I guess when you’re on the water every day, there’s bound to be a few you wish you weren’t! Today was pretty much one of them as I had to look for an alternate ramp to launch the boat. There were 3 to 4 footers rolling into the one I usually use with the winds blowing 20 to 30 knots from the SE. It looked like an ocean and I would have loaded the boat with water had I tried to launch. My clients followed me in their car to another one, hopefully more protected, a little further away. Although the lake was still rough, it was nothing compared to what I saw where we originally were and this time it was completely doable! I was actually glad it was only a half day outing as we were also suppose to receive plenty of rain sometime around mid day. Kim & his daughter Josie as well as George & his son Terry were with me and I prayed we could make it work. The run to the first place was a little bumpy as it was blowing opposite the current at a 45 degree angle. I was hoping to escape some of the larger waves while fishing and crossed over to the side less pounded. We started with a couple of blades and a couple of soft plastic baits but soon after, switched the soft baits to blades as well. Just standing was difficult let alone trying to cast in this wind but Kim managed to get a nice bass to commit. The problem for the others was that they needed to cast directly into the wind and weren’t hitting the targeted area the fish were holding. I brought Josie up front with me for  bit and coached her on how to cast into the wind. On one of my casts I was hammered and hooked into a really good one. I tried to pass her off the rod but pressure was lost and so was the fish when it jumped. She now understood and began making better casts. She did well but I don’t think the distance was far enough. I was already shallow and in big waves with the boat and couldn’t get her any further. We moved around a bit and a few fish were missed on the strikes by everyone as well as a couple of snags that had us all excited! The shallow bite that should have been the right choice wasn’t working as well as I had anticipated and I decided to relocate and try somewhat deeper. Everyone was going to drop shot and I set up four other rods to try and get them into some fish. We drifted along a 15 to 20 foot break close to the channel that I had done well earlier in the week and crossed our fingers. A few fish were hooked into but all came off before they could get them up. The bites were very light and few & far between, but the fish were there! Eventually after another move to the outside of a weed line, Kim hooked into a couple more and just like the others, came off before they reached the boat. Luck was definitely not on our side! Josie changed all that shortly after with a fish that did stay pinned though and brought a long, skinny pike to the net. She was excited to have caught it all on her own and made her dad aware that it was bigger than his fish earlier. We shot a bunch of pics ad released it back to fight again. Unfortunately this was to be the last fish of the day but not the last one hooked. They just kept getting off their lines! With dark skies approaching and a light sprinkle starting, we packed up and headed back. It was nearing noon and we would have a nasty run back to the boat ramp. Once I rounded the channel and was heading back to the dock we were getting hit with three to 4 footers at a 45 degree angle to the bow. It felt like being back on the Detroit River in that damn washing machine of a river. It was horrible! Fortunately it didn’t last too long and I was able to roll with a few of the waves instead of pounding them. We arrived safe & sound and barely wet from the spray! Although it wasn’t the day I had hoped for, at least we made it out. Not too many fish were landed but there were quite a few chances that could have made for a great day. Under the circumstances, it turned out alright and I know once the wind & weather change, it will be right back to normal. Better days ahead!!

A last minute cancellation/postponement opened the door for Christiane to get in a few hours of fishing. After taking care of a bunch of things at home, we finally got to the lake at the crack of 9:00. I decided before we left that I was going to try and lock her up on a giant and headed right to where they lived. It didn’t take long to locate them and I anchored up & set the lines. The gobies were a real treat and stripped many a hook before I finally found a spot with just fish. I somehow managed to set too early on a good take and got about 2 seconds of weight before it was gone. I really hoped that this wouldn’t be the only bite we would get! A little while later while holding the rods from cruiser waves, I set into a good one. Christiane was handed the rod and I cleared everything in her way including the roof so that she could move freely during the battle. It was a long one but five minutes in, it jumped and we really knew what she was up against. Giant! This thing took a ton of line several times and crossed under the boat several times as well causing us to dig deep under the motor not to get cut off. Just when she thought it was tiring, it would take off again and peel out more line. Eventually after about 25 minutes I finally got a shot and netted this dinosaur. The battle was officially over and now the hard part was about to begin. Time for a few pics! I really had to help, as it would have been impossible for her to lift it on her own. About all I could do was rest it on her legs for a few shots and gave a hand to toss it back into the water afterwards. There was no sense in resetting the lines as she wanted no part of another one! We packed everything up, had lunch and went for something smaller. It wasn’t easy drop shotting as the winds were from the SE and causing a cross current effect. The drift was practically nonexistent as the wind & current moved us in an almost backwards direction. Although the fish were there, it was hard to get them to bite. To make matters worse, the perch were playing havoc on our baits as well. If I wanted to eat them, we would have had a good meal with some of the ones we caught. As difficult as it was, we still managed to get a couple of walleye and Christiane also landed a really good smallie. With all the boat traffic, heat and tough wind conditions, we finally gave in and headed back to the ramp to take out. The lake had become a zoo and I didn’t want any more of it. The sailboats were the worst as they really don’t care about anybody in their way.  Regardless, the day was still a great one with Christiane landing her personal best sturgeon. The bass & walleye were just a bonus!!

