Nick and Dan fished with me today on one of the nicest days of the year, so far. Two weeks in a row now, Thursday has been spectacular. The rest of the days, not so much! We met at 7:30 and headed to an area I had scouted out the day before. It was loaded with big eyes and plenty of them were mixed in with pike as well. I found out when we arrived that Dan hadn’t fished since his youth and even then, not very much. He was in for the experience of his life as I was sure that it would be another high numbers outing. Once the rods were set, I gave instruction on how to remove them when the fish hit and let the games begin. Well it didn’t take long before the first reel went off and Nick was fighting a fish. This one was a pike but they didn’t care as long as they were catching. Another soon fired and Dan was orientated in what to do from start to finish. He would be getting plenty of practice today and I wanted to teach him correctly from the start. Two pike in less than 2 minutes, not bad! We had a bunch of other fish including small walleye in the first hour but I could see that they weren’t hitting great. Drag was going off the reels very lightly as they attacked the lures. Water temps were back down to 59 degrees and I figured the drop had them somewhat lethargic. Once the day got on and the water began to warm, I was sure they would come alive. We picked at them for a few hours and had good numbers already landed when Nick hooked up again. This time however the fish seemed quite a bit larger and I decided to bring the other lines in just in case. My thoughts were quickly confirmed when we finally caught a glimpse of what was on the other end. This would be the second lunge of the year and although not in season, Nick’s very first musky. I took a few pics of the fish in the water and then managed to release it quickly as only one hook was barely in the lip. He was real close to losing the fish with any more pressure. High fives all around and back to trolling again. As these fish were looking like they were starting to wake up, I decided to slide back to where we began in hopes of more eyes. Good choice as we began to get doubles and even a few triples when I concentrated on specific zones. By now they were completely comfortable with everything and like veteran pros handling the rods. It’s amazing how fast people catch on with a lot of practice! We combed the entire area focusing on certain places more and constantly were hooked up. Eventually I decided to try another spot just for a change of scenery. I usually don’t leave fish to find fish but due to all the dog pecker knats and no wind, thought we’d get a little air. The next place was more trouble than it was worth with all the Poplar fluff on the water. This crap is a real pain in the butt when it comes to fishing line. I was forever picking it off the guides and line in big clumps. We stayed here for about an hour and managed to catch several more fish including the longest walleye of the day. Too bad it was so skinny from the spawn as it would have been huge! When we couldn’t take it any longer I decided to move to hopefully cleaner waters. We spent the last couple of hours just hammering the fish once again and this time the majority were big Walters. Although a few pike did get landed, it was nice to see so many walleye here. Somewhere around 3:30 we pulled the lines but not before another double. We found out during the day that Dan was celebrating his birthday and this was the perfect gift to him. Fish after fish and perfect weather conditions to do it in. He took a few walleye back for a family birthday dinner that I’m sure would turn some heads. I may have created another fishing junkie after today. There’s a pretty good chance that I will be seeing him again with one or more of his family in the not so distant future. As for Nick, well let’s just say that after last year’s sturgeon battles, he’s ready for more. Today was just one of those days when all the stars aligned and everything went as it should. Even « Mother Nature » had a soft side for the birthday boy! Hopefully it’ll continue for many more days to come!

