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| Just as fast as we could possibly go... on the days that we could get out there that is! Well our string of perfect weather days came to an end with a real potpourri mix of weather conditions this past week. That also included a couple of days where I had to flat out send the guys away in the morning because it was just too windy and stormy to take a chance and go that far out. If the fish were in maybe 5 or 10 miles we might have been able to pull it off in the stiff south west winds. But 20 plus miles out? Forget it. But the days that we did make the long run, WOW! We just couldn’t get the lines out fast enough before a fish would pick it off. The Dipsys were like Yo - Yo’s ! In and out, in and out. Sometimes you would barely get the reel locked down and a step or two away before it was, FISH ON ! I can’t remember the last time here in the last few weeks where we actually managed to get all of the lines out. What a good problem to have ! lol ! |
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| After loosing last Sunday completely to storms and wind, Monday greeted us with a very stiff fresh breeze heavy out of the north east. Knowing that my best spots were around 20 miles out and knowing also that there would be no circling around in those conditions, I elected to crank it out heavy to the north east and start right on the US – Canadian line and then straight line troll it back till we limited out. I was using my best spots around the 20 mile mark as a target. We were just coming in on them from the north this time. It was the longest run of the season for “The Trophy”. We cranked it out 26 miles ! 26 tough, gas guzzling & bone jarring miles. It took us two hours to make the run in the 4 foot seas. We started in what seemed like no mans land with not even a hint of shoreline in the crystal clear visibility that day. We also started with a double on with the first two lines in the water! And it was “just as fast as we could go” from there on out. By the time we got to the 20 mile mark that I was using for my target, we were already done with over 30 fat walleyes for my 5 man crew. How friggin huge is this school of fish ? |
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| The rest of the week we seen a mix of a couple absolutely stunning picture perfect weather days and a few marginal days along with thunderstorms that we skirted around and more strong south/ southwest winds that we battled thru. Friday was another typical blown lake forecast from our friends at the National Weather Service. The idiots were calling for 2 foot or less near shore and up to 3 foot offshore. Well, I have a flag up on the bow of my boat. The wind was blowing exactly dead out of the south and I was running exactly dead north about 22 miles an hour. As I’m running, I’m looking at this flag hanging dead limp and strait down as if the boat was sitting in a building. Wait a minute, that wind must be blowing exactly 22 miles an hour! A very heavy wind out of the very worst possible direction for us. And sure enough, with every passing mile it just got rougher and rougher and ROUGHER ! When we finally set up around 17 miles out we were already in steady 3 to 5 footers and it was still building. I actually cut the day a bit short and a few fish short to start our trek back to safe harbor in the now 4 to 6 footers by mid morning. So much for the 2 to 3 footers. YIKES ! But for as long as we lasted, it was on fire out there. We just had our share of difficulties trying to land the big fish with the boat surging in the super steep rollers. Never a dull moment! |
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| And after taking a thumping on Friday, I wasn’t exactly eager to do it again the very next day. So with Saturdays forecast calling for heavy winds out of the south-west turning westerly with 4 to 6 foot waves building to 5 to 7 footers, I just made the dreaded phone call and told everyone to stay home. What a shame. All those millions of Walleyes out there and you just can’t get to them many a day this time of year when they are that very far offshore. Just as I had speculated and feared earlier on after the fish made the dramatic move north. Another lost day for me and that always hurts doing this for a living but a really big blow to so many of the part timers that many times only have trips on weekends. As I sit here and type this up on Saturday morning since I have no trip, I am already concerned for Sunday as well. Once again it is not the best of forecasts that they are calling for but not quite as ugly as Saturdays. Maybe they will be wrong all together again and it will be nice this time. I can’t phantom them getting the wind/ wave forecast correct two days in a row since they actually got Saturdays right! l lol ! Stay tuned to see how it all turns out... Capt. Walt *I am reminding all of my upcoming trips that we REALLY need to get off of the dock by 5:00am. These central basin big Walleyes in this real clear water are really squirrely and 90% of the time they feed like crazy right at dawn and then it drops off dramatically with each passing hour. WE DO NOT WANT TO MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY if you want to catch a nice load ! It’s really just that simple. Also please MAKE SURE that you have your fishing license ahead of time before arriving in the morning. There are no provisions for licenses at the marina. Any questions, call my mobile # 216-387-2656 |
(69.160.178.236)