Juls WFA Blog

Fishing with Mark and Jim 4/6/15

by Capt Juls on 04/06/15

Today was the first official charter of my 2015 season, and it was successful.

The weather was not bad...a little damp, but not bad. The winds were light out of the SW, with cloudy skies and drizzle.

We launched out of Catawba at 7:30 am, and headed out towards the area between Round Reef and G Can. The water looked a bit clean for my liking, and the Onix wasn't marking too many fish, so I decided to head up towards Locust Reef, where I heard there was a decent bite going on yesterday.

Once we got up there we set lines, and marked a few fish. The water was even cleaner than it was where we left though. That had me concerned, but we trolled on. We put one fish in the box in the first pass, so we decided to head back down towards F can where a couple friends were fishing, and telling me they were doing okay there.

Once we got down to F can there were more boats out....I'd say there was roughly 2 doz boats in the area between F and G cans this morning. We set up just to the northwest of the can and trolled towards Mouse. We picked up the rest of their limit in that first pass. We were the furthest boat to the east of the pack, and picked up a nice fatty. She was only 29 1/4 inches, but she weighed a whopping 11 pounds! We only had one other fish that hit the 10 pound mark, and the rest were between 4 and 8 pounds.

Mark and Jim are two Wisconsinites that were a real pleasure to have in the boat today. They both have a ton of fishing experience under their belts from fishing for Salmon on Lake Michigan... and, Walleye on Winnebago & Green Bay. I didn't have to do any "training" with the Off Shore boards, so it was like fishing with old friends who came down for the day to go fishing with me.

The program for today was:

Perfect 10's 30/30 with a 1oz....color that worked best was the "Tablerock Gold"...blue/chrome also caught fish at the same distance back.

Deep Husky Jerks...45, 50, 85, and 125 back all caught fish too. Pink Lemonade and Halloween produced a couple of fish each.

Speed was 1.1 to 1.3mph

Water temp at F Can today was 38.7 degrees.

They are down here to fish with me for 4 days, but it looks like tomorrow's forecast will probably keep us off the lake. A prediction of Northeast winds at 20-30mph would not be fun...and probably dangerous.

So, we are keeping our fingers crossed that we can get out Wednesday morning.

Stay tuned!

Capt Juls

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First Fishing Report of 2015...:)

by Capt Juls on 04/03/15

Well, even though my 3 day charter for today through Sunday was rescheduled earlier this week for the third week in April, the forecast for today changed enough from then, until now, to make it out on the water for the first trip of the season.

It was a "fun fishing" trip with Capt Kevin Swartz, who I work with during the season.

It was also a trip to make sure everything on the new Ranger was working properly. I am happy to say it is. :)

Anyway, today was fun. The fishing was pretty good. We had a two man limit of nice walleye within 3 hours. The biggest two were a 29 incher and a 30 inch fish. The rest were a mix from 23-27 inches...nice eaters.

We were pulling Smithwick Perfect 10's with a 1oz snap weight at "20/20" and "30/30" in 27' of water near the firing range. Colors that caught fish were the blue/chrome, Tablerock Gold, Juice, and Lemon-Lime Crush. We also caught two eyes on a Pink Lemonade DHJ12 at 125 back. Speed was 1.3mph.

When I got home there was a nice surprise waiting for me... the new Ulterra was sitting on my front porch. It finally came! Woot! Woot! lol

I installed it on the boat, and it turns on, but I didn't want to deploy it until it was in the water, since I don't know what the up/down setting is, and I didn't want to damage anything, if it were to hit the winch on the trailer. Better safe than sorry, eh?

I've got the next two days off, and then I'll be fishing straight through from the 6th to the 28th...unless the weather dictates otherwise.

Pics from today are on page 12 of my photo album, if you care to take a look.

So, the next trip out will be Monday. As of right now, the weather forecast looks like it will be a fishable day, so stay tuned.....

