rod to Nathan. At only 11 years old I wasn’t sure if he would be able to land a sturgeon and I knew this was something else. In the end, he managed to bring a nice smallmouth aboard and although a little disappointed, still happy to have landed the bass. We resumed our fishing after several photos and Bill was the next one to get the rod. He was locked up on a definite sturgeon this time and it was a screamer. It peeled off so much line that I wondered if he would be able to get it back. It turned out to be a long battle and after about ten minutes of fighting this thing, we were able to bring it to net. I told him it was a good starter fish and wanted bigger! We were immediately back at it after some pics and although it was a while longer before the next bite, it was well worth the wait. I reared back on one of the rods and thought it was a catfish by the way it was acting, I handed the rod to Nathan once again. Although it felt big, I was sure he could handle this one and instructed him on what to do. Well, a couple of minutes into the fight we got the surprise of our lives when while pumping the fish up, it torpedoed out of the water. Not only wasn’t it a cat, but it was a good sturgeon too! This little guy was about to land the largest fish of his life. He fought the sturgeon like a champ and I think it was mostly adrenaline taking over that allowed him to do it. It wasn’t really a long battle, but it was still close to 10 minutes and definitely long enough for someone this young. He was thrilled and exhausted when I finally netted his fish and glad the fight was finally over. I would have loved for him to be able to hold this thing alone for the pics, but there was no way he was going to be able to lift it. This fish was about half his body weight, so his dad gave him a hand as we shot multiple pictures. Back it went right after and back we went as well. I know the little guy will be talking about his fish for quite some time and bragging rights will keep it in the conversation with his family too. We resumed fishing and I really wanted Eric to battle one of these monsters next. By now we were really late in the morning and there was a lot of boat traffic all over the water. This caused us to switch from the rod holders to holding them instead. Everyone knew what to do and out of nowhere, Bill started reeling and was locked up! I cleared everything out of his way and he generously offered the rod to his son in law to fight. Eric now had a chance at battling his first sturgeon and felt the power they delivered. The fight was quite spectacular and so was the first jump. I always love it when they take to the air as it gives you a good idea of just how big they really are. This one was large! All I know is that the fight lasted about ten minutes and when it was over, Eric felt it in his arms. Mostly the rod holding arm of course as this is what takes most of the beating. It was a great fish and worthy of many pics before being returned to fight another day. The afternoon saw us bouncing around a lot both from the traffic waves and relocating to new spots. Almost each time we moved, we got bit pretty quickly. If we didn’t have to constantly re bait the hooks due to the goby minnows, I’m sure we would have caught many more fish! We had a couple of disappointments while Eric was battling big fish when the hooks pulled out and left him with an empty line. Bill managed to get into another one and although smaller than the usual ones, it was lean and mean. In fact, this fish fought harder and longer than any of the others we had throughout the day. Nathan got to fight and land what I thought might have been a catfish but turned out to be an Eel. I hate snakes so we did a boat side release with just a water shot. After a few more moves, I got a good bite immediately after the lines were in and reared back on a big fish. I told Nathan it was a small one and handed him the rod once again. This time he had practice and fought it even better than his first one earlier in the day. Everyone was in awe as his sturgeon took to the air and proceeded to scream line from the reel. He hung on for dear life and muscled the fish in only to have it take everything back out from him again. This fight would have been tough for an adult and this little guy was putting on a clinic! He may have been hurting all over but he wasn’t going to give up! He was bound and determined to land this fish by himself. When I was finally able to net it he practically dropped from exhaustion. Saying he was glad the battle was over was the understatement of the day! Not only had he battled a giant, but this fish weighed almost as much as he did. His father took most of the weight for the pictures but the prize was definitely all his! He now had what may have been the largest sturgeon of the day and something to brag about at school and amongst his family too. We regained our composure, reset the lines and tried for one more bite before we had to leave. As luck would have it, Eric did get bit but it turned out to be a drum or sheep head and we called it a day. I don’t think any of them had anticipated how this day would go and were 100% satisfied at the outcome. We headed back and they relived all the memories that occurred throughout the day. They will be doing that for quite some time now as they have plenty of pics and video to show everyone they know. Great day with great people and one very happy kid! I hope to see all of them again, someday soon!!

