4/27/18 Walleye

This past Friday I took out a friend who I owe many a trip.  Richard took my father and I out, while my boat was down, and that trip turned out to be the last time my Dad and I ever went fishing together.  We didn’t catch many but at least we got to spend time on the river, one last time.  So with memories of that final trip on a constant loop in my mind we headed down to my usual spot on the Trenton Channel.  As expected, the water was clear and there were about 3 dozen other boats on the water.  It was a 50/50 mix of jiggers and handliners but as the sun started to set the jiggers were becoming fewer and fewer.  Boat control tonight was going to be a problem with a North wind blowing at over 10 mph.  I was hoping it would die down as the sun set but it didn’t until we were done, a couple of hours later.  The fishing wasn’t fast and furious but once it got dark and I found them we managed to pick away at our 2 man limit of ten.  We also managed to catch about 1/2 a dozen throwbacks and lost a number of fish as well.  All total I think we boated about 17 fish.  Once I landed number 10 Richard started to bring in his lines when he hooked one as well.  Since it wasn’t any bigger than any of the fish we already had he tossed it back.  During all our catching I managed to get my first double of the year.  I also got one on the surface.  As I was landing a fish on my 20 foot lead another walleye grabbed the lure on my 40 foot lead off the surface.  Near as I can figure another walleye must have followed up the one I hooked, hoping he might get any missed scraps.  He’ll never make that mistake again.  Around 10:00 pm we started to pack it in and that was when the wind finally started to die down.  No matter, we were done.  Took a little longer than I expected but Richard enjoyed himself and that’s what matters.

4/25/18 Walleye

This is getting ridiculous.  I know last year I said the 2018 fishing was going to be phenomenal but this is nuts.  3 trips, 3 limits and I have yet to fish past sunset.  Last night was no different.  I started at 7:45 pm in the same area, with the same 3 lures, and by 8:15 I was done.  Water is clearing up, about 2 feet of visibility.  Not very many boats out tonight but the one handliner I talked to had his 5 and was headed in.  Hope this lasts another week or so.  Forecast is for temps near 80 next week and once that starts it won’t be long before those other things show up.

Wish I had more to write about but it’s been pretty straight forward fishing.  Go out, catch fish, come in.  Not out there long enough to see anything or make any observations.  No guess work, just drop lines and have at it.  I did see a Common Loon as I was headed back in.  Apparently he heard about how good the fishing was as well.

 

4/23/18 Walleye

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate a South wind?

Left the house after 7:00 pm to see if I could get another quick limit tonight.  There was a breeze out of the east in single digits so I figured it wouldn’t be to big a deal.  As I was heading down to my spot I spotted Richard’s boat so I slowed up to see how he was doing.  As I pulled up alongside he was bringing in a walleye.  We chit chatted for a bit and eventually I started fishing at 7:38 pm.  At 7:40 pm the wind shifted to straight out of the south and the speed increased to double digits.  Whitecaps appeared on the water and the wind was blowing so hard it was pushing my boat upstream, against the current.  I thought it might just be a quick gust but even after it died down some the direction did not change.  For 10 minutes I fought it and even thought about heading for the dock.  It was right about then that I got my first fish so after I carefully brought him in I decided to stick it out.  The other handliners in the area were all catching fish so I figured it wouldn’t take long.  At 8:20 pm number #5 was in the boat and I was headed for home.

Water clarity was clearer than Friday and not as much junk.  I took a temp reading this time and it was around 44 degrees.  If the weather doesn’t start to get to crazy warm I should have about 2 weeks before those other fish show up.  Same lures as last time (still lazy) with the #9 Original Rapala taking most of the fish.  I also threw one back that was a borderline legal fish.  When the fishing is this stupid easy I have no problems throwing one back with the hope of catching a non questionable fish.

Nothing else to report other than the fishing is fantastic right now.  All the handliners I have talked to are catching fish and I have yet to fish past sunset.  Got to love it when fishing is this good.

 

 

Maiden Voyage, 2018

This one is going to be short, sweet and to the point.  I don’t have much to say since I wasn’t out there that long.

Friday (4/20/18) was my first trip of the year.  It had turned out to be one of the best days weather wise we have had so I decided to take advantage of it.  Never know when Mother Nature is gonna go off her meds again.  I didn’t get on the water until around 7:15 pm.  Weather reports said the wind was in the single digits and out of the south.  The way I was getting bounced around it seemed higher than that.  Eventually I made it to where I wanted to start, a spot in the middle of the river away from all the other boats.  I started off with 3 of the lures that were lying on my console from last year (I am so lazy).  The water had a nice stain to it but it was full of junk from the recent downpours.  Only took a couple of minutes and the first one for the 2018 season was in the boat.  It was soon followed up by another and then another.  After number 3 was in the cooler I was surrounded by other boats.  Fishing must have been slow for them.  It didn’t matter though.  A few minutes later I had the rest of my limit in the cooler and I was packing up to head for home.  I thought about doing the catch and release thing for a bit but it was just after 7:30 pm and I figured if I left now I could beat the rush back to the ramp.  There were about 50 or 60 boats in the area and I didn’t want to deal with them.  So I headed back to the ramp and eventually home.  Cleaned the fish, put everything away and was on the couch flipping channels by 8:30 pm.

