Juls WFA Blog
Fishing with Vito...4/12/2026
by Capt Juls on 04/13/26Vito is a friend and customer from Wisconsin who bought one of my Ranger boats back in 2017. I've been fishing with him for around 10 or 11 years now, and it's always a very relaxed and fun trip with him. He's very chill, and catching fish is just a plus...he just likes to be on the water. He's one of my favorite people to fish with, because there's absolutely no pressure on me. lol
The wind was forecast to be out of the SE and turning S later in the morning, so I decided to launch out of Catawba and head to the west side of the islands, to find out what's happening there, instead of heading out with the pack of boats fishing east of Kelly's. I might not have made that decision had it not been Vito in the boat, but I knew he was game for anything.
We headed north to find cleaner water and ended up west of Middle Bass Island. There was one boat ahead of us when we arrived, but they didn't stay and headed out to the east of the islands, so we had it to ourselves. The Garmin was marking some good fish, so we decided to fish there.
The school of fish was holding to a relatively small area, so we would end up just making circle after circle to keep going over them, and each time we did, we would pick a fish up here and there. It was by no means a fast bite, but the area was peaceful and protected from the wind, so it was a relaxing morning for both of us.
Vito works hard at his job and does a lot of traveling, so he was happy even with the slower bite.
I asked a few times if he preferred moving to try and find a more active bite, but he said he was happy fishing right there.
We pretty much had it to ourselves for a while, but shared the spot when another boat would pass by. I think they had the same mindset we had, and stayed, but we were both able to stay out of each other's way with no problems. :)
We were fishing over 30-32 feet of water with Bandits and Bill Lewis PWC Lites. The bandits were used unassisted and assisted. Unassisted's best lead was 97 back, and assisted was 50/24 with 2oz...(put the weight on at 50 and then let out another 24' of line and put the Off Shore board on at 74).
Speed, when a fish hit, was always 1.6-1.7 on the FishHawk...SOG was 1.8-1.9mph.
Water temp there was 43.6 on the surface and 45 degrees 18 feet down.
The wind picked up around 11:30, and had gone more SW, which is not good for launching or loading at Catawba, so we called it 15 minutes early to head back before it really started blowing, so loading out wouldn't be too bad. It still was, but we managed to get out without any issues. I never like to use Catawba with a SW wind, because it blows directly into the ramp.
Vito and I went to Fisherman's Central after, so he could see if they had a starting battery for his boat, because they were having their big sale over the weekend, but they didn't have the right one for his Ranger. Then, we went and grabbed some lunch before dropping him back off at the Whitecaps Motel. We were going to drop the fish off at Port Clinton Fish Co., but they were closed at 2pm. I thought they were open on weekends now, but apparently not. I let him take the cooler when I dropped him off, so he could run them out to Bay's Edge to be cleaned, so he didn't have to get his clean cooler all slimy. He then dropped it off at my house when he was finished with it.
Time spent with a good friend in the boat is always a good time! Fish are just a bonus. :)
I'm off Monday, and my 3-day trip with Jason Carlson and his wife on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday is looking like a no-go. They are traveling down from Wisconsin, and as usual, Mother Nature is throwing a tizzy fit and is blowing hard again. We're supposed to have a big storm come through, due to the very warm/humid temps coming in, too. I'll be watching the forecast and let them know what to expect....they may not be coming down. I don't like to have people travel that far if they are just going to sit on shore the whole time. Gas prices are too high for that kind of nonsense!
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Steve, Denny, and "Ollie" (Mark)...4/11/2026
by Capt Juls on 04/11/26My guys are locals, so I was able to just meet them at the launch this morning, instead of picking them up. The original plan was to meet at Mazurik's, but I think the LEWT tournament anglers were all launching there this morning, so the line was backed up out into the road by a 1/4 mile when I arrived. The line was slowly making its way, so I took that opportunity to call my guys to tell them to meet me over at Dempsey's instead.
There were only about a 1/2 dozen trailers at Dempsey's, so it was a good call. :)
Normally, when you get to the launch before sunup, even on the weekends, it's never that crowded.
My crew are all fishermen, and wanted to learn how to use the Off Shore boards better, so that was our goal....besides catching fish, that is.
We launched and headed to the lake via Bayside Marina, and then headed north, towards clean water. It was pretty muddy inside.
It was a NNE wind at 8mph at 7:15, and the waves were maybe 1-2s, with a 3 thrown in every now and then, so it wasn't bad at all. By the time we were northeast of Airport Reef, the water clarity was looking pretty good. I said, "I'm going to just keep going until the marks run out, and then we'll turn around and go back over them". About another mile further, I turned the Vexus around and shut down the big motor, dropped the baby Merc, started it up, so it could warm up, and then deployed the Ulterra to keep us on course.
Once the FishHawk was sent down, the baby Merc was put in gear, and a speed of 1.2-1.3 was the target speed I wanted. SOG was showing 1.6-1.7 while the FishHawk showed 1.2-1.3mph.
The water temp on the surface was 42.3, and at 18 feet down, it was 43.6.
I usually start with the program that last worked for me on the last trip, and then make adjustments from there. So, Bandits were used again, on both sides.
On the starboard side, we ran them unassisted, and on the port side, we ran them with 2oz weights at 30/30 and 30/40.
Both sides would do just as well as the other side, so there was no clear winner as far as the program went.
Early on, we hit a pocket of some very actively feeding fish and put 5 in the box in no time at all, so I thought it was going to be a fast, chaotic morning, but then it wasn't. The bites would come more slowly after that, but steady enough to keep them entertained. Steve and Denny did a great job learning how to use the Off Shore boards efficiently, and didn't encounter any tangles. :)
Steve was ecstatic to have caught his personal best walleye to date, which was a nice 28" fish. We didn't weigh it, though, so I don't have a weight on it. It's the longest one he's ever caught. It appeared to be a spawned-out female, though.
