What a difference a day makes! From yesterday’s spectacular weather, to today’s horrible SE winds. Vito & I headed out not knowing if we would even be able to fish for sturgeon. Regardless, I decided to go there and give it a try!

We arrived and I knew right away that it would be a hold the rod kinda bite! There would be no rod holders today as the boat was sideways and rocking all over the place in these south east winds. I set up and quickly anchored , awaiting the first bite. Too bad it was a nibbler that turned into a red horse sucker! Several moves later and quite a while too, I finally felt the subtle bounce of the rod tip and reared back into the real deal. Vito was about to catch his very first sturgeon!

This fish had some weight but not what I had hoped for. Vito brought it up quickly and I could tell right away that it was only a teen. As he did, it jumped right beside the boat and confirmed my thought on its size. It made a few short runs and fought a bit more, before he brought it back up. Within minutes I tailed his fish and handed it to him for the pics. I really wanted a big one!

We had spent the better part of the morning with not much to show for our efforts and pulling the plug on these fish was on my mind. All of a sudden it was forgotten when I felt another subtle take from a sturgeon and set into heavy weight. This was the one we were looking for!

Vito was handed the rod and he could immediately tell that it was much bigger than the previous one. Not being used to dealing with these sturgeon, he began to pump it up quickly like a salt water fish. As it neared the boat, it completely cleared the water and splashed both of us. It damn near landed in the boat too! After this, the battle began with plenty of line peeling from the reel on its first run. This went on for close to ten minutes and each time he managed to bring it back, the beast turned and took it all out again. Eventually all good things come to an end and I netted it for the pics. I took several and Vito released her back to where she had come from. At least our time spent here wasn’t a total waste with the big SE winds! Now it was time to move on!

Vito had come here for the smallies and we changed up to something smaller. I headed to an area that had been producing recently and on his first cast, he was locked up. It’s never good to catch a fish on your first cast! We soon found this out when he never had another one, through this entire area!

I moved to another place due to the big waves where we were and unfortunately had the same results. One fish was missed right at the boat but the visibility wasn’t great where we were and I pulled the plug quickly. This time I was going deeper and hopefully the fish would be more active there!

The winds were pretty big as I spot locked on this place and instructed Vito on were to cast. He picked up a couple of smaller bass on jigs but not the size I was used to seeing from here. I made a couple of casts and immediately hooked into a big bass. It never fails! We covered a bit of water and Vito managed to get a couple more small bass and I did it again. A short cast behind the boat and I ended up nailing a 24 inch walleye. Again, it never fails!

With the wind direction being our biggest problem, I relocated to another spot and Vito immediately had a fish on. He also continued nailing more bass several casts in a row after. This place had plenty of fish on it and by switching baits he pretty much caught them all. At least the action had picked up!

I had made another move to a shallower area that I thought Vito might get bigger fish from and right on cue, he nailed a nice one. We were even seeing some big bass cruising around and I knew there would be more to come. We probably spent about an hour here and Vito managed to catch a bunch of good ones with a couple in the 4 pound range. There were more fish not interested than he caught and long casts were necessary to hook up. Eventually things died and we moved on.

I had wanted to get a few walleye for dinner with Vito but when I ran to the area that was supposed to be easy, the winds had 3 footers on it. We made several passes and unfortunately only managed one small keeper before we were done. Hopefully tomorrow it will have settled down enough for us to get bit!

I knew that the take out wasn’t going to be fun with the wind blowing right on the ramp. I gave a call to a buddy to give me a hand and between the three of us we got it done quickly. Not without bringing plenty of water over the back of the boat though! The waves were monsters at the boat ramp and it was impossible not to!

Today was a difficult one with lots of moving around to catch the fish. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little bit less windy so that I can get to all the places I wasn’t able to go today. Vito is with me for three days and somewhere along the line we should have a great bite with many more fish coming aboard for him to enjoy. I just have to cut back on my casts and make sure I don’t get to them first!

Today Dan & Guillaume were in for a real treat! We were going for sturgeon and the conditions were perfect for catching some giants. The question was, would they cooperate?

As I idled over the area with many other boats around, I settled on a spot that showed signs of life. Well it didn’t take long before Guillaume was tight to the first of many fish. It beat him up pretty good but finally came to the boat for me to net. It wasn’t a real giant, yet, but definitely his biggest by far and a personal best. A few pics were taken and the fish was returned, unharmed.