What a difference a day makes! This morning I arrived at the ramp and the cold front had dropped the temps by 40 degrees. It was also a little misty with an on & off precipitation. Not exactly perfect conditions for getting fish on a fly! I had my work cut out for me and informed Gerry that we would have to really slow down in order to get bit. He was up for anything and I was really looking forward to the challenge of trolling big flies for pike & walleye. I knew where they were and as long as I worked the areas slow enough, he should be able to catch something. When we arrived at our location, I informed him on how we were going to approach the fish and we got the lines wet. The winds were blowing from the north, hence the cold front and a good chop was upon us. Within minutes my line went tight and I passed it off to Gerry to fight. He was into the first pike of the day! Although not big, the question had been answered and I knew we would get them good today. By pumping the fly line and pausing the fly, I was onto something that worked. I instructed him on what to do and the rest is history. One pike after another fell victim to our presentations and it was game on. It didn’t really seem to matter which flies we used but bigger was better. I had set up three rods and hoped he would be able to cast a little later but the winds made it impossible. We were forced to slow troll all day but this was actually a good thing. At  84 years of age, he was able to last the entire day, being less fatigued. Most times he’s only able to do half day trips but not today. We pounded on the fish all day long and except for a small down time due to a relocation, it was nonstop. I had moved  to an area producing walleye daily but they were gone! After an hour, I went back to where we were previously and immediately he was tight lined again. I really wanted to get him his first walleye on a fly and hoped to find one that would eat. It finally happened and another check was added to his « Bucket List »! This was a fish that he had never caught on a fly and was elated to have accomplished it today. A chunky 22 incher was his prize and several pics were taken before the release. We went right back in the water and continued hooking up on more northerns. Towards the end when the sun came out and the mist had stopped, it actually began to feel comfortable. I had a feeling that some of the fish would become more active and it didn’t take long for a confirmation. After several decent sized fish a huge northern attacked the fly while stripping the line in for a check. This one was well over the average size and looked to be in the double digits when it hit close to the boat. It definitely fought a lot harder and Gerry loved every minute of it. When he finally brought it close I decided to use the big net instead. It wouldn’t end well if I tried the rubber one and I wanted some pics! We managed to get it aboard and it was definitely a long one. Although it was in the ten pound range it could have been heavier. It was a post spawn fish that wasn’t thick. If it was it may have been closer to twelve pounds! I shot a few pics and we returned it back to grow. About an hour later and many more fish in, we decided to call it a day. Can’t leave unless we leave on a landed fish I said and moments later, he was on again! I’m not really sure exactly how many fish he landed today but I do know it was equivalent to any of the better days with conventional tackle. It’s rare to match hardware with flies and today we were blessed with how the fish ate. Despite the tough conditions again, Gerry left satiated. I on the other hand had a whole new technique ready for anyone wanting to fish a fly. Each year I get a handful of anglers that prefer a fly rod over anything else and now I can put them on equally as many fish. Although it isn’t the first time I’ve introduced fly guys to walleye & pike on the fly, it definitely was the most productive. I’ll be making a few more calls soon to try and lock up more clients with the fly. Overall, today well surpassed both our expectations. Great day all around!!

I was back at it again this morning with a small gang, including a 5 year old. Sammy’ son, Sam Jr. was looking forward to reeling in a few fish & so were we. A later than usual meet of 8:45 had us in the game by 9:00 and into fish in the first 5 minutes. I knew I had to produce early as the weather was going to take a turn for the worse and soon! The winds were forecasted to blow from the west at 25 to 35 knots and this wouldn’t be good. At the moment we were in a 1 to 2 foot chop and just crushing the pike. The little guy was having a great time reeling in everything that hit and so were the others. Along with us were Sammy’s father in law & uncle and they had a hand in picking up a few as well. We trolled a specific section concentrating on new weeds and picked fish every few minutes. We even had some doubles and one triple header in the first couple of hours. A few walleye were also mixed in that were travelling home with them for a dinner tonight. Right around 11:00 I decided to relocate and hoped that the waves wouldn’t be too big getting there. Although a little rougher, they were definitely doable and we made the move. The area we were in was getting pounded pretty good but the fish were there as well and that’s all that counted. I had run a little further so that I could set up for a down wind troll and it proved to be the right decision. As with the first spot we hit this morning, this place began putting out almost immediately. Pike were definitely on fire and the little guy was in his glory reeling in almost every one of them. I had hoped in getting a few more walleye for them to take back but unfortunately the pike were more aggressive. We hung in here for a while until Sammy decided to call it a day. Although only 2:30, they had caught high numbers of fish and were ready to head back. I secured everything and prepared for the worst! I wasn’t sure how bad the ride would be but knew it wouldn’t be smooth! I was right and had to fight 4’s & 5’s all the way back! The only good thing about this was that I was able to ride the troughs & crests as the rollers were in the right direction. A little splashing did occur along the way and unfortunately Sammy’s father in law was on the receiving side. His son was in the lap of his uncle behind the windshield and loving every minute of it! He was laughing the entire way back. I on the other hand was just trying to keep the waves from coming in the boat, zigzagging all over the place. I was on & off the throttle so much keeping the bow up and trying to stay off plane. We even ran into a large group of wind surfers close to the ramp that made it even tougher. These guys were flying from all directions and about 30 of them really complicated matters. Luckily I was able to steer around them and finally arrived safe and dry. Well almost dry as I found out that his father in law was pretty soaked from all the splashing on that side of the boat. I guess I should have given him a rain jacket before we left. With the air temps in the mid to upper 80’s at least he wasn’t cold! Despite the conditions and a pretty short day they still managed to land a boat load of fish and everyone had a great time. I’m really getting the crap kicked out of me this year as Mother Nature has been even meaner than usual. It feels like for every one day of perfect weather I have 10 others that are nasty, one way or another. Oh well, nothing I can do about that! I’m back out again tomorrow with a fly guy and the temps are suppose to drop drastically. I can hardly wait! Better days are coming!!

