Juls WFA Blog
Fishing Day Two with Mike and Billy 8/9/2020
by Capt Juls on 08/09/20Got up at 2:30, grabbed a cup of coffee, and headed to the back door with Dexter right on my heels. We went out on the back deck and took in the quiet morning. As he sniffed around the yard for all the telltale signs of nightly critters that roamed last night, I checked the wind and weather forecast for the day.
The sky was clear again, temps were in the low 60's and the wind was light out of the south. I enjoyed the quiet for a while before I needed another cup of coffee, then went back into the house to take care of morning routines of getting ready to leave.
I left the house earlier than yesterday, because I knew Mike and Billy would probably be there early again. I hit Mazurik's a little after 5AM and readied the boat, changed out leaders on the dipsey rods, and picked some different Bandit colors to try this morning. I took off a Chrome Barbie and one of the two Metallic Muffins and added Purple Mist and Blue Chrome to the lineup.
Mike and Billy showed up a little before 5:30, so we launched 15 minutes earlier than yesterday and headed out in the darker conditions. Because the wind was "off shore" the lake was rippled, but not wavy within the first few miles of land. The sky, much like yesterday, started out with a purple and red glow off to the east, which progressively got more intense as the Sun rose from below the horizon.
We set up out in 38 feet of water, out in front of Cedar Point. The Ulterra was pointed in a northeasterly direction and the kicker pushed us along at 2.5-2.7mph.
Two Bandits were set out on each side first. The port side ran 2oz snap weights at 50/75 (total of 125' of line out) and 50/70 (total: 120), and the starboard side ran the 3oz weights at 50/75 and 50/63.
The dipsies were the same program as before. The 1 settings were at 54 and 60 back and the 3 settings were at 65 and 94 back. (The 65 caught one nice one, but that was it, so it was eventually changed to run deeper at 80-100 back. It was changed a lot and caught fish on all the numbers.
The fish came in spurts....so it wasn't a fast and furious kind of bite today, and landed 16 nice keepers. It was fun though, and the smaller walleye, sheephead, and big white bass kept them busy reeling in and setting out lines. They did much better today than they did the first day, and I hardly had to do anything except chirp up when I saw a potential tangle or problem about to happen. lol
They said they had a great time, learned a lot, and will be back again next season, so that makes me happy.
I'm off tomorrow...so, it's time to walk the beasty, cut the grass, and clean the boat and house....it never ends....deep sigh.
My next trip will be on Tuesday with Jeff Overs and his Father.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Mike and Billy 8/8/2020
by Capt Juls on 08/08/20After a reschedule back in July, due to wind, my crew....Mike, and Billy, from Wisconsin, were able to get a good weekend of weather for their two-day trip. They fish Green Bay a lot, but said they mostly fish with crawler harnesses, and wanted to learn how to run dipsies, and see how I run my Off Shore board set up with cranks and snap weights.
I told them to meet me at Mazurik's at 5:45, so we could launch by 6am, but they were already there waiting for me when I pulled in at 5:30. I readied the boat and got all the rods ready to go, and launched the boat at 5:45.
The sky was clear, the air temp was 63 degrees, and the wind was non-existent. The forecast was calling for a light and variable wind for most of the day. The Sun's glow was painted the horizon in hues of purple, red, and orange.
We made it to my first stop NE of Kelly's....about 1 1/2 miles short of the line and deployed the Ulterra and the baby ETEC to move us at a speed of 2.5-2.9mph. The sweet spot seemed to be 2.6-2.7mph when we seemed to catch more.
We set up with the usual program I've been using for the past several weeks now.
Bandits behind Off Shore boards with 2 and 3oz weights. The 2oz were set 50/75 on both boards, and the 3oz program was 50/65 and 50/63 respectively.
Bandit colors that did well were the Chrome Barbie, Pooh Bear, Metallic Muffin, and Attention Deficit.
The dipsies were set 65 and 94 back on the 3 setting and 54 and 60 on the 1 setting. Ever For us, a north to south, and south to north troll, was better than any other direction we tried. We caught our 18 walleye along with a bunch of little walleye, sheephead, and white bass. The pods of fish were a bit spotty today, so when we found an active pod close to the line, I just kept doing a small oval over them going north to south, or south to north, until we limited out.
We headed in around 10AM. I drove their fish over to Bay's Edge Fish Cleaning for them and met them there. The line of anglers and coolers, waiting for their turn inside to drop fish off, was about a dozen coolers long. I'm fishing with them again tomorrow, so I asked if they had room in their car for my big cooler. They could just bring it with them in the morning when they meet me again. (I would bring the ice). They said they did, which made me happy, because then I didn't have to wait for my cooler and could get home with the boat. :)
My crew was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to more entertainment tomorrow. Looks like the wind forecast will keep me off the Canadian line tomorrow and closer to the mainland. I'm thinking Cedar Point to Huron(ish)? Hmmmm.....
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Don and Art 8/5/2020
by Capt Juls on 08/05/20This morning I was meeting my crew at Mazurik's a little before 6am for a 6 o'clock launch, and when I pulled in at 5:35 they were already there waiting for me. I readied the boat and we hit the water right on time and headed to the east side of Gull Island Shoal. It was 59 degrees, a partly cloudy sky, and a light wind.
The water temp was 75.8 degrees.
The wind was forecast for a NW wind at 5-10, but it was more west than NW, so that was nice. I didn't want to make the run out to the weather buoy, because Don had told me that they had never walleye fished before and I didn't want them to have a fast limit and not learn anything while dealing with the chaos of fast fish. So, I chose to go see if there were still fish on the east side of Gull and the north side of Kelly Island Shoal. There were. The marks on the Helix were solid from 24 feet down to 43', so the Ulterra was deployed and the baby ETEC was put to work.
Our speed was 2.5 up to 2.9mph depending on how big the waves were. They were 2' or less for the most part, with a few 3's thrown in for good measure every now and then.
The usual Bandit program that's been used the past few weeks was set and the same with the Dipsies.
Bandits: 50/63 w/3oz, 50/60 w/3oz, on one side and 50/75 w/2oz and 50/50 w/2oz on the other side.
