Nice Day on the Lake

Fished with Captain Daryl. Temperature this morning was in the lower 60's and when we quit fishing it was in the lower 70's. The wind was out of the southwest when we started fishing and started switching around 10:00 am to the southeast less than 10 knots. Waves were less than a foot. The water temp is 61 degrees. Started fishing the south side of the dump with junior thunder sticks set at 80 feet back and deep diving thunder sticks set at 55 feet back. We also ran a couple of dipsy's set at 30 to 40 feet back with bombers. We were marking a lot of fish so we just stayed and worked this area. The catching was slow but a least we were catching some walleye. The blue and green thunder sticks seemed to be the best colors. Kept 10 walleye and put back about 10 short walleye and we only caught 2 silver bass.

Nice Day, Bad Results

Fished with Joe and Daryl. Temperature this morning was in the lower 40's and when we quit fishing it was in the lower 60's. The wind was very light and variable with no waves, just a little chop on the lake. The water temp is 58 Degrees. Started fishing around the S-Buoy trolling with junior thunder sticks set at 75 feet back, deep diving bandits set at 50 feet back and dipsy's and bombers set at 28 feet back. We were marking a lot of fish but we had no takers, so after a half hour we took off the thunder sticks and put on crawlers set at 45 feet back. The water was dirty, but clean enough to catch fish. Finally we caught our first walleye and it was a short walleye. Stayed in this area for a while and we landed only one keeper walleye so we started heading to the East. About 15 minutes heading into this direction I started playing with the auto pilot and I put the boat into a 360 Degree spin, not a good thing. I shut down the motor and we were into a major mess. Thanks to all the good work of my crew we did not lose anything, hard to believe. Since all the lines were out of the water we headed for walleye alley. Set up here with the same program and we only caught one keeper walleye. We pulled lines and headed back to the dumping grounds running the same program. When we fished the stained water we started to catch walleye, some keepers and some shorts, but our time was running out. When we got into the dirty water we were catching logs and paper. Kept 7 walleye and put back 8 short walleye. Only caught a few junk fish.

First Trip of the Year

Fished with Joe on the first walleye trip of the year. The weather report was for light northwest winds with waves less than a foot. The day started out with the winds out of the northeast around 10 knots and by 10:00 am the wind was blowing at 15 knots with waves 1 to 3 feet. Not a good start to the year. When we started fishing the temp was in the lower 40's and when we quit fishing it was in the lower 50's. The water temp is 52 Degrees. Started trolling at the S buoy heading towards the E buoy with crawler harnesses with 2 ounce weights. One side of the boat was set at 40 feet back and the other side of the boat was set at 50 feet back. We were about half way in the dumping grounds when we caught the first walleye, 14 1/2 inches. We started picking away at the fish until we got to the E buoy and the water started clearing up so we made a pass back where we came from. About this time the wind started blowing and it was tough to control the boat. We fought the wind and waves for about a hour and called it a day. Kept 1 perch and 10 walleye. We put back 14 walleye that were under size.

Trout Fishing 2017

Headed up north with Joe and John on Thursday morning to set up camp on the Boardman River. When we were in Grayling, fueling up, the temps were in the lower 70's and by the time we arrived at camp the temps were in the middle 50's. The river looked to be in good shape for the opener on Saturday, April 29.

Saturday morning the temp was 38 Degrees with a slight breeze and  clear skies, just a beautiful opening morning. We all headed to our favorite spots with high hopes. When we all met back at camp we had the same reports, the fish were biting and we all caught fish. Opening morning produced 12 brown trout from 8 1/2 inches to 14 1/4 inches. What a great start to the trout season! Minnows and worms both caught fish, but the bigger fish came off the minnows. We now had enough fish to have trout dinners for a couple of nights.

Now Mother Nature decided to step in and change the trip. The rain that started Saturday night chased us away from the camp fire and continued into Sunday morning. We had a small window to eat some breakfast and do a little fishing before the next rain storm arrived. We got a couple of hours of fishing in before the rain started. We caught some nice fish, but that was it for fishing on Sunday. The rain quit just in time to have a camp fire but, again, we were chased away from the fire around midnight because of the rain. The forecast was for more rain on Monday morning with a small window of no rain then more rain for the rest of the day and rain on Tuesday. We made the decision to cut our trip short and break camp on Monday morning when the rain quit and head for home, which turned out to be the right choice. We kept 20 brown trout for the weekend with the largest fish measuring 16 inches, that I caught on Sunday, which makes me the Trout King for this year!