(4) Bandits unassisted at 117, 97, and 85 did best on the one side. I never did get the inside bait to hit at 77 and changed it up a few times....nothing. I changed the color three times...nothing.
(4) The assisted baits had two baits at 30/30 and two at 30/40...they all caught fish.
SlimShadyCustom "Gender Reveal" was a hot color again. That one ran at 97 back. (I'm going to have to order a couple more of that one, because I only have one right now).
Taco Salad at 117 back
Chrome Barbie (I think that's a DJCustomEyeLure color) 30/40 2oz
Fruit Dots 30/30 2oz
Blue/Chrome 30/40 2oz
RC Crush (another DJ color) 30/30 2oz
We turned and went into the waves for a bit, but the bite was definitely better going from north to south, so we turned around again and just kept going south.
The further south we went, the dirtier the water got, but I could still see the prop, so we kept going.
It was in the dirtier water that Steve caught his 28 incher. That was after losing a big fish at the back of the boat, which we never saw, because it stayed down. He was so disappointed. As he whined about losing it, I chuckled and said, "That fish is probably really happy right now". I added, "Sometimes they just come off...it's nothing you did. There's more out there". And, it wasn't long after that that he got his PB. :)
We still had an hour of fishing time to go when I asked them if they wanted to pick up and head back north to cleaner water, because it was getting pretty muddy in 36 feet of water off Cedar Point. They asked, "Would you be okay with us just going back in?" I said, "That's up to you guys...my dogs would be very happy with that decision though". They were happy with their catch and wanted to get some other things done today, so we went in.
I met them over at Bay's Edge Fish Cleaning, so I could drop off their fish for them. No need to get another cooler all slimy if we didn't have to. I told them I was going to stop at Casa Las Palmas for lunch, and asked if they wanted to join me while they waited for their fish. They wanted to, so we went to lunch and had some great conversation, before I headed home to take care of the critters.
They all said they had a great time, and they are booking another trip in May or June...I just reminded myself that I have to send them the open dates.
Tomorrow, I will finally get Vito out on the water. It's supposed to be a 15-20mph south wind, so we'll start inside and troll north, I think.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing with Bill and Glen...4/8/2026
by Capt Juls on 04/09/26Bill and Glen had scheduled a 2-day trip for Tuesday and Wednesday (4/7-4/8), but Tuesday showed up with freezing temps and gusty winds, so we rescheduled that trip to the 18th. We did get out for Wednesday's trip, though.
The morning started early, as usual, and I was up at 2am to have my coffee and cuddle time out on the back deck with the dogs, while I checked the weather forecast for the day. The wind forecast was out of the SE, and a little gusty early, but would be lying down towards late morning. The temps were chilly early, but would also be rising as the morning went on.
I told them that we would be doing a later start, and I would pick them up at 8:20 from the Whitecaps Motel, so we could launch by 9am. We only had to stop for ice for the fish cooler.
We hit Mazurik's on time and got in line to ready the boat. The ramp was busy, due to the NWT tournament guys launching and all of the out-of-staters, who are taking advantage of some open water vacations, due to ice-covered lakes back home. :)
Luckily, all these guys know how to launch boats quickly, so it wasn't a problem getting on the water in a timely fashion.
We headed out after the V-10 warmed up enough, and headed over towards Starve, but when we got closer, I didn't like the water clarity, so I turned the Vexus to the NE to look for better-looking water with some marks in it.
There were a lot of boats trolling the north side of Kelly's, but as I passed that way, I wasn't seeing the marks on the Garmin that would make me stop and start fishing in that crowd. (I don't like crowds).
We kept going east until we hit the bottom of Kelly Island Shoal, and started marking some good fish. I kept going east past the shoal until the marks ran out, and turned the boat around to head west. The waves were more east than SE, so we would be going with the waves.
The Ulttera and the baby Merc were deployed, as was the FishHawk, and the speed was set to 1.2 on the FishHawk. The SOG was showing 1.7mph when the FishHawk was showing 1.2mph.
The water was stained, but I could make out the prop, so it was perfect.
My guys had never run Off Shore boards before, so as I set lines, I showed them how to attach them to the lines. But, as it would turn out, they were more than happy to just let me set lines all morning, due to it being kind of rough, and they were having trouble standing up in the boat.
We started out with Bandits on the starboard side and P-10s with 2oz snap weights on the port side. Leads were:
Bandits: 50-100 back unassisted
P-10s: 20/20, 30/30, 40/40, 30/45
Bandit colors were Taco Salad, Blue/Chrome, Chrome Barbie, and Khaki
P-10s: Marvin, Blue/Chrome, Purple-headed wonder bread, and Lime/Orange throat
We caught the first fish before all the lines were set, and then nothing....deep sigh.
I said (chuckling), "I hate when that happens...makes it feel like a tournament day". It was time to move, because we were heading back into the minefield of boats, and I wasn't about to deal with that.
We picked everything up and headed down to the SE side of Kelly's, where there were fewer boats, and much better marks. After resetting lines again, removing the P-10s and replacing them with more Bandits, we hit a pocket of fish that put a quick 5 more walleye in the cooler. Bill and Glen were giggling like school boys with that kind of action....and, then, as we trolled further NW....nothing. Ooof!
We picked up one more time and headed further SE to make another pass in a more westerly direction than NW, and that turned out to be the right decision, as we would end up putting the rest of their limit in the cooler and a few of mine too, before heading back in.
The best leads that ended up catching the most fish were 85 and 115 back. Slim Shady Customs' Gender Reveal and Fermi were good producers, as was the stock blue/chrome and chromeBarbie. Khaki let me down, and didn't catch one fish this time. Taco Salad caught a couple, and DJ Custom's RC Crush caught, but was put out kind of late, so it didn't have time to show how well it would have done.