Dipsies with spoons: 3 setting at 75 on one side and 94 on the other side. The 1 setting was set at 54 and 60 back.
As the sky lightened, I said to them, "This is the kind of day that waterspouts form", because the cloud patterns were like the ones I experienced a few years ago (in fact, if you look at my FB biz page's cover photo...it was just like that, because that was the day I was remembering). :)
They learned how to set the lines with the snap weights and the Off Shore boards, and how to set the dipsies with a decent steady bite of walleye, sheep, white perch, and short walleye. Don asked me at one point, "Were you ever in the military?" I laughed, shook my head no. He said, "You would have made a good boot camp sergeant". I laughed again, and said, "That's not the first time I've heard that, but I have to keep on you guys if we're going to keep those lines untangled and get fish in the boat." "I call it controlling chaos". He laughed and having retired from the military, said he understood. :)
As we put the last fish of their limit in the cooler, I looked up to see a planer board heading right for a seagull, and the seagull wasn't looking "right"...it was kind of flat in the water, rather than sitting up and floating like they do, and then the planer board ran right into it. I said, "That bird is injured or has fishing line around it, or something. Then, I asked, "Do you guys want to save a seagull today?" They both answered right away and said, "Yes". "Okay, let's pull everything and go get it. I'll drive up slowly and Don you can use the big net to get him".
As we made our way back to the seagull I looked up to the sky and noticed a water spout coming down, and pointed it out to the guys. Neither of them had ever experienced one before, so it was kind of a neat experience for them. The spout never made it down to the water, but it was only about 1/4 mile away, so we could see the rotation in it, clearly. I stopped the boat far enough away from the gull, so they could take some pictures of it, and then we went and saved the seagull.
After loading out and taking their fish to Bay's Edge, they rode with me over to "Back to the Wild" to give them the seagull. Maybe they could save it....maybe not. I don't think it will survive. It might have been hit by a boat and paralyzed (hopefully, just stunned). Its legs didn't seem to work and it was lethargic. But, if it's going to die, better there than in the middle of Lake Erie. At least it has a chance with them. It didn't out there. I'm hoping it counts towards Karma points anyway. lol
Tomorrow, I have a husband and wife who are camping over at East Harbor State Park, and want to go out for some walleye. The winds will be low, so I think we'll make that run out to the buoy, and see what we find.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Jim and Karen Sarro 8/1/2020
by Capt Juls on 08/01/20Left the house at 5AM and stopped at the Fisherman's Wharf, downtown, and picked up some minnows (They're Goldies right now, and on the larger side), and ice. Then, on my way to Catawba State Park, I stopped at Herb's Drive-Thru to see if he had smaller Goldies, and they did. So, I picked up another 10 bucks worth and added them to the others already purchased. I put mine in a zip-loc bag and put them on ice in a small "6-Pack" cooler.
I got to the park early and wiped down the boat, and got things ready for walleye fishing. The forecast was an ENE wind at 10-13mph and then laying down as it switches around. The air temp was in the mid to high 60's and the sky was mostly cloudy.
My crew showed up a little early, so we were on the water by 6am, instead of 6:30, and got to watch the sun come up from the boat, which is something I always look forward to. We headed north to the "Triangle" between the islands and set up with a Bandit behind Off Shore board program at 120/100/80/65 back (unassisted) and the dipsies set at 3 settings at 65 and 75 and the 1 settings at 40 and 54.
Jim wanted to learn how we troll on the lake, and hopefully catch some walleye to take home to eat. We would also be perch fishing today. We made one pass from the ferry dock to the imaginary line between Green and Rattlesnake at 2.5-2.7mph.
We caught a bunch of throwbacks and put 3 nice eaters in the cooler (and, two perch) before I said, "We should probably set up for perch fishing before that rain hits", pointing towards the SW sky. Jim and Karen agreed. I put all the walleye gear away and set up for Perch'n.
My plan was to move back to some areas that I marked on the Helix as we trolled, that looked "Perchy" to me, but as soon as I fired up the motor and looked at the Helix, I said, "This looks pretty damn good right here" and shut the motor back off.
The Ulterra was deployed and the "Spot-Loc" was engaged to hold us on the spot.
I showed them how I usually hook my minnows on the two hook crappie rigs I tie up myself and told them how we usually fish them. They caught on quick. Karen was the first one to bring some of that yummy green and gold up from the depths (31') and then Jim and I followed suit. It wasn't a fast bite, but it was a slow steady bite. At times, it would pick up, but for the most part, it was a slow-steady bite. We had our 90 in the cooler in about 2 /12 hours...maybe 3 hours, I can't remember when we started.
We headed back in and when we hit the shore, the rain became a steady rain, but no one's moods were altered, because we had a fun day out there today. They said they would be back next year too, and that makes me happy!
Tomorrow's trip has been rescheduled to another Sunday, because it's supposed to blow hard tomorrow. Monday and Tuesday will be a two day trip for walleye with a crew from North Carolina. Capt's Matt and Jenn Wieland of H&H Charters will be the second boat, because there are 4 in this group and I only take three people, so two will go with me one day and two with them, and then, the next day the crews will switch and I'll get the other crew and vise-versa. The crews also get to learn how we troll with the Off Shore boards (my boat) and the big boards with the Wieland's. So, two similar, but different presentations.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Todd, Ethan, and Landon 7/30/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/31/20It was originally booked as a walleye trip, but with the NE winds forecast for the day, I asked Todd if his grandsons would be interested in fishing for perch instead. He said that the boys had never perch fished before, so that would be okay.
We launched out of Catawba, because of reports of perch being caught by the firing range cans the past several days. This was my first perch'n trip of the season, and I was excited, because anyone who knows me knows I love to go after the little buggers.
We launched at 6am and headed to G Can first. There were some marks there, so we set up and I explained to the boys how to hook the minnows on the two hook rigs I tie up and then how to work them.
I missed two of the first bites and then texted a friend who was at a different spot, and out a 1/2 hour before us, to see how they were doing. He said it was a fast bite, so we moved to the can they were at. There were A LOT of other boats at that can too, as it's a very popular spot during a perch bite, so I'm sure you can guess which one without me telling you. (I have to make you work a little bit for it...lol)
I'm guessing there are perch all over the area between the cans, and not just right on the cans, so if you mark them on your electronics...stop and fish them...then, you have a spot all to yourselves. :)
We had caught 63 perch, only one sheephead, and 3 white perch in the bunch too, so you can see there wasn't a lot of junk to sort through.