The weather finally took a turn for the better today as Hassan & Stephan were about to find out. We hit the water under picture perfect skies shortly after 8:00 and raced to our first spot to fish. By being on the water yesterday, I knew exactly where I wanted to start and wasted no time in getting there. Air temps were already in the 70’s and expected to reach the mid 80’s by afternoon, under bluebird skies and little to no wind. I knew the water temps would also be on the rise triggering the fish to eat. Well I was right as I never even got the third rod in when the other two fired! First fish of the day and it was a double header! Two pike were landed and released and we were back in the water searching for more. They had hoped to take a few walleye home for dinner and I was sure they would be able to make it happen. These conditions would only get better as the day went on and the fish would only get more aggressive. High numbers of fish were landed throughout the morning with only a few of them being the targeted walleye, until I shifted locations. It was here that the quantity of fish turned from pike to walleye and several of them were big! I think Stephan had the two largest of the day but Hassan managed several keepers as well. It seemed that a small stretch was producing fish on every pass and we just kept at it. At one point we lost track of just how many were caught as they just kept coming. I don’t know if we hit a feeding time or just the right area but the walleye were eating big time! This continued right up until they called it shortly after 2:00. As always, I have to leave on a high and said that the next fish would signal our departure. Moments later they were reeling in yet another walleye and we called it a day. I usually don’t like to leave fish biting but under the circumstances had no choice. They both had to go into the office for a few hours and didn’t seem to mind the early departure. There were so many fish landed in under 6 hours of fishing that they left completely satisfied. I wish the weather could stay like this for more than just one day at a time. Forecast for tomorrow is another warm, sunny day but hurricane like winds once again. Oh well, one day at a time! Today was another one for the books for all the right reasons. I just hope they’re wrong for tomorrow. If not, at least today was a « Great Day for Fishing »!!

Greg & Rene were with me today for and in for a real treat. We began at 7:30 and wasted no time getting to our first stop. It was going to be a mixed weather day and I wanted to take advantage of every minute on the water. Originally, sunshine was upon us when we hit into numbers of pike and a few walleye but by mid day, it took a turn for the worse. I was once asked, « Do Fish Bite in the Rain » and I replied with, they don’t care. They’re already wet! This theory was about to be put to the test as what felt like a monsoon, soon arrived! We got some of the heaviest rain I’ve seen in a while and it lasted about an hour. I can’t remember how many fish were caught during this time but nobody cared about being wet. Thankfully I had thrown in a couple of extra sets of rain gear and that definitely helped. Throughout this entire ordeal, they reeled in one pike after another and a few walleye too. After the storm passed we ironically received sunshine and everyone dried out. All but their feet that is and soggy shoes would be upon them for the remainder of the day. I on the other hand had removed my sandals and stored them in a dry place. We had more activity afterwards and continued pounding on the fish until we returned back to the dock for a bathroom break. The remainder of the afternoon was spent close to the take out area drop shotting for more walleye. Although not as productive, they still managed to capture several more. By 4:00 we ended the day and headed home as I had a couple of fish to fillet for their dinner. Blackened Cajun Walleye was on the menu and they were excited. They hadn’t caught many walleye in their lives and had eaten even fewer. This would be an experience to remember! A quick stop back at my place and then off to a nearby restaurant where they were treated to their « Catch of the Day »! Needless to say, they loved every mouthful ! The not so perfect day (weather wise) ended in a perfect dinner and good company throughout. It’s always nice to meet new people, become friends & enjoy a great day on the water with dining afterwards. It’s especially rewarding to have them enjoy a fine meal that they just caught even more. I’m pretty sure this fishing trip will be etched in their memory for a while. Hopefully they will be back sometime in the future to experience it once again. If not however, all the pictures taken will ensure a lifetime of memories. Definitely one for the books!