We headed back in around 2:15, and I had an issue at the ramp. I loaded the boat on the trailer, but hit the roller wrong, so I backed off to try again, and when I did that...for some reason the power steering went out on the Big V, and it was hard to steer it. It took all of my strength to turn the motor, but I was able to get it back on the trailer and hooked up this time.
I called Dubbert's as soon as we stopped at Port Clinton Fish, Co. to have the fish cleaned, and explained what happened, and that I didn't have a trip scheduled until Saturday, and asked if they could take a look at it for me. They said they could, and that I should bring it in first thing in the morning. Whew! That's a load off my chest! I didn't want to have to drive it two hours to the other Fisherman's Central store, where they have a service dept. (The store here in PC doesn't have a service dept). So, all's well that ends well...I'm hoping it was just a fuse. A fuse that I don't know where it resides, or something else that's not too hard to fix. Fingers crossed!
My next crew are locals, so looking at Friday's forecast, calling for gusty winds and some rain, we rescheduled for Saturday instead.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Rescheduling Today's Trip...4/4/26
by Capt Juls on 04/04/26The wind is blowing hard out of the east this morning, but is forecast to diminish this morning between 8 and noon as it switches direction...it will start blowing hard out of the south late in the morning.
My older crew is local, and we decided we could wait for better conditions.
When we first talked, we rescheduled to the 10th. The forecast at the time I spoke to them was calling for less than 10mph. When I looked at the forecast again several hours later, it was showing gusts to 30mph on the 10th....smh. What? Come on! I know, I know....you can't look at a forecast more than a day out at this time of year, because it keeps changing on a hourly basis. It's so frustrating! Grrrr....
I originally thought that the lake would be a big mud hole after all the rain and wind we had, but we did get a satellite picture, yesterday, (not the best photo, but good enough), and it showed that the lake was not as destroyed as we all thought it would be.
I'm probably making a mistake by rescheduling this morning, because now that I have, it will probably mean that the window of opportunity will be longer than what it shown, and we could have had a good morning of catching.
But, on the flip side of that....the east wind might not die as soon as it is forecast to, and the window might be shorter than expected.
If my guys were not local, we would probably be going, but they are, so their comfort and fun level is my priority. The fish aren't going anywhere. :)
Reports from yesterday afternoon, when people we able to get on the lake and get to those cleaner water areas, showed the fish are still chomping, and they did well.
The wind forecast for all of next week looks like crap too. Mother Nature is not happy with us Humans it would seem.
The next scheduled trip is a two day adventure with two fellas from several states away, for Tuesday and Wednesday, and want to know on Monday morning, before they leave, if it's going to be fishable or not. Fingers crossed!
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
The Wind and Rain Won't Quit...4/3/26
by Capt Juls on 04/03/26Here it is, already April 3rd, and we've been hit with gusty winds and 3-4 inches of rain over the past two days. Today, Friday, will be partly cloudy, so we have a reprieve for a little bit, before the next round of rain comes in, tonight.
I have a trip scheduled for tomorrow, with some local retirees, so we're watching it, but we'll probably move it to next Friday, where it looks like the winds finally decide to subside for a few days. The lake is muddy right now. The rivers are running high, and are dumping mud and debris into the lake as I type this.
All the downed trees and branches from winds over the past 5 months, or so, that are lining the rivers, didn't get washed away due to drought conditions, are making their way into the rivers now, and moving out into the lake. So, that means, everyone should take great caution when they are out there and driving around. Some logs can be right under the surface, and hard to see....until you hit them.
Looking at the forecast, for when we will have a sunny/bluebird sky kind of day, that will allow for a good satellite pic, doesn't look like it will happen for a couple weeks to come, so be patient. I do not have a crystal ball, and I can't see where the mud is any better than any of you without a picture, so all we can do is take advantage of the less windy days...head out, and drive around looking for good looking water. The only other option is to take a plane ride around the islands, and look down. ;)
When I do go, I like to look for the mixing water, where there is a stain, but not chocolate milk. I don't like it too clean this time of year, either (it's usually colder water). If you can see your cavitation plate, or make out your prop....you've found decent water to fish. If you're marking fish in that area..start fishing! You should be able to catch them.
The forecast is calling for gusty winds for the next week, but I'll be watching it, as I have a two day trip scheduled for mid-week. They are coming from a few states away, so I don't want them coming all this way, just to sit on shore. They can reschedule, if needed.
I'm thinking tomorrow's trip will be rescheduled to the 10th, due to water conditions, and a gusty morning east wind that will switch to the south during the morning and start blowing again. That "window of opportunity" is small, and it will take the lake a bit of time after an east wind to settle down.
So, that's where I'm at right now....just waiting for Mother Nature to settle her bitchy ass down! ;)
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Keith and Jeremy...3/29/26
by Capt Juls on 03/29/26Originally, I had a scheduled trip for this morning, but my customer for the day, Vito, had to know by early morning yesterday, because he would be traveling down from Wisconsin. So, at 5a.m., I gave him the forecast as I saw it, and at that time, it wasn't looking good for today. It was showing gusts on one app at 24mph and on another app as high as 30mph. And, at the time, I didn't have a good satellite pic to know how dirty the water was.
Long story short...he had an alternate date in April as a backup, and chose to use that date instead, based on the forecast at the time.
I texted him and said, "You know, if you come down...it will probably be nasty, and it will suck, but if you stay home, the forecast is probably going to change for the better". And that's exactly what happened. By afternoon yesterday, the wind forecast had improved for today, and the clouds parted for a good satellite pic showing a muddy lake, but also showed several areas of fishable water.
