Juls WFA Blog

Fishing Day 4 with Ed, Dennis, and Jay 4/27/2023

by Capt Juls on 04/27/23

Yesterday morning, we weren't sure we were going to get to fish today, because the forecast was showing some gusty east winds, but by yesterday afternoon it showed lower wind speeds, so we made plans to fish this morning.

I picked my crew up at the White Caps Motel at 5:30, and we headed to the gas station on the other side of town, for the usual, before heading to Catawba to launch. We were in the water by 6:15 and headed north.

The sky was clear, the air was cool and crisp, and the wind was barely moving the flag hanging on the tall pole on the pier at the launch. The lake was like glass on the protected side of the island, and rolling a little more and more as we ventured further away from land towards Niagara Reef and C Can.

We set up on the north side of Niagara, when a few fish were marked on the Helix, and a WNW heading was set on the iPilot, while I fired up the baby Merc, to push us at a speed of 1.9-2.1mph (Fish Hawk speed was 1.4-1.6mph). For those that don't know what a Fish Hawk X2 is, it's a probe that is lowered into the water at a desired depth (I like 15-20 feet), and a transducer slides down the line, so it can transfer the water temp and speed info to the unit in the boat. When currents slow, or speed up the lures, the Fish Hawk can give you that info, to help you dial in a speed easier.

Water temp was 47.3 on the surface and 47.9 down below at 15 feet.

We set up with Bandits behind Off Shore boards on both sides of the boat, first thing. I said to Jay, "Go ahead and pick some numbers...you know what we have been doing the past three days, I trust you". My side ran at 71, 61, 51, and 35.

After he was all done setting the boards out, I asked, "What numbers did you pick?" He replied, "74, 64, 54, and 39". I laughed and said, "I like odd numbers". Laughing, he said, "Oh, I thought you just meant you didn't want it at 70, 60, 50, and 40". "That's okay, let's see what happens", I said. And, sure enough, his 74 and 54 both went back at the same time. We started the morning with a double. :)

The colors on his side were Buck Fever, RC Crush, Red Headed Wonder Bread, and ...I can't remember the 4th one.

My side ran Chrome Marvin, Blue Chrome, and two other chrome custom colors I don't know the names of anymore...sorry.

Fish were caught on all lead lengths, with a few going off twice.

The wind was picking up and the waves were 2-3s with an occasional 4 footer thrown in for good measure. Ed and Dennis are older gents (Dennis is Jay's Dad), and both are late 70s and/or early 80s, so I wanted to make sure they were comfortable, and decided it was best to head back towards more protected waters to fish. We left that area with 11 nice fish in the cooler, and headed back towards Catawba, to fish off the point with the hour and a 1/2 we had left. This time of year, there is usually some fish in that area.

We took our time, so the ride didn't bust anyone's butts, or the boat, and set up off Catawba. Jay was working on setting his third bait, and before he could get the board on he exclaimed, "I got a fish! I didn't even get the board on, yet!". It was a nice one too...I'm guessing 25 or 26 inches. I didn't measure it.

I asked him, "What does that tell you, when that happens?" He said, "It had to be up very high, because I had just stopped the bait, so it was just starting to dive". "Yes, that's correct. What did you just set that bait at?" "40 back", he said. "Do you want me to bring it back in and make it a shorter lead?", he asked.

I said, "Let's see what happens, since you have it out already, you can always change it. That might have just been a suicidal fish, and not a pattern".

I had gone to the bow for something and looked down in the water and there was a fish (Jay thought it was a bass, but I saw a sheephead) swimming in the top 8" of water, and then we watched it slowly swim out of sight as the boat passed by. So, I thought....hmmmmm....his fish was caught high, and this fish is up high, so let's put some baits out up high and see if they are being weird today.

I changed out the Bandits on my side to DHJ12's and put the shortest leads on the outside this time, running at 15, 25, 35, and 45. Long story short....nada. That was a fail. Hey, but at least we tried. lol

We caught one more on the Red Headed WB at 50 back, and that was it for the Catawba area. It was time to go home.

Ed, Dennis, and Jay learned a lot about trolling with Off Shore boards and now have the confidence to go use what they learned in my boat, to use in their boats. Each day, they got better and better, and I have every confidence that they can successfully run planer boards with fewer problems and tangles, than they had before.

They said they had a great time, and that makes me happy. :)

Tomorrow, would have been their 5th day, but with the crappy weather and gusty NE winds forecasted, it was an easy decision for them to travel back to Wisconsin and Minnesota tomorrow.

My crew for Saturday, sent me a text the other day, to cancel, due to the forecast they saw, so I offered them a chance to reschedule for another time. They accepted that offer. Hey, I don't like fishing in crappy weather, either! lol

It's looking like I'm going to have a lot of days off here, the next several days. Next week is looking bad with lots of wind and rain. So, don't look for a report from me until at least, Thursday.

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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Fishing Day 3 with Ed, Dennis, and Jay...4/26/2023

by Capt Juls on 04/26/23

Sorry for no report yesterday, I wasn't feeling well after a day in the cold, and some bad food from a local restaurant. I'm feeling better today, though, so all is well. :)

This morning, I left the house at 4:40, to go gas up the boat and truck on the other side of town, and get some ice for the cooler, before driving back to the White Caps Motel, to pick up my crew at 5:15.

They were up and ready to go when I got there, so we packed up their belongings in the back of the truck and hit the road. We were headed to Vermilion, this time, to see if those bigger fish wanted to play with us today.

We launched at 6:15 and headed NNE out of the river to 40 feet of water, where we found really good marks on the sonar, and set up.

Bandits behind Off Shore boards were set at 80, 70, 60, and 50 on the port side and 85, 75, 65, and 45 on the starboard side. The color spectrum was all over the place with my usual Red Headed WB, Humble Bee w/Blk stripes, Buck Fever, Pooh Bear, some chartreuse and black one with black dots...and a couple others I can't remember the names of, but they all caught fish.

Speed was 1.8-2.1 on the GPS and 1.4-1.5 on the Fish Hawk on a E to W trolling pass.

Water temp was 47.3 degrees.

The Red Headed Wonder Bread was once again the hotter color for us, so that one, for sure, is always going out on any given day....until it doesn't work anymore.

Fish were caught on the port side numbers more than the starboard side, so I switched up the lures on the starboard side to Reapers, and picked up a few fish on the blue/chrome/orange belly with funky stripes at 35, 60 and 70 back. We would end up leaving two of that color on, on those leads, but put more Bandits back out, on that side.

We marked a ton of fish today, but didn't get the bites one would expect with marks like that on the screen. There were a lot of boats over there, too, so being able to keep on an angle that was working was hard to do. We did move out of the pack, once it grew around us, so we didn't have to deal with it, and we did better.

As time was drawing down, we lost our two last fish, with one line tangle in the mix, that ended up getting sucked into my kicker's prop, so that was good timing, if it had to happen. We picked everything up and headed in, with 14 in the cooler. Kicker is fine...no damage to the seal.

It was a much nicer day, than the previous day, with the sun shining, calmer winds, and warmer temps. It's still chilly out there, and I'm so looking forward to the warm days when we don't have to be all bundled up, and I can go barefoot again.

Come on, Mother Nature...what do you say? Can you straighten up your act, soon, please? Thank you!

Ed, Dennis, and Jay are going to get one more day in before it blows again on Friday, so we will be launching out of Catawba, since Mazurik's is closed again tomorrow for pavement repair work, as they finish up the new facilities there.

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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Fishing Day 1 of 5 with Ed, Dennis, and Jay 4/24/2023

by Capt Juls on 04/24/23

We had a later start this morning, due to the NW wind forecast. First we hit Catawba, but I didn't like the white caps rolling in there, so I thought it best to drive over to Mazurik's to launch, so we could at least ride up along the east side of the Bass Islands, for some calmer waters on our ride up to the line.

