Juls WFA Blog
Fishing with Dave and Danielle....5/8/2024
by Capt Juls on 05/08/24I forgot to set the alarm last night, but thankfully, I woke up at 3:15. I only lost 15 minutes of routine, so it wasn't too bad. By now, those of you who follow me, know my routine.
If you don't, it's me going out on the back deck with my coffee, my dog Alfie, and my two weird cats. This is where I get the morning's weather, in real-time. Then, I look at the wind and weather apps, to see what lays in store for the morning's trip.
All the wind apps were showing different conditions, but I trust iWindSurf the most, out of all of them, and decided it was going to be a fishable morning. My neighbors, Dave and Danielle, were going with me, this time. This trip was set up months ago, for Dave's birthday, by Danielle, so I wanted to get it in. Today, is Dave's birthday, and I didn't want to disappoint, since they both took off of work, to do this trip.
I told Danielle, last night, "I'll text you at 4am to let you know if it's a "go", or not." And, because, the apps were all different, it took me 45 minutes to decide which one to believe, and what time we should launch... but, at 4:00 I sent her a text saying, "We'll leave at 5:30".
The forecast was for a WSW wind from 10-13 w/gusts to 20. Very fishable, but Catawba was out of the equation, for launching.
A SW wind blows right into the docks, making loading and launching a little more uncomfortable, there. I don't want scratches on my boat, if I can help it.
We headed to Mazurik's, after hitting the gas station for gas and ice, and arrived at 6am. By 6:15 we were in the water, waiting a few minutes, for the 400 to warm up. Once she was up to temp, we headed north, to the line.
It was unfortunate, that I only found very clean water, with no fish marks showing up on the electronics, up there.
I didn't even come off plane, before turning the boat and heading around to the other side of the islands. Down, around Sugar Island, through the pass between the underwater wall (between Middle Bass and Rattlesnake)...and, Rattlesnake Island.
The fog was pretty thick, up in the "Triangle", so I stopped and put my navigation light in, (back on the transom), and turned them all on.
I was just about to start moving again, when Danielle said, "There's a boat right there", pointing out of the port side of the boat.
He didn't have any lights on, and was going too fast for conditions... and would have hit us, had I not stopped to put the navigational lights on.
The fish will be there when you get there.....slow down, when it's foggy, you might kill someone! Just say'n...grrrrr
Anyway....there were very scattered marks from the west end of Rattlesnake to the north side of Green. We kept heading west at a slow speed, and eventually, we ended up over by the "outside cans". The fog was lifting, so we could start to see the land masses, and that made Danielle happy. The sun was trying to burn the fog off, too.
The Humminbird started showing some fish. The water was a nice mixing color. More stained, than the clean water to the north, but not chocolatey, either. I was headed to the edge of the chocolatey color, when the fish marks showed up.
I turned the boat, shut the motor off...deployed the Terrova, and the baby Merc, and set a course to the south....then, SW.
Bandits, out behind Off Shore boards, at 120, 110, 100, 80, and 60 back started the morning off. Along with a dipsey, on the zero setting, off each corner. The port side ran at 28 and the starboard side ran at 31.
Water temp was 58 something degrees
Speed was 2.0-2.3 mph on the FishHawk, and 2.3 to 2.6 SOG
Every now and then we would hit a current seam, and the FishHawk would show a drop to 1.4-1.6mph when the SOG was still at at 2.4 mph. They seemed to be skinny seams, because by the time I was done adjusting the speed, it would change back again, and we would be going too fast.
The fish definitely liked us going into the waves, rather than with them, this morning. It was a 60:40 split, with the spoons on the dipsies doing better than the cranks. The largest fish came on a spoon, too.
Well, this is long enough, and my dog keeps shoving a ball in my elbow, so it's time to go play with him. Dave and Danielle said they had a great time, and that makes me happy! Happy birthday, Dave! :)
Tomorrow's trip, is cancelled, due to the wind forecast. Ex PWT/FLW walleye pro David Kraft, set this trip up with his wife, as part of their adventure here. They came to town, from far away, like many do, to see the bird migration that happens in this area. The fishing trip was just an added highlight, but instead, we will meet for breakfast, and do some catching up. And, that makes me happy, too!
Next trip out if Friday, weather permitting.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Marc and Norm....5/5/2024
by Capt Juls on 05/05/24Got up at 2AM, and headed out to the back deck with Alfie, and a cup of coffee. The air was thick with moisture, due to a system that rolled through overnight, but the rain was done for the day. The wind forecast was looking fantastic, which meant the lake would be relatively flat, and we would be able to get from point A to point B, with ease. I was able to spend some quiet quality time with the pup, before heading out at 5:15.
I told "Stanny" (Marc) and Norm, that I would meet them at 5:40, but showed up early as usual...but, they were ready, so we hit the road. Off to the gas station first, for ice and snacks, then to Hi Way Bait to get some crawlers. I wanted to have the option available to me, if we needed it. If not, I would just give the crawlers to them, so they had the option, too. (They are here all week, using Stanny's boat).
We launched from Catawba at 6:20, and headed north. The ride out was nice, because we could go fast, and not get beat up. The fog hadn't rolled in yet, either.
I did have a mishap on the ride out, though, that cost me some money. I turned my head to see the sunrise, and forgot my favorite pair of Costa sunglasses were sitting on the visor of my hat...and, the wind got them. They flew off, and into the lake, never to be seen again...deep sigh.
I drove the Vexus up to where I was last time out, and although the fish marks were less, there were still scattered fish showing on the electronics. Reining her in, I set down over 30-31 feet of water, and deployed the FishHawk. The Terrova and baby Merc were dialed in to a speed of 2.0, and set on a NW course.
Bandits, behind Off Shore boards, ran on both sides. Leads were 120. 100, 80, and 60 on both sides, too.
Colors that caught in this first spot were:
(2) Barbie (I THINK it's a Domka Outdoors Custom)
Blue Chrome (stock color)
Greasy Chicken Wing (Slim Shady Customs)
We ran one dipsey (size 1 w/ring) on the port side, with a Yeck Spoon in the "Confusion" color, and caught a nice eater....but, that was it for the spoon up there.
At 9:30 I decided it was time to move. The fog was getting really think in that area, and it was hard to see more than 50 yards, so we moved down inside, by the cans. It was less foggy there, and the water color was a little muddier, too. There were plenty of fish marks, so we set up over 18 feet of water, and headed east on our trolling pass.
Bandits at 80, 60, 50, and 45 caught fish.
I had one Blue and White Jointed DHJ12 out at 65 back, and it took a bigger fish, so we put another out, and it caught a fish, too. I eventually had three out, and set one at 85 back, which also caught a nice fish.
Speed was 1.9-2.2mph. Water temp was 58
We caught one shy of our three-person limit, this morning, but it was still a fun day on the water with those two, and they both agreed....and, that makes me happy! :)
I have the next two days off, due to a cancellation (customer's bad knee), so my next scheduled trip is Wednesday, with my neighbor's...a birthday present from Danielle to her husband Dave, so that should be a lot of fun, too. :)
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with David and Dean....5/2/2024
by Capt Juls on 05/02/24Summary of a two-day fishing trip for two Iowans:
Day one...
We launched out of Mazurik's, and headed to the Canadian line. Rigged up with crawler harnesses (Colorado blades), because I figured since the water temp dropped a couple degrees, with the east wind pushing in colder water, from the deep end of the lake, they might want it slower, and meat is always a good attractant.
Water temp was 54.4 degrees.
We marked nice fish up there, but they were not ready to eat yet. I don't know if it's that lull that happens after the spawn, or they had fed at night with the bright moon, and clear skies, but they were not hungry.
We made one pass, and called it quits up there. We picked up and moved down to the north side of Kelley's. After a short pass with the crawlers, I got tired of them, and decided to put on some Bandits, behind the Off Shore boards.