Several months ago Tavis got in touch with me to organize a fishing day with 11 of his buddies. It was a prelude to a bachelor party they were coming to Montreal for and they all wanted to spend a day on the water before. Today was the day and with the help of Mike, Brian and Don, we were going to make sure everyone had a good time! I needed 3 additional boats to make this happen and these guys were definitely the right choice to guide the group to success. With one of the larger rigs, I decided that Travis and 3 others would join me for a morning of sturgeon fishing. We were all scheduled to meet in the middle of the lake around noon for pre made hamburgers and I had a little over 4 hours to get it done! I would be happy with a couple of sturgeon but really wanted to have each of them tangle with one apiece. With absolutely no wind I knew anchoring up would be a breeze and got everything set up. Three lines in and the waiting game began. After sever false alarms from the fish bumping into the lines we finally hooked into a good one. I think it was Adam that got first up but being terrible with names, I’m probably wrong! Either way, someone was fighting a quality fish and loving every minute of it. I don’t think anyone actually realized just how hard they pulled, but he did right now! The battle lasted almost ten minutes before I slid the net under his catch. Several quick pics later and a release & we were hard at it again, anticipating bigger & better results. With flat calm and high sun, I decided to raise the roof for a little shade. What a difference it made! Tavis was up next and unfortunately he was to land a much smaller fish and not even what we were looking for. A channel cat had eaten the bait and although a nice one, not the right species. After resetting the lines and waiting a while, I pulled anchor and made a slight move looking for a fresh start. Well it didn’t take long and we were on for the second time! The rod was passed off and the battle began. As the line started to rise in the water it signalled a leap was about to happen and sure enough, a larger sturgeon took to the air. I love when they do this because you know exactly what you are dealing with on the end of the line. This fight took over 20 minutes and lots of pain for the guy fighting it before I was able to net the second beast of the morning. It was quite a bit larger than our first fish and everyone had a good laugh watching him pick it up for the pics. Back she went and back in we went as well. Hoping for another, I didn’t wait as long in this location and moved once more. The relocation was obviously the right move as it didn’t take long before our third fish was on the line. Although considerably smaller, it was still the right species and someone else got his turn too. We had seen everyone land a fish so far but I still wasn’t satisfied and wanted one more before the lunch break. Pressed for time I reset the lines in a new area again and 5 minutes in we got bit. Perfect! Tavis was going to have a go at what may have been the largest one so far and definitely stronger than the cat he caught earlier. This battle lasted well over 20 minutes and as with all the others, was being filmed on their Go Pro camera. It took to the air at the beginning of the fight and then proceeded to beat him up good. Gotta love the big battles! I was finally able to get the net under his catch and this completed the full circle of sturgeon for the boys. Several shots were taken and the fish was returned back into the lake, where she belonged. I can never understand how someone can kill one of these things for consumption! I packed everything up and with the cover still erected, ran back for their lunch break. I located a relatively shallow spot on the sand bar and dropped anchor awaiting the others. They eventually all arrived and most of them took advantage of the swim while they ate. We remained here till about 1:30 and split up again for our afternoon of fishing. I had decided earlier that I was going to take them out for some walleye and ran to where I knew they were. We would be returning to the dock by 3:00 and I had a short time to get it done. Once I located what I needed, I began the drift with all 4 drop shotting. Well apparently I was in the right place as fish were getting caught! They managed to boat all kinds of eyes and most of them were well over the slot size making for great pics. They even managed to get a few double headers that required the second net to be used. This day was a success all around as once back at the ramp, we found out how everyone had done. Each boat had caught good fish and numbers as well. I guess all the stars aligned today with this large group! Hats off to Mike, Brian and Don for making this fishing trip one of the best everyone had ever experienced. Tavis, Cody, Jarrett, Dwight, David, Greg, Jordy, Adam, Tyler, Scott, Rodney & James would be leaving completely satisfied with their trip of a lifetime, before the main event. I know they will be talking about this fishing trip for a long time. We did our part to make sure it was memorable and I’m sure the rest of their stay in Montreal will be as well. Let the partying begin!!