It wasn't too bad, and we made our way up going slower than I normally would. My crew consisted of two older gentlemen, Ed and Dennis, from Wisconsin, and Dennis's son, Jay, who resides just outside of the twin cities in MN.  I have them for the next four days, too. We will be starting earlier tomorrow, so I'll be off the water in a more timely fashion to get a better report done.

There were about 50 boats up on the line, this morning, and there weren't a lot of nets flying, so I think we did okay with the 12 walleye we boxed. My crew was happy enough anyway. And, tomorrow is going to be a better day wind-wise, so hopefully our tally will improve. :)

Just a quick report today...

Bandits 35-85 back behind the Off Shore boards were catching. Reapers only caught one, so they got changed out to Bandits, too.

Red headed Wonder Bread, Electric Zebra, Khaki, RC Crush, Carrot Top, and Humble Bee w/Blk Stripes all caught fish.

The water temp dropped 6 degrees from last week up there...it was 46 degrees today.

Speed was 1.3-1.5 on the Fish Hawk and 1.8-2.0 on the GPS.

I'm afraid that's all I can type right now. My puppy, Alfie, is climbing all over me, and making it impossible to type. He needs some serious attention, so I have to go throw the ball for him.

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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Fishing with Glen and Joe...April 20, 2023

by Capt Juls on 04/20/23

Woke up, grabbed a cup of coffee, and looked at the wind forecast for today, trying to figure out where I would take my crew to fish today. The iWindSurf "Live Wind" forecast was showing stronger winds at the islands, than over by Huron and Vermilion, so the decision was made to go launch at Vermilion, this morning.

I left early, so I could go gas up and get ice for the cooler, before picking my crew up from the White Caps Motel at 5:20. They were ready to go when I arrived a few minutes early, so we headed out. I told them my plans, and why, and they liked the idea, so off to Vermilion we went.

We arrived at the launch just as it was getting light out, and there were already several boats there launching, or getting ready to launch. We headed out of the river at 6am, and headed west from there. We didn't go very far before marking some good fish on the Helix, so we stopped to set up. The Terrova and the baby Merc were deployed, and set to a westerly course.

Speed was surging, due to the NE rollers happening, but I was trying to keep the lure speed at 1.3-1.5 on the Fish Hawk, while the GPS speed was reading 1.8-2.1 at the same time.

Water temp was 46.7 this morning.

We set up with all Bandits behind Off Shore boards, on both sides of the boat, for the first pass. 80, 60, 50, 40 on the port side, and 85, 65, 55, 45 on the starboard side (Longest leads on the outside).

Colors were Khaki, Red Headed Wonder Bread, Buck Fever, and RC Crush on the port side, and Black Headed Wonder Bread, RC Crush, a Hammertime color I don't know the name of, (not on his site, but was picture in my last report), and Huff Daddy on the starboard side.

We went with the waves, over 25-27 feet of water first, and marked a ton of fish, but only got one small male to bite. Ugh...it was SO slow. It's frustrating to see so many fish on the screen, when they just don't want to eat.

I decided to run the trough from East to West, and out to deeper water. "Let's change the angle of our dangle, and see what happens", I said.

Fish were marking everywhere, but still hanging lower in the water column. I tried one perch colored Spro on a snap-weight, to get it down to them, but they weren't interested, and not eating down there.

We went from 27 feet of water out to 38 feet and turned back around to go west to east. We caught a couple going that way, but it was better going east to west.

I switched up the inside Bandit on the port side to a Walleye Nation Creation Reaper in a color I bought from the "Fishing Addiction" website called, "Blue Chrome Zombie". It was swimming at 40 back for about 10 minutes, before the board slammed back. That was a good sign. When it got hit again, I said, "Let's change up the entire starboard side with Reapers, and see what happens. They may just want a different profile and action today. We'll keep three Bandits on the other side, to see what they prefer.

Another BCZ went out, along with two Purple Tigers, and a Black Headed Wonder Bread. The outside board ran at 60 back, the third board at 50, the second board at 45, and the inside at 43. All the Reapers took fish this morning. A long story shorter....Eventually, the fish on the sonar started to rise off the bottom, and come up. Bandits caught three fish and the Reapers took 9 of the 12 fish we caught.

We had three pullbacks that didn't hook up, too.

It was comical to watch the three of us trying to stand up while running the trough with NE rollers...and, while I have damn good sea legs, I did lose my balance several times. My crew had a much harder time with it, but stayed positive and did a lot of laughing. Thankfully, no one fell or got hurt, so it was worth the effort, because the fish definitely liked that direction better. :)

Glen and Joe had a great time just being on the water today, so catching fish was a nice bonus, which makes my job a lot less stressful when the fish are giving me a hard time, but getting them their limit made me very happy.

Tomorrow's trip has been rescheduled by my customer for later in May, so I'm off tomorrow. I'm still watching Saturday's weather, and will decide that one tomorrow.

Stay tuned...

Capt Juls

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Fishing Day 3 with Clayton and Todd...April 16, 2023

by Capt Juls on 04/16/23

If you're looking for a Day 2 report, I didn't write one...I was too tired, sorry!

I went to bed earlier than usual, last night, because I was whooped. I wanted to get a good night's sleep before fishing the final day with my ND crew. Clayton and Todd were up early, and ready to go when I showed up at the White Caps Motel at 5:30, to pick them up.

We drove to the Speedway on the other side of town, to gas up and get ice, but they were out of ice. The cashier said, "Home City Ice didn't deliver, so everyone is out of ice this morning". We did try two other gas stations, but one wasn't even open, and the other was indeed out of ice, too. So, we decided to leave the cooler in the truck and use the livewell, instead.

We launched at Catawba at 6:15 and headed north to the line. The wind was light out of the SSE, and the waves were less than a foot for our ride up there, so it was a smooth comfortable ride in the Vexus, at a cruising speed of 48mph. We set up short of where we finished yesterday, and headed towards my waypoints.

We set up with Bandits anywhere from 40-100 back with the following colors:

Buck Fever (3) (purple back with chrome sides and belly...it's either a Domka or DJ color...I can't remember)

Chrome Barbie(2)

Freak Show (1) (Hammertime Custom)

One I don't know the name of, but I think it's a Hammertime Custom, but I can't find the color on his site.

RC Crush (1)

Some lure colors got changed out, except the Buck Fever and Chrome Barbies...those two were hot, hot, hot! 65 and 75 back were the best leads, too.

Speed on the GPS was 1.9-2.1mph while the Fish Hawk was showing 1.3-1.4mph, at the same time.

Water temp was 53 degrees.

We caught the first fish before the second line could be set, and then we got a few more Off Shore boards out, and they started going back...we had 5 in the boat before all the lines were set.

S-turns were triggering fish, when it slowed up a bit. Sometimes, it was the fast side and sometimes it was the slow side. So, it was more of a reaction bite. We did have some short strikes, and missed a few too.

When the bite slowed, we headed south and hit an area that was east of Niagara, with no boats around. The water was more stained than where we first started, and the water temp was 55 degrees. We set up there with the same program, since it was over 33 feet of water, just like where we had started in the first spot.

The Terrova was steering us on a northerly pass, while the kicker pushed us at the same speed as previously stated. It wasn't long, before we caught the first one in that spot...and, then we lost two. We picked up a couple more in that direction, and then turned to go in the opposite direction. The wind had picked up a little, but the waves were still less than two feet.

The fish definitely liked us going the opposite direction, because we were getting a lot of action with doubles and triples happening.