All we had were Goldies to use for bait, as none of the local bait shops had the elusive Emerald Shiners available. I stopped at Hi-Way for mine and was disappointed in the amount per scoop he was giving for the 5.00 price tag on them. I don't think we would have had enough to make it to 120 perch in the cooler without running out of bait.
But, it didn't matter, because an issue popped up with my trolling motor batteries.
Unfortunately, the junk Interstate batteries used on the 36V Ulterra died and my "Spot-Lock" (anchor) was no longer working in the 2 to 3' waves. And, YES, I've already ordered some Crown Battery replacements, so that doesn't happen again.
Yes, I could have thrown an anchor, and started over, but my crew were happy with the catch they had already, and with the waves building decided to head back in instead.
Friday's trip has been rescheduled to August due to a NE wind.
I'll be out tomorrow with a fella that has had too many reschedules already, and hopefully we can find some walleye with the east wind that is forecast.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Bill, Laura, and Jamie 7/26/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/26/20This is going to be a short one since it's Sunday and I have tomorrow off, due to a weather reschedule and I want to go do something...:)
Bill, Laura, and Jamie showed up at Mazurik's a little after 5AM, but didn't need to be there until 5:30, since I was planning on launching at 5:45 when it's light enough to see everything. But, since they were nice enough to be early....we launched at 5:30 and headed NE.
The wind was supposed to be light out of the SW, according to iWindSurf, but it was out of the SE early this morning. We headed out to the line, where I started yesterday and set up. By that time, the wind had turned SW and began to pick up.
The wave conditions were 1-3's and since we were up near the line, that meant we had to run the trough more than having the waves on the corner of the boat, so the boat was rocking. They had pretty good sea legs though, so that was good. No one was falling over....much. lol
I won't bore you with the set up again, because it was the exact same thing we did yesterday, and if you missed yesterday's report...you can find it easily. :)
The family Jackson wanted to learn how to troll, so they could do it from their own boat, and since they've never done it before, they have a lot to learn.
I showed them how to set the Off Shore boards out and the dipsies, but the action started pretty quickly and it was more like confused chaos on their end and controlled chaos on my end.
Trying to learn something when there's so much to do is hard for anyone new to this game, but they did a great job and managed to put 24 plump walleye in the cooler by 8:15.
Bill would like to come back for a few more lessons, so that makes me happy!
I'm off tomorrow....calling for scattered showers and thunderstorms and strong winds, so Ill be cleaning the boat in the morning before it gets hot.
Tuesday, I'm off again...so, Capt's Matt and Jenn Wieland, and I will be going on a charter with Capt Gary Zart (and, maybe Capt Nicholas if he's along) of Blue Dolphin Charters over out of Lorain. We all want to see the walleye slayer at work. I'm hoping it's on his big boat, so Jenn and Matt can see how he runs his set up.
I'll have to take the Dramamine, because big boats make me green. lol
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Dan, Brian, and Jackson 7/25/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/25/20
Left the house at 4:30 this morning and headed to the gas station. Gassed up, and put oil in the G2 and the baby ETEC, and iced the big cooler and the boat's cooler for today's "Adventure". I hit Mazurik's at 5AM (a 1/2 hour earlier than normal), so I could wipe the boat down.
The morning's dew made an easy job of removing the water spots from the trip the day before, so no more spray wax was needed. :)
I had told my crew we would launch by 6AM, and luckily they showed up early. I was done with wiping the boat down, getting rods out, putting the navigation light in, and setting up my Captain's station with the usual gadgets by the time they arrived. We hit the water at 5:45.
The skies were clear, the wind was nonexistent, and the temps were in the high 60's to low 70's. The horizon had a dark band near the earth and a dark red band above it. As the earth turned, the sky became lighter and the giant star emerged. We had already been set up and trolling by the time that happened.
We were right back where I started yesterday. We set up with the same program. 2 Bandits out each side behind Off Shore boards....Popsicle, (2) Chrome Popsicle, and Chrome Barbie...50/65 w/2oz, 50/70 w/2oz, 50/60 w/2oz, and 50/65 w/3oz.
Scorpion spoons on dipsies set 94 and 100 on the 3 setting and 54 and 60 on the 1 setting. Speed was 2.5-2.8 mph. An "Attention Deficit" spoon was bit off, so it was replaced with another. And, the Chrome Barbie was taken off and a Pooh Bear replaced it late in the game and took a fish not long after it was added to the line up.
Remember me telling you that yesterday our best direction was east to west? Well, that was my plan, initially, but my gut said to go east. I figured that the last spot was going to be crowded today, and as you all know, I like my space. As soon as one spot gets crowded, I'll go find another one.
Well, we had the area to ourselves this morning, and had our 24 in the cooler by 8:30AM. Dan had fished with me before, and brought his son and grandson along with him this time. They did most of the work, and when we had a fire drill going, Dan would hop in and catch some fish too.
It didn't start out gangbusters, but it got to be a very steady bite with some junk fish and small walleye too. We threw back some 15 inchers to let them have a chance to get bigger. There were a couple doubles and one triple in there too, so things got interesting, but they handled it well.
The crew did a great job and learned quickly. They were a huge help this morning, and that makes me happy!
We headed back in at a nice cruising speed, to enjoy the scenery of other boats out there doing what we were just doing, and just relaxing.
Tomorrow, I have a young family. Laura, her husband, and young son. We might have a later start, but if Mom can get everyone going in the morning, I hope to be on the water by 5:45 again.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing with Dan and Ryan 7/24/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/24/20Left the house at 5AM, and headed into town to gas up the boat and get the usual 2 small bags, and 1 large bag, of ice for the cooler. I hit Mazurik's at 5:20 and readied the boat while Dan and his son, Ryan, made their way there to meet me.
Dan has been trying for two years to get this trip rescheduled. Every time his day would get close the weather would turn to crap and we couldn't go. Today, we finally got that chance. He and his brother-in-law had a trip with me the first time he fished with me.