Long story shorter....leads that caught best were 120, 110, 90, and 80 back, at a speed of 1.8-2.2mph.
Best Colors were...
One, I don't know the name of, or who paints it, (I put it in the photos), was a productive one.
Copper Greasy Chicken Wing (Slim Shady Custom)
Fruit Dots (stock color) "Black Headed Wonder Bread" for us old timers...lol
Blue Chrome (stock)
Barbie (Sorry, I forget who painted this one)
We ended with only 9 eaters...nothing big.
Day 2...
We launched out of Catawba at 6:15 and headed north...staying west of the islands, this time. It was too early, and dark, to see how muddy, or clean, the water was. When the sun got higher in the sky, we would find out. Anyway, I was marking fish for a long ways, before deciding to ditch my first destination, so we could try to catch what I was seeing on the Humminbird.
The waves were whacky this morning. First they were coming from the NW, and then as we traveled further north, they were coming from the NE, too, so it was like a washing machine, at times.
The wind was switching from the NW to the NE, so the lake was laying down, and wasn't expected to get windy again, until late morning. Waves were 2' or less, and laying down to 1 foot or less. Loved that, because then we would be able to go in any direction, without having to pick up, and make a run back up, like I have to when it's too rough to go into them.
The fish marks were too good, not to stop, so the Terrova as deployed, as was the baby Merc, and set on a southerly direction.
We ran the Bandit program from the day before, but added more of the productive colors listed above, and took the less than productive off.
Once the sun came up, my heart kind of sunk, because we were marking fish in muddy water, and I was afraid it might be too dirty for them to bite. But, just as I thought about picking back up, and running to my first destination, which I figured would be cleaner water, Dean said, pointing his finger out the port side, "Number 3! Fish on!"
We stayed and made about a mile pass, before a friend called and said my "first destination" was a good, and they were biting. We only had 6 in the box when he called, so we decided that maybe cleaner water would produce a better bite, so we picked up, and headed further north.
The water did clean up, but the fish marks were nothing like we were seeing in the first spot, but we set up anyway, and made a pass to the NW, but I decided that since the wind was behaving, and the lake was laying down...it would be a better idea to turn the boat around and just troll back to where we started.
It was the right idea, because they did bite, and they bit all the way back down to our original spot. We had our 18 in the boat by 9:45, and headed back in at 10am.
As we approached the launch, David said, "That was good timing, because it's getting windier". Smiling, I agreed.
They both said they had a good time, and Dean said he learned a lot, so that makes me happy! I have no doubt they can run their own Off Shore boards with a little more confidence now.
Tomorrow, I have the winner of the South Shore Marine charity raffle, that I donated a trip for...and, two of his friends.
I think I know where I'm fishing tomorrow...:)
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing with Nancy, Glen Sr., and Glen Jr....4/30/2024
by Capt Juls on 05/01/24Quick report today…had a later launch, and there’s lots to do before bedtime.
First time back on the water since a week ago, today.
Launched out of Catawba with my crew from Huron, OH, and headed west to the other side, and landed in 14-18’ of water.
The water was dirty to the south, mixing where we were (could see the cavitation plate and the prop was “ghostly”), and there was cleaner water to the north.
We didn’t catch any big fish this morning, but what we did catch were all good-sized eaters.
I was slacking on my photos today…sorry. This is the only one.
It was raining when we launched at 7am, so no sunrise pic, but by mid-morning the Sun was breaking through, from time to time, so that dried things out, and warmed the air up, nicely.
We ran crawlers on the starboard side and Bandits on the port side. The catch rate was 50/50 between the two, so I never broke down one side to run the other…I probably should have, but I couldn’t decide which to take off. So I left them.
We ended up with 16 for 18 on the walleye…and, we caught the first sheephead (in my boat)
of the season, and two white perch.
Speed was anywhere from 1.5 to 2.0mph.
Water temp varied from 55.6 to 57.3 degrees.
The mud is cleaning up fast, and shifting locations by the hour.
The Shortman family did a great job learning to run the OffShore boards, and setting them out. They currently run big boards on their boat, but wanted to see how to run inline boards, and I am confident they would be able to do this easily, by themselves.
We ran 2oz inline chain sinkers on the harnesses at 20, 30, 33, and 35 back …and, the Bandits ran at 55, 45, 40, and 35 back.
Tomorrow, and Wednesday, I have two fellas from Iowa, so I’m meeting them at Mazurik’s, and launching at 6:15, so hopefully there will be a sunrise pic in the morning.
Stay tuned….
Capt Juls
Fishing with Frank and Ray....4/25/2024
by Capt Juls on 04/25/24Went to bed early last night, in anticipation of fishing this morning, but woke up an hour earlier, so I got up at 2AM, made some coffee, and took the critters out onto the back deck with me.
The wind was out of the north, at around 5-10mph, the sky was mostly clear, with a full/waning moon, and the air temp was a chilly 36 degrees.
The wind forecast for the morning was a light and changing wind...from the north, then, switching from the ENE at 5-10 mph.
I told my dog, "Goodbye, I love you...I'll be back!", and headed to the gas station. The truck and boat were already gassed up, so all I needed was some ice, and powdered donuts. "It might be a good idea to stop at Hi Way Bait and get some crawlers", I thought to myself... in case the crankbait bite was tough after the last blow and cold.
So, I did. Hit Hi Way for 10 dozen crawlers, hoping deep down, that they would all end up doing their thing in my gardens, instead of messing up my boat. It's not that I don't like running harnesses, because I do. I make my own, in fact ...it's just that they are so messy, and create more work for me. If I can get away with cranks and spoons all summer...I'm cool with that. :)
Frank and Ray have fished with me for many years now, and had this past Tuesday scheduled, but it blew (surprise-surprise), so they took today, since it was available, and going to be relatively nice.
We launched out of Catawba at 6:45, and once the big motor was warmed up, we headed north. The inside water, was chocolate milk, and without a satellite picture to reference, it only made sense to go north until we got out of the dirty water.
It cleaned up a little more, north of Greene Island. I first went up to look near West Reef, but the marks were not what I was looking for, so we went back down into the "Triangle", and set up on an east to west trolling pass, starting near Middle Bass in 31 feet of water, that had some decent marks. They were scattered, though.
The Terrova and the baby Merc purred along, while I took instruction from the FishHawk, to keep the starting speed in that 1.5-1.8 range. Once adjustments were dialed in, I got busy setting the starboard side.
Frank set the port side, and is already familiar with how I rig my Off Shore boards, so he didn't need any instruction, to get them out and running. Frank started out with Dead Eyes running at 80, 63, 45, and 32 back, behind the boards.
I ran Bandits on my side, and set them at 97, 77, 57, and 42 back. We had the water column, that was showing the most marks, covered.
We were marking fish, in the range of the cranks, but we weren't catching. Not only that, but we had nothing in the first three hours, so I made the decision to move. With a relatively calm lake, it wasn't going to take long to run out to Niagara and C can, to take a look. So, we picked everything up, and headed west.
We set up, near Niagara, over 31 feet of water...with all Bandits. The port side ran at 110, 97, 80, and 65 back (longest leads on the outside). The starboard side ran at 80, 67, 55, and 53 back.
Speed was 1.6-2.0
We would eventually find a spot that was very small, but holding active fish. When we did get bit, it was always a double ...two fish, each time. We had two of those, before it ran dry, and I decided it would be a good idea, just to circle on them, since they were showing us they were active. It was a good decision, because we eventually caught their limit and one of mine, before we ran out of time. When I say it was a small spot, it was maybe 1/4 mile long.
The best colors for us today, were:
Mike Schlimgen's (Slim Shady Customs): (1) Chrome Furmi, (1) Big-Bad-Bill, and (1) Copper Greasy Chicken Wing
Stock colors: (1) Taco Salad and (1) Blue Chrome
Domka Outdoors: (3)Buck Fever
Frank and Ray had a great time, and are planning another trip with me in the fall, so that makes me happy!