The final tally, was our 18 in the box, and almost just as many released, when I said we needed to head in. I was watching the sky and the weather coming in and figured the wind would be coming in behind the first system. I was right. As we headed in, the wind was getting stronger, and by the time we hit the ramp, the lake was white capping. We timed it right though, because we hit the ramp before anyone else, so we were loaded out with around a dozen boats behind us looking to load out too.

The wind had switched from SSE to SSW, so now the waves were going right into the ramp, which makes it a little nastier when trying to hold a boat at the dock, or pier wall, and getting it on the trailer. I will normally use another ramp if the forecast is calling for a SW wind.

The ND boys had a great time, all three days, and said they will be back again, so that makes me happy!

Mother Nature has decided to throw a tizzy fit again, for the next two days, so I'll be on shore calibrating two reels that I had to respool, cleaning the boat, walking the dogs, running errands, and cleaning this house...fun times! Ha!

My next trip will be Wednesday, unless the forecast changes. But, right now, it's showing light NNW winds, so it should be fishable. Fingers crossed!

Stay tuned...

Capt Juls

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Fishing Day 1 with Clayton and Todd...April 14, 2023

by Capt Juls on 04/14/23

I was well rested from a good night's sleep, and got up early, to give the dog's some attention before I had to leave. The pup is getting used to the words, "I have to go to work, and you have to stay here. I gotta go fishing, and make some money honey, so you can live". He's much calmer than the first few times I left the house for hours on end, so that's progress. :)

I headed into town to gas up and get the ice for the cooler, before heading to the White Caps to meet my crew. Clayton and Todd flew in from Bismark, ND to do some walleye fishing this weekend. They are mostly doing catch and release, because they don't want to take a ton of fillets on the plane ride home, so they are selecting the good eaters and letting the big girls live another day.

We fished the west side of the islands, this morning, and had 8 in the boat before my Ulterra lost its pairing ability, causing me to not have any controls to operate the unit. Grrrrrrr! If I didn't have bad luck this season, I wouldn't have any luck at all, it seems.

I called Matt Wieland, our local Minn-Kota repair service tech in the area and asked him if he knew what the problem might be, hoping I could fix it on the water, and keep on fishing. However, after a few "try this...is it doing this...can you do that?" questions...he said it needs to be brought in. And, because, I didn't have any controls, the shaft was up in the air as high as it could go. I left it that way, instead of trying to do a manual stow on it, because that is a pain in the butt to do on the water, and it wouldn't hurt anything to keep it up there in the air.

My friend, Chris Utter, was down here from Wisconsin, fishing with his friend, Lyle, and working with us on the water this morning. He offered to take my crew fishing with them, while I got the Ulterra looked at. I was thankful that they were able to keep fishing, even if I wasn't going to make any money today. I would have hated to see them sitting on shore after traveling so far to get here. Thanks, Chris! You're the best!

On my way to see Matt, I decided to just replace the Ulterra with a Terrova, instead. I called him on my way over to his building, and asked if he could find one on such short notice, and to my surprise, and relief, he was able to. He went and picked it up, then installed it in short order, saving me once again. Thanks, Matt! You're the best, too! :)

We had caught 8 nice walleye before this all happened, so at least we had some fun this morning, before my morning fell apart. And, they got a very long day of fishing, because they are still out there with Chris and Lyle, so I'm sure Clayton and Todd are happy too.

We will hit the lake again tomorrow, and hopefully Sunday, before the winds show up, with a cold front, that will knock out my Monday and Tuesday trips.

Sorry there's no report to report....it was one of those days....again. Deep sigh.

Stay tuned.....

Capt Juls

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Fishing Day2 with Greg, Dave, and Jeff...April 13, 2023

by Capt Juls on 04/13/23

Left the house at 5:15 and picked my crew up at the White Caps Motel at 5:20. We hit town and gassed up, bought ice, and headed to the ramp to launch.

The first stop was up by Greene island and Rattlesnake. Bandits ran on the starboard side and DHJ12s ran on the port side, behind Off Shore boards.

Bandits were set at 95, 75, 65, 55, and 45 back, and the Huskies were set at 80, 60, 50, 40, and 30 back. Speed was 1.6 on the Fish Hawk and 1.9 on the GPS. The water temp, early this morning, was 44.7 degrees.

We caught one relatively quick on a "FJ Spot" (DJ Custom Eye Lures color) at 65 back, and then one on the Khaki Bandit at 95 back. Then, nothing. The marks were gone already, as we trolled north. Maybe they were south. I don't know...I didn't check.

I wasn't going to waste anymore time there, this time, so we picked up and went looking, but never found anything worth setting up on. There sure is a lot of water out there, and we covered a lot of it this morning...lol

After wasting a lot of gas, I called a friend who told me where he was, and that he was on a good bite, and said I should come there...so, we did. Thanks, friend...you know who you are. :)

I'm not going to name you, so you won't get bombarded with texts.

I will not say where that is, because it's not my information to give, and I hope you understand...that's just how I do it. If I find the fish, I can share the info, if I want to, but if someone else gives me the info, I won't share their info without their permission. I was asked not to share it this time, so I won't. That's all I can say about that. Sorry!

So, I guess this will be a short, pretty much non-report, since there's nothing really to share.

Greg, Dave, and Jeff had a great time (definitely more fun than yesterday), and caught their 3-person limit today. We lost 4 fish that came unbuttoned before we got them to the boat, too. The fish were nice and healthy and a good quality size, so they have a good amount of fish to take back to Wisconsin for their family fish fries.

Tomorrow, I have another 3-person crew from Bismark, ND. They have fished with me in the fall for perch before, so I'm looking forward to doing some trolling with them. They are great guys and another fun, laid back, group to fish with.

The weather tomorrow should be very nice, with light winds out of the south, and more sunshine in the forecast.

PSA: Don't forget to use your sunscreen and protect your skin! :)

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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Fishing Day 1 with Greg, Jeff, and Dave...April 12, 2023

by Capt Juls on 04/12/23

Well, I hate to even post this one, but a good day fishing, but not a good day catching, is worth reporting, too. My Wisco crew was very laid back, and fun to fish with today.

We left Mazurik's at 6:30 and headed north. When we set up, the sun was just coming up over the horizon. The wind was out of the SW at around 13mph, with gusts to 20. Waves were 1-3s. Water temp was 44.3 degrees on the east of Ballast Island. We set a course to the NE at a speed of 1.3-1.6mph, on the Fish Hawk. Speed on the GPS was 1.7-2.0mph.

Marks on the sonar were good closer to Ballast, but as we ventured further out away from the islands, and towards the Canadian line, the marks were few and far between.

We set up with Bandits on both sides first, but after a dismal start, we changed up the port side to WNC Reapers. The blue chrome with groovy stripes on it took one at 57 back. Then, nothing. We decided to move closer to Kelly's north side.

We set up again with the Bandits on the starboard side at 100, 70, 60, 50, and 40 back behind the Off Shore boards, and the Reapers set at 97, 77, 67, 57, and 47.

Fish came on the Reaper at 97, 67, and 57 back closer to Kelly's. The Bandits only caught a plastic bag today.

We made one more move, after that pass from west to east, and when we hit the east side of the island, we moved back to the NW corner of it. This time, I decided to try the 38-40' of water contour lines, headed north, towards Gull Island Shoal.

We changed out the Reapers to Flicker Minnow 11s, and caught a walleye at 67 back on the purple chrome/foil color. Nothing more on that pass up to the shoal and across the bottom of it, headed east.

We had good marks everywhere in that area, so it's just a matter of time before they become hungry and active again. I hate this time of the spawn, when they are recovering...deep sigh.

We changed up colors so often, I can't remember what caught, and what we had out. We ended up with 6 fish though, and that's it. Not a great day of catching, but it was a great day fishing. My Wisco crew is a lot of fun, and very patient, so they made my job less stressful on a tough day.