Capt Juls

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Satellite Picture for March 29th...New start date...

by Capt Juls on 03/29/15

March 29th Satellite Pic....http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/modis.php?region=e&page=1&template=sub&image=t1.15088.1537.LakeErie.143.250m.jpg

My first group, that was scheduled to fish the 3rd, 4th, and 5th have rescheduled to the third week in April, so I don't have to worry about the ice this weekend.

They were coming from South Dakota, and I didn't want them to come that far and be disappointed with the less than favorable conditions.

I chose to err on the side of caution and let this ice have a few more days to get out of here, before I officially start my season.
Now, my first trip is scheduled for next Monday (6th-9th). Let's hope Mother Nature gets in a better mood...soon!

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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Bitter Sweet Weekend....deep sigh

by Capt Juls on 03/20/15

This is my last weekend working at the local Humane Society here in Port Clinton. I enjoyed the last 4 months there, helping to care for the abandoned and stray dogs and cats, and finding homes for many of them.

I will miss my four legged friends, A LOT, but it's time to start thinking about fishing!

The new Ranger 621, with her beautiful white ETECs on the back, is just about loaded with all the gear. I just need to put the nets and rods in the boat, and fill her up with her first tank of gas.

The ice is slowly breaking up and moving out, and hopefully, it will be gone in time for the first weekend in April. My fingers are crossed, because my first two trips are with some fellas from South Dakota. I will let them know next weekend what the prognosis is, and whether or not they should make the trek out here. If it's safe to go, we'll fish. And, I'm hoping that's the case. But, we'll see. I'm not foolish, and won't take unnecessary chances with the water temps as cold as they are.

I posted a couple of pictures of the new rig in the photo album on this site..."Pics Pg12"....if you want to take a peek at her. :)

I just wanted to say, "Thank you" again to everyone that booked trips early this season. I am happy to say that April and May are full!

It's going to be a very busy fishing season this year...woot! woot!

There are still plenty of dates open for the rest of the season though! Don't wait too long to plan your adventure on Lake Erie this summer, or you'll miss out on some fun! :)

At the time of this writing there are only 13 more days until the first scheduled trip, so stay tuned!

Capt Juls

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5 More Days!!

by Capt Juls on 02/27/15

I'll be going over to Vic's Sports Center to pick up the new Ranger on Wednesday.

So, in preparation I have plugged in the Excursion (both the heater block and the battery charger) to make sure she fires up this weekend.

We have a snowstorm coming this Sunday, but I haven't heard how many inches they are calling for yet. This winter has got to end soon, and the ice needs to go out on Lake Erie, so I can get the new boat out on the water. I'm going through a little cabin fever here. The dogs are too. They haven't been able to do their regular walk for quite some time now, due to the road we walk being covered in snow and ice. They don't last out there more than 5 minutes before they are picking up their feet from the cold....poor dogs.

Last year was a cold one too, and the ice was gone by the last weekend in March, so my fingers are crossed that we will experience the same this year. Hopefully, that will mean another good walleye hatch for 2015. The 2014 hatch is reported to be similar to the 2007 and 2010 hatches, which were better than normal. The 2003 walleye are all monster fish now, and there are still plenty of them in the system. Will this be the year I get to crack the 13# mark? I have not been able to get over 12.9 pounds yet....sigh.

I'll post pictures of the new boat in the photo album as soon as possible! One of the service guys sent me a pic text of it, so I got a peek at it. She sure is pretty! :)

Stay tuned...

Capt Juls

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My Boat, Bookings, and Spring...:)

by Capt Juls on 02/11/15

Getting closer! My boat is now at Vic's Sports Center, and needs some more rigging before I can go and get her. But, with another deep freeze coming for the next few days, and 90% ice cover on Lake Erie, I'm in no hurry to bring her home yet...she's in a safe place right now, and in very good hands. She is going to be rigged out with the latest and greatest from Minn-Kota, Humminbird, Ranger Boats. I do not have the latest and greatest G2 Evinrude this year, because I didn't think I could get one in time for my boat build, but I will have the tried and true Classic 300 ETEC on it. I love that motor. :)

May has only 4 days left open for the entire month, so thank you to everyone who has booked early! There are still days available in April for targeting those giant walleye. And, June and July are starting to get reservations too. Please don't wait to reserve your dates, because I would hate to tell you that I no longer have the date(s) available you need for your fun vacation. :(

Spring is only 38 days away! Woot! Woot! It won't be long now.