Two more reschedules for the weekend, and a dentist appt on Monday, so I won't be back out until Tuesday.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Just updating you all...
by Capt Juls on 04/16/24No, I'm not ignoring my blog....I haven't been out. I had a whole week of rescheduling this week.
I had a two day trip scheduled for Sunday/Monday, but it was a husband and wife who don't like it rough, so Sunday was definitely out, and although yesterday was not as rough, it was still an NE wind, so too rough for them. They are rescheduling.
Then, my crew for a 4 day trip this Thursday through Sunday wanted to reschedule to a two day trip in early May (not weather related, because they would have gotten 3 of their 4 days in). And, me being the nice person that I am, agreed to it.
So, I unless I fill one or two of the days later this week, I am not scheduled again until next Tuesday!
My April is not full, but May is, and June is starting to fill up.
Just wanted to keep all of you who follow this blog up to date on what is happening. Sorry for the lack of fishing reports...:(
Stay tuned...
Juls
Fishing with Steve and Jeremy 4/10/2024
by Capt Juls on 04/12/24Sorry, this one is late, due to family being in town, and my entertaining them while they are here.
A quick recap of this trip, for those interested is basically the same as the day before, that I had with Lisa and Tanya.
We started out east of F can, where I had the ladies, but ended up NW of F can with Steve and Jeremy. The fish had moved from the day before, but we found enough to keep the boys busy for a few hours.
We had a late start, due to them driving up from Columbus that morning, so we didn't hit the water until 9am. By the chatter on the radio, it sounded like the early bite was over, and it slowed way down for most people. My guys heard it, too, and were like...."Meh, we're just glad to be out on the water today", so that made me relax a bit. That's the plus side of fishing with the same people for over 12 years..lol
We did manage to catch their limit, and one of mine, to take home, though.
We ran Bandits behind Off Shore boards on the starboard side, and DHJ12's on the port side. The double jointed DHJ in blue/white/orange belly, and the one I call "Eriedescent" caught several at 65 back. One that is all chartreuse with three black dots on its side, caught two, also.
Bandit colors and leads that worked for us were:
Khaki at 80 back (but this color was also a favorite of the giant white bass, too)
Carrot Top at 53 back
Painted Barbie at 43 back
Blue Chrome at 40 back (caught the most, I think)
Speed was 1.6 on the FishHawk, but we also caught fish going faster, and slower.
We did a lot of S-Turns, and bumping the speed up and down with the Terrova. They reacted to the speed changes more than if we were just going one speed the entire time.
Water temp on Wednesday was 46 degrees at 15' down and 47 on the surface.
Yesterday, we got A LOT of rain, and it's raining again this morning (Friday), and is expected to rain all day, again. The forecast is also calling for a big WNW wind today...gusting into the 40's. Luckily, I was scheduled off yesterday and today, so I didn't have to bother with rescheduling anyone. But, tomorrow's trip has been rescheduled to a new date in May.
I'll be back out on Sunday and Monday with husband and wife team, Casey and Heather Wheeler, who want to learn some things. Hopefully, we can find some cleaner water up between the islands, with some hungry fish in it, for them to catch.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Lisa and Tanya....4/9/2024
by Capt Juls on 04/09/24After too many days off, I was back to work this morning. WoooHoooo!
I have family in town, and staying at my house for the week, so my morning routine is a little off, and I was trying to be quiet, so I wouldn't wake my sister and brother-in-law, and got a little impatient, and left the house early.
I wasn't meeting my crew until 6:30 at the Portage River launch, but I left the house at 5AM anyway. I figured I would take the long way through town, while it was dark and quiet, to waste some time, before meeting my crew at 6:30.
I only needed ice this morning, since I had gassed the boat and truck up the other day, when I brought the Vexus out of storage, and put it back under the carport, here at the house.
I drove to the Speedway across town, picked up some ice, and headed back across town again, to the launch.
It was still dark at 5:45, so I turned on the boat's interior lights, and used the spotlight on my iPhone to rig some rods. Since I was going to be passing under a bridge, before I got to the mouth of the river, I didn't put the rods in the rod holders, or put the antenna up yet. I didn't want anything getting broken. Been there, done that before....oops!
Anyway, the boat was ready to go, it was getting a little lighter out, and they weren't there yet, so I launched the boat, thinking that because they were both women, (one likes to fish and the other had never been on a boat, or caught a fish before), that they wouldn't be comfortable backing up a trailer. I couldn't have been more wrong...and, could have saved myself the trouble of launching alone. (Not my favorite thing to do).
Lisa, Tanya, and Kim rented a house in town for the Solar Eclipse, and booked a trip with me, for the day after. Lisa loves to fish, and had a bucket list of fish she wanted to catch....a walleye was one of them. Initially, Tanya was just along for the experience, but would come to know the joys of catching her own walleye, too.
And, Kim gets sick just looking at waves, so she opted out of the trip, and stayed on shore.
Both of them own horses, and have pulled horse trailers for a long time. If you can handle a horse trailer, with a live animal in it, you can easily back up a boat. I should have waited for them, because launching solo still makes me a little nervous. For some reason, I always think the boat is going to float away on me, even though I have ropes securely in place. lol It's a mind game with myself, I guess.
When I was parking the trailer, a car drove into the lot, and no one else was there at that time, so I knew it had to be my crew. They arrived, excited to go, so we hopped in the boat, and headed down the river.
Once we passed the bridge, I had Lisa take the wheel. "Just keep the boat in the center of the channel, while I get the rods out", I said to Lisa. She took control and I pulled the rods out of the locker. They were all set up with Bandits, in varying colors....Carrot Top (stock), Taco Salad (stock color), Potato Bread (custom), Fruit Dots (black headed wonder bread/stock), Barbie (custom), and RC Crush (custom).
Heading out of the river, I asked, "Is everyone ready to go?" They both replied, "Yes!", so the 400 spurred and got the boat up on plane, and off we went, to the west. We set up near Camp Perry in 15' of water. The Terrova and baby Merc quietly pushed us in a northeasterly direction, at 1.6-1.7 mph on the FishHawk...SOG was similar in that area.
I started out with only 3 Off Shore boards per side, and set the Bandits on the port side at 25, 35, and 40 back, with the shortest lead on the outside. My boards are set to trip from the front arm now, which allows a shorter lead to work on an outside board, easier than on one that doesn't release.
The starboard side ran at 35, 45, and 55 back. Nothing for the first 1/2 hour, so we made a 5 mile move east, and set up over 27 feet of water, adding another board, per side, with leads running at 60 on the outside boards, 53 on number three, 43 on number two, and 41 on number one, (inside board), on both sides.
White bodied baits were used to start, and would catch most of our limit, but near the end, Lisa chose one of my favorite colors (Carrot Top), and it would get hit in minutes of being out, and let out again. It hit three fish pretty fast. I laughed and said, "I had that one in the beginning, but took it off...my bad!" I think I will have a few of those out again tomorrow. :)
Lisa was so excited to have caught her very first walleye, and could mark it off her bucket list, now. She said, "I don't even care if we catch another one, because I caught my walleye, and can scratch it off the list". I said, smiling, "You're my favorite kind of customer, but I think we can catch a few more this morning".
It was a beautiful day, and not as windy as was predicted in the forecast, so I was grateful, and pleasantly surprised. We all commented how nice it was today, and how everyone had needed a nice day like this one, to recharge the batteries.
We timed it right, because when we had our limit, and time was up, we headed in...the wind was picking up as we arrived back at the river, and whitecaps were forming, even close to shore. (It was an offshore wind today).
Lisa and Tanya both said that they had a great time. And, now Lisa is coming back in October to try some perch fishing with me, and that makes me happy!
Tomorrow, I have my long time customers, (who are more like family to me than just customers). Steve and Jeremy Chapman. Steve was my very first customer, 13 years ago, and Jeremy started coming with him 12 years ago, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow too.
