A very rainy and stormy week! YIKES! Man, it was one wet week. I don’t know how we did it but somehow, someway we managed to get all of our trips in. But I was one wet puppy, rain gear and all. It’s one thing to be one of the guests huddled under the hard top waiting your turn on the rod buts its another thing to be the one in charge and having to be in the back running the whole show. And even with excellent rain gear, reaching up hooking up releases and everything else, it runs down your sleeves, down your neck and every where else it can creep into and the next thing you know, you’re soaked. We even had a morning where we had to make a mad dash back to safe harbor because of embedded lightning approaching us in the rain. After a hour and a half wait back at the dock letting it pass by, it was back out there again. Twice the gas running back and fourth. Twice the work tearing down and setting back up again. And a much longer day then anticipated. Such is my job. You got to love it!
But we also had several pleasant days where it was a joy to be out there. Fishing for us aboard “The Trophy” remained very good. As I had noted in last weeks report, the fish do seem indeed to be on a big and rapid march to well offshore. It should come as no big surprise because after all we are approaching the end of June now. But it’s not a real good feeling knowing that the fuel bills are going to go up substantially, especially this year with fuel again at six year highs already and the media greasing us up for “possible” record high gasoline prices this summer with the unrest in Iraq again and whatever else they can hype up just to sell the news. They prepare us and big oil just finds it that much easier to stick it to us. Don’t get me started. Oh yeah, I’m already ranting! lol! Anyway, offshore fishing presents a whole new set of added difficulties. You no longer get any kind of wind break from the shore line should you have a strong southeast, south or southwest wind. There's a reason they give you two marine forecasts. Near shore and offshore. It all means longer rides, rougher water to work in and much more costly trips. I guess it’s time to suck it up for the rest of the year again.
And with us fishing further and further out now, we are running into more and more Steelhead Trout out there also. I think that practically every day this past week we either landed a nice big Steelhead each day out or at least had one on. Still fun, one or two a day. But I remember past years though where for whatever reason they were really ganged up out there offshore and we couldn’t get away from them. Some days ending up catching in the teens and even in the twenties of the silver bullets! Maybe big fun for my guests but a real royal pain in the butt for me, trying to put Walleyes in the box. Action like that most often results in busted tackle, wiping out all of your cooler space that was intended for your Walleyes. And also in having to carry much more ice daily, just in case. Frantic jumping around on my part moving rods around and back breaking over extended netting jobs. And at the end of the day, most people really don’t even want that many trout. An occasional one for the grill or smoker is alright but when the trout start to out number the Walleyes like I have seen it at times before, well I get to hear more complaing again. We’ve had years like that. Hopefully it will remain just like it is right now. Just one here and there.
So we are entering the last week of June already. If it weren't for the tremendous onslaught of the pain in the ass White Bass this month, I would have to rate this June as again, one of the best Junes ever. We have had many amazing catches almost every trip out but I have also been working in the back of the boat like a dog non stop every day weeding thru all of the garbage fish to make it happen. Exhausting and frustrating. Once we started going further out in the lake I thought that maybe that dilemma would ease some, but that really hasn’t been the case. The White Bass are just bigger out there! Lol! So that’s it for another week. Hoping for better weather this coming week, less White Bass and still the excellent Walleye fishing that we have been experiencing thus far ever since I came back from the islands. I would say everything is right on schedule out here and that the area is living up to its famed reputation that it has earned over the year. See everybody again next week. Capt. Walt
* It is imperative to be setting lines with the very first hint of daylight. And with that said, I would like to have all of my upcoming trips that might be reading this report to take note and PLEASE be at the dock between 4:30 and 5:00am at the VERY latest. Fishing is the very best the first few hours of daylight and we DO NOT want to miss out on that opportunity! Also, please remember that there are no fishing license sales at the marina and that those must be secured else where ahead of time. Any questions, call me 216-387-2656
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