Stay tuned...

Capt Juls

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The Season is Getting Closer!

by Capt Juls on 01/20/15

The new Ranger 621 FS goes into production this Thursday(1/22)...I can hardly wait! It only means it won't be long until my "Baby" is in my driveway again! Looking forward to a great season. Fingers are crossed that Mama Nature is as kind to us as she was last year. :)

A big Thank you to my sponsors, for taking such good care of me....Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Off Shore Tackle, EZeeSteps, and, my wonderful dealer...Vic's Sports Center! :)

Looking forward to blogging again....I've been working at the local animal shelter this winter, so there really isn't any fishing going on on my end, so there's nothing to report. Sorry!

Spring is only 60 days, 8 hours, and 54 minutes away! lol

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Happy New Year Everyone!

by Capt Juls on 12/31/14

I would just like to take a moment to say, I hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve, and experiences much love and success in 2015!

Now, that we are headed into January, we can start looking forward to the spring fishing we all love to experience each year on Lake Erie's Western Basin. Woot! Woot!

I'm looking forward to fishing with everyone that has reserved their dates already...thanks for reserving early.

Be safe tonight, everyone! See you "next year"! ;)

Capt Juls

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Thank you for Reserving Early...:)

by Capt Juls on 12/02/14

Thanks to those of you who have already reserved your dates for the spring trophy walleye fishing here on Lake Erie's Western Basin with Juls Walleye Fishing Adventures.
Just a heads up for those that have been thinking about it, but haven't yet, and want to get in on the action, please reserve early, as the spring dates are prime fishing around here, and I would hate to see you miss out on a fun trip!
Full payment up front is not required....a 100.00 deposit holds your date(s). :)

Capt Juls

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Happy Thanksgiving!

by Capt Juls on 11/26/14

Thinking back over this past season, I have a lot to be thankful for this year. I was fortunate to fish with some great people, and made new friends.

Mother Nature was kind, and let me get all but a couple scheduled trips in. A few had to be rescheduled, but only two were unable to change dates and couldn't go fishing with me this year. Hopefully, I'll get to fish with them next season.

My wish is for everyone to have a peaceful, healthy, safe, and a Happy Thanksgiving!

May you eat too much, drink just enough, and fall into blissful sleep when it's all over.... :)

Gobble! Gobble!

Capt Juls

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Good News for my Customers for 2015...

by Capt Juls on 11/13/14

I bought a portable john for the boat, so you will have a comfortable option when the time calls. Men can still use the urinal, but if nature calls and you need to use a "bathroom" the portable suits that need too. :)

Just trying to make your adventure more pleasurable. lol

Capt Juls

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Looking for that Special Christmas Gift? Gift Certificates are now available!

by Capt Juls on 11/10/14

Just a heads up...

I've just added Gift Certificates to the site for those of you looking to get that unique and special gift for your favorite fishing buddy this Christmas.

Don't want to pay for their whole trip? Get a certificate of your choice to help defray the cost of their "adventure".

**Increments are set up anywhere from 100.00 to 600.00 to give you that option. You'll find the Gift Certificates on the Rates page under the drop down menu on the "Deposits and Gift Certificates" button.

They go through PayPal, so I do not see any CC information on my end. It's safe and secure to use PayPal, and you do not need a PayPal account to use this service.

When a gift certificate is ordered, I will email you promptly to get the mailing address you want it sent to. It can be sent directly to you, or to your intended gift recipient.

The 2015 season is only a little over 4 months away, so be sure to reserve your adventure as soon as possible. Don't miss out on the fantastic spring trophy walleye fishing Lake Erie's Western Basin is famous for!

