Fishing with Melinda, Jacob, and Kaleb 7/8/15

[Capt Juls]

Last week, after the big blow, I had rescheduled the three trips I had before leaving for Wisconsin for the holiday weekend. It was a nice visit up there with family. It was my Mom's 80th birthday and my Sister's 58th birthday. I was also fortunate enough to visit my Dad's sister, my aunt, who was in hospice, to tell her I loved her and to say goodbye. She slipped away peacefully, and without pain on this day.

This was the first trip out since my return, and since the big blow. I really had no clue where to start, other than seeing a satellite picture and looking for decent water on the US side. My customers did not have Canadian licenses.

Ron S. set this trip up...and, while he had to stay on shore and work, he sent his wife and two boys with me. Ron and his two boys perch fished with me last summer and wanted to try walleye fishing. So, we headed up to the west side of Middle Island and set a course for Lucy's Point, and set lines.


We only pulled four fish between that entire area, even though I marked a lot of fish on the Onix that looked to be walleye...sigh.
Once we hit the green can at Lucy's we picked up and headed up to the north side of North Bass for the last hour. We pulled 3 more walleye up there in 29-30 foot of water (starting at the green can on the NE corner and heading west).

I pulled my usual crawler harnesses from the top of the water column to the bottom. All the fish were "just eaters" and not very large in size. They also caught two catfish, and I had thrown the first one back, just assuming they didn't want it, and then I was asked, "Don't you keep catfish?" I said, "Oops! I should have asked you if you wanted it. Most of my customers don't want them, so I just assumed you didn't either....my bad" I added, "If we get another one we'll throw it in the cooler". Whew! I'm glad we got another one, because Melinda likes to eat catfish.

We timed it right with a 6 hour trip, because the boys were getting very tired by the end of the trip, with both of them wanting to lay down on the side compartments of the Ranger. Being the big meanie that I am, I told them they had to sit up for the ride in. Both sat so hunched over, I thought they were going to fall over on to the floor.

I texted Ron on our way in, and he met us at the dock to retrieve his tired family. They all had a good time, and the boys did a great job listening to me, and were baiting the hooks and setting the Off Shore boards all on their own after just a couple hours. I couldn't have been more proud of them even if they had been my own.

Ron said they would be back again, and that made me happy....

The next trip is with another repeat customer (Andy Takos and his friends), who I think I'll take to Huron to fish.

Stay tuned...

Capt Juls