The weather looks like it's going to be really nice again, so hopefully the fish are in a good mood, and will be biting.
We are doing a little later start....at 8am, since they are driving up from the Columbus area in the morning.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing Report for the first weekend in April....4/7/24
by Capt Juls on 04/07/24Good morning...I'm not scheduled to go back out until Tuesday, this week.
As you know, my three day trip that was planned earlier this week was cancelled, due to wind, and then the next three day trip scheduled after that one was rescheduled, so it's been a long week of not fishing for me....deep sigh.
The lake is not as tore up as we all thought it would be after the wind and rain we had earlier in the week, so that's the good news. But, the rivers are dumping a lot of debris into the lake, so be careful and keep a lookout for floating logs that can damage your rig.
Water temps are in the 40s, so fish are being caught both pre-spawn and post-spawn, now.
Bandits, Dead Eyes, DHJ12's, P-10's, and other cranks are working well for the trollers. Speeds vary from 1.3 all the way up to 1.9mph, but 1.6-1.7 seems to be an overall good speed to catch them at.
Jiggers are catching on the reefs now, too.
We had a good satellite picture yesterday, so if you're fishing this weekend and see this...check it out...it will help you find the mixing water, where the most active fish will be hanging out, and save you some gas while you're out there running around.
Fish are being caught all over...from way west, and all the way to Cleveland, so just find the right colored water first, and use your electronics to mark some fish...and, if you find some fish in the right water, it shouldn't be hard to catch them. Key word..."shouldn't be". ;)
I have family coming down from Wisconsin today, so I won't be out until Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I still have Thursday and Friday open...weather permitting.
Good luck if you're headed out this weekend...be safe. :)
Capt Juls
I Wish this was an April Fools Joke....4/1/24
by Capt Juls on 04/01/24Mother Nature has ruined the three day trip that was scheduled for tomorrow through Thursday, with big wind and rain. I told my crew, that would be driving in from 11 hours away, to stay home, and save that drive for another time.
It's April 1st, and looking at the radar, it appears that it will be an all day rain today, so that's going to muddy up the rivers, that will be dumping into the lake in the next few days.
Tomorrow's wind is forecast to be 25-30mph out of the ENE. Wednesday's wind is 20-25 out of the SW, and Thursday's wind is forecast to be 23-29mph out of the NW. That, along with the muddy rivers dumping in, is going to dirty the water up inside again, so next weekend's trips will be very challenging.
Fish that were being caught the past couple of days, were a mix of both pre-spawn and post spawn fish, so the spawn is underway.
My next scheduled trip is a three-day trip this Friday through Sunday. Then, my sister and brother-in-law are coming down Sunday afternoon, to stay for a couple of nights, to watch the solar eclipse. I'll be taking that day off to hang out with them, and will be back at it on Tuesday.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Jason and Warren...3/28/24
by Capt Juls on 03/29/24Well, this report is not what I wanted to report after being off for since my last trip on March 3rd.
I usually don't schedule trips until the last week of March, but Mother Nature had given us a reprieve early in the month, so I took advantage of that, and got a couple of trips in, but she changed her mind mid-month and brought the cold and wind back.
The lake conditions right now are typical for this time of year, and yesterday, it was muddy inside and had mixing water a few miles out.
Jason brought his 12-year-old son up for another trip with me. The last trip was a fall trip two years ago, where we had a successful walleye trip, added with some bonus perch fishing, over by Vermilion.
Unfortunately, this last trip was not so successful. While it was fun fishing, the catching part of it was poor, for us. As I would learn later, the area that I started in, which was over by South Bass, would be where we should have stayed. But, we weren't marking fish, and my patience was running low, so we made a move over to the NE side of Kelly's.
It was strange, that my Humminbird wasn't marking any fish the entire way over there from South Bass. It had me scratching my head, and wondering if I was making the right move.
We set up on the SW corner of Kelly Island Shoal, out in 42' of water, and headed NNE from there. We started in some muddy water, so we had time to get set up, before hitting the mixing water.
We ran Bandits behind Off Shore boards at 125, 120, 100, 97, 90, 80, 70, and 60 back. We hit a pocket of fish, and the fun began, but it would only last a half at the most. We caught 5 fish, on the 125, 120, 97, and 90 leads, but threw one little 15" fish back, thinking we would keep catching, but that was the last fish we would catch.
Taco Salad (Stock Color), Potato Bread (Custom Color by Bruce Hochstetler), and Mint Condition (Custom Color by SlimShady Customs) took all the fish. Taco Salad (3), and the other two took one each.
Speed was 1.4-1.6mph on the Fish Hawk and 1.7-1.9 SOG.
Water temp on the Fish Hawk at 18' down was 40 degrees.
We tried picking up, and making another pass through the same area, but those fish were gone already, so we made another move, and tried again, but didn't catch any more fish.
We made another long move over to the NW side of Kelly's, but the wind was picking up, and we didn't mark any fish there, so we just decided to head in.
At least Warren was able to reel in those 5 fish that we did catch, and his arms were a little sore from it, so he was satisfied. :)
Jason was understanding, and said we will get them next time, so it's nice to know they will be back again, and that makes me happy.
I don't like not limiting out, but the day was full of sunshine, and wasn't as cold as we thought it was going to be, so it was fun to get out and go fishing. I just wish the catching had been better. As it turned out, from what my friends told me, had I just kept going north from where we started in the morning, we would have gotten into some fish.
I have to work on my patience....lol
My trip for Saturday has been rescheduled, due to rain and neither myself nor my client want to fish in a cold rain with an east wind, so he's rescheduling. My Sunday trip, is a regular from Wisconsin, that bought one of my boats, and likes to bring it down for a few days to fish, after he fishes with me, and, while Sunday looks fishable... Monday through Thursday looks like crap, so he's rescheduled to later in the month....it's also Easter Sunday, so it was an easy decision to reschedule him.
I didn't have a trip scheduled on Monday, but I do have a three-day trip scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, with some folks coming from 11 hours away, so we will look at the forecast again on Sunday, to see if Mother Nature will change her mind, and calm the &%^*$ down, and let us get their trip in. If the forecast doesn't change from what it's showing right now, I won't have them drive that far, just to sit on shore.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing Day 2 with Eric Vogel 3/3/2024
by Capt Juls on 03/03/24Woke up early, and did the usual morning routine, before heading to the building where my boat is staying warm and dry, to pick her up.
Eric was on his second day of fishing with me, and was right on time, when I picked him up at 6AM. We hit the gas station for ice, and off we went to Mazurik's.
We launched at 6:30... and, while I waited for Eric to park the truck, the morning darkness was lifting, allowing me to see that the sky was full of clouds. I was hopeful, that after two days of cloud coverage at night, that the fish would be hungry, and biting, this morning. The air temp was 46 degrees. The wind forecast was for less than 10mph out of the south.
We took a right turn outside the break wall, and headed east. We started where we left off yesterday, and the Helix was still showing good marks, but they were really low to the bottom, as compared to yesterday.
We decided to give it a go, so the Terrova and the baby Merc were deployed and set to work together at a speed of 1.7-1.8 mph SOG (FishHawk was showing 1.3-1.4mph).
Eric ran the Bandits that were working yesterday, behind Off Shore boards at 70, 60, and 50 back, unassisted, and I ran some P-10s with 2oz snap weights at 45/45, 35/35, and 25/25.
(For those new to snap weights and are reading this for the first time, the numbers mean that you let out 45 feet of line and attach the snap weight...then, let out another 45 feet of line (total 90), and attach the planer board.)
We caught 4 nice eaters in that area, but it was slower than yesterday. Capt Bobby Greene told me that he had good marks where he was (4 miles from me...sorry, it wasn't my spot, so I can't give that up), so we picked up, and made the move over.