After seeing all the reports from those who went out yesterday, I wanted to go fishing anyway. It would give me a chance to make sure everything was working and get the cobwebs off my brain. I needed it. :)
I called my friend Keith, who is always ready to go fishing on a moment's notice, and he said he wanted to go, too. He asked if he could bring his friend, Jeremy, along too. "Of course", I said. That would allow us to run more lines.
I told him that I would check the forecast in the morning and decide what time to launch.
Fast forward to this morning....I checked the forecast and decided it would be decent enough to launch around 8:30. The wind was fine, and I just wanted the temperature to rise a little before heading out. By 8am, it was calling for around 40 degrees, so at 4:15, I sent Keith a text asking, "Can you guys be here at 8am?" No answer. I figured he was still sleeping.
He wouldn't wake up and respond until 8:15...deep sigh.
I told him to get here as fast as they could, because I had been waiting for hours already. Keith and Jeremy showed up at 9 a.m., and we were at Mazurik's by 9:30.
The parking lot was full, so I ended up parking my truck and trailer on the grass in a convenient spot, but a long walk from the ramp. The ramp was busy, but the bulk of the boats had already launched, so it wasn't congested.
We headed out around 9:45 and got to the east side of Kelly's at 10AM. I could see a pack of boats out east of Airport Reef that extended all the way up to the line. I don't like fishing in packs, so I stayed to the west of them and closer to the reef. I'm guessing they were out in 43-45' of water, and we started in 38'.
The surface temp was reading 36.9 degrees, and the FishHawk was reading 38.2 degrees at 18' down.
The Ulterra and the baby Merc were deployed and set to a speed of 1.4-1.5mph on the FishHawk, and a course was set to the north towards Kelly Island Shoal.
Jeremy has fished a lot, but never trolling with Off Shore boards, so while Keith set up the starboard side with Bandits and snap weights, I showed Jeremy how to attach the boards and set them out. He was struggling at first, but he's a fast learner, and once he got the hang of it, he was doing fine.
Bandits ran on the starboard side at 50/21 (total 71 back), 50/25, 50/30, and 50/40.
Bandit colors Keith ran were:
Khaki
Taco Salad
A custom purple/pink/black/silver one, I don't know the name of
And...? I'm not sure what else he chose, as I was busy training Jeremy.
The last one was changed out for another Khaki, because Khaki was super hot this morning.
Jeremy started with 4 Bandits, but I don't remember what they were. I'm going to tell you what he ended up running on his side which was catching fish.
(2) Khaki at 77 back
Marvin P-10 at 30/30 2oz
Blue/Chrome/Orange belly 40/40 2oz
Khaki definitely caught the most fish, with the blue/chrome P-10 coming in second as the best fish catcher.
We only fished for 3 hours and had 14 nice fish in the cooler. We would have been done earlier if the fish had stayed hooked. We had 5 come unbuttoned before they got to the boat.
The best speed ended being between 1.3-1.5 (SOG) / 1.0-1.2 (FishHawk)
It felt good to be back on the water and catching fish again. It has been a LONG winter, and I'm ready to get back at it again.
The next trip is scheduled for Saturday, 4/4, but we'll see...again, the forecast is looking icky. But this time, my crew is local, so we can play it by ear, and it's too far out to do anything right now. I'm hoping it changes for the better....fingers crossed! :)
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Today's Scheduled Trip has been Moved to April...3/28/26
by Capt Juls on 03/29/26My first scheduled trip was supposed to be this morning, but after sending the following text to Vito, my Wisco customer, he decided to use his alternate date on April 10th. I had to send it early in the AM yesterday, before he was headed down on a 7 hour drive.
"Morning....okay...here's what I know right now...
The forecast from a few apps...
mostly cloudy...low to mid 40s in the morning...afternoon high of 56.
one app says SW wind 15mph with gusts to low to mid 20s...another app says gusts to 30....so which one is right? I don't know...both are usually good apps...
We didn't get a good satellite pic to see how muddy it got the night before last with that storm that came through ....near shore was muddy yesterday when I went through town and couldn't see clean water from my vantage point...
it was blowing NW last night too....so that will keep it muddy inside, due to waves crashing in the shallows on this shore...
tomorrow's wind forecast...as you know...the further out from shore we get the rougher it will be...but we would need to go out there to find cleaner water...(I was thinking of going out of Huron, because that's where most of the catches were last week and I think west of the islands is all mud right now)
however....its going to lay down this morning around 10am while it changes from the NW to the S to less than 10mph, so that will help it settle....(dirty water cleans up faster in the cold water than it does when it's warm)....it's blowing 27mph at South Bass right now, and 22 at Marblehead....so it's easily probably 4-6's right now west of the islands and 2-4s in the south passage...
My fear is...that if you come it's going to suck, but if you stay home...the wind forecast will change for the better and we will have missed an opportunity...lol
So, with that said....you still have your alternate date of April l0th available to you, so I'll let you make this call...you're the one that has to travel...
The wind forecast the rest of the week is insane except for Friday....but, it will probably change several times...
I don't have another trip lined up until the 4th, and that looks like blow day right now too, but hopefully that will change.....deep sigh...
Let me know what you want to do...."
Vito opted to go with the alternate date. With what we knew at the time I had to let him know the conditions, before driving over, it was a good decision.
Later in the morning, I checked the forecast again, and of course, the wind forecast was showing a little better wind speeds. But, that's how it goes...it would have been worse had he driven all the way here, and conditions were bad. I didn't have a satellite pic to reference until later in the morning, and after that big storm and big winds....I knew the mud was stirred up...I just didn't know how much. The satellite pic was available by the afternoon, and with a bluebird sky, it showed a great picture. There is a lot of muddy areas out there right now, but there are also some decent areas to the east of Kelly's right now, that looks pretty good.
Reports that came in yesterday evening, showed that those who found those cleaner areas were able to catch some nice fish.
So, guess who's going fishing this morning...