My new 2015 Ranger 621FS with 300 ETEC, equipped with all the latest and greatest from Minn-Kota and Humminbird, has been ordered, and will be here in time to start fishing in late March or the first of April...(depending on ice conditions).

2014 was a fantastic fishing season, and we had a lot of fun in the boat. I am looking forward to another great season with all of my previous customers and new customers alike. Woot! Woot!

Thanks, and have a great day! :)

Capt Juls

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The New 2015 Ranger 621/300 ETEC has been ordered!

by Capt Juls on 10/21/14

Just a note to let everyone know the new Ranger for the 2015 season is on order now and will be ready for the spring walleye trips!

I was at Vic's Sports Center yesterday to order the new ETEC's that are going on it, and I got to crawl around the newly designed Ranger 621. All I can say is, "Holy fishing machines Batman!" That thing is simply awesome!!

Besides all the new features it has, it just feels huge compared to the older models I've had over the years. I was very impressed with the new look of it.

I think all my customers will really enjoy the new ride as much as I do!

I am taking reservations for your next adventure, so don't miss out on scheduling your trips, and get the dates you want set as soon as possible. :)

Stay tuned...

Capt Juls

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2014 Charter Fishing Season is in the books....sigh

by Capt Juls on 10/01/14

Well, my 2014 charter season is over for the year. Boy! time sure flies when you're having fun!

My beautiful boat is going home with her new owner this coming Friday, and I am in the process of ordering the new one for next year.

I would like to thank each and every customer I took out this season for the enjoyable times and the wonderful memories created. I appreciate each and every one of you, and I look forward to fishing with you all again in the 2015 season!

I would also like to thank all my sponsors for helping me make "living the dream" possible...Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Off Shore Tackle Company, Vic's Sports Center, EZEE Steps , Jimz Rod Mounts, World Wide Marine Ins., and The Jewelry Mechanic.

I love you all!!

Capt Juls

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Perch'n with Doug, Bob, and John 9/29/14

by Capt Juls on 09/30/14

The morning started out like a fiasco...let me explain.

During my morning routine of putting the day's needed things in the boat, one of the first things I do is check the on board charger to make sure it's fully charged. When I open the compartment lid it should be glowing green, but this morning the compartment was dark. Oh nooooo! I checked the plug and it was plugged in the boat...that meant it was disconnected in the shed. I had cut the grass last night after a trip, and when I plugged in the leaf blower I must have knocked the extension cord loose, which is exactly what happened. Ugh!!

I was supposed to pick up my crew from their hotel at 6am, so I texted them to tell them what happened and that I would be a half hour late. I wanted to make sure the starting battery was at 100% before heading out, since we were planning on going to Canada for perch today. Luckily, it didn't take long for the starting battery to fully charge, but the trolling motor batteries were only at 50%. That meant we would be using the old fashioned anchor today instead of the Terrova's "Spot Lock" to hold us. Not a big deal.....just breathe.

I'm fishing with Doug Woehrmyer, his dad Bob, and his Uncle, John. John still needed to get a Canadian fishing license, so while I was waiting for the charger to do it's thing they said they would go over to the "Fisherman's Wharf" to get it, since the Quality Inn has crappy internet service and they couldn't do it online there, and the Wharf said they opened at 6am. Well, I left the house at 6:15 and got a call from Doug stating they were still waiting for the Wharf to open. I drove over to the Wharf to meet them, and said I would take John back to my house to use my computer/printer to get it done.

Here's the deal....John has only bought a one day Canadian lic. once before, and when you buy a one day lic you do not need an Outdoors Card. The online lic wouldn't let him finish the transaction, because it kept saying that he must supply his "number". ???? Well, it turns out that when he bought that one day license three years ago, there was a number attached to it (at the top) that becomes "your" number for life. It was asking for that number. No where on their website do they explain that you need to keep that lic for future transactions....sigh. So, back to the Wharf we go, hoping they can get his Can lic taken care of. They did. Mark was able to figure it out and was able to issue him a day's license. Thanks Mark!