We picked a few, and figured out that the Green Clown P-10 at 35/35 was something they wanted, so I loaded up all three rods on my side with them, and we caught 5 on that color. Eric's side was slow, so I dug out more P-10s and gave him a Chrome Marvin, Chrome Perch, and Blue Chrome. The Chrome Marvin and the Perch caught 3 more. We were done at 9:45.
Water temp was 36.6 degrees over 37-38 feet of water today.
We headed in after we caught our limits, so Eric could get an early start back to Nebraska. He said he had a great time and learned a lot, so that makes me happy!
Saturday, I'll be at South Shore Marine for their event, with the Off Shore Tackle display, so if you got your tickets online, in advance, stop by and say, "Hi"! :)
I'm off until next Sunday and Monday, if Mother Nature lets us get out after them again. Fingers crossed!
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Eric Vogel 3/2/2024
by Capt Juls on 03/02/24After a good 8 hours of sleep, I got up at 2am to have my coffee, check the weather apps, and get the dog outside to relieve himself. The weather apps informed me of a decent morning ahead. It was calling for cloudy, chilly, and damp to start the morning, but the fine mist that was in the air, early this morning, dissipated by the time we headed out of Mazurik's, at 7am.
Eric drove in from Nebraska yesterday, to today and tomorrow.
We headed east from the launch, and marked fish the entire way, so we didn't go far. We were over 35 feet of water, and the marks were mostly below 20', but there were several that were hanging in that 15-20' range that I like to target, so we broke out the Bandits, and P-10s, to start.
With only 6 lines running behind Off Shore boards, I let Eric run the Bandits on his side, and I put out 3 P-10s with 2oz snap weights. Working off the program that worked for me during the previous trip, I set the outside one at 35/35, the middle one 30/30, and the inside one 25/25. I'm sure I didn't let them run long enough, but I wasn't "feeling it", and took them off. I replaced them with Bill Lewis PWCs at (outside to inside) 70, 53, and 40 back. (The Bill Lewis PWCs run a lot deeper than Bandits, with shorter leads.... example: Bandit at 65 back, is 15' and the PWC at 65 back, is 20').
Eric ran the Black Headed Wonderbread at 70, RC Crush at 60, and the Red Headed Wonderbread at 50 back.
Speed was 1.2-1.4 on the FishHawk, and showing 1.7-19 on the Helix's GPS/SOG...as we went from west to east.
We just kept going around in slightly different circles, as we worked an area that had different groups of fish, moving west. When we would get over good marks, we usually got bit. The more scattered fish marks, were on the move, I think, and their goal was to keep moving west, but I could be wrong....I don't speak fish, so they couldn't tell me what their plans were for the day. :)
The Black Headed WB was by far the best color this morning, with RC Crush coming in with a close second. A "Slim Shady Custom" called, "Mint Condition" (pictured in the photos) caught the biggest girl of the morning...a nice 28 incher... (Eric released her).
Blue/Chrome at 60 back took one fish, and a Bill Lewis Black Headed WB at 40 back took one, too.
We switched out some colors that weren't producing and ended up running colors that all had taken a fish or two.
The bite was better earlier in the morning, and slowed down as the morning progressed. It was still a pretty steady bite, just not as fast as we all know it can be on this lake.
The water is still cold....35.5 off of Marblehead
Eric had fun, and is looking forward to fishing again tomorrow, and that makes me happy! :)
We will be out again tomorrow...same bat time and same bat channel.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Steve and Mick 2/26/2024
by Capt Juls on 02/26/24My alarm went off this morning, for the first time since last fall, and I woke up startled, wondering why it was going off...then, I remembered...I was going fishing! I jumped out of bed to get my coffee, and make sure the weather was still going to be nice today. To my delight, it was.
Steve called me the other day, asking if he and his friend, Mick, could get out with me today, so I checked the weather and wind forecasts, and told him, "Yes".
I don't usually run this early in the season, but with the mild weather upon us, I thought it was a good idea to take advantage of the nice weather, while we have it.
My boat is over in heated storage at the moment, so I left the house at 5:45 to go over to the bldg and grab her. Then, I hit the gas station, to gas up the Vexus and get ice for the coolers, and headed to Huron.
Steve and Mick drove in from MI this morning, and met me at the Huron ramp a little after 7. We were to meet at 7:30, but as usual, I was early. I had time to get everything set up, before they arrived, and was finished by the time they showed up, so we launched a little early.
We headed out of the river, and headed east towards Vermilion...searching water from 38-44' of water. I wasn't seeing the kind of marks I wanted to see, since Mick has never caught a walleye over 28", and was hopeful to do that today, and I figured that the water would be a little cleaner to the east, than what I was seeing out in front of Huron.
I had already used up an hour looking, so I took a friend's advice, who said he was working "stained" water at Huron, but was loaded with good marks...to go and fish over that way. So, off we went...headed back west.
When we got there, I could clearly see the cavitation plate, and the prop was slightly visible, so I was more positive that fishing would be okay there. The fish marks were all sitting below the 30 line, and not coming up, so I'm guessing with the clear sky last night, and the back end of a full moon, that the fish were feeding heavily overnight, and would get hungry again more towards the afternoon. And, from what I heard on the radio, it sounded like a lot of people were struggling, and asking if anything is working. The responses were few.
We set up with Smithwick P-10s on both sides, running with 2oz snap weights behind the Off Shore boards. We only put 7 nice fish in the box this morning, and lost 5 others, that didn't hook themselves well enough.
Most of the fish came on a Fire Tiger color at 45/45...(for those new to snap weights...45/45 means, that you put a weight on at the 45 mark, and then let out another 45' of line (total line out is 90), then, put the board on.
50/45, 45/45, 40/40 all caught.
At one point we took the P-10s off the port side and replaced them with Bandits. The Black Headed Wonder Bread at 120 back (unassisted) took two fish, and lost one . The other colors got changed out and set deeper, but the outside board was the only one to go, each time.
We were running 1.2-1.4 mph, but 1.3 was showing every time we caught a fish.
The FishHawk was showing 1.3, but the GPS was showing 1.7-1.8 mph.
Steve and Mick had a fun day, though, and said they want to come back again, soon, and will be watching the forecast. I'm looking forward to it, because they were a lot of fun to fish with. Both of them had positive attitudes and were just happy to be on the lake, on a nice day, spending time together.
I'm happy to report that everything was working the way it should be, after sitting for a couple months. However, I have to do the latest updates on the Humminbirds tomorrow, so fingers are crossed they both update without any issues. :)
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Capt Ryan and Capt Sam 2/19/2024
by Capt Juls on 02/19/24Yesterday evening, I got a text from Capt Sam inviting me to go fishing with him and Capt Ryan Pettry, this morning. Of course, I said, "Yes"!
We launched out of Vermilion, and had to go through skim ice that someone else had already broken earlier in the morning, ahead of us. There was floating skim ice closer to shore, but once we got away from shore, it was a flat calm lake with no ice. The sun was up and shining, warming things up pretty fast.
It was only 20 degrees out when we launched, so the warmth of the sunshine was feeling pretty good.
We were in Ryan's boat, and he had us going around 2 mph, over 40' of water, while we set the 9 Off Shore boards out, and can you believe it? We caught a few at that speed! But, once all the boards were out, Ryan knocked the speed back down to 1.4-1.6mph and we were catching doubles, triples, quads, and at one point...we had 7 on at one time. What a hoot! We caught our 3-person limit in about an hour.
P-10s weighted with 2oz at 40/40 and 35/35 did best. Color didn't seem to matter, but we mostly had white bodied baits out there. Natural colored baits did well, too.
It was a great morning to be on the water, in a boat, in the middle of February!
Thanks Capt's for the invite and the fun time! Much appreciated! :)
I don't have anything scheduled until the last weekend in March right now, but if it stays ice free out there, and the ramps don't freeze up, I'll start running earlier.
