A good week of fishing. The weather, ahhhh, not all so much. As I had mentioned last week, this past weeks weather looked to be quite unsettled. And it was. Although we didn't get caught in any real violent thunder storms, we sure got spanked out there while fishing by passing heavy frontal weather systems over the lake with heavily embedded torrential rains on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. And it was all accompanied by plenty of wind and buckets of rain at times! There wasn't a day go by where we didn’t get some kind of passing rain storm or thunder storm. In the latter part of the week a lot of it managed to hold off till we were done fishing. And it was a good thing too. The more violent storms were much later in the afternoon and on into the evening hours. Some with passing gusts of 50-60 mph winds even! Never a dull moment up here up on the north coast!
So when I say a good week of fishing, it was just that. Just good. But it wasn't nearly as crazy good as was my first two weeks of fishing back here upon my returning from the western basin Islands area this spring. Maybe a bit of a reality check? Or maybe finally just one too many weather systems back to back impacting the fish? I don’t know, but it definitely wasn't nearly as a suicidal bite each day as we had been experiencing prior to all this crappy weather setting in. Don’t get me wrong. We still got plenty of fish including many HUGE Walleyes this past week but limits weren't necessarily automatic each day We worked very hard for each and every fish that we caught it seemed like. We even had a couple of days where we didn't quite limit out although we still managed to get into the high teens or better for fish caught each day . I can think of many times in the past almost 30 years where I would have killed to have had that kind of production on some of my “slower days” Lol!
I also believe that things are changing out there already as it inevitably does each summer. The fish are slipping out deeper and deeper with each passing day. Almost everyday this past week where I ended up doing the very best the day before, the next day I would have to go out a bit further to get back into the fish good again. Just a taste of things to come I guess. My how I wished they would just stay in tight close to shore all year long like they were there for a while for us. It sure was easy pickings! And as they slip further and further off into the deeper water, they are also starting to descend deeper and deeper into the water column. Although we are still using the Jet Divers and spoons, I myself believe that we are about maxing out the manageable obtainable maximum depth achievable with the #40 Tru-Trip divers without adding any weights or going to a size #50 jet. By design a #40 jet reaches down at best maybe to 40 foot. And that’s about where I am marking most of the fish right now. Around 40 to 45 foot down in 60 foot plus of water. Of coarse, this is not a hard rule. You can always find and catch the occasional fish in nearly any part of the water column. But aboard ‘The Trophy”, we are always seeking the “sweet spot” or the level that most of the active fish are hanging in.
This coming week to come at least at this point looks to be rather tranquil wind wise anyway. There is still a chance of rain and thunderstorms almost daily though. I fully expect to be dabbling with some of the deeper water programs that we run aboard “The Trophy” each summer. I have already blown the dust off some of the wire fishing line rods and have been busy prepping everything for that chapter of fishing that is yet to come. And just like with the fish slipping offshore now, the easy way of catching them is also almost behind us. Along with the wire line comes wire tangles, snap offs and all kinds of other chaos that makes even the most patient of charter captains start to talk to themselves! Lol! But it works and works well once the fish start going offshore and that is why we do it. Dipsey Divers should start kicking in much better as well. Up till now, those big divers aboard “The Trophy” have been very quiet. And downriggers? Forget it. They have been utterly useless thus far. But as these fish start going deeper, all of these tools that we have available to us should start to shine and have their moments. Maybe not yet this coming week but soon. Very soon! Stay tuned!
Capt. Walt
*I would like to remind all of my upcoming charters. As I have been simply asking all along now for the last few years, please try your very hardest to keep your group size to a very comfortable, more personal experience of 4 people for everyone involved. I myself just flat out DO NOT WANT more then that on my boat anymore for these summer trolling trips. This is not a hard rule or policy (yet) but if you folks want to keep me happy and chartering for years to come, you will do this for me and for yourselves. Also, we ABSOLUTELY need to be off the dock between 4:30am and 5:00am at the VERY LATEST! Our best fishing is ALWAYS at the crack of dawn and WE DO NOT WANT TO MISS OUT ON THAT OPPORTUNITY! Please, DO NOT BE Late! I am at the boat and ready to roll everyday by 4:30am and if you want to catch lots of fish, you will be ready as well!
|