We had to move around and relocate but I was definitely in the right area. I could see plenty of signs of quality fish on the bottom and I was sure it was only a matter of time before we were bit. The second bite went to Dan and the same thing happened. The fish powered down and peeled plenty of line from the reel signalling that it could be quality. After about ten minutes it too came to the boat for me to net and they were both on the board. Now we just needed that really big bite!

Guillaume’s next encounter was going to be his best with this sturgeon going insane. It ran out line multiple times and jumped, showing us the actual size of the beast. He struggled to bring it to the boat and loved every minute of the fight! When he actually held it for the pics, he realized just how big it was. This was definitely going to be his personal best, again and biggest fish ever!

We had been anchored up in the same area for a while now and catching fish like crazy. Not all of them were huge but they definitely acted like they were. This also drew attention to us and a couple of other boats decided to try their hand closer to where we were. All this did was frustrate them even more as we continued to land fish! When our action slowed, I decided to move around a bit to see if I could mark any more fish nearby and of course another boat relocated as well. It moved to where we had been and anchored right in the exact spot. People are unbelievable!

I continued my search and eventually found the marks I was looking for. As I set up above the area, I could see that it was close to where were before as we weren’t too far from the other boat that moved in. In less than ten minutes we were tight to another fish and this one was felt big. Dan was up and about to take a beating! This fish didn’t act its size in the beginning but it eventually did. When it realized that it was hooked, it went insane. I think it rolled in the line and tangled itself badly. Dan was reeling it in backwards and it felt like dead weight. When I saw what had happened, I tried to unroll a few of the wraps to give him back the fight. Eventually with my help the fish unrolled the rest and fought for another ten minutes before coming to net. I think Dan was relieved to finally be free of the fish but now he would have to gather more strength in order to hold it for the pics. Even a big dude can tire out with one of these monsters! Dan was exhausted and holding the fish didn’t help. I always love it when I wear someone out from a big sturgeon! After the pics Dan released the fish to fight another day!

I probably should have pulled the plug after the big battle but decided to try for another one. Guillaume managed to fight and land another good fish but not the likes of the previous monster. It did however give him an exceptional fight with a couple of spectacular jumps as well. We remained for a little bit longer but after one more juvenile, we decided to call it a day. I was not able to get to where I wanted with the other boats and just gave up trying! We would spend the remainder of our time targeting smaller fish, elsewhere!

With about 45 minutes remaining, I stopped in an area for walleye. Guillaume managed to get the first fish and it was a keeper. He wanted to bring a few home for dinner and we were able to put 4 nice ones in the livewell in the time we fished. There were several others released due to their size and even more bites missed.

Today was a great experience for Guillaume as he had never seen fish this big. Dan had been waiting almost two years to get back into these sturgeon and it was all due to conditions. In the end, it was  definitely worth the wait! They had bot landed many and also their personal bests! The walleye fishing was only icing on the cake!!

Another foggy start to the day saw Angelo & his son David looking forward to catching some sturgeon. We were going to make the long run again in thick fog and hopefully it would work out. Thankfully I was following a plotter line on the GPS that would lead me right to where I wanted to be. In fact, as we neared the area the visibility was a lot better than yesterday, for now!

We wasted no time getting set up once we arrived and after only one move, we were rewarded with our first bite. Angelo was about to do battle with a fish that he had never caught before and it was going to be intense.

Right from the start I knew this was a good one, as I had set into some serious weight. Angelo had a hard time fighting the fish as it remained on the bottom for most of the time and made powerful runs often. It wasn’t the usual battle that I normally see but he eventually managed to bring the fish to the surface for me to net. Holding it for the pics was going to be a whole different story though as he had never held a fish this large.

Right after the release, we resumed fishing and I wanted to get David one of his own. As luck would have it, he was handed the rod not long after with a slightly smaller one. Not having fished much before, I needed to coach him plenty at the start. He kept a good bend in the rod as the line started to rise and I told him to give slack if the fish jumped.  Right on cue it breached  and it was actually bigger than I had thought. His battle lasted close to 15 minutes with multiple long runs and even another spectacular jump close to the boat later in the fight. David was focussed on landing this fish and fought it right till the end, when I slid the net under his biggest fish ever! He would have no trouble holding this beast once I showed him how it was done and several pics were had. It was quickly returned and we were back in the game!