Ok, deep breath...just breathe......lol

Doug kept apologizing for the delay, but I just said, "It is what it is...it's going to be a beautiful day, and it's all good now...let's go catch some perch". :)

After topping off the boat's gas tank, we launched at Mazurik's at 7:30am. We set a course for a spot over in Canada, near the dumping grounds, and set the anchor. The first 6 fish were catfish. Nooooooooo.....these are supposed to be big perch from the report I received the night before, so I said, "let's move a little and try again"....we did. The second spot would be our spot for the day, because after a few more cats the yellows showed up.

It wasn't a fast bite, but the quality was amazing. We would catch 112 perch that went 63 pounds at the cleaners. Woot! Woot!

It was a beautiful day, and the lake was dead calm. The company was exceptional, and the fishing was awesome. I couldn't have asked for a better trip. The guys had a great time and will be back in the spring for some fun walleye fishing. I can't ask for more than that. :)

Capt Juls

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Perch'n with Don and Bob Rupp 9/27/14

by Capt Juls on 09/27/14

I have to keep this short tonight, because I got home late this afternoon, cleaned the boat, and I still have to exercise the very patient dogs before hitting the hay.

We caught 88 perch today on the NE corner of Gull. A nice grade of fish. Average amount of whites and sheep mixed in too. No cats today. Weather was perfect, other than an ENE wind (I like south winds), but it was comfortable, sunny, and fun!

Tomorrow is another 8 hour trip with these two gentlemen, but we'll be going out of Huron in search of the elusive walleye. Fingers crossed!!!

Stay tuned...

Capt Juls

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Perch'n with Joe and Doug 9/25/14

by Capt Juls on 09/25/14

Well, it was supposed to be a walleye trip, but when Joe and Doug read my blog from yesterday's trip, and found that I was not expecting good results for a walleye trip today, they called and asked if they could also try for some perch if the walleye weren't going to cooperate...of course I said, "Yes!".

I picked them up at their hotel at 6am, but instead of driving all the way to Huron this morning, I decided a better perch bite would be north of Kellys, so we planned on launching out of Mazurik's instead. But, it was still dark out, so we had to waste some time, time that I would have used driving to Huron...instead we hit Big Bopper's for some breakfast. Yum!

We launched as soon as it was light enough to see, and headed to an area north of Kelly's. There were a bunch of boats there today between Gull Island Shoal and Kelly Island Shoal. The bite started out slow, but once the first yellow perch was brought up, my confidence in the spot grew. It only got better and better as the day went on. By late morning we had their two limits in the boat with large perch from 8-13 inches, and then we fished for mine.

We had such a great time today. These guys were really down to earth and just all around great guys. Even though they are grown men, I couldn't help but think that their parents must be some pretty cool people to have raised these two fine young men. They had me laughing all day long, but I will not share what was said, because we all agreed early on that "Whatever's said in the boat today...stays in the boat". I have to respect that... lol :)

Tomorrow's trip is just a short 4 hour trip starting at noon, so I'll be getting home later than normal. I'll try to get the blog done before bedtime, but I can't promise. Saturday and Sunday are two 8 hour trips and I'll need to get the boat cleaned up first.

Stay tuned...

Capt Juls

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Fish'n with Arnot and Lynn Albee 9/24/14

by Capt Juls on 09/24/14

I picked up Lynn and Arnie at 6am and we headed to Hi Way Bait to get some shiners for perch'n. We would be fishing for both walleye and perch today, if the walleye were cooperative. We drove over and launched out of Huron at 7am.

I thought we would start out in front of Sawmill for a pass or two looking for some walleye, since the perch bite never picks up until later in the morning. While we marked some good "walleye looking marks" on the screen, we couldn't get anything to go trolling with Deep Husky Jerks. So, we went perch'n instead.

By the chatter on the radio, it sounded like anyone fishing for walleye were having a tough time, except for one capt who was out by the Sandbar. While it wasn't a strong bite/catch for him, he was at least putting some in the boat.

