July! We made it! Man, it seems like just yesterday we were locked in tight in one of the most brutal winter grips that anyone ever remembered. Polar Vortex’s, constant snows and crazy wind chills. Summer and July’s heat seemed like an eternity away at that point. Yet, here we are. Halfway through the season and sadly practically halfway through the summer already. And everything is as it should be. The Walleye fishing continues to be amazing out here off of Ashtabula harbor. The area is living up to everyone's expectations just like it has in all the past summers. Year after year here we have had a solid Walleye fishery that truly has to be the very best on earth. Sure, other harbors on Erie get good for a while as these same fish migrate around the lake each year but we surely must have the longest stab at this world class fishing. It's been fabulous from the moment I came back from the west end on Memorial Day weekend back in May, to if you go by last years fabulous fishing, extending sometime possibly well into October again before these fish slip away from the area for another year.
Aboard “The Trophy”, we had another fabulous week this past week. Day in and day out we managed to fulfill all my peoples fishing fantasies and expectations . The weather however is starting to change and not necessarily for the best as we are start to experience more and more of these strong warm southerly summer winds. And as I have wrote about many times before, these heavy south and southwesterly winds are magnified that much more the further and further out into the lake that you stick your nose out in. We got a real dose of that this past week. I really hate a strong south wind. It gets you every time. It lulls you into thinking that it’s not all that bad as you depart the harbor and everything is flat and fine beings on the lee side of the lake. But then like a cork screw it starts. With each mile that you run out it gets rougher and rougher. Then you start to fish and travel even further out trolling along with the wind and waves. Pretty soon you realize, oh crap! You gotta go home sooner or later and you’ll be hitting those now monster waves right on the nose. Oh yeah, we got a real taste of that this past week.
But through it all we are catching awesome, awesome Walleyes and numerous Steelheads again this summer. Rare is a day now where we don’t tangle with a few trout out there offshore as well. I’ve had some real mad scrambles moving rods around as these jumpers create total havoc each and every time we have a hookup with one of them. I remember more then once thinking this past week, man I’m getting too old for this “stuff”! Well, that might not exactly be the exact word that I used but you get the idea! Lol! And netting this many Walleyes gets tiring too. I mean, these are all big fish for the most part that we’re catching! I’m starting to feel it in my shoulders and back once again. Right on schedule. The slight and constant pain that reminds me that we are having another successful summer up here and that I have already scooped up many tons of Walleyes for my many excited guests. We’re talking tons of fish already, literally...
So tomorrow, Monday and the start of the new fishing week, it looks like its going to begin like real crap. And again, because of my most unfavorite wind direction. The National Weather Service is predicting very stiff south west winds 15 to 25 knots with waves 4 to 6 foot building to 5 to 7 feet. Probably the worst wind and marine forecast that I’ve seen up for this area since my return from the islands. So, based solely on the product that they are putting out there, I reluctantly just went ahead and cancelled my trip in an attempt to save my guys a needless ride up. They are also talking numerous thunderstorms so it just doesn’t sound good all the way around. We’ll see. I’ve been screwed before by their gloom & doom forecasts. Regardless, it’s supposed to be a fast mover and by Tuesday & Wednesday, its back to nice. Which brings me up to the way that I’m going to end this report. Pitching dates once again. No trip now on Monday because of weather and I just took a TWO DAY short notice cancellation for Tuesday & Wednesday of this week (July 8th & 9th). I would really hate to not be fishing that many days in a row with the fishing as good as it is right now. So, if anybody would like to join me on a spur of the moment trip and catch some of these beautiful Walleyes for yourselves, you can call me as late as the night before and at any hour. I don’t need any notice on my end. Hope to hear from someone! So that’s it for another week. Happy July!
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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