Herm & his grandson were with me today, looking for at least one sturgeon bite for Hunter. He was hoping for a big one and so were we as both of us wanted to see him battle a beast. The weather looked good except for the NE winds blowing opposite the current. We had big rollers as we neared the location and although doable, it wouldn’t be easy. We soon found out that the rod holders wouldn’t be of any help and had to hold them instead. There was just too much movement from the waves to detect any bites. A few false strikes were followed by a solid take on Hunter’s rod and he was locked up. I had instructed him on what to do and he did it perfectly. He now realized what I had been talking about when I said that these fish are strong but fought through the pain to eventually bring his prize to net. Not a real monster but definitely a good one nonetheless! It was also his first sturgeon and several pics were taken to show off later. Lines were reset and we were back at it once again when Herm received his first official bite. Seconds later he too was tight to a big one and it wasn’t coming in easy. When it jumped behind the boat, I realize how big it was and knew he was in for a long battle. She actually jumped three times during the fight and made countless runs taking plenty of line from the reel. It was all Herm could do just to hang on, but eventually he also brought the fish to net and was in awe at its size. This one would require the help of Hunter to bring it aboard and even at that, it was difficult. It was a two person job to hold it as well and they were glad to toss it back after the pics were done. We fished through the rest of the morning easier, when the wind calmed down and we were able to finally use the rod holders. There were 3 more good sturgeon and a nice channel cat caught by noon and we decided to end it for these fish in pursuit of some walleye. Hunter hadn’t caught a walleye before either and as luck would have it, he was the first to hook up. Although not one he could take home, it was a real nice picture fish! He also caught the second one and this time it made the cut and wound up in the livewell for them to take back later in the day. We made multiple drifts over fish but with limited success. With very little wind for movement and tons of floating weeds to contend with, it was tough. I switched locations a couple of times and although I was seeing them on the bottom, we weren’t getting bit. I knew I needed to make an adjustment and pulled out another rod to try something different. Within a few casts, I was hooked up and brought an over to the net. Several casts later, another fish came aboard and fell in the slot making it into the well. I immediately switched Herm up and he too got in the game with one over and another keeper. Next up was Hunter and a little while after he had a bent rod but was into a nice smallie instead. We managed to get into a pile more fish both overs and keepers in the remainder of the afternoon and they at least had one limit to take home. By 4:00 we were done and headed back to the ramp to take out. Herm really wanted Hunter to experience a sturgeon and possibly catch some fish to eat and today he managed to do just that. In fact, he got to battle several large ones and learned a few new techniques that should help him on his home waters. As they had a long drive, we parted ways quickly, satisfied from the day we just had. Who could ever imagine fighting that many big fish in one day? I know Hunter will be changing all his media pics very quickly, showing him as the « Great Hunter » from now on!!

Day two for Jim and Alyssa saw bluebird skies and flat calm waters. Perfect conditions to get that big early morning bite! We headed directly to the sturgeon area hoping to tangle with a couple more before noon. With no wind at all I would be able to move around if needed, increasing our chances for a hookup. Once I located what I needed and dropped anchor, it was only be a matter of time. I knew we would have action and anticipated great results. With the lines set we anxiously awaited the arrival of our first bite and it was a surprise. A nibbler turned out to be a darn perch and I didn’t even pass them the rod. Bait thieves are all over the bottom down there but usually they are goby minnows and not perch. I re rigged the rod and we waited once again. The next time we were bit however, it felt like the real thing. Alyssa was up first and was now tight to what seemed to be a smaller sturgeon by the weight. The fight was tough but didn’t last long and she had the fish to the boat quickly. I was thrilled and surprised to see that it was actually a channel cat and it was big. It had been a couple of months since anyone brought one of these things aboard and I was excited to see this one. Apparently so was Alyssa as he had never caught one before! Once aboard, I boga gripped it and gave it to her for some pics. It was heavy alright as she struggled to lift the cat several times for pictures. We released it back afterwards and resumed the task a t hand. I really wanted to get them into a giant and hoped the next bite would be the one. Our first area went dead and I decided to search around looking for a better concentration of fish to anchor on. Eventually I found what looked good and dropped the lines in hopes of a bite. Several drive byes later, we got bit and I locked the fish up. Jim was getting this one and I knew it was the right one! He fought it for almost five minutes before we saw the size he was dealing with. One leap had jaws dropping! This was going to be a long battle and I was glad Jim was on the other end of the rod. I saw what he was capable of yesterday when he fought his first sturgeon perfectly. There were times when he had to do the sturgeon shuffle around the motor as the fish couldn’t make up his mind where to go. Another jump later it was screaming off line again, like it had just been hooked up! This thing just didn’t want to give up! It sounded to the bottom and he pumped it back up a few more times and then it jumped again. This time however, it was less than a foot from us and déjà vu was back! The damn thing nearly hit the side of the boat! Several times afterwards we caught a glimpse of the fish in the water and it was definitely large. I’m sure the battle lasted around fifteen minutes before I got it in the net. I don’t think either of them could believe the size of this thing, laying there. The fight may have been over but the hard part was just about to begin. We now had to hoist it aboard for some pics and this definitely wouldn’t be easy. I required the help of Jim to lift the net over the side and onto the tarp. This fish was heavy and pissed! It was all Jim could do to hold the tail and not get whacked! He decided right then and there that holding it was out. We would be doing the floor shot once again! His daughter gave him a couple of hands but this fish was so powerful that she could barely do anything to help