I just have to do a shakedown run with my boat first, to make sure everything is still working the way it should be.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Time to Look Towards Spring...:)
by Capt Juls on 01/03/24Happy New Year! If you're reading this, congratulations on making it to 2024! :)
The weather was really nice, when I was up in Wisconsin visiting family for Christmas, and people were posting all kinds of pictures on Facebook and Instagram, of the fish they were catching. But, sure enough, as soon as I come home, the weather turns colder, the skies stayed gray, and the air was full of misty wetness. Winds were on the cusp of me not wanting to go out there.
So, I cleaned my house, took down all my Christmas decorations, and entertained my dog, instead. I'm still working on organizing my "Fishing room", which has become a big task, since I can't seem to put stuff back where it belongs, and just throw stuff in there....and, walk out, again.
However, while cleaning that room, I am getting more anxious for spring to arrive, so I can get back to taking people out, and teaching them some of the things I know how to do.
If anyone is interested in a trip for the 2024 season, just reach out, and let me get you on the schedule. I've been taking reservations, and the schedule is coming along great! I look forward to fishing with all of you! :)
Have a great, safe, and healthy winter, and I'll see you in the spring....(unless, of course, we get a bit of nice weather, and there's no ice...we'll be on the water sooner...and, I'll report.)
December Thoughts...Fishing with Dipsey Divers...12/12/23
by Capt Juls on 12/12/23I apologize, in advance, for not being able to add pictures to my blogs. The host site, I use, doesn't have that option for me. So, I'll try to be as instructive, and informative, as I can, with only my words. :)
First, let me say, everyone has their own way of doing things when they fish, so I'm not going to tell you that what I'm about to tell you, is the right way, or that your way is the wrong way, and just tell you how I do it. Nothing more.
What works for me, might help someone just learning, learn how to do it with more confidence.
I have had many trips, where my customers, who never used them before, wanted to learn how to run dipsies, and become more proficient with them, so I thought I would write it all down, and share what I do, and how I fish them, with all of you.
Dipsies can be used in shallow water, all the way out to deep water. When I first started using them, I was taught to run them faster and in deeper water. I didn't know you could run them in shallow water, too. One day, I was fishing with friends, on their boat, and Capt Jen, who's my best friend, set out a dipsey on a three setting at only 19 back, over 8 feet of water.
She had said that she and her husband Capt Matt had caught fish the day before on the exact same set up. Sure enough, we caught fish too. That blew the myth that they couldn't be run in shallow water.
So, don't be fooled, like I was, and remember that dipsies can be used in both shallow and deep water.
I use the "Size 1 dipsey with the Ring". I run two short 6 foot rods on the "inside" (rod to the furthest back to the stern), and two longer rods (8'6") on the "outside", off each corner.
A dipsey is designed to go straight down, or out to the sides, by moving a dial on the back of the dipsey. When you look at the backside of a dipsey, you'll see a triangular pointer, dividing the dipsey in half, down the middle.
There is a set of three numbers to either side of a triangular pointer, with zero being in the middle, directly under the pointer.
By moving that dial to a 1, 2, or 3 position, on either side of the pointer, that will determine how far out to the side the disc will swim. Zero is straight down, 1 is a little to the side, 2 is even further to the side, and 3 is furthest out, away from the boat.
When you're looking at the back of the disc, know that the numbers on the right side of the zero and pointer are fished off of the port side, and numbers on the left side of the pointer are fished off the starboard side.
Setting a dipsey:
Before you set a dipsey in the water, the first thing you want to know is, "Where are the walleye swimming in the water column?" Look at your electronics, check the depths where you see marks on the screen, and then pull out your paper depth chart that comes with the dipsey, Precision Trolling Data app, or a picture on your phone, that tells you how much line to put out with each setting. You'll want to set your baits just above the marks you're targeting on your electronics screen.
I use the Precision Trolling Data app, because I always have my phone, and the app works even if there isn't any signal out on the water. I tell the app what setting I'm using, and at what depth I see fish at, and then, it automatically tells me how much line to let out, to reach that desired depth.
I have the "Lifetime" membership, so I can receive any new baits that get tested and uploaded, plus any software updates....for, life. As long as I don't change my phone's OS platform (Apple to Android, or vise versa), I can get it passed on to the next phone I get.
Back to fishing....
If no lines have been set yet, I set out the outside dipsey first, simply because there is zero chance of it getting tangled. I usually use a 3 setting on the outside rod, to help keep novice hands from tangling. Then, the inside dipsey gets set to zero, or one, and let out, to help keep a good separation between the two dipsies.
The reel's tension button must be turned on, when setting a dipsey out. You know it's on when you hear a clicking sound on your reel, as the line goes out. I call that the, "Clicker". The tension keeps the diver from going down too fast. If it goes too fast, the leader will have a tendency to get hung up around the dipsey, and then it's not going to work the way it should, and needs to be brought up, and reset.
On the front of a dipsey, there is a lever that the mainline connects to, and it needs to be pushed into a raised slot, until it clicks in place. There is a tension screw on the side of the dipsey, that allows you to adjust the tension setting on that lever/arm, so it fits snuggly, but will trip if a fish hits the bait. I call this lever, "The Mechanism".
A snubber, that attaches and runs behind the dipsey, and is usually around 6"-8" on average, helps keep bigger fish from getting off the line, by taking some of the shock away, when a big fish puts up a good fight.
The leader, is then attached to the back of the snubber. In my case, it's whatever my arm length is, when I reach out to both sides, and extend my arms out as far as they will go... which is pretty close to 6 feet. :)
Baits I use, are big and little spoons, shallow diving crank baits, crawler harnesses, and "Worm Burners".
Here are a few tips, that might work for all of you too....
When you've caught a fish on a dipsey, and it hasn't tripped the mechanism:
Put your thumb on the reel's spool and press down, to hold it in place...reel down to take up any slack line....then, give the rod tip a flick of the wrist, to pop that mechanism on the dipsey, and reel it in.
Once it's tripped, it comes in a lot smoother and easier.
I tell my clients to keep the rod tip close to the water, as they reel it in, so that the dipsey stays in the water until its found its way to the tip of the rod, where my client then lifts the rod up, and steps backwards a couple of steps, to bring that fish that's out there on a 6-foot leader, closer to the boat, so it can be netted.
I try to bring all the dipsies in on the starboard side of the main motor, because there's more room for netting fish, because the kicker motor is on the port side, and I can't risk a customer netting a fish near the running prop. I've ruined a few net baskets, on the props, by letting customers net fish, too. It's always a learning experience for them, and I get a new basket when it happens.
When setting out an outside dipsey, when the inside rod is already set:
Let's set the port side (where the kicker is, too). The inside rod is running on a zero setting at 47, and I need to get the rod with the 3 setting dipsey out to the side, without tangling. The best way to do that is to place the bait on the inside of the inside rod, and kicker, and hold the line on the reel, so the dipsey doesn't go out.
Then, I point the rod tip out, over, and out to the side of the inside rod, in one smooth action. I do not jerk the rod tip all over the place, bouncing the dipsey up and down and all around. It should be one smooth movement, that takes the dipsey out to the side without interfering with the inside line.
Once my rod tip is out past the inside rod, and to the side, I drop the dipsey in the water, (put the rod in the rod holder while it goes out), and then lock the reel in, when it gets to the desired depth.
By doing this method, you can set more than two lines on each side. And, could realistically run one at zero, one at 1, one at 2, and one at 3...or, four on each side, if done correctly with rod lengths, and settings.
I just run two on each side with clients who are learning. It's enough, and allows us to do both, dipsies and Off Shore Tackle boards. There are days the fish come so fast, that we don't even have time to put any boards out, and just run 4 dipsies, and still catch 24 walleye in an hour and a half.
You might ask, "Is it like that all the time?" No. of course not. I would be lying if I said that. But, during the warmer months, when we can troll faster, dipsies can be a strong tool to have in your arsenal.
