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Our weekend trip to fish and get the boat cleaned for the season went off without a hitch!!

We got up Friday around noon and got the boat loaded up and hit the water. Started off the green can a little NE of Mouse (mostly E, what is that can called?). We set up and drifted long drifts across that flat all the way to in front of Mouse. My BIL picked up his MONSTER as our first walleye boated of the day! Went 29″ and we didnt have a scale but had to be every bit of 10lbs. Biggest walleye I have seen personally off Erie in 35 years up there, it was HUGE! We ended up with 8 total just doing those long drifts off the can. Had a handful of shorts in there too.

Spent the night on PIB and hit the water a little late Saturday morning (all overslept). Decided to try Lucy’s Point first to see if there were any fish staging in that deep water or holding on the transition. Made 3 drifts with nada so we moved East to a pack of boats that was drifting the line. Good amount of charter guys in there with waaaay better electronics so we assumed they were at least marking fish. Did about 5 drifts through there and picked up a couple keepers but mostly short walleye and white bass/perch. Decided to move back to our Mouse green can area and try the afternoon there again. Picked up 4 nice ones doing the same thing as the day before but that was it. We motored back to PIB and had a nice afternoon catching hog smallmouth (catch and release).

We tried bottom bouncers with harnesses, erie dearies, hair jigs, and simple white curly tails. Harnesses and the basic 4″ white curly tail split as being most effective.

Not the hot and heavy “limit out” bonanza that can happen up there BUT we were suuuper happy with our haul and had a blast!

ps: anyone out sunday to see that crazy fog?? Never seen it that bad up there, couldnt see more than 50 yards in some spots!! Erie was aptly named that day!

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Got up at 2AM, and headed out to the back deck with Alfie, and a cup of coffee. The air was thick with moisture, due to a system that rolled through overnight, but the rain was done for the day. The wind forecast was looking fantastic, which meant the lake would be relatively flat, and we would be able to get from point A to point B, with ease. I was able to spend some quiet quality time with the pup, before heading out at 5:15.

I told “Stanny” (Marc) and Norm, that I would meet them at 5:40, but showed up early as usual…but, they were ready, so we hit the road. Off to the gas station first, for ice and snacks, then to Hi Way Bait to get some crawlers. I wanted to have the option available to me, if we needed it. If not, I would just give the crawlers to them, so they had the option, too. (They are here all week, using Stanny’s boat).


We launched from Catawba at 6:20, and headed north. The ride out was nice, because we could go fast, and not get beat up. The fog hadn’t rolled in yet, either.
I did have a mishap on the ride out, though, that cost me some money. I turned my head to see the sunrise, and forgot my favorite pair of Costa sunglasses were sitting on the visor of my hat…and, the wind got them. They flew off, and into the lake, never to be seen again…deep sigh.


I drove the Vexus up to where I was last time out, and although the fish marks were less, there were still scattered fish showing on the electronics. Reining her in, I set down over 30-31 feet of water, and deployed the FishHawk. The Terrova and baby Merc were dialed in to a speed of 2.0, and set on a NW course.


Bandits, behind Off Shore boards, ran on both sides. Leads were 120. 100, 80, and 60 on both sides, too.


Colors that caught in this first spot were:
(2) Barbie (I THINK it’s a Domka Outdoors Custom)
Blue Chrome (stock color)
Greasy Chicken Wing (Slim Shady Customs)


We ran one dipsey (size 1 w/ring) on the port side, with a Yeck Spoon in the “Confusion” color, and caught a nice eater….but, that was it for the spoon up there.


At 9:30 I decided it was time to move. The fog was getting really think in that area, and it was hard to see more than 50 yards, so we moved down inside, by the cans. It was less foggy there, and the water color was a little muddier, too. There were plenty of fish marks, so we set up over 18 feet of water, and headed east on our trolling pass.


Bandits at 80, 60, 50, and 45 caught fish.
I had one Blue and White Jointed DHJ12 out at 65 back, and it took a bigger fish, so we put another out, and it caught a fish, too. I eventually had three out, and set one at 85 back, which also caught a nice fish.


Speed was 1.9-2.2mph. Water temp was 58


We caught one shy of our three-person limit, this morning, but it was still a fun day on the water with those two, and they both agreed….and, that makes me happy! 🙂




I have the next two days off, due to a cancellation (customer’s bad knee), so my next scheduled trip is Wednesday, with my neighbor’s…a birthday present from Danielle to her husband Dave, so that should be a lot of fun, too. 🙂


Stay tuned….


Capt Juls

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Wife and I and a friend were out for some fun time yesterday. We started close to K can but nothing but white perch. Took a boat ride to try to find some fish. Found some decent marks around locust reef so we set up for a drift and picked up a couple on the southwest corner of the reef. We drifted off the reef so picked up and headed back to the center of the reef and started over. We picked at them for the next three hours and ended up with 12 decent fish. All were on white with purple 5/8 ounce jigs. Early it was a little too windy for best fishing but the wind died a little.

Most of the fish were on the shoulder of the reef or just a little deeper. 11 to 16 feet deep. I probably should have tried a darker color jig just to see if it would matter. Lately it has been the lighter colored jigs.

4-30 t0 5-3. east of locust point reef to C can. most fish marked 20 ft. and deeper. bandits 65 ft. back. 3 mph. blue chrome, was best followed by anything with purple.
L can heading south west towards Toledo pump station. Most fish marked deeper than 20 ft. same result with lures and speed, 65 – 90 ft. back. moving with the waves. 50 fish total, all good size.

