A HOT week! No, not the fishing... the WEATHER! Wee Bob was it ever a stifling hot, humid and hazy week over the big pond this past week. Even our 4:00am departures didn’t spare us from the warmth and humidity. Even at that hour of the morning it was sticky and sweaty just setting up the boat. And after daylight and when the sun started to climb it was like fishing in a sauna. I forget what I just saw on TV the other day on the Cleveland's weather but it was a ridiculous amount of 90 degree plus days that we have already had this year that they were saying. Water temperatures out in the lake are soaring! I don’t believe that the record water temperature in Erie has ever cracked 80 degrees. Right now it’s sitting at 77 degrees! And we are just at the start of August. Traditionally the hottest month of the year. It will be interesting to see how high it will actually climb!
In past years the hotter the summer the better the fishing was in the cooler, deeper waters of the central basin especially the Ashtabula area. The big fish flocked in groves out here to enjoy the more comfortable water temperatures and the bait rich environment. That just does not seem to be the case this year. Sadly we had another much slower week this past week. We all still caught fish but it was a real struggle. Long, full days in all of this heat to boot. There are vast areas out there that just do not have any fish. If you are lucky enough to get over a good patch you can still do well and that’s what the better charters are doing. But the fish are really moving and it’s been an uphill battle to keep up with it all. Very un Ashtabula like. By this time of the year you should be able to go most anywhere out here and make one way trolls and do well. It just is not the case this year. We are working very, very hard to put box’s of fish together for all of our guests.
And something that I really haven’t complained all that much about this year is the junk fish. Well that all changed this past week. Maybe the big schools of Walleyes have not moved into the area but all of a sudden I think every junk fish in the lake has showed up in the area! This past week was just brutal with White Bass, White Perch, Sheephead. You name it. And just for good measure, throw in a incredible amount of undersize Walleyes ranging from 6 inches to just undersize that we also just can’t keep off our lines, well we’ve been non stop busy. Not exactly how I had hoped to relax a bit in my 30th year and make things as easy as I can for myself! I had visions this year of knocking out 24 quick fish each day and being the first one back to the dock and enjoying the rest of my day. Now, it’s just a accomplishment to get them all and be back to the dock period before time expires!
But we are still catching. Everybody is still taking plenty enough home to have some wonderful fresh fish dinners. Many days here recently the fish are not running nearly as big as in past years where everyone got spoiled. Just be thankful to be catching at all is what I say! I know I am! There has not been a day go by yet where we still at the very least have not caught a handful of huge fish. Many of the rest though here lately have been just “good eaters” 15 to 20 inchers. It is what it is. If I could write the script, everybody would catch nothing but 10 pounders. But it just don’t work that way. Take what the lake gives you and be thankful. I’ve said it often. Just enjoy the day! We’ll see what the rest of this month brings as we enter the real dog days of summer!
Capt. Walt
Celebrating Our 30th Season!
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