We will try again tomorrow, but this time headed out of Catawba, and headed to the west side of the islands. The satellite picture is looking better and better every day, the water temps are coming up, the air temps are going up, the full moon is diminishing, and the winds are going to lay down a little bit again. The bite is sure to get hot here pretty soon.

Yes, some people are in the right spot at the right time, and will do very well, and catch their limits....but, for the rest of us that are over fish that do not want to participate, this blog is for them.

Keep the faith, and never give up. Don't lose your confidence, which I know can happen. Right now, I feel like I have forgotten how to fish! But, we're just in the right spot at the wrong time, so just keep plugging away. The lake is huge, and there is no way to cover it all, so just remember, the easy days are just around the corner.

But, this Monday, and Tuesday are going to blow again....and, Monday is a big cold front, again. Wednesday is a NW wind forecast, making for rough seas. Welcome to Lake Erie...be smart and be safe.

Tomorrow, I have the same crew, and we will try our best...that's all we can do.

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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Fishing Day 2 with Jason, Cindy, and John...April 9th, 2023

by Capt Juls on 04/09/23

Left the house this morning, with my heart breaking, because Alfie is not used to me leaving without him, yet. He was giving me the sad/confused eyes as I walked out the door. :(

Dexter just jumped up on the couch with a look of, "Have a great day, Mom! See you when you get back." lol

Thankfully, my friend, Jen, came yesterday and today to walk them, while I was gone. Thanks Jen, it's much appreciated! :)

It was 5:30 when I left the house, this morning. I was picking my crew up at the Country Inn and Suites, across town, at 6am. I hit the gas station for ice, but forgot my crew had my cooler from the day before, so I threw it up on the back of the boat and headed to the hotel. They had gotten ice too, so we had an overabundance of ice this morning. Oops!

It was chilly this morning, but the weatherman said it would be warming up to around 53 degrees by noon. It was 37 degrees when we launched at Catawba, and the wind barely made a ripple across the surface of the lake. The wind forecast was for 7-8 out of the east, but I think it was probably around 5mph all morning. the sky was clear of clouds all day, so we also got a great satellite picture this afternoon.

We headed north towards Niagara again, but were going to look at the deeper side of it, to the east, this time. I was expecting to find some muddy water, but it was clean, so we kept heading north until we found some good mixing water with some fish marks in it.

Speaking of fish marks....my sonar is working perfectly after installing the latest Helix software update last night. That monkey is off my back now...whew!

We set up with Bandits on both sides, running behind the Off Shore boards.

The port side was set at 80, 60, 50, 40 (long leads on the outside), and the port side ran at 100, 77, 67, and 57.

Colors that caught fisher were:

Taco Salad (stock)

Freak Show (Hammertime Lures/Sandusky Bait Co.)

Blue Chrome (Stock)

Red Headed Wonderbread (not stock, but I can't remember where I got them from)

Electric Zebra (stock)

At one point, I swapped out the Bandits on the starboard side to all Spro 120s and ran them at 97, 67, 50, and 40.

Colors that caught were the

Blue Chrome (stock)

Chrome Perch (stock)

RC Crush (DJ Custom Eye Lures)

Around 11AM I noticed the water temp on the Fish Hawk was colder down below (43.2) than the surface temp reading from my Helix (44), so I thought since we were in muddy water that the fish might be nose bleed high to soak up some of that warmth from the sunshine without getting blinded, and brought a few baits up really high....like 20 feet behind the board kind of high.

The Red Headed Spro at 20 back got pulled back hard within 5 minutes of setting it, but it was a hit and a miss.

Then, I had Jason set his two inside Bandits at 20 and 30 back, too, and the 20 back took a nice fish, not too long after.

We were doing a lot of S-Turns, and sometimes they hit on the fast side, and sometimes they hit on the slow side. I was trying to keep the speed at the lures around 1.3 to 1.5 mph, which on the Helix was 1.6 to 1.9mph.

Jason, Cindy, and John had a better time today than yesterday, because the weather was so much nicer, and the fish were more cooperative. We will be launching out of Mazurik's tomorrow, for their last day.

I think all of the fish caught today were already spawned out...and, I think all those marks on my sonar this morning were already spawned out fish that just needed to rest up after getting beat up. It won't be long and they will put the feed bag on. Oh what fun that will be, eh? :)

Stay tuned...

Capt Juls

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Fishing with Jason, Cindy, and John Hendricks... 4/8/2023

by Capt Juls on 04/08/23

After a bunch of reschedules this past week, I was finally able to start the season with my Wisconsin crew of three. Jason Hendricks had fished with me a few years ago, with some friends, but this time he brought his father John and his wife Cindy along with him for a three day trip.

As you all know, the winds here have been wacky for several weeks, to where it would blow hard from one direction, and then be nice for a day, and then blow hard from the opposite direction, the next day. The full moon was last night, so typically, if the conditions are right, a good bunch of fish will spawn during the full moon, and ignore our offerings of plastic crank baits as they swim by. The jiggers will have more success with the frisky males on the reefs right now, than the trollers looking for big females.

Not all fish will spawn at the same time, however, so there will be fish that will still bite, so always go if you have the chance. :)

You all know my morning routine of getting gas and ice at the local station, so I'll skip that fun part today, and get right into the what, where, and how.

We launched out of Catawba just before sunrise, so we could get the sunrise pic from the water. It's been a long winter, and it's my first sunrise pic out there this season, so that alone made it a good day for me. lol

We headed north to Niagara, and found some decent water. Unfortunately, my Helix's sonar is acting up again. I just changed out the Y Cable yesterday, because it wasn't reading on plane, and again....It wasn't reading on plane this morning.

It eventually started working, closer to the end of our trip, though. It's like the unit isn't processing the info, or something, until the unit has been on for a few hours. I don't understand it. Another reason I think it's the unit, and not the Y cable now, is that the sonar screen's scroll is set at 10, and intermittently it will slow way down and maybe scroll at a level 2?

Anyway....I knew the area, so we set up over 30' of water, with Bandits behind Off Shore boards, on the south side of the reef. It was an ENE wind (early), and then began to switch to an ESE wind, with some gusts, later on.

Bandits were set at 80, 70, 60, and 50 on the port side, with the longest leads on the outside boards, and 75, 65, 55, 45 on the starboard side. After the port side caught 3 fish, to zero fish on the starboard side, we switched out the starboard side with P-10s (no weight), at 90, 70, 60, 50 (again, longest leads on the outside).

The speed on the surface was different than the speed at the Fish Hawk swimming down below. The SOG, as we trolled towards Crib Reef, said it was 1.6-1.7mph, and the Fish Hawk read 1.0mph at the lure.

Colors that caught the 5 fish this morning were...Bandits: (2) Red Headed Wonder Bread @ 40 back, RC Crush @60 back, Taco Salad @ 80 back, and one Fire Tiger P-10 @60 back.

When the waves started turning into 3's and 4's in the shallow reef area, we picked up and headed down inside, to Clinton Reef, and set up with a trolling pass towards the Portage River. Nada...just one pull back there. Didn't mark much there either, which is unusual for this time of year.

Since we didn't have time left to go anyplace else and start again, and it was windy and chilly, they opted to head in early to try again tomorrow. We will be launching out of Mazurik's in the morning.

Stay tuned...

Capt Juls

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Finally Ready to Go!

by Capt Juls on 04/02/23

I had been trying to fish this past week, both on Tuesday and Thursday, to make sure everything was working before I started running any trips, but equipment gremlins kept me from fishing, either day.

Long story short.... Dan, at Fisherman's Central, got my Minn-Kota and Humminbird working again, so I was good to go this morning.