We launched just before 6AM and headed northeast towards the lightening sky. There was a big puffy cloud on the horizon, whose edges were highlighted with such a bright light from the Sun that was rising from below it, that it looked like it had been hit by lightning and just stayed lit.
It was in the direction I wanted to go, so I just kept watching and aiming for it. It was beautiful. :)
The wind was blowing 10-13 out of the NNE this morning...waves were 1-3's with some 4's thrown in for good measure here and there. We made our way up to the Canadian line and set up our presentation.
I start out with the program that worked last, which is what I've been reporting for almost 2 weeks now. There are some variations in line out on the dipsies from time to time, but I usually end up back where I started. 94-100 on the 3 setting and 54-70 on the 1 setting. Bandits are still working for me at 80 back unassisted, and just a little more so with the ones run 50/60 w/2oz, 50/75 w/2oz, and 50/60 w/3oz snap weights.
Speed varies, but my starting speed is typically 2.5mph.
The bigger walleye in the cooler always come from the baits behind the Off Shore boards.
Maybe I'll try running two different baits on one side tomorrow. I haven't had the BayRats out of the box yet this season....they caught some nice fish last year...so, maybe it's time to see if they can do the job too. I remember last year, the best lead was 125 back unassisted. Maybe I'll try one on a snap weight tomorrow.
Dan and Ryan had a good time this morning. It started out pretty slow, except for the sheephead and white perch...we had to really work for them. It wasn't a 3 hour run this morning like the last several trips out have been, and took all of the allotted time. Eventually, we had our 3 person limit in the box with 15 minutes to spare, and we headed in.
They learned a lot and did a great job setting lines with boards and dipsies. Dan said he will be back again next year too, and that makes me happy! :)
Tomorrow, I am fishing with Dan Swickrath again. He fished with me back in early June, so he's familiar with how we will be fishing already.
The wind forecast for tomorrow is basically nonexistent, so I'm looking forward to an easy ride in the morning, and being able to troll in any direction I want.
Oh, yeah...that reminds me....
While we caught fish trolling in every direction, (except going into the waves, because I didn't do that), the best directions were either east to west or northeast to southwest. But, that was today...tomorrow it might change. I guess my point is, pay attention to that detail when you notice it happening. It's a "piece of the puzzle" that will help you catch more fish.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing with Dana and John 7/20/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/20/20The sun is coming up later now, so I was able to leave the house a little later this morning too. I headed into town to gas up and get ice for the cooler at 5am. Then, I headed over to Mazurik's to meet my crew at 5:30.
Dana, a retired Fish Hatcheries Biologist with the ODNR, and his friend John, showed up a little early, so I told them that we would wait until I could see the waves a little better, since there was a wind out of the west and we would be heading NE.
We launched a little before 6am and headed up towards the spot I spent the last two trips at, but stopped a couple miles short of the line this time. The Ulterra was deployed and I checked to see if the kicker would be needed since there were big enough waves to surge us. I decided to put the waves on the corner of the port side stern, to control the speed better, and used the kicker for speed.
We started out slow that first hour, but it picked up and we went a couple of miles east of where we started before turning the boat on a southerly pass instead of continuing further east. Both directions were productive, but the southerly pass might have been just a bit more so.
It was the same program as the past two trips, so I'm not going to bother repeating myself here. The info can easily be found. :)
Dana, John, and I will be fishing again tomorrow, but it might be a later start due to the NE winds in the morning. Not sure where we are launching yet either. We might go west, so we might launch out of Catawba.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Dennis and Jeff 7/18/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/18/20This is going to be really short, because there's a hunk of F 'Mignon waiting to be thrown on a grill, and I'm hungry!
It was the same as yesterday...except the dew point was down, so there wasn't any heavy moisture in the air, or dew all over everything. It was a gorgeous morning.
Clear skies, 68 degrees, with a light SW wind....waves were 1' or less.
We ran back to where I started yesterday and had our limit by 9:30. The program was the same as yesterday, other than me changing up spoon colors from time to time. It wasn't a fast bite, but it was steady enough to keep us in that area....it was spotty.
I'm off tomorrow....and, back at it on Monday. Then, running every day until the 28th...barring bad weather conditions, or cancelations due to the COVID Virus. It is what it is....and, so it goes. ;)
Have a great weekend everyone!
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Dennis and Jeff 7/17/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/17/20I was off yesterday. This morning, I woke up at 3am and hit the back deck with some coffee. It was damp. The air was thick, and the wind was very light out of the SW. There was dew on everything, which meant I could easily wipe the boat down when I got to Bopper's early to meet my crew for some breakfast.
I did just that. I was meeting my crew at 5am and parked in the Big B's parking lot at 4:30. That gave me plenty of time to clean things up before they got there.
Kenny opened up the restaurant at 4:45, so I headed in to grab one of the tables. There are fewer tables now, due to the social distancing restrictions in place, so I grabbed one in the rear. My guys showed up right on time and joined me at the table.
We talked, while we ate a good breakfast, and I gave them an idea of what we would be doing this morning. After breakfast, they followed me to Mazurik's to launch. We hit the water at 5:50. The sun was just starting to glow from beneath the horizon, and lighting things up enough to see across the water.
We went up to the Canadian line and set up with my usual set up with two customers....4 dipsies and 4 Off Shore boards with various cranks behind them.
Today, the dipsies on the 3 setting were set at 80/90/94/100/105/and 107. The lower numbers were earlier in the morning, and set deeper as the morning progressed. The higher numbers that were deeper were more productive.
"Popsicle" Bandit (a stock color) has been good for weeks now. It was again today. I ended up running three of the 4 lines with "Popsicle" and a Green Clown on the 4th. 80 back unassisted was very good and so was the one set 50/125 w/2oz snap weight at 2.4-2.6mph.
We had our limit by 9am along with a plethora of sheep and whites mixed in there too.
We plan to repeat this again tomorrow on the same "Bat Channel at the same Bat Time".
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing Two Days with Mike Krakow 7/13-14/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/14/20Yesterday, we launched out of Catawba at 6am, and fished west of the islands, over by the cans. The wind was out of the NE and the waves were 1-3 feet.