restrain the monster. Once we were done, I had to lift the front end to release the fish and it was then that I realized the actual weight. Definitely one of the biggest this year! With difficulty, we somehow managed to roll it out of the boat and she was on her way back to the bottom where she began. Jin and Alyssa both agreed unanimously, we were done! We were going to fish for something smaller now with the remaining time we had left. They had to be back at the hotel for check out shortly after noon and we were pressed for time. I packed everything up and headed to a drop shot an area looking for smallies and walleye. With practically no wind and current, the boat was barely moving. Apparently neither were the fish either, as I was marking them but they weren’t eating anything. Jim locked up on a quality smallie but when it went to the air, it also jumped the hook. Time was ticking and I decided to head shallower and try trolling certain areas looking for a few more bites. We did have a couple but one ended in a bite off and the other was a smallie that jumped ant threw the lure as well. We decided to end it before noon and called the day. Despite difficult conditions for the bass & walleye, they were absolutely perfect for the sturgeon. I’m sure that if we had of remained anchored up there would have been others coming aboard. It’s quite understandable however not to want more when you deal with something that large! In the two days,  Jim & Alyssa  had caught some really great fish. Pretty large ones too! They would be heading back home with great memories of their Canadian fishing trip along with excellent videos and pictures as well. Hopefully I will see them again next year when they plan their father & daughter outing once again!!

A father & daughter fishing trip was planned by Jim a few month ago and it began today. Alyssa met up with her dad here in Montreal and spent a day in Quebec city before returning back for the main event. I was hoping the weather would cooperate, but we all know how that goes! An early morning thunder shower gave way to mostly overcast skies, but held off on the rain. All stations showed thunder storms throughout the day but by viewing the radar, I realized we would be fine. First stop of the day was going to be the sturgeon and I hoped they would  bite. There was some wind but conditions looked great to get bit as I anchored up and prepped the lines. We had a number of false bites as lines were getting bumped into by some of the fish down there. The first rod I handed Alyssa ended quickly as the sturgeon didn’t stay pinned for more than 15 seconds. The next time I handed her the rod however, it was all she could do just to hang on. I coached her on how to pace herself and what to do to conserve strength as it was going to be a long battle. I didn’t see the first jump behind the boat but it sounded large! I could see that she was struggling a bit and the fish looked like it was in control. As it started to pass the boat, I was afraid of the anchor rope and went to get the bumpers in case I had to un pin. All of a sudden it took to the air and catapulted itself right onto the front deck of the boat. My worst nightmare had come true! This beast was out of water and still green. I immediately tossed the net on top of it and hoped it remained calm. I grabbed a pair of gloves and decided to try something as I knew taking any photos would be next to impossible. Jim now had the rod and my thoughts were to somehow pick it up and throw it back for the balance of the fight. This wasn’t easy as the sturgeon was pissed off and kicking like crazy. I somehow managed to slide it over the rail and it just screamed line from the reel, heading straight to the bottom. A potential disaster fixed! Jim still fought the fish for more than 5 minutes before I was able to get it into the net. This may not have been the largest sturgeon but it will be one that I think everyone will remember for quite some time! I now had the task of helping Alyssa hold the fish for some pics and that wasn’t easy either. All I could do was have her sit and prop it up on her lap as there was no way she was lifting this monster on her own. With a little more help we were able to toss it overboard after and watch it swim off unharmed. I wanted to get the lines back in quickly as I had noticed that the winds were starting to pick up. This time however, we wouldn’t be able to leave them in the holders and had to keep them in our hands. The waves were bouncing us around way too much! About 5 minutes in, I detected a bite and loaded the rod for another battle. Jim was handed the rod as Alyssa & I cleared the other two, giving him room to battle the fish. He fought it like he had been doing it all his life and tried putting the wood to it without success. As many times as he reeled it in, it went right back out and took even more line. Twice the line rose and both times it took to the air with a spectacular jump. Around ten minutes into the fight, he mentioned it was close and then it happened. The third jump was almost a disaster again when we were face to face with his fish. It had gone out of the water less than a foot from the boat and brushed the side upon re entry. I swear these things are trying to get even with me! Thankfully they don’t have teeth! Several minutes later, I was able to net it and this fight was done. Jim really didn’t want to hold the fish after he saw what his daughter went through so he opted for the floor pic instead. We released it back after and packed everything up to go for much smaller fish. Walleye & bass were on the list as Alyssa had never caught either. I set up a couple of drop shot rods and instructed both of them on the way to fish the area. On my first demonstration I got bit and loaded the rod. I passed off to Alyssa and she landed a nice keeper eye. Shortly after, she had another and this one was an over . Pics and a release and back in they went. They were both missing several bites and I was marking plenty of fish here too. Eventually Jim stayed pinned on one of his strikes and boated another over walleye. Pics and a release were all we got! Several drifts through the area should have provided more fish than they were getting but for some reason it wasn’t. Jim did however manage to hook another but this one was a smallie and it leaped in the air on the hook set. It had been a while since he had caught a smallmouth as largemouth were what he was used to. Alyssa also managed an even bigger smallie not long after giving them both an official slam. I was informed that they wanted to get off by 2:30 & when I looked to see the time, I realized we only had 5 minutes to go. They had a great day catching fish that they hadn’t experienced before and left with plenty of video, pics and memories of the day. They will be back in the morning for round two and hopefully bigger and better! Maybe this time they can battle a much larger sturgeon. Hopefully no more incidents like today though!!