Feels good to be pulling wire again.

Time to get the boat ready.

Not that it really needs a lot of attention already but since I just booked my airfare to Alaska I figured it was time.  Fortunately for me I keep my boat in the garage so it doesn’t suffer the winter abuse like other boats in storage.  Never ceases to amaze me how many people forget things or wait until the night before the first trip.  So without further adieu….

• New Registration stickers
• Charge Battery
• Fresh Rec Gas (Ethanol free)
• Start Engine
• Check Trailer Lights
• Boat Plug in
• Put all the lures I bought over the winter, that I didn’t really need, away
• New Leaders
• New Shanks
• Put new Snaps & Swivels away
• Check Tire pressures
• Grease Hubs

In total this should take me about a whole whopping 60 minutes to do.  I’ll probably complete all of it one night this week or Saturday afternoon after I’m done collecting bugs for The Friends of the Rouge Saturday afternoon.  Weather permitting I might go out for my trial walleye run Saturday evening.   Providing the weather cooperates and we actually get the warmer weather they are forecasting.  The never ending winter has to end sometime.  The fish are in, lot’s of eaters right now but they have been finicky because of the ever changing weather patterns.

It’s time.

 

Easter Weekend Steel

You really have to appreciate it when the VP of the company I work for tells you they are closing the office at noon on Good Friday.  Especially when your car is packed and ready to  head north.  I didn’t have to be told twice and a few minutes later I was on the highway and headed to my Mom’s place in Oscoda.  Since I was arriving so early I was hoping to get her to-do list done toady and go steelhead fishing the next morning.  For once everything worked out like I wanted and I was all clear to fish the following day.

I awoke the next morning bright and early, around 8:30 am.  I got all my gear together and made the short drive over to the AuSable river.  Along the way I spotted a female woodcock doing the “timberdoodle two-step” across King’s Corner road so I stopped to watch her for a bit.  Turns out a lot of critters were out and about this morning.  I saw plenty of deer and sandhill cranes in the fields getting a late morning meal, And one turkey that had something else on his mind.

I arrived at the parking lot around 9:00 am and got set up.  I was expecting a lot of vehicles with it being the weekend and I was surprised to see only one truck.  I wasn’t going to complain but I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a sign that there weren’t any fish around.  Once I got to the river I spotted the truck owner, a Father and Son spending the morning together.  I talked to the Father for a few minutes, they caught one small steelhead further upstream and a sucker a couple of minutes ago.  I asked which way they were headed and then I went in the opposite direction.  Once I got about 100 yards away from them I waded in and started swinging a black/purple Senyo A.I.  I was also using my Sage “Pulse” 8wt rod today.  I have a feeling this is going to be the rod I use the most in Alaska so I wanted to spend as much casting time with it that I can.  I started going through my usual routine.  Cast, mend, take two steps downstream.  I kept trying to land the fly at an angle along the seam on the opposite side of the river.  I was standing in an area where the current shifts from the north side to the south.  I was hoping a fish would be lying on the opposite side and be pissed off enough that he would crush my fly.  No such luck.  Eventually the two fishermen I saw earlier had left so I continued to work my way downstream.

A River all to myself.

After about an hour I waded out and decided to switch flies (Pink Predator Scandi) and put on a heavier MOW tip.  I was running a T-11 2.5 float/7.5 sink and I changed over to a T-14.  I really have no idea how deep the water is on the other side but since I wasn’t hitting bottom I knew I wasn’t getting deep enough.  Even though the water is very clear I don’t expect the fish to chase a fly to much in this cold water.  I gave that set up a swing for about half an hour to no avail as well.  I had some more time before the wind advisory was supposed to go into affect (possible 45 mph winds) so I decide to go on a walk-a-bout and see what I could find downstream.  There is plenty of fishable water, it’s just a matter of getting to it and no one else being there.  Eventually I ended up at a spot called “Joe’s Point”.

It is across the river from a very popular area and once again no one was around.  I went back to casting but once again I didn’t have any luck.  I didn’t see any fish on the gravel either.  Still, it was a near perfect day.  Overcast skies, no wind (yet) and nature was definitely active.  Mallards and Woodducks were making all kinds of noise along with the occasional Kingfisher.  As I was walking out I bumped another Woodcock.  He’s probably thinking he should have stayed south a little bit longer this year.  I was thinking I should have stayed in bed longer as well.  Oh well, there will be another time.  Don’t know if I will be able to get back up here again though.  I may have time for a trip to the Alley for a day but I don’t know about a run north.  Guess it depends how ambitious I get.  On my way home Sunday I did stop at Omer to see how the sucker run was going.  I had stopped on the way up and their were a few fishermen catching suckers.  The trip home was a different story.  The cold front was keeping people indoors and I wasn’t seeing any fish being caught.  I’m sure Monday will be a different story, no wind and warmer temps.  Until the next front comes through.