First Ice Fishing Trip of the Year

Fished with Joe on Lake St. Clair. Temperature this morning was in the upper teens and when we quit fishing it was in the upper 20's. We fished out of the Metro Park and we walked out from the Day Sail ramp. The ice is a good 6 inches thick and it's good hard ice. Visibility is only about a foot. The water is not dirty it's just cloudy and that should clear up pretty soon. We used wax worms tipped on small jigs and Slab Grabber spoons and Ken spoons. Started fishing in 8 feet of water without much luck. Made a move in closer to 6 1/2 feet of water and we were just set up and all four poles went down. We only landed one of those fish. After that the fishing was pretty slow. Only kept 2 perch for the trip that we gave away to some other fisherman on the ice. It felt good to be back on the ice again, I missed all of last year. Could not have made this trip without Joe, he did all the dirty work.

Perchin' in November

Fished with Captain Dan. Temperature this morning was in the middle 60's when we started fishing and it was in the middle 70's when we quit fishing. Never had a day of fishing in November with temps like this! The wind was out of the south west less than 5 knots and there was hardly a ripple on the lake. The water temp is 53 Degrees. We took our sweatshirts off pretty early and enjoyed the sunshine and perch fishing. Started fishing in front of the Edison stacks in 22 feet of water and we only caught one small perch. Made a move about 1/4 mile south east of the Raisin River buoys 1 and 2 and we found some fish. Stayed put here and we picked away at the perch. We had to do some sorting, but our game plan was to keep nothing under 9 inches. Kept 69 perch with the largest one's measuring 11 1/4 inches and we had a couple of perch that were 8 inches that swallowed the hooks. Just a beautiful fishing trip in November on Lake Erie!

Great Day Perchin'

Fished with Dan. Temperature this morning was in the lower 50's and when we quit fishing it was in the upper 60's. Again, the sun was out for the whole trip and it felt great on the water. We had our coats off by 9:30 am. There was no wind today so we had no waves, just a perfect day to be on Lake Erie. The water temp is 63 Degrees. It was a slow start this morning. The hi-lo driver showed up late and we had to buy some fuel before we went fishing. Finally, away we went. Headed back to the same spot we have been fishing the last week and there were 8 boats perch fishing in our area. We set up a little off our way point and only caught a few fish. After 20  minutes, we moved about 200 feet and started to catch some perch. Stayed put for the rest of the trip, sorting through the small fish and keeping nothing under 8 inches. Kept 100 perch. I decided to treat myself today and took the fish in to get cleaned. The 100 fish weighed 27 1/2 pounds. We both had a great day on the lake.

Little on the Bumpy Side

Fished with Joe and Daryl. Temperature this morning was in the upper 60's when we started fishing and it was in the lower 80's when we quit fishing. A little taste of summer during the fall. The wind was out of the south southwest 17 to 25 knots with waves 2 to 3 feet. Every once in a while a 4 footer would come by and that would get your attention. The water temp is 60 degrees. Went back to our same spot and the boat ride out was not too bad. Set up and we started picking away at the perch. It was a steady bite but you had to pay attention with the rough water. At 11.00 am we called it quits for the day. Surprisingly the boat ride back to port was not too bad either. Kept 117 perch with the largest one measuring 12 inches and one bonus walleye. With the southerly wind maybe we should have fished in the swamp but we survived. All's well that ends well.

Bit Slower Today

Fished with Captain Daryl and Joe. Temperature this morning was in the lower 40's when we started fishing and when we quit fishing it was in the lower 50's. The sun was out the whole time we were fishing so it felt pretty warm. The wind was out of the southwest for most of the trip with rolling waves about a foot. The water temp is 62 degrees. Went back to the same location and the fish were there but the bite was just steady. We were picking away at the perch until about 10:45 AM and then the catching just shut down. Around 11:30 the bite picked up again but we were getting ready to call it a day. Daryl put his boat to rest for the winter while Joe and I cleaned most of the fish. Got done cleaning the fish and we went to Trappers for a great perch dinner. Kept 89 perch and the largest one was 11 inches.