Derek, Jay, David & Thomas were with me for a half day morning trip today and hoping to battle some big sturgeon. We headed out shortly after 7:00 and anchored up for the beasts. The wind was blowing pretty good and I just hoped we would be able to get the anchor to hold. Fortunately it did and I set up in anticipation of the first fish. it wasn’t easy seeing anything bite with the boat rocking back & forth in the waves. Eventually, after having the hooks picked clean several times, we opted for the rod in hand method instead. Although somewhat better, we still had plenty of piranha like gobies cleaning the hooks off and I had to move to another area just to escape them. By now the winds had diminished considerably and anchoring up wasn’t an issue. New area and hopefully better luck! The gobies weren’t too bad here and we were getting several small bites, but still no sturgeon. Finally a good one ate and it was on briefly until the line went limp. I don’t know what happened but the main line broke and the fish was gone. I retied the rig and got everything back in hoping for another bite, but we never got it. Plenty of times the rod tip bounced but I think it was just fish bumping into the line as they swam by. They were all talking about heading elsewhere for walleye & bass, but I wanted to try another area for a maximum of fifteen minutes before leaving. I got the lines set and hoped for the best! In less than 10 minutes I saw the bite and pounced on the rod ready to set into something large. A couple more bumps and I cranked on it hard to load the rod. We were locked! Thomas was the lucky one to receive the rod while the others reeled in the lines. I knew by the weight that this was going to be a good one but didn’t know just how big until it launched itself out of the water like a missile. We all got  good look at the fish and they were in awe at its overall mass. If you’re only gonna get one bite, this was the one to get! Thomas fought the fish for over 20 minutes and several times the runs had me ready to release the anchor and give chase. Eventually he was able to bring the beast back and I managed to slip the net under it. This was definitely large in every way imaginable! We prepared everything for the pics while keeping it in the water and finally hoisted it on board. It took two of us and even at that, it was tough! I knew Thomas would need help and David offered to aid him in lifting it for the pics. It was definitely a two man operation but well worth it as I got plenty of good pics. They torpedoed it back and away it went . No reason to reset the lines, I just packed the rods up and we headed to fish walleye. This was a fish of a lifetime for most and Thomas knew it. In fact, they all knew it too! We spent almost 90 minutes drop shotting deeper water for eyes and managed to get a few. Most were overs but they did get to take one home along with a big perch they caught. Plenty of bites were had by all but most were either missed or lost on the way to the boat. Shortly before 1:00 we headed back and called it a day. After hours of patiently waiting, they finally were rewarded. Their patience hadn’t been in vain and it was all worthwhile. Although it was Thomas that got to fight the beast, they all enjoyed the battle, almost as much. He definitely had the most experience fishing and was clearly the right man for the job! Everyone left with a sense of accomplishment as the long wait was well worth it in the end!!

Scott & Chris were with me this morning, on the day after the big nor’easter! I wasn’t sure how it would go after all the rain and wind we experienced yesterday and through the night. I decided to try & get them into  a giant sturgeon right away as Scott missed out earlier in the year when they were going strong. Chris hadn’t caught one either and I hoped this was about to change! Almost immediately after setting the lines, we landed a perch. Not really what we were after but it was a fish! The next rod to get hit was 5 minutes in and I showed them what to do. Chris was into our first sturgeon of the day and feeling the power of the fish. It gave him a great fight but only for about five minutes. I didn’t think it was a giant but once he had it close to the boat, I saw that it was a really good one nonetheless! One down, one to go! We shot a bunch of pics and released it immediately afterwards. As Scott was up next, I hoped that he would get one much larger but it turned out to be a juvenile and not much of a fight.  He also landed a three pound smallie that didn’t fight much either. It was decided that the next fish would still be his and after a move and several phone calls he reared back on the real deal. This thing fought him like a champ! As the line rose in the water I knew we were going to see exactly what he was hooked into. I think they both soiled their shorts when they saw the entire thing rocket out of the water and sizzle line from the reel upon re entry. Several times when he actually thought he was gaining, the fish took over and changed that tune! It took out plenty of line and after about 15 minutes or so, Scott was finally able to bring it close enough for me to net. Definitely one of the biggest of the season so far! I prepped everything while we kept it in the net and once ready, I heaved it over the rail and onto the tarp. Good luck Scott on lifting it for the pics! It was quite funny watching him try & figure out how to get a hold of this monster but he finally did, with a little help. Great shots and back she went to live another day! Scott was elated and couldn’t believe just how heavy this thing was when he had lifted it up for photos. He felt the burn in a few body parts afterwards, as I reset the lines in hopes of one even bigger. Unfortunately that was all she wrote for the beasts but not the damn gobies. We had plenty of other nibbles as the hooks were stripped as if piranhas had been present! Somewhere around 2:00, we pulled the plug here and went somewhere else where they could catch smaller fish. As they were hoping to take some home with them, I knew just the place! They drop shotted over deeper water and although they missed more than they landed, they still managed to boat 5 keeper walleye to take back, and a pile of perch. Scott caught the only smallie out here but this fish fought him hard in this depth. They even took home five of the largest perch as they never get to see them that size from back where they live. This was definitely worth the drive for them as they both caught a fish of a lifetime and have the pics to prove it too! The overall day was perfect as well with cloud cover early but flat calm & sunshine the entire time we were fishing sturgeon. When we relocated for the walleye, the winds picked up giving us a great drift. I guess Mother Nature has her moments, but they are definitely few & far between. I’m sure she’ll be back in full swing sometime real soon!!