We had that typical "fast first bite" of the morning, which made me think it was going to be a quick limit for the two of us, but after that fish, it was slow. We were marking fish on the Helix, but couldn't get a proper fix on the program they wanted.
We were running Bandits, Flicker Minnows, and Reef Runner Mag 44's behind the Off Shore boards, and one dipsey on each side of the boat using the 1 setting.
We were only in 27 feet of water, so the dips were set around 31-33 feet back, and the cranks anywhere from 45 to 80 back. Speed was 2.2-2.6mph (surging from the waves).
After 5 fish and a couple hours gone...I decided to leave the cans and head east. We hit the triangle between Rattlesnake, Green, and Middle Bass to try there, but I didn't stay long. The water was too murky for my liking. I couldn't tell if it was an algae bloom or just churned up water from the 30mph blow two days prior? Either way, I wasn't feeling it...so, I said, "Let's pick up one more time and move east some more, if you don't mind another slightly bumpy ride?" Mike said, "No, that's fine" and got busy reeling in the lines.
We motored through the passage between Middle Bass and North Bass and headed to the Canadian line above Lucy's Point. We set up with the same stuff, but this time, I set the dipsies a little deeper. 1 setting at 40 and 54, and the Bandits at 50/110 2oz, 50/120 20z, and 50/125 2oz (snap weights). I took one of my boards off, so I could add the 3 setting dipsey to the lineup and had that one out at 80 back.
Everything took fish at one point or another. Spoon colors were silver and coppers with blues, purples, and greens on them. The flashier spoons didn't do as well for us, so we kept it more natural looking.
All the walleye we've caught the last several days have been puking up minnows of some species too, so that might be why it's a little tougher on the western end of the lake right now compared to the Central Basin where tons of fish are competing for food, and eating anything that goes by.....just a guess though.:)
This morning we launched out of Mazurik's and headed back to the north between the islands for a repeat of what we left there yesterday morning.
To make this long story shorter....I'll just say that it was the same program...just a different time of day. We caught our 12 in about 2 1/2 hours and had a little better grade than the cooler we took to Port Clinton Fish to have cleaned yesterday. The 5 fish we had from the cans were a smaller grade than what is swimming between the islands right now.
Mike said he and his wife enjoy eating a lot of fish, so I think his wife will be happy with the walleye bounty he brought home to her. Mike had never trolled with Off Shore boards or used dipsies before, and did a good job working the lines the past two days. He can take his new found knowledge and apply it in his boat now, and that makes me happy.
I'm off tomorrow....rescheduling to a later date, due to a conflict on the customer's end. Watching the weather for the first of a two day trip with the Stenzel's too. Thursday is sketchy right now.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Joe, Seth, and Carter Gregory 7/12/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/12/20It was a late start this morning, due to the wind forecast and the fact that I had three generations on the boat today. Joe brought his son, Seth, and his grandson, Carter, along for a walleye trip.
The remnants of yesterday's big NW blow would be subsiding after sunrise, so I didn't get the usual sunrise pic I like to start the day with. We launched at Mazurik's at 8am and headed out. I thought about going west, but thought it might be a little muddy since the winds were 30mph yesterday, and turned the bow to the NE instead.
It was a little rough, but not bad at 8am. The forecast said it would be a light wind out of the NNE most of the day, and subsiding even more as the afternoon approached.
We rounded the SE corner of Kelly's on the outside of the pack of boats that were hiding there from the earlier NW winds, I'm guessing. I thought I would go see what was up on the north side of the shoal this morning...and, if there were marks, we would fish them. We hit the Canadian line and the Helix was marking what looked like Walleye to me, so we set up.
The Ulterra took us on a course to the west over 43 feet of water. We set out the dipsies on the 3 setting at 124 and 94 back, the 1 setting at 61, and the 0 setting at 54 (and 57, 60, 65, and 70 at one point too). Two Bandits were out the port side behind Off Shore boards at 100 back. I had told Joe, "100 and 60 back", but he only heard the 100 and set them both out at the same distance. Both of them caught fish. Popsicle and RC Crush were the two colors.
Reef Runner Mag 44's were set out on the Starboard side at 75 and 60 back behind the Offshore's. Mag's took fish at 75, 60, and 45 back. Black/Gold and Bare Naked Purple Perch were the colors.
I didn't notice the water temperature, but it's up there over 75 degrees now, and close to 80. Two days ago, it was hitting 80 out in front of Catawba, but that's shallower water than the east side of Kelly's too.
Seth would help 10 year old Carter reel in fish with the dipsies, because the long rods and heavy divers made it difficult for him to do it alone. Carter was also having fun counting the fish that went in the cooler, because he got to be in charge of the counter-clicker thingy.
We caught fish pretty quickly at 8am, but then by 1pm we were sitting at only 15 walleye in the box and twice as many "junk fish" species to the count. "It's time to change the angle of our dangle", I said and turned the boat gradually until we were in a more favorable direction. I found that our bite was happening when we were on an east to west troll or a SE to NW troll, but it slowed when we were heading west to east or NW to SE. So, with that last dangle change, we started getting bit again, and put their last three in the box.
The highlight of the day was Seth's big catfish. I didn't get a pic, because I wanted to get it back in the water, and not give it time to slime my boat. They didn't care to hold it anyway, so....no pic. It was a good one though...I'm guessing in the 10 pound range.
Joe said he will be back again, and plans to make this an annual thing. He said they all really enjoyed the trip, learned stuff, and had a great time....and, that makes me happy!
Tomorrow's forecast is calling for sunshine, 10mph winds out of the NE, and temps in the high 70's to low 80's. Or, simply....it's going to be a gorgeous day to be on the lake!
I'll be launching out of Catawba in the morning with Mike Krakow and his crew for the first day of their two day trip.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing with Joe, Seth, and Carter Gregory 7/12/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/12/20It was a late start this morning, due to the wind forecast and the fact that I had three generations on the boat today. Joe brought his son, Seth, and his grandson, Carter, along for a walleye trip.