Wondering if any one wants to team up tomorrow on fishing info. We’re heading out of Catawba at 7, to fish around the islands. text me your number and I’ll put a group text together. We can trade info on where to fish are biting. on what. if interested text your number to 937 726 5746. I’ll set it up by 8am.

When putting out inline Boards does the deeper, longer lines go on the inside or the outside? I run braid and use sam’s pro release on the front. Thank you for the help.

Good afternoon… I have a three day men’s conference outside Cleveland. I will be driving from Indiana and have the option to tow a boat over that way and drag it around for three days while at the conference or leave the boat home and try out one of the head boat services in Port Clinton after the conference is over and I’m headed home. I have thought about this type of head boat fishing in a while but have no experience. So, I’m curious if anyone has any tips or pearls to share. I called one of the services and they said they are still jigging but worms are beginning to work. Any tips on what to bring or take and your opinion as to whether morning or evening is a better bite currently. I would be going next Wednesday or Thursday and was also thinking about seeing about sharing a ride out to fish with splitting the expenses with someone going out or just bringing the boat along and put up with that minor inconvenience. I appreciate your advice.

Summary of a two-day fishing trip for two Iowans:

Day one…
We launched out of Mazurik’s, and headed to the Canadian line. Rigged up with crawler harnesses (Colorado blades), because I figured since the water temp dropped a couple degrees, with the east wind pushing in colder water, from the deep end of the lake, they might want it slower, and meat is always a good attractant.
Water temp was 54.4 degrees.


We marked nice fish up there, but they were not ready to eat yet. I don’t know if it’s that lull that happens after the spawn, or they had fed at night with the bright moon, and clear skies, but they were not hungry.


We made one pass, and called it quits up there. We picked up and moved down to the north side of Kelley’s. After a short pass with the crawlers, I got tired of them, and decided to put on some Bandits, behind the Off Shore boards.


Long story shorter….leads that caught best were 120, 110, 90, and 80 back, at a speed of 1.8-2.2mph.


Best Colors were…
One, I don’t know the name of, or who paints it, (I put it in the photos), was a productive one.
Copper Greasy Chicken Wing (Slim Shady Custom)
Fruit Dots (stock color) “Black Headed Wonder Bread” for us old timers…lol
Blue Chrome (stock)
Barbie (Sorry, I forget who painted this one)


We ended with only 9 eaters…nothing big.


Day 2…


We launched out of Catawba at 6:15 and headed north…staying west of the islands, this time. It was too early, and dark, to see how muddy, or clean, the water was. When the sun got higher in the sky, we would find out. Anyway, I was marking fish for a long ways, before deciding to ditch my first destination, so we could try to catch what I was seeing on the Humminbird.


The waves were whacky this morning. First they were coming from the NW, and then as we traveled further north, they were coming from the NE, too, so it was like a washing machine, at times.


The wind was switching from the NW to the NE, so the lake was laying down, and wasn’t expected to get windy again, until late morning. Waves were 2′ or less, and laying down to 1 foot or less. Loved that, because then we would be able to go in any direction, without having to pick up, and make a run back up, like I have to when it’s too rough to go into them.


The fish marks were too good, not to stop, so the Terrova as deployed, as was the baby Merc, and set on a southerly direction.


We ran the Bandit program from the day before, but added more of the productive colors listed above, and took the less than productive off.


Once the sun came up, my heart kind of sunk, because we were marking fish in muddy water, and I was afraid it might be too dirty for them to bite. But, just as I thought about picking back up, and running to my first destination, which I figured would be cleaner water, Dean said, pointing his finger out the port side, “Number 3! Fish on!”


We stayed and made about a mile pass, before a friend called and said my “first destination” was a good, and they were biting. We only had 6 in the box when he called, so we decided that maybe cleaner water would produce a better bite, so we picked up, and headed further north.


The water did clean up, but the fish marks were nothing like we were seeing in the first spot, but we set up anyway, and made a pass to the NW, but I decided that since the wind was behaving, and the lake was laying down…it would be a better idea to turn the boat around and just troll back to where we started.


It was the right idea, because they did bite, and they bit all the way back down to our original spot. We had our 18 in the boat by 9:45, and headed back in at 10am.


As we approached the launch, David said, “That was good timing, because it’s getting windier”. Smiling, I agreed.


They both said they had a good time, and Dean said he learned a lot, so that makes me happy! I have no doubt they can run their own Off Shore boards with a little more confidence now.


Tomorrow, I have the winner of the South Shore Marine charity raffle, that I donated a trip for…and, two of his friends.


I think I know where I’m fishing tomorrow…:)


Stay tuned…


Capt Juls

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Been put twice now, once by the toledo lighthouse and second time in closer on the shipping lane, water is dirty and there were probably 4 to 5 boats there, used purple and green hair jigs with treble hooks, didn’t get nothing, where’s should I try out of toledo, last year I was doing good over by the reefs off besse but thet gotta be over by toledo also, help me out fellas

My wife and I headed out of a muddy Sandusky bay, as predicted (thanks Juls) towards the dumping grounds. It was still fairly dirty water but we tried a quick troll anyway. Marked some but got nothing. Headed NW up around Kelly’s and made a couple stop and checks on the west side, as am cannot get a decent read while moving fast with my electronics or my abilities. Not sure which. Didn’t see much until I got on the north side of Kelly’s. Boats galore. As we approached we started marking fish so we set up and just kept going back and forth. We caught eight but kept six nice fish. Largest being 26 inches. Got them all on bandits, Sunburst and Monkey puke orange between 60 and 75 feet back on offshore boards maintaining about 2 mph. We tried other bandits but nothing else worked. They cut off around 10-10:30 and decided to head back as the wind was picking up. Overall, we were pleased to get anything.