Another Good Day

Fished with Joe and Daryl. Temperature this morning was in the middle 50's and when we quit fishing it was in the lower 60's. Even though it was warmer today it felt a lot colder. The winds were out of the south around 15 knots with two foot waves. When we were about done fishing the sun came out and the lake laid down to one foot waves and then it started to warm up. The water temp is 62 degrees. Started fishing where we left off yesterday and the catching was even better. We were on the fish pretty quick and we were catching bigger perch. Biggest perch today was 12 1/2 inches and we had a lot of fish over 10 inches. Kept 150 perch and this was one of our best perch fishing trips in a long time. Had all the fish cleaned with plenty of time for Daryl to make his dentist appointment.

Found Some Nice Perch

Fished with Joe and Daryl. Temperature this morning was in the lower 40's and when we quit fishing it was in the middle 50's. It actually felt pretty nice out because the sun was shining for the whole trip. The wind was mostly out of the east less than 12 knots with waves between 1 and 2 feet. The water temp is 62 degrees. When we left port we headed back to the swamp. The water was pretty dirty but we tried fishing anyways. We fished for about 15 minutes and then we pulled anchor and headed to a spot we fished about 4 weeks ago, about 1 mile east of the E-Buoy, We set up here and the catching was slow. The fish would come through in waves but at least we were on some perch in cleaner water. It did not take too long for the fish to turn on and once they did it was game on. Caught the nicest catch of the season as far as size. Kept 135 perch and we only caught one silver bass. The largest perch was 11 1/4 inches.

Back at it Again

Fished Captain Daryl and Joe. Temperature this morning was in the lower 60's when we started fishing and it was in the lower 70's when we quit fishing. The wind was out of the southeast for most of the trip less than 10 knots. The waves were between 1 and 2 feet when we started and after a hour they were less than a foot. The water temp is 65 degrees. Headed back to the same spot as yesterday and the catching was pretty slow. Made a couple of moves in this area with out much luck. Made a move towards the middle of the swamp and we found some perch. Spent the rest of the morning here picking away at the perch. Caught a few larger perch today but over all the size was about the same as yesterday. Kept 78 perch with the largest one about 11 inches. The water was a tad bit dirtier than yesterday after the east winds last night.

Fishing after the Big Rain Storm

Fished with Joe and Daryl. Temperature this morning was in the upper 50's when we started fishing and when we were done fishing it was in the lower 60's. The wind was mostly out of the west less than 6 knots without any waves. The water temp is 66 degrees. Just last week the water temp was 75 degrees. The fog was very thick which made for a long and slow boat ride into the swamp. The water was pretty clean after all the rain we had for the last 4 days. Started to catch a few fish right out of the gate and then it slowed down. The perch would be there for a little while and then gone. Made a small move of about 200 feet to the south and we were back on some active fish again. Caught all perch today but the size was not very good. Biggest fish was just under 10 inches. Kept 93 perch.

Short Trip

Fished with Joe. Temperature this morning was in the upper 50's when we started fishing and when we quit fishing it was in the lower 50's. The wind was out of the south southeast around 10 knots when we started and when we quit fishing the wind was out of the southeast at 25 knots. The waves went from 1 foot to about 4 foot in less than 5 minutes. The water temp is 68 degrees. Headed back to the swamp and set up where we have been fishing. We put our rain gear on before we left port knowing it was going to rain, we had no idea about the wind. Had a nice boat ride into the swamp and set the anchor to start fishing. We got to fish for a couple of minutes and then the waves were too large to be out perch fishing. The fish were snapping at the baits but we had to pull the anchor and come back to port. It was a tough boat ride back to the harbor even though the waves were off the starboard stern. Kept 6 perch and threw back about 5 perch. Since we were back at port so early we changed the out drive oil and the engine oil. Had to borrow a screw driver from Huey to change the out drive oil and we put it back in his boat when we were done. The fishing season is coming to an end real soon.

