An alright week. It was just an alright week for us aboard “The Trophy” this past week. Not spectacular. Not really terrible. Just alright. The work week started out lousy however and ended a bit shaky weather wise as well. Monday we went ahead and pre cancelled our trip the night before as did almost everybody else in the harbor with a 5’ to 7’ foot marine forecast predicted along with rain and thunderstorms for the day also. Well, they blew the rain forecast as it was nothing but sunshine and blue sky's all day long but we did get the strong winds that they were calling for. The lake was a nasty frothy mess! It ended up being a good call to cancel. The rest of the week the lake was alright and pleasant for everyone. Up until Friday that is. With a 1’ to 3’ foot forecast out of the northeast predicted, everybody headed out. Many to the Canadian line only to be greeted with strong gusty winds and rapidly building huge seas growing by the moment. Before it was over we were in solid 4’ to 6’ footers out there maybe more and again wondering how in the Hell could they be so very wrong with “their” stupid marine forecasts?
After threatening not to go that far out anymore and start to look for fish in closer to shore, “The Trophy” found herself still right back out there skirting the line trolling for the big fish that have stubbornly been sitting out there it seems like most all of the summer long now. It’s really hard to leave fish to go look for fish. And when the lake allowed, we just pointed her north and continued to rack up the miles for this season. With the unusual summer weather this year, the Walleyes didn’t work their way out there slowly over the coarse of the summer like in normal years. They just leap frogged from in close to 20 mile plus straight out it seemed like almost overnight and they’ve been there ever since. And if the weather has allowed us and we could work our way out there, the fishing has been consistently good out there. This past week was no different. We didn’t have any smashingly fast burn days out there but we always came back with a full box of fish. Even Friday where we were caught by surprise by the super rough lake. We were in the fish all day. It was just hard to stand, hard to keep all the lines going and made for a very long and hard ride back home to port.
It was noticeably cooler this past week then the week before and with no bugs. I appreciated all of that. But I am really tiring of the daily long boat rides. This past week we pushed the envelope right up to the Canadian-US line. And when I say to the line, I mean I think when we started, the one planer board of ours was actually over the border! Lol! Friday for example with a stiff northeast wind building the further I went, I cranked it out a whopping 26 miles right up to the international border. It’s a lonely, lonely place being that far out into the lake. Especially when its rough. We could actually see the higher landmarks on the Canadian shore line better then back towards our own south shore! They must have an incredible wind mill farm right across the lake from us there in Canada. You could plainly make them out on the north shore! And the shipping lanes that you normally see way to the north when normally fishing further out in the lake with its east and west bound freighters are well to the south of you when you are that far north and right on the line. Now that’s really weird looking back to the south to see the shipping lanes! Anyway, for whatever reason the fish are out there and I continue to be drawn out there as well. Like it or not.
So as I look ahead to this coming week I see nothing out of the ordinary at least on paper. No big weather systems predicted. (Hahaha) At least nothing noticeable that catches my eye at this point. I suppose we’ll still be fishing way up north this coming week. The troubling thing is that most everybody is fishing out there now as well and nobody is even looking elsewhere closer. Everybody with a charter is fearful trying and bombing in close knowing fully well that your peers will probably come in with big boxes of fish from up north making you look and feel really bad. Nothing worst then coming in with a handful or worst of fish only to have everyone else back at the dock racking up big racks of fish for pictures. Been there, done that one. Not good and very stressful! So I guess I will continue to take my daily beatings and continue to head to Canada each day till I hear of something better in closer. Just like everyone else! Lol! Anyway I will continue to pray for calm seas and for the schools of fish to move southward. As I look at the calendar by the time I do next weeks report, half of this August will be in the books already. I can not deny that I am secretly starting to look forward to the off season. Just starting to get plain burnt out. The big distances that we have to travel each day is only adding to that feeling. We’ll see what happens going forward. I still have better then a months worth of Walleye trips left on the books. Let me see, that’s about 2,200-2,300 more miles of boat rides for me at the rate that I’ve been going! Holy Cow! I hope things change! Catch everybody again next week...
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 now by 4:30am 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!
|