The area we were anchored had plenty of fish around as we were seeing all kinds of marks on the sonar. In fact, it produced several other fish including a few more monsters before we moved again. The action had slowed and the fog had cleared enough that I was able to see several other boats in the area. A couple of them had even moved closer to where we were catching making it more difficult for me to scout the bottom for big fish. As I searched for the larger marks another boat slid into exactly where he had seen us catch the last couple of fish and I knew we weren’t going to get back there any time soon! I did manage to find some good fish close to where he was and stopped in the spot to fish. We were still far enough from him not to get in his way but I have never understood why people are like that. These fish are constantly on the move and there’s not just one spot to fish!

We had been set up for a little while with no bites and I was contemplating another move when I saw one of the rods move. I had anchored above a really big mark on the sonar and hoped that it was what I saw. When I reared back on the rod, it didn’t move. This fish was huge! David was passed the rod and the battle began. I actually think that this may have been the best fight I’ve ever seen by a sturgeon. It was so powerful that the runs were over 120 feet several times in the first 15 minutes. Each time he managed to bring it back, it would go out in a different direction again. At one point, he managed to have it about 15 feet from the boat and it decided to go airborne. It was a giant! The fish had actually launched itself out of the water at the 20 minute mark of the fight. Talk about strength! Right after the leap, it once again took the reel out to over 120 feet again. This fish just didn’t want to give up! Another ten minutes had passed before I could get a shot with the net. I had the fish in it, but it was so long that it barely fit in the bowl straight. I needed the sturgeon to collapse and it wasn’t happening! I had to abort the attempt and wait for another chance to net the beast. Eventually he brought it back and this time it was a success. David had battled this fish for 30 minutes. It was definitely the longest battle I had ever seen!

The pics were going to have to be taken with two people holding the fish as it was really long. Angelo gave his son a hand and was nice enough to hold the front end as it was the heaviest. Despite getting several good shots the photos didn’t do this fish justice as they were unable to keep it off of their bodies for the pictures. Regardless, it still looked big!

We decided to give the sturgeon fishing another try, after releasing the huge beast and unfortunately after over an hour of waiting without any other bites, we were done. I wasn’t going to waste any more time searching the area as there were now 5 other boats trying as well. Time to relocate!

We didn’t have much time remaining in the day so I decided to go for walleye. Our first spot only produced one small fish that was released quickly. With 30 minutes remaining, I opted for a move and tried another area nearby. On the first pass both David and Angelo brought keepers into the boat. I hoped they would catch a few more for their dinner but they were only able to get a smaller one and a perch as well. Both of them missed several bites so I thought I would give them a hand. I remained out a little longer than usual but managed to put two more fish in the tank for them to bring home.

Today was a great one for fishing and I’m sure they’ll never forget it. Both Angelo & his son David battled fish they had never seen, or at least as big. David may not have fished much before, but I think he may from now on! All I know is that the big fish have arrived and I will be back to take advantage of the great days ahead. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough!

What an incredible start to the day with this morning’s massive fog bank! Visibility was zero as we headed out to fish and GPS was how we made it possible. Between watching for anything ahead and the Lowrance unit, we eventually made our way safely to where we would begin.

Costa and Luc had never caught a sturgeon before so I decided that we would try for them first. I idled around and set up on a few good marks hoping for a quick bite. What we got however was the opposite! I had to relocate three times before the first fish bit, but it was worth the wait. Luc was handed the rod when I set into some heavy weight. Soon after it leaped behind the boat and it was giant! He would be battling this fish for a while!

Probably close to ten minutes had passed and Luc was still fighting his fish when it decided to jump a second time. It never really fought like I had expected with long runs but the sheer power of the fish had Luc struggling to bring it up. It just wanted to remain on the bottom! This went on for about another 5 minutes but eventually he was able to reel it up to the surface and I netted his catch. It was definitely going to be a two person job for the pics!

Costa gave Luc a hand holding the dinosaur and between the two of them I was able to get some great shots before the release. This was a great way to begin the day, but now I wanted more!

The next fish hit not too long after and Costa was up this time. Unfortunately it was not in the same class as the previous one and he was able to bring it in, in under 5 minutes. It was still a nice fish and worthy of several pics being his first ever sturgeon and we were definitely going to get more.