I contacted a friend that is usually up to going on a moments notice, and he and a friend are going to meet me around 10am when the wind gusts settle down. We will probably launch out of Mazurik's if there's any parking spots left there that late in the morning. There are a lot of out of towners here this weekend. :)
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Monkey Off My Back....2 Hour Motor Break In Complete...3/21/2026
by Capt Juls on 03/23/26My work schedule and the weather finally gave me the opportunity to get the new Vexus out for it's first run on the water. The 400 Verado V-10 needed to get its initial 2 hour break in done, before I could run any trips. The other required 8 hours of break in can be done while I'm running trips, so that's all complete.
The DVX22 ran perfectly. I don't know how they did it, or if it was my imagination, but it seemed to ride even better than last year's model. I duplicated the 2025 boat in every way, so there isn't anything different that I know of, but this 2026 boat just felt even better while driving it.
The first two hours on the motor are most critical, because it seats the seals when the RPMs are adjusted up and down every two minutes (keeping it below 4500rpms), and will help the longevity of the motor in the future. For the next 8 hours, it can be run as normal as long as it is not run wide open for more than 5 minutes at a time....which, running wide open on Lake Erie doesn't happen too often...so, I'm good there. lol
We launched at Mazurik's and headed to Huron, for a 13 mile ride. Once we made it to Huron, one hour had been used up. We stopped to deploy the baby Merc and the Ulterra, to make sure everything was working. The iTroll worked on the kicker, and the Ulterra settings were set, so it's ready to go. The Ulterra's iPilot was set on "Locked Course", and had to be switched to "Locked Heading", so it would be using the compass instead of the GPS, but that's all that had to be changed.
We headed bacck to the south side of Kelly's, to get out of the wind, so it could be opened up to 4000-43000rpms, and be a smooth ride. We ran the slack water bakc and fourt several times untl the final hour was used up. Checking the Merc Smart-Gauge it said we had 2.4 hours on the motor....critical hours completed. :)
It was a chilly morning, so we headed back in to go get a hot meal, and gas her back up. It took 20 gallons of gas to run around, but thankfully, I had done my grocery shopping at Kroger's on Friday, so I got the 4Xs the gas points, and had .40 cents off per gallon. That made it 3.39 a gallon instead of the 3.79 it is right now. grrrrrrr....
My first trip will be the 29th....but, I told you about that in my previous post, so that's all I'll say on that. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that Mother Nature will play nice next month.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Waiting Out the Weather... 3/18/2026
by Capt Juls on 03/18/26The boat is still sitting on the showroom floor over at Fisherman's Central here in Port Clinton, while this weather decides what it wants to do. After some warm spring-like days, it decided winter wasn't over yet. We just had two big blows (50-60mph) out of the SSW, so the water levels at the ramps in the Western Basin are very, very low. I think I read someplace that it's 4+ feet low....ugh.
We haven't had a good satellite picture, because of the cloud cover, so we can't see how muddy and torn up the lake is right now. But, from what I could see from land, looking out, it looks pretty muddy.
The massive snowfall in northern MI the other day brought up to 50+ inches in some places, so that should help the water levels when it all melts and has to go somewhere.
I still need to get the big motor broken in with at least the first 2 of the 10 required hours on it, and between my work hours at the store, and the weather forecast, I doubt I will get that done before the 24th. My first scheduled trip is on the 29th, with one of my long-time customers from Wisconsin. You might recognize the name, "Vito", from my previous blogs over the years. Vito bought my 2017 boat, and likes to book me for a day before taking his boat out for a couple of days on his own. He's very chill and fun to fish with, so having him out first is something I'm looking forward to.
I just looked at the forecast for that week, and, of course, Mother Nature wants to be a bitch and says, "Oh, you want to bring your boat home next week? Let me dump 4" of blowing snow on you the night before you're scheduled to go out"....deep sigh. I sure hope that forecast changes. I only have a carport, and the Vexus boat cover has changed to a cover that is almost impossible to put on by oneself. It's an awesome cover, but it's not easy to put on. Mine is still in the box, and I will probably just keep it new in the box for the next owner of this boat.
Call me lazy....lol
I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it doesn't fill up with snow that night.
So, that's about it for now....just waiting. I'll be working some part-time hours at the store today through Saturday...just passing time, and talking fishing with humans. It's much better than spending my days talking to my dogs, who just look at me like, "Quit talking, woman, and just throw the damn ball!" ;)
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Picked up the 2026 Vexus Yesterday...2/28/26
by Capt Juls on 02/28/26Took a ride down to the New Franklin "Fisherman's Central" store, to pick up the new Vexus DVX22, yesterday. It was a beautiful day to drive down, which is only an hour and 45 minutes away. Between my work schedule at the PC store, and the weather conditions for the next two weeks, it was the only day I could go. When I got there, she was already to go, so I was able to get back to Port Clinton in a timely fashion.
She's over at the PC store for the next couple of weeks, due to the weather forecast, so she can be inside where it's nice and warm, and I can clean her up, and get it loaded up with all the gear, while she's inside. I only have a carport here at the house, so that helps greatly. :)
It won't be long now....as soon as the ramps are clear of ice, and there's a nice day...I'll get her out to get the big motor broke in.
Much thanks to Trevor, over at FC for doing the rigging...he always does a great job!
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
It's Been a Long Winter but it's Almost Time... 2/26/2026
by Capt Juls on 02/26/26With the winter doldrums starting to dissapate as the days get longer, and the temperatures warm, I'm looking forward to gearing up for the upcoming season. As I type this, the lake ice is melting and the new 2026 Vexus DVX22 is at my dealer's getting the last bits of rigging done.