Jen and I launched out of Dempsey's at 9am and headed out to the lake to see if we could find some clean water. With the offshore winds the past two days, I figured all the mud that had been closer to shore would have blown out to mix with the cleaner water to the NNE, so we headed north, in search of the right mixing water.

Last night's gusty winds had subsided to a light wind out of the north, by 9am, so the ride out wasn't that bad.

We ended up starting at the 39/32 line, and set up on a WNW to ESE trolling pass, to a north to south pass.

Water temp was 39.4 degrees up there on the line, and only 36.9 in the south passage.

I set the speed to 1.2mph on the gps, and got the lines in the water. Jen ran Bandits on her side, with an RC Crush at 110 on the outside Off Shore board, Daydream Bandit at 65 on the middle board, and a Red Headed Wonder Bread Bandit on the inside board with a 2oz snap weight, set at 50/40.

My side ran the "Christmas Tree" "Bill Lewis Precise Walleye Crank" at 65 back on the middle board, and the Black Headed Chrome Wonder Bread, 30 back, on the inside board. The outside board ran a custom color from DJ's Custom Eye Lures called, "FJ Spot" at 80 back.

After the baits were in the water, I proceeded to set up the "Fish Hawk" unit. Once it was up and running, I noticed that I had to be going 1.6mph (SOG) to have the baits swimming at 1.1mph, down below. That's a big difference!

We only caught two walleye, before heading back in at noon. One nice 6ish pounder came on the Red Headed Wonder Bread at 50/40 2oz, and a nice eater bit the RC Crush at 110 back, unassisted.

I got the peace of mind, to know that everything is working in the boat again, as it should be. So, now, I just need Mother Nature to back off and get her act together, so I can get back to work. Several days may get rescheduled this week.

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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It's a Lousy Weather Day Today so I'm Just Checking In...:)

by Capt Juls on 02/22/23

It's one of those days dreary days, where a freezing rain taps on the windows, quietly in the background, while I'm sitting here at my computer, tapping on the keys.

A gusty wind, puffs from the NE...it's 34 degrees, with an even colder windchill, and a rain system coming in from the opposite direction. It's just an all around weird and yucky day.

I thought I would take advantage of being stuck at home, while the dogs are quiet, and touch base with those of you who will be fishing with me this season. :)

First, I want to thank all of you have already scheduled trips, I couldn't do this without you, and I'm looking forward to fishing with you all! ;)

April is already full...woot! woot!

May has only the 31st left to fill.

June has the following open...the 19th, 23rd, 26th, 24th, 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th.

And, there's plenty openings in the summer, right now, too.

I'll be at the Huron Fish Expo on March 4th, working the Off Shore Tackle display, along with 3 other OST Pro Staffers, to answer any questions people might have about the product. Then, the following weekend, I'll be at the South Shore Marine Show with the OST display, too.

March 18th I'll have my boat at a test ride event with Fisherman's Central, at a local ramp. I'm not sure where they are going out of yet. I would think Dempsey's would be a good choice, but I don't get to pick the spot. lol I'll update this when I know where.

Hopefully, after that, the weather will start behaving better, and I'll get back to fishing and blogging more.

Stay Tuned....

Capt Juls

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Spring Fishing is Almost Here!

by Capt Juls on 01/13/23

Spring dates are starting to fill up, so if you're looking to book a "fishing adventure" with me, it's time to get you on the calendar! Whether you're a seasoned angler, new to trolling, or somewhere in between....or, you just want a fun adventure, this trip is for you!

I allow my customers to help set lines, so they can learn the tips and tricks I use with the Off Shore boards...giving them the confidence they need to be successful on their own. Or, I can do all the work, if a customer prefers to just relax in between reeling in fish. It's up to you. ??

Available dates right now.... March... 26th through the 31st (may start a week earlier if the weather and lake conditions permit, but the 25th is already taken)

April...Is full

May...31st

June...19, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30

While the early spring dates are better for a chance at trophy sized catches, I like May and June the best, because the weather is warmer/more stable, the fish are plentiful (still a good chance at catching a trophy sized fish), and they are hungry!

For more information, please visit my actual website, at "Juls Walleye Fishing Adventures",

Call / Text 410-835-7347 ...or, Email me at RNGRGAL@gmail.com (I like to have an email conversation trail to look back on, because I'll never be able to remember every conversation I have with everyone I speak to, so phone calls are less desired. ?? )

Let's go fishing! Thanks, and have a great day!

Capt Juls

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My Thoughts on the New Vexus after Running Rangers for so Many Years

by Capt Juls on 12/04/22

Boat show season is right around the corner, and if you're in the market for a new fishing boat, I want to share what I've learned after running the Vexus for a couple of months, in the hope that if you see one at the show, you'll go climb around in one, and check it out. :)

I've owned 20 different Rangers...most of them being the 621s, and I loved them. The fact, that the folks who started and built Rangers are now making the Vexus was my biggest motivator in moving, and trying out the the new hull.

I finally got the new DVX22 back in mid-September, and the first time I ran it I knew I was going to love it. I expected it to be similar to the 621 in regards to drivability, but to my surprise, it's better...it's smoother, and handles better in the rougher stuff.

Granted, I don't take people out when it's really rough, because they usually can't stand up in the boat, and it's no fun for them, so I keep my days to when the waves are forecasted to be 1-3s, and reschedule when it's going to be rougher than that. With that said, I noticed I can drive faster in the 2-3s than I ever did with the 621, and felt comfortable doing so.

It's also faster than any Ranger I have owned. I was never able to get my 621s over 58mph, and I've hit 68mph with the Vexus, which still had a little more to go, but I'm not comfortable going that fast out there....with nets, floating debris, and wakes to watch out for, so I prefer to just keep it at a cruising speed, for safety's sake. So, obviously, speed isn't my biggest concern in a boat. It's nice to know, though, that I can open it up on a nice day, and hit those speeds.

Things I like, are probably little things to others, but big things to me, and in no particular order of importance...just whatever comes to my head first:

~The windshield...it's solid as a rock. You know how when people in the boat move from the front or the back of the boat, and step up/down, and use the windshield as a crutch to do so? Yeah, this windshield can take that weight. In my 621s, I was always telling them not to put their weight on the windshield, because it can cause troubles...loosen screws and such. But, because of the way Vexus has the windshield installed, it can take all that weight, and I never have to worry about it.

It's also, not tight against the console, so I can get my entire hand back behind the dash, to clean the glass.

For many years, because of the design, I wasn't able to do that with the Rangers, and for someone like me, who likes to keep the boat spotless, that's huge. lol

~The boat's cooler is now in the rear port side corner, rather than in front of the windshield on the port side bow. That makes it much easier to put stuff in, and get stuff out, without having to climb up in the boat to do so.

~The design of the transom/splash well area is much better...it's higher off the water, so the bigger waves don't come over the back, like they can in the Ranger with the lower profile back there.

~The bow seems higher off the water when the boat is on plane, which is nice when driving is rougher conditions. I also have the trim tabs installed, and while I could set them on auto, I like to use them manually...they really improve the ride. I have the controls installed on the gunnel by the throttle, so all I have to do is reach up and adjust it on the fly. So simple.

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~The bow storage compartments are freak'n huge. All the stuff I had in the 621 compartments up there, that filled those compartments to the brim, don't even come close to filling up those storage boxes on the Vexus.

~I like the rod locker, but the design of it limits how many rods you can put in there, and I know it's not 10' in the center, like a few others have... I think their website says 8'4" in the center. All my rods are 7', so that's not an issue for me.

~I like the rod storage on the port side, in the Vexus better, too. That design keeps the reels from touching anything and scratching the glass when transporting rods. The rod butt/reel supports are something I had never seen before, and at first I thought I wouldn't like them, but they are the bomb! Very cool and easy to use.