Lures I typically use on the dipsies:
Michigan Stinger Spoons and Scorpion Spoons
Yeck Spoons (the 2 1/4" size)
Ripplin Red Fins
YaleEye Moon Eyes
Shallow Bandits
Smithwick P-10's
Shallow WNC Reapers
Worm Burners
Double Willow Leaf Crawler Harnesses
Last tip... Watch the line angles. I use 30# Power Pro in yellow, on my Tekota 500 Line Counter reels, so it's easy to see, and observe from a distance.
If a fish hits, and no one sees the initial jerk of the rod tip, and it decides to just hang there, and swim along with the untripped dipsey, the line angle will change. Sometimes, it is subtle, and sometimes it's unmistakable that there is a fish hanging.
This is the reason I will check each rod every 5 minutes, or so, to make sure I'm not dragging a small fish. Then, I get used to the line angles, that are produced by boat direction and current, and if I see any changes, I will check that rod. Most often, then not, there is usually a fish on it. But, if you don't check them often, you would drag a little fish around for hours, which will knock that rod out of production, for that entire time. That's not good. Just check them....often.
It only takes 30 seconds to check a dipsey, and get it back out.
I hope this helps just one person, who might be struggling with their dipsies, to understand them a little better, and learn how to set them with more confidence.
If you made it this far, thanks for taking the time to read it. :)
If I have left anything out, and anyone has questions, please email me at RNGRGAL@gmail.com, and I'll answer your questions.
Thank you...
Fishing with Jen and Matt Wieland...11/25/2023
by Capt Juls on 11/26/23Winter is coming...time to put some fish in my freezer, for some walleye chowder I like to make over the cold season. :)
I invited my friends Jen and Matt, to go fishing today. The high temp for the day was only going to be 35 degrees, but the winds were calm, so it would be a good day to go out. The water temp was still at 43 degrees, so there was no icing up at the ramps, yet.
We launched out of Catawba at 9:30(ish), and headed out looking for some fish near the islands. There were several boats working the F Can area, but I decided that going back to the Starve Island area, where Jen and I fished the last time out was our best bet....and, I was right.
There were several boats over there, too, but not too crowded, so down went the Terrova and the baby Merc. The Fish Hawk was deployed, because there's a lot of current in that area, and the speed set at 1.8 on the FH. The SOG was showing 2.0-2.1mph on an easterly direction.
We targeted the south edge of the "hole", in 28-32 feet of water. There weren't a lot of marks, but we started catching anyway.
We set up with what Jen and I used last week, and it didn't disappoint.
We set the following behind the Off Shore boards:
DHJ14s in Blue/Chrome with a 2oz snap weight set at 30/30 (putting the weight on at the 30 mark and letting out another 30' for a total of 60')
Bill Lewis PWCs (Precision Walleye Crank, for those that are as bad at acronyms, as I am)...BH Wonderbread, Christmas Sweater, and Green Tiger set 60-75 back, unassisted (meaning, no weight).
A Dead Eye (deep)... Red Headed Wonderbread, painted by DJ Custom Eye Lures at 50/24 2oz took three fish.
Spro Madeye 120 in the color, "Marvin" at 98 back unassisted did well, too.
We managed to put 19 fish in the boat, but only kept 17. Two smaller 17" fish were released to get a chance to grow bigger.
The average was 2-4 pounds, with our largest going around 6 pounds.
It was a fun 4 hours on a beautiful lake, and it didn't really feel that cold, since there wasn't any wind. :)
The boat is back in its heated storage, and ready to go out again, when the weather allows.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
My Thoughts on the Vexus DVX22 After One Full Season of Use
by Capt Juls on 11/18/23Almost a year ago, I wrote my initial thoughts on the new to me 2023 Vexus DVX22. I had run Ranger's 600 series for 20 years prior, so I knew that the folks who were building the new Vexus Boat, would build an incredible boat in the Vexus, and they did just that. I absolutely love this boat!
As excited as I was to drive it for the first time, I'm still that way, every time I climb in the boat. It's just a fun boat to operate. The ride is very good and is dependable. She has the horsepower to go fast, and she likes to go fast, but I find that on a nice day, I prefer a nice cruising speed of 40-50mph, to get to a spot.
On rougher days, the engine has enough low-end torque to help get up the waves, and a quick response time for throttle adjustments. The boat handles great, due to the design. And I think it's a real winner!
I like the design of the bow, because it feels higher, so when I'm driving in rough water, I never feel that water will be coming in over the bow at any moment. And, speaking of the bow...let's talk about the bow mount trolling motor next.
As many of you know, originally, I had a 112 Ulterra iPilot LINK on the bow, but, after two stow failures (with clients on board, of course), I called my local Minn Kota Service Tech (Matt Wieland), to have him find me a 112 Terrova iPilot LINK, to swap out. He was able to find one that day.
I ran the Ulterras since they came out, and this is the first time I've ever had an issue with one...but, I couldn't give it a chance to do it three times, so I swapped it out.
I sure miss just pushing a button and having the motor deploy and stow by itself, but I'm liking the dependability of the Terrova, too. It's been issue free all season.
So, that's the tip of the boat...so far so good. :)
Next, the bow storage, which consists of an 8' 10" center rod locker, 2 giant storage compartments, and a bait well. The storage compartment on the port side is pleasantly gigantic.
Seriously, a full-grown average adult could lay in there, and there would still be room for more stuff. The compartment on the starboard side is slightly smaller, but still holds a lot.
There are two retractable belts on the bow to hold rods in place, that are stored on the bow, but I don't keep any rods there, so I use it for holding the nets down, while on the road, or running long distances in rough water.
Moving on to the cockpit/dash area....
I have only one criticism, and that's about the trim buttons on the Merc 400's throttle (This is a digital control throttle...and the 400 Verado, before they replaced it with the new V10). The buttons are SO tiny, and under a rubber sheath, so it's almost impossible to work them on the fly in any timely manner.
I opted to put a trim lever at the wheel, so I could adjust on the fly more easily, and without frustration.
Other than that, I like just having one 12" Helix at the dash, because it leaves me the hole in the dash, to use as a "cubby-hole" for all the stuff that is used frequently. The Helix has enough screen to run it in split screen(s). I run another Helix 12 in the rear of the boat, that is connected to the one on the dash, so they are both seeing the same thing.
I didn't put a stereo in this boat, because I just use my Bose speaker/Blue toothed to my phone, so I can play from my playlists. It's one less thing to suck any battery juice from the boat's batteries.
While the boat come standard with the "Air Wave" pedestal bases, I wasn't aware of that when I ordered this boat and opted to put in the suspension seating that I had been using for the last decade... "SmoothMove Seats".
The driver and passenger seats are both fitted with SmoothMove Seats. The passenger side has the "Air-Ride" (plug it in, press a button, and it inflates), and the driver's seat has the manual version (twist a knob). The manual version is set tight, though, because I like to feel what the boat feels, when it's rough out.
Rick LaCourse, my mentor, friend, ex-husband, and the man who taught me how to "drive" a Ranger, always said, "If you can feel it in your ass, so can the boat"...meaning, don't beat up the boat!
The iTroll dial control for the kicker motor sits down, and back, of the big motor's throttle...I have no complaints about this product. It works like it's supposed to and hasn't failed me yet.
The full windshield is the strongest windshield I know of. I never have to worry about a customer using it to support their weight as they are going up and down, and, to and from the bow seat. It's still as solid as the day I first got in the boat.
It's easy to keep clean too, because my hand fits between the glass and the dash.
The glove box is plenty big, and has an upper shelf for those items you want to keep more accessible.
The passenger dash also has a little cubby-hole of their own, (where a stereo would go), which is big enough to hold sunglasses, keys, etc. Then, there is also a nice indentation on top of the dash, to hold more stuff, that won't roll away, or get stuck down between the dash and the windshield.