The only added items the dealer is installing for me are the iTroll, a Cisco TM stabilizer mount, the third Garmin for the rear of the boat that was shipped loose, because I had the Cicso mount needed to mount it, some Miller Tech Lithium batteries for the Ulterra, and a longer pedestal for the Air Wave on the driver's side. (I like to sit above the windshield, so I can read the waves better....to make it a smoother/safer ride for my customers. The passenger side will stay lower, so they are behind the windshield, and protected).
March 7th, I'll be at the South Shore Marine Seminar with the Off Shore Tackle display, but I will not be a speaker at this event. Jake Romanack, with "Fishing 411" will be the guest speaker, and is guaranteed to give all attendees a plethora of information about walleye fishing Lake Erie. So, if you haven't secured a ticket yet, there's still time to do that. Contact South Shore for more information.
Once I have the boat here, I'll have to get that 400 Verado V-10 broke in. Unlike my old Evinrudes that didn't need a break in, it's important to get the initial two hours done on the Merc, following the break in procedure, per the Mercury Marine instructions. That way, there should be no issues with the motor this season.
The 2025 ran flawlessly last season, so I hope this season is another issue free year. I hope Mother Nature will give us at least a few days of nice weather in March, so I can get that done before I have customers in the boat.
There really isn't much to do, other than load everything back in the boat, and choose which crankbaits boxes will start the season. All the Off Shore boards are updated with new flags, foam, and releases, so they all look brand new again.
The FishHawk was sent in towards the end of the season last year, and they refurbished it, to brand new condition. I did order another one the other day, so I would have a back up if I needed it. It was on sale, and 150.00 off, because they are discontinuing the old clear probe that uses AA batteries, and replacing it with a lithium run probe that is rechargeable. I just didn't want to spend 500+ on a new one, when the old one works just fine, and I could get a back up for only 200.00.
I need to spool up some dipsey leads, which doesn't take any time at all. I usually just do 12 at a time, and when they run out, I'll tie up more. I simply tie a snap on one end and snap-swivel on the other end of a 6' lead, and wrap them on a cut piece of a pool noodle. That cut piece fits easily into one of the many storage compartments on the boat, so it's always handy when I need it.
I'll check my crawler harness supply, and tie some of those up too, if needed. I usually try not to use crawlers if I don't have to, but sometimes that's what they prefer on the tougher days. I find that during a Mayfly hatch, that a crawler harness with rootbeer colored beads and a #5 gold hammered hatchet blade works well to mimic the doomed little creatures, and gets bit. ;)
That's about it....now, it's just a waiting game. Come on Spring! :)
I still have 9-10 days open in April, and around 15 days open in May and June, too. So, if you're looking to get out fishing on Lake Erie's Western Basin, and it's only 2-3 of you, give me a shout.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
The New Vexus Is Here...2/13/2026
by Capt Juls on 02/13/26The new Vexus DVX22 is at my dealer's now...(Fisherman's Central's New Franklin, OH store). The rest of the rigging will be done, before I bring her home. While most of the rigging was already done down at the Vexus plant, a few things need to be added, that were not sent down there.
The 15hp kicker motor needs to be fitted with the iTroll system, so that I can control the RPM speed, easily.
The Cisco trolling motor stabilizer mount needs to be installed, to keep the TM safe while running from spot to spot in rough water.
The Garmin that will be in the back of the boat will be installed on a Cisco mount. The other two Garmin's (at the dash and on the bow) were already installed at the plant.
The factory trailer steps will be removed and the EZEESteps will be replacing them. Those I'll do myself, because they are "EZEE" to install...(see what I did there?) hehehe
I think that's all they have to do, so it shouldn't take long. Then, it's just a matter of waiting for the ice to leave the lake and launches, so I can get her out on the water, to break in the big black beast (400hp Merc Verado V-10), before running any trips with her.
I was getting a little worried that the economy was keeping people from booking trips, like they have in the past, but the last couple of weeks have brought enough bookings in, to keep me from panicking. :)
It's still less than previous years, but there's still time. And, I hope Mother Nature is kinder to us than last year, and lets me get all these trips in, this time. Last April was brutal, to say the least.
Right now, as I write this this morning, I have the following open in April:
10, 11, 12, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30th.
May and June have more openings and are my two favorite months to fish the Western Basin. Those usually start filling up as my reports come in, so unless there is some economic catastrophe I expect those two months to fill up too.
Anyway...that's where I'm at right now. I've been working part time over at Fisherman's Central, at the Port Clinton store, over the winter, so I can get out of the house and have conversations with someone other than my dogs. They are cute, and funny, but they are lacking when it comes to making conversation. ;)
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
ODNR Raised License Pricing for 2026...1/12/25
by Capt Juls on 01/12/26Just a heads up, for those of you who come from other states to fish out of Ohio launches...
The ODNR has raised the license pricing for the 2026 fishing season.
The new prices are as follows:
Non-Resident Licenses
1-Day.....$27.04
3-Day.....$52.00
1-Year....$76.96
Happy New Year! :)
by Capt Juls on 01/02/26https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YizKJrGBfcg
This link is to a video on YouTube that features my customers and trips from the 2025 season.
The 2026 Vexus DVX22 is in production right now, and should be here some time in late February or early march, I'm thinking.
Looking forward to the first nice day without ice on the lake, so I can get the 400 broke in. :)
It's only a few months away now...woot! woot!
2025 Vexus DVX22 is For Sale....12/7/2025
by Capt Juls on 12/06/25
It's that time...:(
But, the good news is, the 2026 is being built as I write this...:)
She's all cleaned up and on the showroom floor at Fisherman's Central in the Port Clinton store now. She's nice and warm…and safe from the winter elements.
You will be the first owner, as this was Demo boat and was never titled. That means full warranties on everything (except for the iTroll and the EZEESteps, as I added those myself).