The morning fog didn’t seem to be going anywhere as we continued to fish and despite the visibility, we were catching pretty good. Several other quality ones were landed while we waited patiently for it to lift. It took until almost noon before we started to see anything and the sunshine was finally starting to show. Within 30 minutes, it was a whole different day!

With the clear skies now I was finally able to move around safely and realized that we had been fishing around a few other boats as well. Fortunately they were doing the same thing and not moving all around making it more dangerous in the dense fog!

Our afternoon saw a bunch more fish landed including a couple of new species for Costa and Luc. They had added sheephead or drum to their list of fish species and happy to have checked them off now. As well there were also a few quality sturgeon brought to net throughout the afternoon too. It turned out to be a beautiful day once the fog actually lifted and felt more like summer than fall by the time we were done.

Overall today was a great day with loads of fish caught and a couple of new species for Luc & Costa. I don’t think they had any idea of what was going to happen this morning as we headed out to fish. I know they had no clue where we were going with the thick fog we were in! In the end it all worked out as they battled the largest fish of their lives, several times over. Let’s just hope that the conditions remain the same for a little longer and that I can repeat this over & over again!

Alex, John & Phil headed out with me this morning looking for just about anything. We still had a NE wind, but it wasn’t as bad and I decided to try for bass & walleye. Anchoring up in big waves again for sturgeon wouldn’t be easy at the start of the day. We would hope for a lighter blow to be able to attempt it later on.

As usual lately, the drift was opposite the current and it made fishing more difficult. I covered the water with multiple passes and they managed to get bass, walleye and one good sized pike. The waves were our biggest problem so I made a move shortly after. It was to an offshore area but unfortunately it was a wash. Nada even a bite!

Late in the morning I ran to another spot to attempt a little deep water fishing and found out it wasn’t any better. Although a few bites were missed there were only a couple of fish landed in the short time we had remained. It was time for a complete change and I was switching gears!

I had wanted to start with sturgeon but the winds had changed my plans. Now we were going to attempt it anyway as the waves had diminished some, making it look doable! We set up in the usual area when I quickly marked a few fish and dropped the lines in to wait. It didn’t take long as I don’t think we were there for even 3 minutes when I set into a fish. Almost immediately after I passed the rod to Phil, a second rod was hit and I slammed another one as well. John received this one and now we had a double!

It was ironic to have spent all morning looking for a few bites and within minutes, tight to a couple of beasts. Phil had the smaller of the two and was able to bring it to the net quicker than the other one that John was into. After a few pics we released his fish and focussed on the bigger one. It was a great one with lots of power and several runs were made as it remained on the bottom. Eventually after about 10 minutes or so, I ended the battle when I slid the net under his catch. It was a long fish and definitely had some weight. John held it up for a bunch of pics and released it soon after. We were on the board! It’s always great when you start with a double header!

I was hoping to get a third fish to be able to have everyone land one and reset the rods with high expectations. After waiting for a bit longer, I finally set into the one we wanted and passed the rod to Alex for the fight. It felt heavy on the hookset but was acting a little light in the beginning. This all changed when he reeled it almost all the way to the boat and it exploded into the air in a spectacular leap. I don’t think it was ten feet from the motor when it breached! It instantly peeled line from the reel like a scene from Jaws. Eventually it stopped at over 150 feet and the fight was about to begin.

For about 15 minutes Alex battled the beast and it nearly took him out. Multiple long runs and another great jump were had before it all ended. He would now have to contend with holding it for the pics after complete exhaustion. It wasn’t easy but he found his inner strength before sending the beast back where it belonged. They had officially done the rotation, but I wanted more!

The remainder of the afternoon saw many moves and another full rotation on the rods with more big fish. They all had battled a second sturgeon and every one of the fights was epic! More jumps, runs and reels screaming with each and every fish. We eventually ran out of time and I packed everything up for the run back to the dock. This had turned out to be a great day!

What had started out slow and rough ended the way I had hoped. The conditions changed and the fishing got a whole lot better when it did. Many sturgeon were landed and the fights were all great. I know the weather will remain good in the coming days and hopefully so will the fishing. Today may have been the start of the better days ahead. I’m definitely crossing my fingers that it continues in this direction. More, more, more, bigger, bigger bigger!