The remnants of yesterday's big NW blow would be subsiding after sunrise, so I didn't get the usual sunrise pic I like to start the day with. We launched at Mazurik's at 8am and headed out. I thought about going west, but thought it might be a little muddy since the winds were 30mph yesterday, and turned the bow to the NE instead.
It was a little rough, but not bad at 8am. The forecast said it would be a light wind out of the NNE most of the day, and subsiding even more as the afternoon approached.
We rounded the SE corner of Kelly's on the outside of the pack of boats that were hiding there from the earlier NW winds, I'm guessing. I thought I would go see what was up on the north side of the shoal this morning...and, if there were marks, we would fish them. We hit the Canadian line and the Helix was marking what looked like Walleye to me, so we set up.
The Ulterra took us on a course to the west over 43 feet of water. We set out the dipsies on the 3 setting at 124 and 94 back, the 1 setting at 61, and the 0 setting at 54 (and 57, 60, 65, and 70 at one point too). Two Bandits were out the port side behind Off Shore boards at 100 back. I had told Joe, "100 and 60 back", but he only heard the 100 and set them both out at the same distance. Both of them caught fish. Popsicle and RC Crush were the two colors.
Reef Runner Mag 44's were set out on the Starboard side at 75 and 60 back behind the Offshore's. Mag's took fish at 75, 60, and 45 back. Black/Gold and Bare Naked Purple Perch were the colors.
I didn't notice the water temperature, but it's up there over 75 degrees now, and close to 80. Two days ago, it was hitting 80 out in front of Catawba, but that's shallower water than the east side of Kelly's too.
Seth would help 10 year old Carter reel in fish with the dipsies, because the long rods and heavy divers made it difficult for him to do it alone. Carter was also having fun counting the fish that went in the cooler, because he got to be in charge of the counter-clicker thingy.
We caught fish pretty quickly at 8am, but then by 1pm we were sitting at only 15 walleye in the box and twice as many "junk fish" species to the count. "It's time to change the angle of our dangle", I said and turned the boat gradually until we were in a more favorable direction. I found that our bite was happening when we were on an east to west troll or a SE to NW troll, but it slowed when we were heading west to east or NW to SE. So, with that last dangle change, we started getting bit again, and put their last three in the box.
The highlight of the day was Seth's big catfish. I didn't get a pic, because I wanted to get it back in the water, and not give it time to slime my boat. They didn't care to hold it anyway, so....no pic. It was a good one though...I'm guessing in the 10 pound range.
Joe said he will be back again, and plans to make this an annual thing. He said they all really enjoyed the trip, learned stuff, and had a great time....and, that makes me happy!
Tomorrow's forecast is calling for sunshine, 10mph winds out of the NE, and temps in the high 70's to low 80's. Or, simply....it's going to be a gorgeous day to be on the lake!
I'll be launching out of Catawba in the morning with Mike Krakow and his crew for the first day of their two day trip.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing with Ken, Trista, and Gavin 7/10/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/10/20The cat started making puking noises at 2am to rid herself of a hairball. It was a half hour before my alarm was to go off, so I jumped up to grab a rag, and figured that was the end of my sleeping for the night. I put the coffee on and fed the beasts. Went out on the back deck to water the plants and check the day's forecast.
It was supposed to be blowing out of the SSW this morning, and according to iWindSurf, it was supposed to be gusting 18-20mph. My original plan to launch out of Catawba was nixed and we launched at Mazurik's at 5:30 instead. There was only a light wind out of the south at the time, but with the forecast I looked at I wasn't making that run 19-20 miles out to the line, like I did several times this past two weeks.
Ken, is an avid Canada fly-in angler, never fished with Off Shore boards or dipsies before, and wanted to learn. This was Gavin's first time freshwater fishing, so this would be his first walleye too. Trista wasn't going to fish, so she took the job of sitting on the bow and opening the cooler lid when I needed to throw a fish in it. She was also in charge of the clicker-counter to keep track of how many fish were in the cooler at any given time. :)
I mentioned yesterday that I thought Trista needed a fishing license if she was going to be on the boat, but I found out officially that she didn't need one if she wasn't going to fish. I stand corrected.
I opted to head west to the Catawba area instead, as I had heard there were some good marks showing up on friend's sonars. We drove over and set up outside of the launch and I set the Ulterra's auto-pilot to power level 5. Then, I fired up the baby "E" and had it help push us, so the speed was around 2.3-2.5mph.
The dipsies were set on the 3 setting at 47 back and the 1 setting at 31 and 33 back over 25 feet of water. Two Bandits were running behind the Off Shore boards on the port side at 80 and 40 back. Two more Bandits ran the starboard side at 65 and 45 back. The shallower runners took fish first, so we moved the other ones up.
At one point I changed out the port side Bandits to number 11 Flicker Minnows at 65 and 45 back, and those took fish too. Then, it was back to one Flicker and one Bandit on the port side, and the starboard side was changed out to Reef Runner Mag 44's at 60 and 48 back (Gavin chose the numbers...everyone that knows me knows I like odd numbers). :) Those caught fish too.
We went through a ton of white perch, a couple of white bass, and maybe a dozen sheephead to get their 18 walleye, plus one of mine before the time ran out.
Ken and Gavin did a good job having never fished like this before, and after a few hours they were catching on as to what needed to be done. Ken said he booked me, so he could learn how to do it, and said he learned a lot today, so that makes me happy!
Tomorrow's trip has been rescheduled to August, so I'll be off tomorrow. Back at it on Sunday.
Stay tuned....
Capt juls
Fishing Two Days with Bryan, Chad, and Travis Stanzyk 7/8-9/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/09/20I took the holiday weekend off, and wasn't back on the water until yesterday. I didn't report yesterday, because...well...I was hot and in a pissy mood...lol
Yesterday, I met Bryan and his two sons Chad and Travis, who came from PA, at Mazurik's at 5am. We launched at 5:15.
I thought it was going to be a light and variable wind when we launched, and the plan was to head to the weather buoy, but the wind was blowing out of the south at a good clip, and I decided against going 20 miles in those conditions. So, we went west instead. I didn't go far enough west though. I missed that good easy bite I heard about.