**Only 90 hours...with a bonus 3/4 tank of gas left! (60 gallon tank)
Victor Package Includes:
~Patented Intensive Care Livewell System w/Oxygenator
~High density Polyethylene pad on center rod box to replace carpet.
~Coastkey Digital Ignition
~Airwave pedestal on passenger side (I have a Smoothmove on the driver's side, swapped with the buyer of my 2023 boat, so the driver's side is higher...manual version. He wanted to be lower, and I wanted to be higher, to see over the windshield while driving)
Electronics:
3 Garmin EchoMap Ultra 126SV units. One on the dash, bow, and in the rear.
Trolling Motor:
Ulterra Quest MSI WR 60"
Kicker Motor:
15 ELPT PK 4S Remote
Misc:
3 Miller Tech Lithium Batteries for the Ulterra
2 31 AGM batteries for the motors and electronics
Bennett Trim Tabs
Mercury System Monitor Gauge
Mercury Flush Control w/Tie Bar (Port Kicker)
Isolator for remote kicker/Verado
Manual Setback
Single trim lever on steering wheel
60" Rear Tracks
Garmin VHF radio/ 4' antenna
Deluxe Boat Cover (still new in box)
iTroll controller for the kicker
EZEEStep trailer steps
6" track on starboard bow for LiveScope pole (Pole not included)
$125,000.00 (Retailed new at 146,000)
Please contact me if you're interested in this Fishing Machine, and would like more information, or talk to Dave Gambone at FC PC store, or Kenny Grimes (sales mgr at the New Franklin store).
Fisherman's Central phone numbers:
Port Clinton store: 419-573-6650 or 888-599-9811
New Franklin store: 330-644-5346
Fishing with Ken...11/21/2025
by Capt Juls on 11/21/25Ken doesn't live far from me, and drove in from the west, so I just had him meet me at my house this morning. I asked him to be here at 6:45. I was out warming up the truck at 6:30, when he pulled in. He knows I'm always early, so he showed up early...which was good. It gave us a little extra time to get to Huron.
I was originally going to go out of Vermilion, but I had seen a post on Facebook stating that one of the ramps was damaged, or something, and that it was down to one usable ramp, so I opted for Huron. The winds were light, so running a little further wasn't a problem.
We were headed out of the river at 7:45. The Vexus glided over the 6" waves as the 400 purred at 50mph. The Garmin was marking a lot of fish from Huron to Vermilion, so we set down and set up just east of Vermilion, in 36 feet of water.
Not having a plan, I started with yesterday's program of the Purple Mist Bandit at 145 back on the outside Off Shore board (on both sides), and the Flashy Pearl and Slick Purple Bengal Flicker Minnow 11s... 50/30 with a 2oz Guppie weight.
Speed was 1.7mph (Fish Hawk reading).
Water temp was 46 degrees at 18' down.
We trolled from 36 to 42 feet, but turned around to keep it at 36-38', where most of the fish were hanging out.
Best Bandit colors were:
Purple Mist
RC Crush
and, a blue/orange/chartreuse chrome one I don't know the name of, and I don't know who painted it. It's a custom...not stock.
Ken was entered in the Fall Walleye Brawl, so we were hoping lightning would strike and catch a big one, but all we caught were nice eaters, which is okay too.
It was a great day to be on the lake at the end of November. It was 50 degrees with a light SW wind. The sky was gray, but it wasn't raining, so that was a blessing. :)
Ken has his own boat, so he likes to ask a lot of questions to help get ideas of what to do to improve his fishing machine. We both had a good time today, and caught our limits of walleye. You can't ask for more than that.
Good luck to all the anglers who have already weighed in a big one for the tournament! You only have another week to wait.
I may or may not get out again before the end of the week...we'll see.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing with Ron, Josh, and Zach...11/20/2025
by Capt Juls on 11/20/25Ron, Josh, and Zach came over from MI, and were originally on the calendar for tomorrow, but the forecast for Friday was showing wind and rain most of the week, so I asked if they could do today, instead, and they could.
We left Mazruik's at 8am and headed to the north side of Kelly's where I had been the last time out. They are not in the brawl, so I just need to find them some "fish-fry" fish. :)
I started with what I had on the rods from the last trip up there, and put the "Purple Mist" Bandit out 145' behind the Off Shore board. It was sent out and was running in its place, when I started on the second rod. We didn't get to put it out, because when I looked out at the first board, it was dragging back, had a fish hanging on it. I like when the morning starts out like that, but I also don't get too excited, because I've had days where we would catch one fast, and then nothing for hours.
The Ulterra and the baby Merc were set on a SW to NE course, at 1.7mph on the Fish Hawk. The SOG was 2.07, but the Fish Hawk probe was reading 1.6mph down at 18 feet.
Water temp was 47 on the surface and 44 degrees down below.
I had set up the starboard side with the same program as last week, just to see if they still wanted that. But, too keep a long story short....because I have another trip tomorrow, and i'ts already getting late, so I don't want to write a long story.... :)
What ended up working best were three baits.
The Flicker 11s in "Flashy Pearl" and "Slick Purple Bengal" with a 2oz Guppie weight at 50/30. (The Flashy Pearl ran on both sides of the boat, and probably caught the most fish).
Second, was the Purple Mist Bandit at 145 back. We had three of those out at that distance, and all of them took fish.
We ran the south side of Gull Island Shoal, over 43-46' of water, and trolled on over to the north edge of Kelly Island Shoal. The best bite we found was on the edge of KI shoal in 40' of water.
We had a slow pick on the SW to NE troll, but when we turned around to go back the way we came, it turned into a fast bite. We added 6 to the cooler in 5 minutes. It was a small pod of active eaters, and gave my crew a taste of what this lake can be like sometimes. They were having fun, and that made me happy! :)
The wind picked up a little bit from the NE and the bite died for us. We would pick one up here and there, but it was definitely slower. Teashingly, I told Zach, "You had me throw that 17 incher back, so now we won't get any more". They all laughed and said I was probably right.
