Dreaming of Spring...Spring Walleye Tactics

[branhamautomotive]

I love hearing and reading these type of stories. I got the walleye bug bad when I was 8. for as far back as I can remember, i was always out fishing with dad and papa almost every weekend that mother nature let us out. Back then mom and dad had a trailer at harbor winds and papa had a 24 ft hardtop thompson weekender. We only casted, not many trolling and we never made the long run to jig. So walleye didn't turn on well till mid may normally and by late July it slowed down.

My birthday is in early August and when I was 8 I got my own rod and reel as a present. I always used whatever combo was left to use, but this was new and bought for me. So needless to say I bugged the ever living hell out of dad to take me out. Course he said not today but I kept on like only an 8 y/o overly excited boy can. Finially to shut me up out we went, turn east out of east harbor to out in front of lakeside. Now as many know August can be a tough time to cast for walleye. but thrid cast out, I tied into something big. I couldnt even crank it, it took all i had to hold the pole and grasp the crank arm and turn my wrist as you would in closing a jar......1/2 turn at a time, it took all i had but I got her in and dad netted my first fish ohio at at nice 27". i was so excited I'm surprised i didnt just jump right off the boat. After all the pictures high fives and hugs, i snaked a new crawler on and let my erie dearie fling out the back corner again. I didnt get more than 5 or 6 cranks into the retreave and slammed into another fish. this one pulled me flat against the transom. as much as my heart was into it my already tired arms and hands just couldnt make any headway on this fish. I remember seeing my little fingers turning my blue trying to get even a crank on this fish. I had to hand it to dad and I remember not feeling like such or weakling when my dad struggled to bring the fish in. but when he did we were rewarded with a nice 29" walleye. neither were big fat hogs but nice long streamline fish. both still hang on mom and dads walk at their house.

from that day on I had the bug to walleye fish. I learned that day you never what the next cast brings. 31 years later I still get the feeling everytime I feel or see a rod bend over. I'm thankful that most of those year minus the few I went to college and was early on in my working career, I always had many trips out trying to get the next big one. luckily I met a beautiful gal that I'm now married to who's family spent alot of weekends at lake erie so it was only natural to get our own place and boat.

Hopefully I can get to give my kids a few memories like this of our lake we love and it will be as big as part of their lifes and theirs children's life. even if not fishing, it's hard to beat a day out on the water. more than once we have loaded up the boat set out across the lake and 8 hrs later cam back and never stopped anywhere.......just enjoyed the sun, wind. freedom. and sounds of being out there that the lake gives.

I want to say a special thanks to all our service men and women past, present and future. for as I have gotten older I learned this memory of mine that I love, and all the futures memories I want to make and give to my family just would and couldn't happen without all the sacrifices you and your families have given

[Capt Juls]

Great story! Thanks for sharing it.