We picked a few here and there, but it was slow, and there was a lot of small fish and junk fish to pick through. Yesterday, to put it mildly, I found the motherload of sheephead. Uffda!
We only ended up with 7 keeper walleye and a catfish and the rest sheep, white perch, and white bass.
We were just west of Green working our way north to Rattlesnake.
At one point we left there to go to the east side of the Bass Islands and hit the middle out there between the NW corner of Kelly's, Lucy's, and Middle Island. While there are tempting marks out there...big ones too...most of those are big Sheephead, I think. We did catch a few walleye there too, but I think most are sheep, judging by how many we caught.
That was yesterday....today, was a new day. But, Travis had to go back to work, so it was only Bryan and Chad this morning.
We had left Mazurik's at 5:15 this morning, and headed NE at a nice cruising speed of 40mph. Since there wasn't any wind to speak of, the lake was flat. The 20 mile run out was smooth and only took us a 1/2 hour. The Helix marked fish from 35 to 41 feet down, so the Ulterra was deployed, along with the baby ETEC, and a course was set to head into the rising sun at a speed of 2.4-2.5mph.
Dipsies were set on the 3 setting at 124 back and the 0 setting at 65 back with spoons. We ran two Off Shore inline planers per side with Bandits. 100' and 80' back (unassisted) on the outside boards and 50/75 2oz on the two inside boards. Glare and Chrome Marvin were the higher bandits and Popsicle and a Chrome Popsicle were run behind the 2oz snapweights.
As they were catching fish, I turned to grab the net and found the most beautiful sunrise happening, and reached for my phone to take a picture...it wasn't where it was supposed to be. Just a slight panic set in as I looked around for it...and, then, realizing I left it in the truck I suddenly felt detached from the world and a little pissed off. lol
I forgot my phone in the truck when we launched, because a towel had gotten thrown over it at some point, and I missed it. "Oh well", I thought, we would only be gone a couple hours at the most, and I could live that long without my phone.
I was just mad that I didn't have anything to take pictures with today.
We had our limit in an hour and half this morning. We were the second boat up there (they must have gotten there in the dark), and then a flotilla showed up and there must have been at least 40-50 boats in the area by 7:30. We left and headed back at an even slower speed, and were back at the dock by 8:15. It was going to be another hot one today, so we were all glad to be back in early.
We transferred their fish to their cooler and I bid them a safe trip home. :)
Tomorrow's weather is going to be a little wet...maybe. They are calling for a chance of showers and thunderstorms, but I'm still looking at forecasts for what time that might happen.
I'm thinking we'll fish out of Catawba tomorrow, so if we have to make a run back in from an approaching storm...we can do it safely.
Tomorrow I have Ken Kreager and his family joining me. He and his son will fish, but I'm told the wife doesn't want to. (And, yes, before anyone calls/texts/emails me...I told him that she would have to have a fishing license just to be on the boat too.) :)
UPDATE: I found out officially, that the wife didn't need a fishing license if she wasn't going to fish. She can't take a limit or do anything fishing related....except for....if she were to assist a child.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Greg, Dave (Papa), and Jake 7/1/2020
by Capt Juls on 07/01/20Greg called me to see if I had any availability last week, and due to a reschedule I had today open for him, his dad Dave, and his son, Jake.
He really really wanted to drift cast, so I agreed to take them out to drift....and, cast.
I figured Lorain would be a good bet, so I told them to meet me at Vermilion to launch at 5am. They showed up on time and we headed down the river in the dark. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and my senses were heightened. Unfortunately, the sense that senses a low bridge with the antenna up wasn't working this morning, and I snapped off about 5" of the glass rod. The antenna cable was still intact and standing straight up, so I was able to use the radio still.
Not a good way to start a day....sigh I've got one being delivered tomorrow, so I'll have that replaced this weekend.
We headed up to the Sandbar first. It was a 7-8 mile ride from the Vermilion River, I think. We set up to do some casting and Greg caught a few dinks, but nothing big enough to keep.
I sent a text to a friend who fishes the Central Basin all the time and he told me to go 4 miles more to the east, and I would find a lot of fish. "Tell them to get it on the bottom and bring it back", he advised. I told the guys what he said, and we made our way over there.
The lake was windier over there and was probably 2 foot or less most of the time, but there were some 3 footers rocking the boat here and there too. Not bad.
We set up for a new drift on the new waypoint and had a perfect wind to take us right down along the side of a contour in 50' of water. There were some boats trolling around us as we drifted along. Greg caught a few keepers and put them in the box. But, it was down to two rods, because Jake was tired from staying up too late, and just wanted to hang out and not fish.
Papa Dave started asking about trolling, and they said they would like to try it, so I pulled everything out and got it ready. Down went the Ulterra and the baby ETEC to move us at 2.4-2.6mph on a southwesterly course along that break.
The dipsies were set at 65 and 70 on the one setting and 65 and 92 on the 3 setting...all those caught fish.
A "Racy Shad" Flicker Minnow took one at 65 back, as did a "Glare" Bandit set at 30/80 w/3oz, and a Blue/Chrome Bandit set 40/85 w/3oz.
We put seven more fish in the cooler more in short time..and, they were a nicer quality than the drift fish, so they were happy with that. But, they enjoy the casting, and asked if they could do that again, so I put everything away and went towards Vermilion to find some fish.
Just more dinks in that spot...so, not a stellar day catching wise, but the three generations of the Fish family had a good time making memories together, and the conversation was pleasant....and, that makes me happy.
I'm off tomorrow, but will be back out Friday with Kevin Conely and his son to do some trolling again.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing Day 2 with Chad and Tiffany 6/26/2020
by Capt Juls on 06/26/20Keeping this one short, as I have had a ton of chores to do when I got off the water today, and I'm not done yet.
Basically, the report is the same as yesterday....program wise. I went east again, but this time started further east than where I started yesterday. We got done quicker and with a better grade of fish.
That's it in a nutshell...sorry I didn't have time for a short story, but life gets in the way sometimes.
Thanks for reading my posts though...I appreciate it very much. :)
Capt Juls
Fishing with Chad and Tiffany 6/25/2020
by Capt Juls on 06/25/20My last two days were "blow days" and my customers rescheduled to the fall, so no report.