At least we had their limit in the cooler, and were working on getting some of mine, when it slowed down. They called it a 1/2 hour early, so they could get home earlier, and we headed in.
Tomorrow is my last scheduled trip, and it's only one man. Ken was originally scheduled for yesterday, but the forecast for tomorrow was showing light winds, and higher temps, so he was able to move to tomorrow.
He's in the brawl though, so we will be heading east to launch in the morning. I haven't decided if I should go all the way to Lorain, or if I should launch out of Huron, or Vermilion and head north.
I see the wind forecast went from less than 10 out of the SSW tomorrow, to now blowing much harder...with gusts to 20 out by the buoy.
I'll decide in the morning, after looking at the forecast again. It's always changing.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Deep Sigh....I made a bad call...11/14/25
by Capt Juls on 11/15/25I had a scheduled trip for yesterday (Friday), but had cancelled it, due to report from friends who said the lake was trashed, and that there was zero visibility. The satellite pic confirmed the massive amounts of mud out there. So, I told my customers that "It would probably be just an expensive boat ride", and that they should probably save their money.
I guess I was also feeling less confident, because my previous trips out, while fun fishing, resulted in the Garmin marking a lot of fish, but we couldn't get them to bite. So, after a three day blow that muddied up the water...I thought I was making the right decision for them. (Woke up early, so I've seen all the reports of the lake miraculously cleaning up overnight, and the bite was vert good for most fishing over by Lorain, yesterday.) So, clearly, I made the wrong decision.
It was a husband and wife from PA, and I wanted it to be fun. They understood, and said they would contact me again in the future.
I wanted to get on the water though, because it was going to be a nice day. It didn't matter if we caught any fish. Just being on the water...with its sights, smells, and calming effects just makes life better. :)
My friend, Keith, (who was able to get the day off from work on short notice) and I, took the Vexus out of Mazurik's at 10am. Originally, Keith wanted to take his boat, to run some gas (with winter storage additive) through the motor, but his Ranger's battery charger is complaining, and not working, so we took mine. This time of year is not the time to have boat troubles out there.
I wanted to hit the hole by Starve Island, first. It's usually pretty good this time of year. We stopped short, on the east side of it, so we could get set up before hitting the contour I wanted to follow.
(I like the 35-42 edge on the south side of the "hole".)
The Uterra and the baby Merc were deployed, and set to a speed of 1.5-1.7mph showing on the "Fish Hawk". The SOG was showing 2.1mph and the Fish Hawk was showing 1.6mph.
I started with Bandits behind the Off Shore boards on the starboard side, and Keith ran P-10s and a Jointed DHJ12 on the port side.
The P-10s ran with 2oz snap weights at 25/25 and 50/30. Colors were blue/chrome and Marvin...the Rapala (blue/white/orange belly) was also running at 50/30... (if you don't know what these numbers represent, the first number shows where you put the snap weight on, and the second number refers to how much more line you let out before putting the board on).
The Bandits started at 105, 80, and 67 back (unassisted). Colors were Taco, Beetle Juice, and Pink Squirrel. The Garmin was marking scattered fish from 12 to 35 foot down, so I put a snap weight on the inside board and ran it 50/30, which put it at 27 feet down.
Keith caught one pretty quick on the blue/chrome P-10 set on the 25/25, but that one small suicidal walleye would be the only fish caught in that area.
The water clarity wasn't the best. I could make out the cavitation plate on the big motor, but it wasn't great. I decided to make a move to the north side of Kelly's Island to see if the water looked any better over there. Luckily, it did...so, we set up on a SW to NE troll.
After putting pieces of the puzzle together, we changed things up and started putting fish in the cooler. It wasn't fast by any means, but steady enough to keep us entertained.
I changed out "Pink Squirrel" for "Purple Mist" and put it out at 145 back, unassisted. It caught several fish.
I changed out Bettle Juice for a Blue/Chrome, and added a 2oz snap weight. It caught fish at 50/30. Same with the Blue/Chrome P-10 I added to my side. It was out at 50/30 and caught fish.
Keith ran two Blue/Chrome P-10s, and kept the Jointed DHJ12 on. All caught fish at one point or the other.
Speed was best between 1.7 and 1.9mph. I was running the south side of Gull Island Shoal, and then out oand over the two humps between KI Shoal and Gull.
Water temp on the surface was 42.7 and 44.2 degrees at 18 feet down. (That's where I was running my Fish Hawk).
We ended with 11 nice eaters, so now I at least have my freezer stocked with my winter's supply of walleye. I love to make chowder with it...nothing better on a snowy winter's day. :)
I feel bad that I made a wrong decision with my customers, but hindsight is 20/20, and at the time, I thought I was making the right decision. Who would have guessed it would clean up that much overnight. That's not usual...at all.
Anyway...
I might have a trip on Tuesday or Wednesday...that's not confirmed yet. I have scheduled trip on Friday, but the forecast is looking bad for Friday...lots of wind and rain....again. He asked that I touch base with him on Wednesday, to make a decision. Deep Sigh...
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
My 2025 Vexus DVX22 Will be For Sale this Winter...11/12/2025
by Capt Juls on 11/12/25I'll be running a 2026 Vexus DVX22 next season, so this 2025 boat will be for sale over the winter.
It will be at the Fisherman's Central Store in Port Clinton OH, when I'm done using it this fall.
I'll be posting everything about it when the time comes, but for now, if you're interested in my boat, please contact me at:
Rngrgal@gmail.com or 419-835-7347
Or Kenny Grimes (FC boat mgr) at:
kenny@fcmarinegroup.com or 330-644-5346 (press 2 for the boat Dept)
Either of us can answer your questions about it....thanks! :)
Juls