~The battery compartment can hold all 5 batteries (Rangers only 4), and the 2 and 3 bank chargers are installed in the rear starboard compartment, right in front of the transom control panel where they get plugged in. That's convenient, because I can open that compartment lid and check the battery chargers, before I unplug them. I no longer have to climb in the boat to do that.

~This one I'm getting used to....in the Vexus, in front of the live well, they have storage compartments and access to the bilge pumps. It takes up about 8 inches, I think? I'm not sure, I never measured it. But, that's where I used to have my MoDog Running Rod Rack, and because of that storage/bilge access, I can no longer install the rod rack there.

But, thanks to Cisco, who have come up with a hybrid rod holder, that is like a combo between a tube and cradle (I always preferred the cradles), I can now put the rods in the new rod holders when I'm running from spot to spot, instead of having to put them back in the rod locker or lying around the boat with customers sitting back there, too.

Cisco designed these rod holders to keep the reel facing inside the boat...(see pic below). That's what I didn't like about just the tube style holders...the reel would be facing outside the boat.

My cradles didn't have the arm attachment, so I would've had to use a bungee cord, wrapped around the end, to keep the rod from falling out when on plane. What a pain in the butt that was, each time I had to move. These new rod holders were just the ticket I needed to replace the loss of my MoDog. So, now I'm not so unhappy with that storage/bilge area. I really do like having that extra storage and easier access to the bilge.

~The area inside the back is not as roomy as the 621s, however, and is just a big tighter, due to larger storage compartments, and it only being 101" from gunnel to gunnel, but not so much that it bothers me. I noticed it, but it didn't bother me.

~The Vexus comes with Air Wave pedestals in them, and Ranger uses the through the floor suspension pedestals. So, both have bouncy seats offered, but the Air Wave product is a better choice, in my opinion. With that said, I put the SmoothMoves in mine, because I've used them for years, and my customers love them. The SM seat also allows me to be higher than the previous two options mentioned, which allows me to get above the windshield when I'm driving, (I also fold my seat down and sit on the back of it, so I'm even higher) so I can read the waves better.

~The compartment lids have deeper channels and rubber surrounds, so it is better at keeping water out of the boxes.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but know this...whichever brand you prefer, you can't go wrong with any of them. Some are just a little better, depending on what your needs are. :)

Capt Juls

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Fishing with Jen and the Elf 11/23/2022

by Capt Juls on 11/24/22

As many of you know, I got a new puppy a month ago...his name is Alfie. My friend Jen, and her hubby Matt, adopted Alfie's brother, and named him Ozzie. So, now we have 5 dogs between the two households, and with the pups only 13 weeks old now, it's hard to leave them for very long. But, yesterday, Matt said he would watch all the dogs, while Jen and I went fishing. Thanks, Matt!

It was going to be a beautiful day, after several days of gale force winds and freezing temps, so Jen and I jumped at the chance to get on the lake one last time, before calling it quits for the season.

The wind forecast was for south winds at 5-10mph and an air temp near 60 degrees. The sky was clear of clouds, and the sunshine was plentiful.

We launched out of Mazurik's, because I knew Huron would be a zoo. Mazurik's was an easy launch, and the ride over to the Huron area was an easy ride, since the waves were only about 6 inches high. :)

We set up between Cedar Point and Huron...with the Ulterra and baby Merc set on a course to the NE from there, at a speed of 1.6-1.7mph

I had recently added the Fish Hawk X2 to the boat, so I was looking forward to making sure it was working properly before next season starts. The Helix was showing a speed of 1.9mph, and since I wanted my lures to be going 1.6-1.7mph, I adjusted the speed according to what the reading on the Fish Hawk was showing, at depth. There was a .2mph difference in readings. Sometimes, it was even more of a difference when I made turns, into and out of currents. So, I am very happy I made that purchase...it was worth every penny! It's easy to set up, too!

Jen ran two Bandits and a #14 Husky Jerk on her side, and I ran Bandits on my side. The starboard side was set up at 120, 97, and 75 back behind the Off Shore boards, unassisted. Jen ran her side with the Bandits at 120, (I don't know what her middle one was running), unassisted, and the Husky Jerk was 40/40 with a 2oz Guppie weight.

Colors didn't seem to matter much, but we were running mostly white bodied baits. Her husky jerk was orange and yellow with black stripes, though, and took several fish, too. :)

It actually got very warm out there, even though the water temp was only 42.9 degrees, because the wind died down, and we were peeling our layers off and piling them up under the console. I was ALMOST barefoot, but was too lazy to bend over to take the boots off. lol

We had our 12 fish in no time at all, and decided that our chances of catching a winning fish for the brawl or slam were slim to none at the time of day we were fishing, and we missed our puppies, so we went in after only 3 hours of fishing.

Good luck to those that are still fishing for that winning fish! Stay safe, and if you do catch a fish that places you in the money, may you pass the lie detector test with flying colors! :)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Enjoy the day! :)

Capt Juls

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Just an Update....

by Capt Juls on 11/12/22

Hello all...

Thank you for reading my blogs! I appreciate all of you!

My season is pretty much over, due to the new puppy in my life, who needs a lot of attention at his young age. Alfie is only going on 12 weeks old, so running trips right now is challenging.

My trip that was scheduled yesterday, the 11th, was cancelled by the customer, due to not wanting to fish in the rain all morning. I have one more trip on the schedule for the 19th, but the long range forecast is calling for 30mph gusts out of the WSW, and he contacted me about that.

I told him that we would look at the forecast again as the date got closer, and we could make the decision then.

At this time of year, when the water gets cold, I am more selective on the days I will run, since I am responsible for the safety of my customers. I do not take that responsibility lightly.

So, after this last scheduled trip, I will not be scheduling anymore trips for this season, so I can spend time training this adorable little knucklehead. :)

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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Fishing with Jeff Baker, Jeff, and Will 11/3/2022

by Capt Juls on 11/03/22

Jeff called me last night, and said, "I've been reading your reports, and it looks like it's going to be nice this week...can we get out? We were a reschedule from October". I said, "Tomorrow is supposed to be nice, but then it gets windy again for a couple of days, can you go tomorrow?" He said, "I'll have to check with my crew, but I think we can make that happen". And, they did. :)

Huron was a zoo again yesterday, so I didn't want to deal with that mess, and pray that someone didn't damage my trailer while it sat in an overcrowded parking lot. We launched out of Marblehead, and had the launch pretty much to ourselves, except for another captain friend of mine, who was there waiting on his crew, and a family of three launching a pontoon boat to go perch'n. It was very relaxing. :)

We headed out, and started out at Airport Reef in 34' of water and trolled the outside edge of the reef up towards the tip of the island. We landed 4 walleye in that one long pass. There was one set of perch nets, set up off the tip of the reef, and surprised me....we were kind of close, but with quick assessment, quickly figured out there was no danger of getting in it. We were on the single flag end, and on the outside of it, so all was well.

Captain Bobby Greene, who was the other captain at the launch, sent me a text to tell me he had moved from the area I was in, and found some good marks to the east. He sent me the numbers, and it turned out they were right on top of the marks I laid on my Helix last Saturday and Sunday, so I told my guys we were moving over there.

We picked up and made took a ride to the east, and set up again. We were running Bandits and Reapers unassisted by the reef, and only caught one of the 4 walleye on the Reaper, so we took all those off and put 4 more Bandits out again.

Since we were in the area I was last weekend, I decided to try the program I ran last weekend, too.

Bandits unassisted, behind the Off Shore boards, on the starboard side at 120, 110, 100, and 85 back, and with the 2oz Guppie weights running at 35/85, 35/65, 35/50, and 35/35 on the port side.

Bandit colors that worked well today were....