As for the perch, we went to the 33/30 line and set up about 1/2 mile east of a pack of boats. We were all by ourselves and started picking up yellows right away....very few whites. More chatter on the radio, this time from the perch charters, was that their bite was slow. Since ours was almost up and down by this time and we had over 40 in the cooler already, I got on the radio and told them where I was and what was happening. About a 1/2 dozen showed up, but wouldn't you know it? As soon as they did, the bite shut down....arrgh! Made me look like I was fibbing...lol I WASN'T...:)

We had 52 when I decided it was time to go look elsewhere again, and we left. We tried 4 more spots on our way back in, and only caught whites and a couple of catfish. One cat was huge! Lynn caught two yellows...with one last keeper perch out in front of the Huron lighthouse, but that was it. In hindsight, we probably should have stayed and worked out their last 8 fish in our first spot, but that's the way it goes...sigh.

Lynn and Arnie had a good time and would like to come back in the spring for our big walleye bite. I'm looking forward to that. They are very easy going people and really fun to fish with. :)

Tomorrow is another 8 hour trip, but this time the guys want walleye. I think I'll bring some shiners just in case. lol We'll give it our best shot, but my hopes are definitely higher than my expectations.

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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Fishing with Tim, Matt, and "Cornbread" 9/19/14

by Capt Juls on 09/20/14

I got home to late last night to get my blog done on the same day, so I'm writing this the morning after.

Our trip was set up to be a 10 hour perch and walleye combo trip. I picked up Matt McGlothlin, his brother Tim, and their friend, "Cornbread" at their hotel at 6am and headed to the baitshop for some shiners and crawlers. My original plan was to launch out of Huron and hit the last spot I was perch'n two days prior, and then hit some numbers for walleye that were given to me by a couple of friends that had been doing okay on walleye over that way. But, Pooh Bear walked in the baitshop, and when I told him where I was headed for perch, he told me that that spot had died yesterday, and that they were getting them right out in front by the Marblehead lighthouse. I had also seen a pack of boats there on my way back in two days ago.

Since we were so close to Mazurik's already, I decided to go ahead and change my plan and try the Marblehead spot first.

Pooh Bear was on the water at the same time, and we both stopped to give it a try there. We picked up a couple in the first 45 minutes, but it wasn't "going yet", and he got impatient first and headed east. I stuck it out a little longer knowing that the bite picks up as the morning goes on, but I too was getting impatient, so we decided to try another spot too.

We headed north to the area between Lucy's and the green can on the north side of North Bass to check that out. We were the only boat where I set the Ranger down and marked some good fish that looked "perch like". They were indeed perch, but the size was not impressive. A friend was fishing in the spot that let me down two days prior and said he was getting them pretty steady and the size was 9" or better, so we picked up and headed to the NE corner of Gull again.

It wasn't long and the first fish up was a nice 9+ inch perch. "Whew", I thought to myself. Nothing worse than going to a spot that let you down during a previous trip and have it turned on again. The second fish up was another good one, so we were going to be patient this time and stick it out. They started coming in at a steadier pace. We also caught some monster sheephead, a catfish, and of course the various white species.

The weather was gorgeous and the winds light and variable. The 10mph east wind that was predicted for most of the day didn't start blowing until around 1:30, and when it did, the bite shut off on us. So, we took that as a sign that we should go walleye hunting. I explained to the guys that it probably would be disappointing walleye fishing on the north side of kelly's as the reports were not that good over this way, and the east wind wasn't helpful. But, Matt explained that they had bought the Off Shore boards and other trolling gear, but never used it and just wanted to learn how to run it all. So, that's what we did...with the hopes that there was at least one or two stupid walleye willing to commit suicide.

After a quick lesson, and having them do the line setting themselves, I have no doubt they will be able to run a trolling set up on their own without too many issues. We talked about all the things that can happen when running boards, like wavy conditions during a turn, and how an inside board can jump the line of an outside board if you're not vigilant, and what needs to be done to correct it. Or, what to do with the inside boards if a fish hits the outside board, and the various scenarios that can happen to get that fish in...(sometimes the inside boards can stay out, and sometimes they have to come in, etc.)

