Fishing report for the week of July 21, 2013.: , ,
Fishing Report Posted: July 22, 2013

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[ Lake Erie & Tributaries Fishing Report ]

Posted by Capt. Walt Ermansons on July 22, 2013 at 17:50:28:

HOT ! HOT ! HOT !!! Oh, and the weather, it was a little on the warm side also this past week ! Lol ! We had some pretty HOT fishing this past week especially early on in the week in one of the hottest heat waves that I have fished thru in quite a few years. Man was it toasty out there. Monday through Thursday we had very little breeze if any out on the lake and that coupled along with 90 degree plus temperatures made for some very uncomfortable conditions by mid morning each day. The only thing that got us through it was our super early morning departures each day which gave us a few good hours of fishing before the sun got up too high and started the bake cycle.

The fact that the Walleyes were biting pretty good helped also. A couple of the days we limited out early sending us scurrying for air conditioners back on shore. A couple of other days we came close to limiting out but when it became almost unbearable by about 11ish, my crews thankfully cried UNCLE and were willing to settle for a few fish short of limits in exchange for a very welcome high speed cruise back to shore and the chance to get out of the sun. By Friday, change was on the way but in the form of too much of a good thing. All week we prayed for a bit of a breeze. Friday we got it. Sustained gusty hot winds making for solid 3 to 5 footers all day and once again making for pretty uncomfortable and tough fishing conditions. Somehow we still managed to get a pretty full kettle of fish and only came up a few short of limiting out. It was not easy however and I was pretty spent at the end of the day. I don’t think I was the best of company all week frankly. I just don’t do this kind of heat very well.

The weekend ushered in much cooler temperatures and much needed relief but at the cost of a trip for me on Saturday. It was just too rough to fish way offshore. In close it was tolerable but the further out we got the nastier it became. It made Fridays heavy seas look like a walk in the park. After running all the way out there, we never even wet a line and just turned around and came back in. The Walleyes have moved so far offshore now that there are just no easy days for us anymore. Long, grueling expensive boat rides back and fourth to the fishing grounds. Not such a big deal when the lake is calm but a a very big problem and a very big deal on the typical very choppy and even rough conditions that greet us more times then not on Erie. And the Walleyes dramatic move to way offshore coincides with a incredible spike in the fuel prices once again back at the marina pumps. Figures. I’m not very happy right now about what's been happening. The marina where I am docked just raised their fuel price by a whopping 29 cents a gallon all in one session just 5 days ago and yet ANOTHER 20 cents just this weekend. I’m like, what the heck! What ever happened to the days when fuel prices rose by pennies or a nickel! 49 cents in less then a friggin weeks time! Are you kidding me ? Anyway, an extra special thanks to all my charter guests that have taken notice of all this and have generously dug even a little deeper into their pockets at the end of the day to ease my horrible pain at the pumps right now. It really helps a lot and is appreciated more then my mere words of thanks can express.

So the season is progressing right on que. We are entering the last full week of July already. The fish are super way out and I’m beginning to feel more then just a little tired. I am also totally bummed out about these ridiculous fuel prices. Maybe it was all of this heat this week but I’m already starting to think about the off season and the fact that after August, its thankfully all down hill. I have semi mixed emotions about the time flying by so quickly but it seems like each year I welcome the off season just a little more then the year before. I know I have to get my second wind though and put some of these thoughts behind me because there is still a lot of Walleye fishing that has to take place for me before that nice long winter break. We’ll see what this coming week brings. I hope its not more 90 degree weather, 6 foot waves and another 49 cent jump in the marina gasoline prices !

Capt. Walt

*We are entering this part of the season now where it is imperative that we get out very early in the morning. With the very clear water out there, we usually get a strong morning bite before the sun gets up too high and the action drops off significantly. WE DO NOT WANT TO MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY ! Until further notice, we are now departing from the dock everyday at 5am sharp. Please if you have a trip scheduled, be here early and be ready to roll at such time ! Also, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR FISHING LICENSE ahead of time. There are no license sales at the marina. If you are getting just a 1 day license, make sure to get the 1 day “charter license” which only goes into effect if you actually get out and use it. Links on my website for online sales. Any questions, call me.





[ Lake Erie & Tributaries Fishing Report ]

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