Daydream

RC Crush

Red Headed Wonderbread

Red Head

IB Frozen

There wasn't a lot of traffic out there, and at one point, there was a red StarCraft next to us that looked like they were trolling pretty fast. I was doing 1.6-1.7mph, and because of the angle he was running, I couldn't tell how fast he was actually going, but it looked fast. I got on the radio....."Red StarCraft are you on channel 79?" At first there was silence, so I figured he wasn't, so I put the mic down, and turned around to check the boards. At that time, a voice came over the radio, and I think he said his name, but I didn't make it out, and he said my name, and asked how we were doing. I told him, "We have 10 in the box...what speed are you doing? You look like you're hauling ass, and hauling in fish at that speed, too." He told me, "2.0mph going south, and 1.6-1.7 (I think that's what he said on his slow speed) going north. Red and white Bandits at 120 back". He was finishing up, and just fun fishing by that time, so I thanked him for his info, and dug out some red/white Bandits to put out on the starboard side.

He didn't lie. They worked. Thank you for the info, Mr. I can't remember your name in the red StarCraft! We were able to put 8 more fish in the cooler in time to finish out their 3-man limit. I appreciated the help. :)

Jeff Baker (I'm using his last name, because there were two Jeff's on the boat, and JB booked the trip with me)....he and his friends fish together all the time, and he wanted to learn how to use the inline boards. They have done other charters, but he said they didn't let them do anything, but reel in the fish. The Captain set all the lines. I told him when we got in the boat, that if they really wanted to learn that I would teach them, and they could set their own boards, and they would be proficient by the end of the 6 hours.

They started out a bit shaky, but a couple of hours in, and they were setting lines just fine. They were even able to set the Off Shore boards back out in their original positions without having to move other boards out of the way. I was so proud of them. They did a great job! We only had one small tangle, and never lost a fish, so I call that a successful trip...and, that makes me happy!

Jeff asked me a lot of questions, and wrote my answers down on his little notepad, so he could remember the information, later, when they set up their boats with Off Shore boards and dipsies.

It was a fun morning, and a beautiful day on the lake. The wind was light out of the south in the morning, and then went down to practically nothing by 1:00. Some bugs showed up when the wind died, too, but they weren't too annoying.

The guys had fun, and I have no doubt that they will be able to duplicate what they learned today, on their own. And, with a little more practice, they will have the confidence to keep on troll'n on. :)

I'm off until the 11th, and hopefully that weekend will be nice, so I can get out a few more times, before I stop for the season. This little pup of mine needs some attention and some training, so that's my job in the off season, this year.

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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Fishing with Frank and Ray 11/1/2022

by Capt Juls on 11/01/22

I have fished Frank and Ray a few times, now. Frank likes to go out with me, before heading out for a few days in his own boat. He likes the practice, and the ideas on where to go, and what to do.

After watching the forecast on TV last night, I wasn't sure if we would be going today, because they were calling for some dense fog to be hanging around until noon. I wasn't going to go if it were thick fog, because of the brawl going on, and knowing how unsafe some people can be in bad conditions. But, it didn't happen.
When I got up this morning, there wasn't any fog...just a misty rain, so I sent a text to Frank, letting him know that we were still on, and that I would meet them at the Huron ramp at 7:30.
Sunrise, isn't until a little after 8am right now, and since it was cloudy, it was going to be darker than usual at 7:30.

We took our time heading out the river, and by the time we got to our area over in front of Cranberry, in 33 feet of water, it was light enough to set the Off Shore boards out on their merry way, pulling Bandits behind them.

The Ulterra steered us in a northeasterly direction, so that we would gradually get to deeper water, the further we went. The speed was set at 1.7mph.

Bandits on the starboard side were set at 120, 115, 100, and 95 back, and the Bandits on the port side ran with 2oz Guppie weights at 35/65, 35/50, 35/40, and 35/35.

Colors were:
Daydream (4)
RC Crush (2)
Glacial Shad
Green Lantern

It was a slow pick, but enough to keep us in the area.

After making our way all the way to Vermilion, and trolling over 40 feet of water, I turned the nose of the Vexus to the east, and headed towards Vermilion's breakwall. We caught three nice walleye going that direction when we got over 37 feet of water, but the marks disappeared as quick as they showed up, and we never got another bite. I tried going back over them, but they didn't cooperate.

It was at that time, when I had made the turn to go back over them, that I heard a Loon call. I looked out, and saw a orange Ninja board being pulled around, like the barrel in the back of "Jaws".
It would go under, and then pop up when the Loon popped up, and go under again when the Loon would dive.
It was a young female. We were going one way, and it was going the other, so I said, "We should try to help it", but then I realized, I had 8 boards out, and two old men in the boat. I didn't know how fast we could bring them in, to go chase her. We would certainly lose sight of her, before we could get back to her.

First, we decided we couldn't do it, but then a minute later I said, "Let's pick them up fast, we need to go try to help that Loon". Frank agreed. Luckily, it stayed in line between us and another boat, so I could keep track of her. And, she didn't move very far.

Once we had everything in the boat, I turned the boat around and headed towards her. I had Frank get up on the bow seat with the net, so he could try to net the board. He missed the first attempt, and I threw the throttle in reverse, so I could maneuver the bow towards the floating board. The engine must have startled the bird, because she popped up, and sat there. Frank was able to net the board and bring it to the boat.

Once I had my hands on the gobs of braided line, I was able to handline the Loon to the side of the boat, where we scooped her up in the net, too. It's a rubber net, so she didn't get tangled in it. Her beak was poking through the basket of the net, so with my gloved hand, I held her beak, and instructed Frank to grab the knife, so he could cut the line that was wrapped around her wing, and body.

Thankfully, it wasn't too bad, and she was cut free in no time at all. She thanked me by poking at my pant leg, which, you should know, kind of hurts. lol

She sat there for a while, and then I picked her up and did the "Back to the Wild's"...."1-2-3 Be Free" slogan, and she flew off the side of the boat...beating her wings, landing, and then diving. So, with that, I knew she was going to be okay.

Frank and Ray were very happy that we were able to rescue her, and I'm sure she is very happy we were able to, too.

The radio chatter said that they were doing well out in 45 feet of water off Vermilion, so we picked up and headed north a few miles, to reach that depth. We set up again with the usual program.

Once again, the radio chatter mentioned that the "Sun Spot" bandit at 100 back was doing well, so I dug one out of the box, and put it out. It wasn't out there an entire minute, before that Off Shore board when flying back. Frank got a kick out of that, and said to Ray, "How about that, Ray? I think we'll need to listen to the radio more... they give you tips". He then asked what channel I listen to, so I told him, "79".

Then, I put a couple more "Sun Spots" out, but we were interrupted in our trolling pass, by a freighter that was bearing down on us, so I said, "We need to pick up and move out of the way...those freighters move faster than they appear, and I don't know where he plans on going." So we did.

We moved back to 43 feet of water, where I had seen several boats prior to moving out to 45 feet. We set up one last time, and needed only one fish to finish out their two-man limits. We caught one nice one, and Frank mentioned he was tired, and since we only had 1/2 hour left, we decided to go in.

It was a beautiful morning on the lake, even though it was cloudy and kind of foggy. The wind was light out of the WSW, so the conditions on the lake were fantastic. They had fun, learned some stuff they had forgotten since the last time out, and are now ready to hit the water the rest of the week, in Frank's boat.

I'm not scheduled again until the 11th, so I'll be off, and continuing the training of my new 10 week old pup, Alfie, and keeping Dexter happy.

It's supposed to be beautiful the rest of the week, so I'm pretty sure, since I'm not scheduled, you can thank me for that. hehehe

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

PS...If anyone is missing a Ninja Board with braided line and a chrome spotted Bandit...let me know. You can have it back. Thanks!