Yesterday’s no show of 8 guys in the morning for a half day, was followed by today’s rescheduling due to possible rain showers. Gotta love back to back cancellations! Instead of doing nothing, I did something about it today. Christiane & I headed out by 9:30 to do a little pleasure fishing. We wanted to get a couple of walleye for our dinner and casted for them at the start. Although not terrific, we did manage enough fish to feed the two of us and of course, the cat! The weather was excellent with no rain in sight and practically no wind either. It was absolutely perfect to anchor up for a possible sturgeon bite! I headed to an area further away and once I located the fish, dropped down and set the lines. The damn gobies were relentless and I had to relocate several times before I finally was free of them. It’s impossible to stay in one place lately and keep the baits in long enough to get bit! No wonder the bass don’t hit surface much anymore. They have an all you can eat buffet on the bottom everywhere they go! It took a little while for one of the rods to get bit and I think I woke Christiane up when I hollered, « we’re on »! She took the rod and battled a big fish, by the way it acted. As I was clearing the area to make room for her to fight the fish, it jumped and she saw what she was dealing with. I on the other hand didn’t and had no idea other than the loud splash it made upon re entry. The fight was like usual, tough! These things really are mean and when they’re large, take time to land. This one was no different as it took close to 10 minutes before we even saw it. Although not a real giant, It was still big and beat her up pretty good. I ended the pain when I was able to net the thing and a sigh of relief was had. I don’t think she was ready to hold it for the pics but I wanted some shots regardless. I had to eventually help her lift it and we rested the beast  in her arms for several quick shots. I also had to help her toss it back as her arms were like jelly from the fight. I began to reset the lines and before I could get the second rod in the water, the first one got hit. One lift and we were locked up again! I passed her the rod and just laughed! She on the other hand didn’t find it too amusing. After the fish jumped, I could see her pain. This one was a monster and by the looks of it, was in contention for one of the biggest this season! After the second jump, she begged me to take the rod and I had to comply. There was absolutely no way she would be able to fight two big fish back to back with this one being so large. I never pick up a rod other than to hook up and was ready for the challenge. What I wasn’t ready for however was what was to happen next. I pumped the fish up from the bottom and must have pissed it off at the same time as it tried to take me out. I literally had to jump backwards when it leaped up, hit the motor and landed half in the backwash. I was sure it was coming in the boat but was glad that she slid back into the water. This has been a fear of mine for a while and it nearly happened. You never want one of these things to land in the boat green, as it will trash everything in sight. Including body parts! The battle lasted almost 10 minutes longer and eventually I passed the rod back to Christiane to finish the fight. Almost 5 minutes later, we were finally starting to see signs of fatigue with plenty of air bubbles rising to the surface. Not long after, it was in the net and ready for the pics. This one was almost twice the weight of the first one and I had difficulty hoisting it aboard. I knew I was going to have to lift it with her help and between the two of us, we finally got it done. I shot fast as she didn’t know how long she would be able to hold this fish. Tossing it back was also difficult but we managed to slide her over the railing and she swam off unharmed. After this, I packed everything up and pulled the plug on sturgeon. In fact, we were heading home as we already had enough fish for dinner. I’m sure that if my client hadn’t cancelled today, he too would have gotten into fish just like these. Possibly even more as I would have stayed out longer and started earlier! All I know is that Christiane benefited from another’s loss by landing yet another giant sturgeon. Tired and satisfied, we called it a day. I wasn’t about to put her through more pain despite the fact that the fish seemed like they were really active. She was happy just to leave on a high and would likely be napping back home shortly after. Another great day despite the not so great weather forecast!!