Back in the Swamp Again

Fished with Captain Daryl and Mark. Temperature this morning was in the middle 60's and when we quit fishing it was in the lower 80's. The wind was mostly out of the southwest less than 10 knots with just a little ripple on the lake. The water temp is 75 degrees. We headed back to where we left off on the last trip and we were on the fish right out of the gate. Had to do a little more sorting today but the fish were about the same size as the last trip. Every so often on the starboard side of the boat the bite would just flat out quit but the port side stayed busy.  Tried the shiners that we froze from the last trip and they worked out just great. We just might have a new way to preserve our bait. It was a good thing that we had them today otherwise we would have ran out of bait. Kept 99 perch today.

Perfect Day on Lake Erie

Fished with Joe and Daryl. Temperature this morning was in the lower 60's and when we quit fishing it was in the upper 70's. The water temp is 74 degrees. The wind was light and variable with no waves. The only problem we had was that we were drifting around the anchor. We would be on the fish and then off the fish. Just a perfect day on Lake Erie. Made our first trip into the swamp this year and it did not disappoint. Set up on our first spot and Joe caught a double right out of the gate and then it slowed down. Moved about 100 feet and we started catching fish again. It was not fast and furious but enough steady action to keep us put. If we had a little breeze we would have stayed on the fish better. Had to do a little sorting but it was not too bad. Kept 106 perch and the largest was 11 inches. The size of the perch are starting to get a little larger. Learned a new way to preserve shiners, will see how it works out.

Pretty Good Day Perch'in

Fished with Joe. Temperature this morning was in the upper 50's and when we quit fishing it was in the lower 70's. The wind was out of the southeast less than 10 knots with waves around a foot. The water temp is 72 degrees. We planned on fishing by the Turn Around buoy but on the way out there Joe saw a pack of boats by the shipping channel around buoys 5 and 6. We headed out there and set up and we never had to move. We had to do a lot of sorting but we were able to catch our limit of perch. The minnow situation is not getting any better. We had nice shiners today but the count was not very good. From here on out we are going to salt our left over minnows for the next trip. Kept 64 perch and the largest was 10 1/2 inches.

Trout Fishing- A Little Late

Fished with Joe and John on the Boardman River. Left on Sunday and came home on Wednesday. We could not make it for the opening day of trout fishing because of my shoulder so we went now. It rained all day Saturday up north so the rivers were pretty high for this time of year. We fished all of our usual spots and the catching was tough. This is only our third year fishing the Boardman River and we only caught Brown Trout the previous two years. This trip we caught a lot of little Brook Trout and had two keeper Brookies. We used shiners, worms and spinner blades and they all caught fish but the worms caught most of the fish. Joe caught big fish on Monday and big fish on Tuesday so that made him the Trout King for 2016. We kept six fish for the trip and the biggest was a 10 3/4 inch Brown Trout.

Tough Day Perchin

Fished With Joe. Temperature this morning was in the lower 70's and when we quit fishing it was in the lower 90's. And it's September, holy crap. The wind was out of the south less than 10 knots with waves less than a foot. The water temp is 77 degrees. Had a tough time buying minnows today and we wound up with mud minnows and we were lucky to get those. Not our favorite choice. When we arrived at the marina there were already 3 boats waiting to get launched before us and no hi lo driver. To make matters worse there were 3 boats in the slips that had to be put away. And the icing on the cake was the hilo would not start once the driver showed up. After we got through that mess we were getting ready to leave the dock when one of the guys from the marina came up to us and said he had the perfect hot spot from a couple of days ago. Could not pass that up so we waited for him to follow him out to that spot. We fished there for about a half hour with a couple of moves and we only caught one perch. Made a move towards Sputnik and we stopped short about 4 miles and set up. Started to catch some perch but the catching was slow and the size was not very good. We stayed put and just picked away at the perch. Kept 48 perch.

Nice Steady Bite

Fished with Captain Daryl and Mark. Temperature this morning was in the upper 50's and when we quit fishing it was in the middle 70's. The wind was light out of the south for most of the trip with waves less than a foot. The water temp is 75 degrees. We set up where we fished last Tuesday, which is just past the dumping grounds on the Michigan/Ohio border and we never had to move. The bite was good right out of the gate and it only slowed down the last 1/2 hour of fishing. Kept 110 perch about the same size we have been catching all week. Not too much to report. We had good bait, nice lake conditions and the fish were active today.