They had brought their own boat over and will be trying what they learned out of Huron this morning. I showed them the area I like to fish out in front of Sawmill and told them it would be the most protected from the wind if it started to get rough, and that it's only a short ride from the mouth of the Huron river if they needed to get in quick. I hope they are able to catch a few this morning. I know they were at the ramp at around 5am this morning, and it's not blowing yet, so hopefully there is an early morning bite going on for them. Fingers crossed!

Well, to make a long story shorter...we only caught 73 perch and zero walleye yesterday, but we had a great time! I took them and their fish to the fish cleaners and dropped the fish off, and we went to dinner. After dropping them off at their hotel, I headed home and put the boat to bed. After exercising the pups, I put myself to bed too. It was a long day on the water, but it was a fun day for me. These guys were seriously funny with their quotes of the movie "Slingblade" done in perfect impersonation, and then quotes of their own as they caught perch....probably one of those moments where "you just had to be there". :)

My trip that was scheduled for today had to reschedule for personal reasons, so I have the day off. Probably a good thing, since it's supposed to blow pretty hard later this morning. It will give me a chance to clean up the boat again, and get her ready for tomorrow's trip....if, we don't reschedule that one too due to the forecast. (He's a regular who likes nicer conditions...can't blame him)

So, stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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Perch'n with Duke, Lenny, and Buz 9/17/14

by Capt Juls on 09/18/14

Duke Benevento's wife bid on a trip that was donated to the Island Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary Charity Benefit a few months ago, and won it for her husband, Duke. Duke brought along his two friends, Lenny and Buz for a day of perch'n on Lake Erie.

The morning was beautiful, and the day's weather was expected to remain that way. The lake was calm as we left Mazurik's at 8am. I found out my guys had their Canadian licensees, so since I hadn't had the opportunity to fish up there lately, we set a course for Sheridan Point. The bite was slow, but we were picking up some perch. Not the the size that is usually expected up there though. After moving around a couple times, we decided it was best to head back to US waters to try some of my spots that have been productive the past two weeks.

We stopped at the NE corner of Gull Island shoal, but other than a perch here and there, we were only getting sheephead and whites. So, we moved to another spot in that area with the same results. Then, Lenny suggested we try a spot he was fishing the Sunday prior, which was on the east side of Kelly's...and, off we went.

There were a lot of boats over there, but we didn't see a lot of people looking busy pulling up perch, and the first spot we tried wasn't producing either, so we moved a little and tried again. Same results...sigh.

Again, we moved, but after making a phone call to my buddy Capt Keith of Pooh Bear Charters, I found out he was another 6 miles ENE of where we were and he and his crew had just finished up with 150 perch. He gave me his location and we headed out there. There were about a dozen boats fishing that spot, so we set up and gave it a shot. Same results....ugh. By now, I'm suspecting one of my three fellas was a bad luck charm and told them so. (They all blamed each other...LOL)

Larry from Hi Way Bait was out there and called me on my cell, and asked how we were doing. I said, "Not good!" He said, "We just finished up, and they were biting good towards the end, so if you want this spot, I'm pulling up anchor...come on over and take this spot". So, after figuring out which boat he was, we headed over and set up directly over his spot. Guess what....same results...just a couple perch and a lot of whites. Aaarrggh! LOL Seriously??

We only caught 37 keeper perch yesterday after all that work, but we still had a good time. Everyone stayed positive, even though the results were dismal.

The wind started to pick up and, since we had already gone "over time", and I had just gotten a deep gash on my thumb from throwing a giant white bass back in (cut by the gill plate) I decided to call it a day, and we headed back in.

They said they had a good time, even though the bite was off for us. It definitely wasn't for a lack of trying. These guys never gave up and fished hard. In hindsight we all agreed that we should have stayed put up in Canada and waited for them to turn on. Oh well....

Maybe next time....

Today is "clean the boat" day again, to get it ready for a 10 hour perch and walleye trip tomorrow. Hopefully, tomorrow's forecast will hold for us. It's looking pretty good.

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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