A surprisingly good week after a really horrific weekend last week! After everybody lost their trips last Saturday and Sunday, “The Trophy” got to go back to work on Monday to rather pleasant lake conditions. What a difference a day or two can make around here! On Saturday and Sunday we had many inches of rain and up to 60 mph winds out on the lake and by Monday, well it was just a nice calm lake with less then one foot waves and nice dry conditions. And that’s about all I’m going to say about all of that. Frankly, I’m just about plain sick and tired of talking about the weather all of the time!
But the “weather” that we did have last weekend really did not do us any big favors. The fish are even further out then before now and man did it ever fire up the White Bass! We had a few days this past week where it was just plain unbelievable with how many we had to weed thru to get all of our Walleyes. But we did get our Walleyes. I think we only had one day where we did not limit out completely. But even on that day, we came very close with a whole pile of HUGE fish! And all of it to to a very full moon as well this week! Many times if not almost always this spells the kiss of death to our later in the morning Walleye fishing after the fish feed heavily all night long under the bright conditions. But it didn’t seem to matter much though this past week with the well offshore Walleyes.
And that’s where we aboard “The Trophy” had to go to stay on top of the bigger schools of fish. Way, way out. After doing this for nearly 30 years now it came as no big surprise to me that the fish would be out there 15 to 20 miles out. I’ve seen it many times before. The near shore waters really got tore up with all the constant storms all of June and it really climaxed with last weekends big gales. That and PLUS, it’s JULY! That’s what they do around here in the summer. The fish move out! A good friend of mine and fellow charter captain who also belongs to the areas few 30 years of chartering fraternity club once summed it up the very best. “If they are not in, they are out. And if they are not out, THEY ARE OUT EVEN FURTHER!” And there is a whole lot of truth in that simple little statement. Some years it’s later in the season, some years it can be sooner. But in July, you better have a full tank of gas when you go looking. You’re going to need it!
And that reminds me to send a special thanks to all of my groups that dug extra deep at the end of the day here lately with generous tip money to help offset the extreme pain at the pump at the end of the day with these long runs. Most groups realize the extra burden that it places on my operation for me to do whatever it takes to put them on good fish. One of the funniest moments for me this past week after a particularly painful fill up was when the docks gas girl that filled me up went to ring up the bill. She looked at the pump and then she looked at me and said, “Where did you go? The f %$# ing moon?”! Lol! Well, it’s funny now but seriously, it takes a whole lot of extra gas to run these long distance trips and any extra $$$ at the end of the day to help out is very much appreciated! So it’s already a week into July now. The 4th has come and gone already and you can’t help but feel that summer is somehow slipping away rapidly. The nearer to shore fishing is seemingly over with now and there is nothing easy in site for any of the foreseeable future. I just sure hope that we got most of this summers lousy weather out of the way already and that we have nice flat seas to cruise in and fish in going forward to this new promised land. It’s a whole new game now. Better buckle up...
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!
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