This morning, the winds were better. At 5:30 they were light out of the WSW, and waves were 1foot or less (but, were 1-3's the further east we went).
The air temp was 62 degrees and the sky was clear to partly cloudy, but mostly clear.
We headed NE out of the launch and went up to the Canadian line...set up...and took it East at a speed of 2.2-2.4mph.
If you go east of Kelly's (out about 6-8 miles) watch out of the perch nets...they're all over the place and all the way up to the line.
For those visiting Lake Erie and don't know about the perch nets....Know this: they have to set them running south to north, so the single flag is on the south end of the trap net and the double flag is on the north end. You can pass below the single or above the double, but it's best not to pass through them, especially if you're trolling! That's an expensive mess you don't want. ;)
What worked for us today were Bandits with a 2oz snap weight at 50/75, and a 3oz weight rigged 30/80 (ie: let 30' of line out...add the snap weight and let another 80' of line out, for a total of 110, and then attach the Off Shore board).
Reef Runner Mag 44 in the Bare Naked Perch at 75 back (unassisted)
Dipsies on the 1 setting at 54 back and the 3 setting at 65 back. Spoon colors were Red Headed Wonder Bread, Blueberry Muffin, and a hammered copper one with one side green with black stripes over the green.
I am fishing with this fun couple again tomorrow. They did a great job today, and picked up the dipsey program pretty quickly for never having run them before. :)
Tomorrow's winds should be lighter than today's, so it's going to be an enjoyable morning!
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing with Joe and Glenn 6/22/2020
by Capt Juls on 06/22/20I'm not even sure how to start this one, because this three day trip almost didn't happen! I made a booking error and had originally had two other fellas booked for today and tomorrow, but the other day they called and asked if they could reschedule, because they said the forecast didn't look very good. I said, "Sure, no problem. I was going to go to Wisconsin to visit family the first week of July, but have decided to stay home, so I can move you to July 1st and 2nd if you like". They agreed and moved their dates. I was kind of happy to have a couple days off after 8 straight days of fishing, so I climbed into bed thinking I would do some catching up on my sleep. Then, I got the text....
"What time do you want us to meet you in the morning?" I stared at my phone..."Oh no, what did I do?", I thought as the panic set in. I looked again at the name, and then the calendar and found this crew to be scheduled for next Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday! "Okay, don't panic", I said to myself. "Who do I have on Wednesday?" I found it was my regulars, Steve and Jeremy, who I knew would understand and help me out with this crew's third day, by rescheduling their day.
I sent Jeremy a text asking if they would mind very much changing to next week and he replied, "That's fine. I completely forgot, and booked a trip to Hilton Head, so the Universe is helping us out!" Whew! Crisis averted!
Now, I just had to get my mind right again and in fishing mode for their three day trip....not an easy task when you let things go till tomorrow, because you think you have the day off. lol
Back to business...the alarm went off at 2:45, and I got up to feed the critters their breakfast. Checked the wind and weather forecast and found it to be a good morning. We might get a little wet, but the rain coming in didn't look like it would be much more than a misty type of rain. I could deal with that.
Per the usual routine, I hit the gas station at 4:15 and gassed up the Ranger and grabbed some ice for the coolers. I topped off the oil in the G2, because it's been two or three trips now, and I like to do it that often, so I know it will never run low no matter how long of a run I have to make. When that was all done, I headed over to Mazurik's and started getting things ready.
Unlike the weekend, Monday's are my favorite, because there is no one at the ramp and it's nice and quiet. It gave me time to rig some rods and wipe the boat down before they got there. They showed up at 5am and we were headed out at 5:15.
This time, I didn't go north, but rather NE. It was still dark(ish) on the water, but the lake was calm, so we took our time at a nice cruising speed of 40mph, and went 14 miles to an area I've been wanting to check out. It's usually good this time of year, but I hadn't been out there yet to check it. I figured today was a good day to go look, because if they weren't there, then it was an easy ride to go someplace else, and wouldn't take up much time.
The Commercial Perch nets are out there now, in a line for miles, so be watchful for those if you head out into the big water east of Kelly's.
Joe and Glenn had little experience running Off Shore boards and dipsies, and were ready for some training. I showed them how to attach the boards and set them out. After I got the first one out, Joe was letting the second Bandit out when I said, "Stop that one, we have a fish on that outside board". "What? Already?", Joe asked, while Glenn chuckled. Then, Glenn's first board went back while he was busy futzing with his second rod...I said, "We have another fish on over there now too". They got them both in...nothing big, just good eaters. Back to square one...with no lines in the water. They got busy and set them out.
We ran two Bandits on the port side and two Mag 44's on the starboard side. The Bandits were out 100 and 50 back (one ow and one high). The Mags were 90 and 60 back. Only one fish caught on the Mag side, so I swapped them out for a couple of Walleye Nation Creation Reapers at 100 and 77 back. Nothing. So, I swapped them out for the Flicker Minnows at 65 and 57 back. Both of those numbers caught fish.
Speed again was 2.3-2.5mph.
The dipsies were set on the same program as the past week....3 setting at 65 and 75 back and the 1 setting at 54 back. Scorpion spoons on three rods and a black/gold Ripplin Redfin on the fourth. All of them caught fish. When the marks on the Helix diminished, we turned and headed back over the same trail, but the bite was slower. They definitely preferred the other direction.
As we came down by the first net we saw on the way out, we turned and headed west. One of the commercial perch boats was headed towards that first net, so I said, "Let's pick up and move over to where I was yesterday", pointing to the NE side of Kelly's and Middle Island.
We only needed three more fish, and probably could have just kept trolling, but when the screen is practically bare, it's hard to stay patient and keep on trolling.
We set up again and had our last three within a half hour....then, headed in.
The rain mostly stayed on the mainland, so it was kind of nice to be out on the lake watching it pass. It was a little drizzly when we rode in, but it wasn't bad. The rain was done by the time we got back to Mazurik's.
Tomorrow's weather is calling for southerly winds and only a 34% chance of rain, so it should be a nice morning. We might have a later start, depending on the wind forecast that I see when I get up tomorrow. I'll text the guys at 3am and let them know what time to meet me at the ramp.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