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Fishing with Bruce, David, and Dan 10/30/2022

by Capt Juls on 11/01/22

I woke up early this morning, and looked at the glowing numbers on the alarm clock. It read "3:20"AM, or so I thought. After getting up, feeding the pup, and drinking two cups of coffee, I glanced at the kitchen clock, to see how much time I had left before my crew showed up, here at the house. The clock read, "2:30AM". Wait...WHAT? I was so confused. I woke up way too early, and knew it was going to be a very long day. lol

Since my crew wasn't supposed to be here until 6:45 I decided to go gas up the Vexus at the gas station down the road from me, and get ice in the cooler, before they showed up. It would save us a stop on the way to Dempsey's, where we planned on launching this morning. Huron was a zoo yesterday morning, and Dempsey's was empty this morning. What a difference! No pressure and much more relaxed.

Bruce, and his sons David and Dan showed up 15 minutes early, so we hit the road and got to Dempsey's a little before 7AM. There was hanging fog above the road, but it didn't interfere with driving at all, and I was keeping my fingers crossed that it wouldn't be on the lake, either. I was happy to see, that when we got to the ramp there wasn't any fog on the lake.

The sky was clear this morning, so the horizon was starting to lighten up pretty fast. Sunrise wouldn't be for another hour, but it was light enough to head out. The navigation lights were turned on, and the motor was warmed up first, then, off we went. The air temp was a touch warmer than yesterday's chilly 39 degrees, but I didn't look at the actual temperature this morning.

I headed back to where I was yesterday, which was about 11 miles out of Huron. It was also 11 miles from the channel marker at Cedar Point, just from a different angle, so the ride was about the same. Again, there were ENE rollers coming in, so we didn't go very fast getting out there.

The program was the same as yesterday's program (copy pasted here, so I don't have to type it all again...with a little more added...I'm tired...lol)

Bandits were my choice of bait this morning, because they've been my go-to bait for several years now. Knowing that white colors produce best in the fall, I opted to start with a few in the mix.
The stock color called, "Daydream", was set behind the Off Shore board on the starboard side, on the outside, at 120 back, unassisted.
Next to the outside board, was a "Slim Shady Custom" called, "Glacier Shad"... at 97 back, unassisted.
The second board pulled a "DJ Custom" called, "RC Crush", at 75 back, and the inside Bandit was another "Daydream" at 45 back initially, but later set to 75 back when the spread was changed to 120, 107, 97, and 75 back unassisted. Today though, as the morning progressed, we set the unassisted side to 120, 110, 97, and 85 back.

On the port side, we set up using 2 oz Guppie weights at the 35 mark, instead of the usual 50 back, and set up his spread at 35/35, 35/50, 35/60, and 35/80. Colors were the following...
Daydream
Green Lantern (w/red chin) Another Slim Shady Custom
Daydream
And.... another Daydream.
Everything listed above caught fish, with the Daydream running at 120 unassisted, and 35/65 w/2oz, catching the most.

Speed varied...as slow as 1.4 to as fast as 2.1mph. Water temp today was 51.9 degrees over 45 feet of water.

My crew are avid fishermen, but life got in the way, and they hadn't been walleye fishing together, in at least 10 years, I was told. They did a great job picking back up on the lingo, and were working like a well oiled machine by the time we had our 24 fish in the cooler. They had never used inline planer boards before, so that was new to them, but they did a great job, and were setting them out like the pros.

They want to come back in the spring, next season, so that makes me happy!

I'm off tomorrow, but will be back out walleye fishing with Frank Smith and his friend on Tuesday.

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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Fishing with Karl, John, and Bill 10/29/2022

by Capt Juls on 11/01/22

After several perch trips, I was really looking forward to getting back out and chasing some walleye, and today was the day. I woke up at 2:45, even though my alarm was set for 3:50, and figured I'd just get up and take care of the new puppy, before I had to get ready.

Dexter slept in, so Alfie and I went out on the back deck to check the weather. I was disappointed to see thick fog hanging in the air, and questioned whether I still wanted to drive over to Huron to launch, imagining car wrecks, hit deer, or some other unnatural disaster awaiting us this morning. lol

Alfie took my attention away from all that, with his growling, and hopping around playfully, at the dead leaves on the ground. I sipped my coffee, and checked the wind forecast for the rest of the day. It was going to be really nice with a SE wind at less than 6mph most of the day. Yay!

By 4am, the fog was lifted, and I could see the stars shining up above. The air was crisp, and chilly. The air temp was 39 degrees. My friend, Jen, came and picked up my dogs for the day, so I could fish without worrying about the little one. Thanks, Jen!

I picked my Vexus up from her heated storage, and stopped off to gas her up and get ice for the cooler, before heading to the Holiday Inn Express to pick up my crew.

Karl has fished with me for around 6 or 7 years now, and likes to bring different friends or family members with him each time he comes. This time, he brought his friends, John and Bill along.

We headed to Huron to launch and showed up there at around 7am. The sky was still dark, but the ramp was full of lights. Truck and boat lights. I'm used to being the only one there when I show up early, but I felt like I was really late, this time.

It didn't take very long to get launched, since most of the folks that fish this time of year are pretty seasoned anglers and know how to work with each other at the boat launch.

We were headed out of the river by 7:19. The destination was straight north of the river, until we hit 45 feet of water. So, that's what we did. There were still residual NE rollers coming in from yesterday's NE wind, so we couldn't go very fast. John is older, and I didn't want to beat him up on the ride out, so we took our time, and got there within a half hour.

The Helix had marked fish on the ride out, but nothing that I would shut down early for...I was determined to get to 45 feet first. When I did get to 45 feet, and came off plane, I wasn't too impressed, and was hardly marking anything.

I figured it was as good a place as any to start, so the Ulterra was deployed, along with the baby Merc, and set on a westerly course at a speed of 1.6-1.9mph.

Bandits were my choice of bait this morning, because they've been my go-to bait for several years now. Knowing that white colors produce best in the fall, I opted to start with a few in the mix.

The stock color called, "Daydream", was set behind the Off Shore board on the starboard side, on the outside, at 120 back, unassisted.
Next to the outside board, was a "Slim Shady Custom" called, "Glacier Shad"... at 97 back, unassisted.
The second board pulled a "DJ Custom" called, "RC Crush", at 75 back, and the inside Bandit was another "Daydream" at 45 back initially, but later set to 75 back when the spread was changed to 120, 107, 97, and 75 back unassisted.

On the port side, Karl set up using 2 oz Guppie weights at the 35 mark, instead of the usual 50 back, and set up his spread at 35/35, 35/50, 35/60, and 35/80. His colors were the following...
Fruit Salad
Green Lantern (w/red chin) Another Slim Shady Custom
One color I can't remember the name of...but, it had a lot of white in it...lol
And, another Daydream.

Everything listed above caught fish, with the Daydream running at 120 unassisted catching the most.

We caught our 4-person limit of walleye by 10:30am, and headed back in, before the rush at the ramp happened, again. Loading out was easy enough, since it wasn't as busy as it was early this morning. There wasn't a spot left in the parking lot, and all the grassy areas that could hold a trailer were loaded up with parked vehicles and trailers, too. I've never seen it so busy there before. But, it was a beautiful morning, and the fish are biting, so I guess it's to be expected. Smile

Everyone had a good time, and John and Bill were very impressed with our fishery. They are from Chicago, and I don't recall if they said they have ever fished here before. If they haven't, I know they will be again...the walleye did not disappoint, and kept them very busy.

We had many doubles and a couple triples this morning, which is always a good time.

Karl will be back again next season, and that makes me happy! Smile

Tomorrow, I have a crew of three. A father and his two sons will be going to try for walleye again. The morning should be very similar to this morning, so I hope the bite will be just as good, if not better.

Stay tuned....

Capt Juls

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