Fishing Two Days with Mike Krakow 7/13-14/2020

Yesterday, we launched out of Catawba at 6am, and fished west of the islands, over by the cans. The wind was out of the NE and the waves were 1-3 feet.

We had that typical "fast first bite" of the morning, which made me think it was going to be a quick limit for the two of us, but after that fish, it was slow. We were marking fish on the Helix, but couldn't get a proper fix on the program they wanted.

We were running Bandits, Flicker Minnows, and Reef Runner Mag 44's behind the Off Shore boards, and one dipsey on each side of the boat using the 1 setting.
We were only in 27 feet of water, so the dips were set around 31-33 feet back, and the cranks anywhere from 45 to 80 back. Speed was 2.2-2.6mph (surging from the waves).



After 5 fish and a couple hours gone...I decided to leave the cans and head east. We hit the triangle between Rattlesnake, Green, and Middle Bass to try there, but I didn't stay long. The water was too murky for my liking. I couldn't tell if it was an algae bloom or just churned up water from the 30mph blow two days prior? Either way, I wasn't feeling it...so, I said, "Let's pick up one more time and move east some more, if you don't mind another slightly bumpy ride?" Mike said, "No, that's fine" and got busy reeling in the lines.


We motored through the passage between Middle Bass and North Bass and headed to the Canadian line above Lucy's Point. We set up with the same stuff, but this time, I set the dipsies a little deeper. 1 setting at 40 and 54, and the Bandits at 50/110 2oz, 50/120 20z, and 50/125 2oz (snap weights). I took one of my boards off, so I could add the 3 setting dipsey to the lineup and had that one out at 80 back.


Everything took fish at one point or another. Spoon colors were silver and coppers with blues, purples, and greens on them. The flashier spoons didn't do as well for us, so we kept it more natural looking.


All the walleye we've caught the last several days have been puking up minnows of some species too, so that might be why it's a little tougher on the western end of the lake right now compared to the Central Basin where tons of fish are competing for food, and eating anything that goes by.....just a guess though.:)


This morning we launched out of Mazurik's and headed back to the north between the islands for a repeat of what we left there yesterday morning.


To make this long story shorter....I'll just say that it was the same program...just a different time of day. We caught our 12 in about 2 1/2 hours and had a little better grade than the cooler we took to Port Clinton Fish to have cleaned yesterday. The 5 fish we had from the cans were a smaller grade than what is swimming between the islands right now.


Mike said he and his wife enjoy eating a lot of fish, so I think his wife will be happy with the walleye bounty he brought home to her. Mike had never trolled with Off Shore boards or used dipsies before, and did a good job working the lines the past two days. He can take his new found knowledge and apply it in his boat now, and that makes me happy.


I'm off tomorrow....rescheduling to a later date, due to a conflict on the customer's end. Watching the weather for the first of a two day trip with the Stenzel's too. Thursday is sketchy right now.


Stay tuned....


Capt Juls