My antenna is mounted on the driver's side, just behind the Bennett Trim Tab control panel, and above the throttle. I like having it there, so when it must come down fast, (bridge), I have quick access to it. Ask me, how I know... I've already written about in previous blogs, when I had the antenna on the passenger's side. Let's just say, O'Dark 30, a dark bridge in Vermilion, and an antenna standing at 8'....not pretty. I lost two that way. lol
Now, that it's on my side, it's down in a flash, if need be.
The Bennett Trim Tabs have been easy to use on the manual setting, and because of the location, easily operated. It has the automatic settings, but I like using it in manual mode.
The 8' rod storage on the port side holds rods, beautifully. I only keep 4 dipsey rods, and the rear navigation light there, and like the way they are held by what I call "The Claw". I don't know what they are called...it's Y shaped, and rubber coated, to protect your reels. Depending on the rod and reel combos one may run, it could hold a few more rods.
I have a Fish Hawk X2 behind the driver's seat on the starboard tracks. It's working great, and I am very happy with it.
Turning the seat around, to look at the back of the boat....
The storage compartments on the DVX22 hold a lot of tackle, on both sides.
(For those that do not like the storage compartments in the back, the new DVX22S is coming, or might even be here by now, and does not have the storage compartments in the back.
I've talked about the boat's built-in cooler being in the stern port corner, and how I loved the accessibly of it in that position, and that feeling hasn't changed... I still love it!
Originally, I didn't think I would like the room that the built in storage, and access panel to the bilge, in front of the live well took up, but I've grown to really like it. It's perfect for sitting on, standing on, and kneeling on...and, netting fish has not been an issue, like I thought it would be.
And, originally, I was missing the MoDog Running Rod Rack, to hold rods when running from spot to spot, but when Cisco came out with the new Hybrid rod holders that are a cross between their tube and cradle rod holders, I swapped 6 of my 10 cradles out, and could run with the rods in the holders, instead. The nice thing about these hybrids is, they keep the reel facing inside the boat...unlike the regular tubes.
I had all cradles, but they didn't have the ring to lock a rod in, so I would have had to use a bungie cord or something, to keep the rod from bouncing out of the holder, every time I wanted to move. I couldn't be happier with this new holder.
One nice thing about the DVX22 is the metal plate they install under the gunnel, to screw a Cisco Track to the gunnel. It allows the track to bend and follow the gunnel's contour, and solidly attach to it. I haven't had any issues with screws coming loose, either. And, I don't have to worry about a customer who leans on one, to maintain his/her balance...(unless, they are "really leaning").
Having the access panel right there in front of the live well is actually very nice. There's so much more room to work with stuff under there, if need be.
The storage compartments on either side of the access panel can hold 6 crank bait boxes, each. Or, in my case, one side holds all my dipsey stuff. A pool noodle with a dozen leads tied up, a few back up reels, extra size 1 dipsies, extra snubbers, and two crank bait boxes. The other side holds 6 medium sized boxes....boxes that are slightly smaller than a Plano 3700 box.
The stern starboard compartment is where my two battery chargers are located. A 2-bank and a 3-bank charger hang on the walls of the compartment, so there's still plenty of room for all my Off Shore planer boards in there, too.
The 2 plug ins for the chargers, are right in that corner too, but on the splash well side.
The boat power switch is also there, along with the open/close valve for the drain plug.
NOTE: In every boat I've owned with this type of open/close drain plug system...I've always had to go under the boat to push the drain plug closed that last 1/8th to a 1/4 inch.
Will it leak without pushing it in? I don't know, but I would rather be safe than sorry. :)
The only thing left on the rear of the boat, that wasn't mentioned, is the 15 Merc kicker. I have the tiller model, so I can just lock it in straight. I just want it to push us, while the Terrova does all the steering. I use the iTroll to dial in the RPM speed, so I can dial in the speed needed to allow the Terrova's power level to stay at number 5.
I like power level 5, because it will give me enough speed to keep control of the bow on windy days, without using up all the batteries. I'd rather the power come from the kicker.
That's the starting speed. It will get bumped up and down throughout a fishing trip, though, due to maneuvers, but you get my point.
Well, this got long, pretty quick...lol Sorry, for the long read...if you get through it all...thanks for reading it! :)
Fishing with James, Chris, and "Schmitty" (Chris)...11/5/2023
by Capt Juls on 11/05/23I had to reschedule this trip a couple of weeks ago, due to wind, so I had been watching the forecast as the day approached, and it kept getting better day by day, so I told my crew it would be a go.
Originally, the forecast was for the wind to settle down around 8am, but when I went out on the back deck with my coffee at 3am, the wind had already died down to a whopping 3mph. The temp was 46 degrees, so I knew it was going to be a nice day...other than some expected rain showers from time to time throughout the morning.
My boat is in heated storage now, so I had to go across town to get her. I dropped Alfie off at my friend, Jen's house first, so he could spend the day with his brother Ozzie, and his girlfriends, Buoy and Sunny, while I worked. I didn't want him spending the day alone, now that is big brother, Dexter has passed over the Rainbow Bridge. So, thank you, Jen and Matt, for taking care of him. :)
I got to the building a little early, so I could organize some things, before hitting the water. I hit the gas station to gas her up and get some ice for the cooler, before heading over to Mazurik's to meet my crew at 8:45. They were already there, when I arrived, so the day was already off to a good start.
We launched at 9am and after the big motor warmed up to temp, we headed off to the east side of Kelly's. I hadn't been walleye fishing for quite some time, because all of my last trips the past month and a half were perch trips, so it was just a matter of driving until I marked some fish.
We found "some marks" at the 32/27 line, but they weren't stacked, like we often see in some people's photos of their electronics, where it becomes "As fast as you can reel", but more scattered. We decided to give it a try.
The Terrova was deployed, and the baby Merc engaged, and a NE heading was set at a speed of 1.8-2.0 mph. The Fish Hawk showed that the surface temp of 53.4 was the same as the temp down at 15 feet. The SOG was also the same going in that direction.
The port side was set up with 3 white bodied bandits, running behind Off Shore boards. The outside board ran at 120 back (unassisted), the middle board at 80, and the inside board at 60. All three would catch a fish or two.
The starboard side started out running the new Berkley Deep Hit Sticks with the same leads, but didn't catch anything, so they were eventually swapped out for the Berkley Flicker Minnow 11s. The outside bait ran at 100 back, the middle board at 70, and the inside board at 60. All three of these would catch a few fish, too.
Two dipsies ran off each corner, with the inside set on the zero setting, and the outside rods running dipsies on the three setting, with spoons, shallow Hit Sticks, and Ripplin Redfin's. Dialing it in, three rods would end up running the smaller BadMo Arrow spoons in the green and black (silver back), and one white bodied Ripplin Redfin ran on one of the three settings.
The zero settings with spoons caught at 36 to 47 back. The three settings caught at 50 to 80 back. Most of the fish were caught on the dipsies.
When we ran out of marks, I turned the boat around to head back west. The SOG was 2.3 while the Fish Hawk showed 1.9-2.0mph, going that direction. We picked away at them until they caught their limits, and two of mine... then, around noon, the bite slowed for us. We fished for another hour, when they decided they wanted to get back, so they could get the fish cleaned before heading home.
We had a great time out there, and they were very happy with the 20 fish in the cooler, since I didn't have real high hopes of a good bite, since all the reports I had received from the two days before weren't that great.
I had fished with James and Chris back in 2020, and that day we had only gone 11 for 15, but they had a great time that day, too, so I knew they were the positive kind of anglers, and no matter what happened, it would be a good day on the water.
Luckily, though, we beat that day, and put more fish in the cooler for their fish fry efforts. James couldn't have been happier. Chris was a great "first mate", and Schmitty, who had never caught a walleye before, is now hooked and wants to bring some other friends out here to go fishing with me, too....and, that makes me happy! :)
This was the last customer trip of the season, unless a forecast shows nice weather coming in, because I have a few that I can call last minute, if they want to get out.
Otherwise, I'll be doing a little Fall Walleye Brawling, and Walleye Slamming with Jen and Matt for the rest of the month.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
