Click here to see last year's log - 2019  or click here choose prior year fishing reports

23 Nov 20    This year my number of trips was one of the lowest, mostly because of windy weather. Maybe as time goes on I'm getting fussier on what I consider a near perfect day. It was an enjoyable season, as I find time on the water almost always most enjoyable, even more so this year with new guests. Fishing, well that's a great excuse to be on the water. Good excuse to have as my fish caught per hour was also one of the lowest in quite a few years. Usually we get some late-year nice days and some of the more productive ones but not this year. Following a late Spring, we did have some very good summer days but also quite a few where we struggled to catch just a couple. I hate to whine but fishermen are allowed to do that. On a much brighter note, have a Merry Christmas and good winter (not like last year) and I'm already thinking about an early Spring. How about that! Oh, can't forget to thank all you followers on my web site. Thank You much! BTW, next year as got to be better than 2020, the year of Covid-19 and cloistering.

11 Oct 20    Sad day as the forecast for the foreseeable time was wind and rain so the CBTL is now put away for the season. I'll work on my summary over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for looking in. Joe

3 Oct 20    With a decent forecast of light winds, Jim and I set out with light winds but 2-3' rollers so again down went the trim tabs. We set lines in 125' and varied from that depth to 160'. The first hour we caught one Laker but after that, action was fairly steady with a double included. There was only one other boat in the area and we caught 4 Lakers whilst that boat was near us. After that, the boat turned and followed us for over an hour. 🐟 Bottom line is we caught 10 nice Lakers in 3 hours. No make that 11 as we had one hanging on when we pulled our gear, so we didn't net it but released it along side the boat. The rollers settled down a bit and we could see rainy patches off in the distance but we didn't get any sprinkles until the boat was on the trailer. Might be the last trip of the season, might not.

26 Sep 20    Gary and I set out in calm seas and winds but in gentle rollers, which with a little tabs settled down the ride. Lines went down at 125' and we slowly worked deeper. After about 20 minutes, the Johnson rod just about bent over. Gary slowly wrestled that Laker to behind the boat. I was a really big Laker and hard to control. Coming up behind the boat, It was swimming toward the auxiliary motor so I thought I'd try to net it, but managed to pull the hook with the net and away it went. The Laker was at least in the 10-15# range and as I explained to Gary, much as we'd like to boat it with pix, seeing as we would likely have released it anyway as it's probably a spawner, it worked out just fine. The troll was similar to the last trip with multiple marks showing up as we approached my favorite area. Then, Gary got a single line double, and minutes later the Johnson rod hit again. We reversed course with 5 Lakers in the box, heading to where we started. Picked up another Laker and with 6 in the box nearing the 3 hours point of trolling, I thought we'd wrap it up. Well, someone, not me, 😁 pulled up his rigger with not one but two Lakers on. Anther single line double. Of course, our (his) story is they both hit on the way up. Yeah, righ! Great day on the Big Pond.

23 Sep 20    The great forecast was right on as Ron and I headed out a little earlier than usual. With beautifully calm seas and wind we started at 125' and before long, brought in our first Laker. We continued for about 25 minutes with only a few marks and no hits, headed to one of my favorite spots. As we approached it, the graph lit up with marks and the action started as we ranged from 130' to 160'. With 5 Lakers in the box, Ron hit a single-line-double. I had to chuckle when he commented "I have a couple on now" at his next hit, but that produced only one nice Laker. So with 10 in the box at 2 hours, and 20 minutes,  I said let's get the gear up before we get another but it was too late as the Johnson produced our 11th Laker, The hook luckily felt out in the net so releasing it was much easier for both us and the Laker. Super day!

11 Sep 20    Yup, 19 days of winds and rain but finally today a break. Seas were calm whilst I  decided to run a little further than usual, but then I like boat rides too. Air temperature was 47º so I had on a shirt, sweater, and winter coat (wind chill?). As I set lines, off came the coat and sweater as it was beautiful sans wind. Started in 120' and worked to 160' with one mark and no hits on my first leg of one hour. As I approached one of my favorite waypoints, the screen lit up with marks. During the next 45 minutes, I caught 4 nice Lakers (biggest 6#) and gave myself the "Ugliest Netter Award", take that as you like but I didn't miss any. Thought I might get the limit heading to where I started but it didn't happen. Fishing alone can be challenging at times and is almost always busy. The port rigger I set at 127' clicks, whatever that translates to in depth and it produced two nice Lakers. Reminds me of long ago, typical fisherman with their good luck, bad luck, superstition thoughts so I ended the number of clicks with a "7". Hmmmmm! Johnson rod was on sabbatical and I was happy about that. Bottom line, 4 Lakers in 2 1/2 hours. Winds slowly kicked to 10 mph from the SE and there was a little wave capping on the return leg so a little trim tabs cured that.

23 Aug 20    Another great forecast as neighbor Gary and I launched in calm seas as we left the marina. Conditions were hazy, almost foggy, but visibility was good enough that I didn't need to spin the radar. Turned the corner past the lighthouse and down went the tabs as there were rollers coming in, actually confused seas (waves coming from a couple of directions). However, there was no problem traveling to where we did well yesterday. Following fairly closely to yesterdays track, an hour passed with no runs, hits, errors, and few marks the first hour. Huh! Near the end of the run, things picked up, including a double whislt turning so we went from 0 to 5 Lakers in 20 minutes. Fished our way towards our starting point as the SE wind slowly picked up. We  caught our 6th Laker at the last minute and wrapped it up in under 3 hours. Great day on the Big Pond.

22 Aug 20    Hard to believe it's been 10 days since we got out. Well there were a few possible days I might have gone but typically, those days had other demands for me. Guests today were Shaun Thunnel and his daughter Delaney, and my Grandson Cooper Smith. We had wonderful conditions with calm seas and winds, albeit a forecast of spotty thunderstorms after we planned to be off the Lake so Cooper was charged to periodically check the radar on his cell phone. Action was quick on the Johnson and the first Laker went into the box in 10 minutes. Thereafter, it was pick one up here and there. Shortening up the story, we caught 6 Lakers and missed one right behind the boat on the stacker line. Well, the stacker line came off the main line (OK, maybe my fault) but that's fishing. Great day on the Big Pond and lots of enjoyable time in 2 1/2 hours of trolling.

12 Aug 20    Another great weather day as Jim and I headed out to set lines at 120', in beautifully calm seas. Slow is the word but slowly we worked the depths and picked up 6 nice lean Lakers in a little over 3 hours. Depths varied but I'd have to say 150' was a good productive depth.  But what a pleasant time on the water. Jim brought "Slim Jims" and I brought some smoked Lake Trout. Nicely filled in the time between fish! 🐟

9 Aug    I call it "forecast fluctuations" from yesterday to this morning, Thunderstorms predicted to this morning, great conditions. So out Gary and I went on beautiful, calm seas. Slow day but eventually a few Lakers here and there. Finally, with 2 1/2 hours and nearing our starting point, I suggest fishing to 3 hours, then quiting. Whilst slowly turning, getting ready to quit, we got our sixth Laker. Yeah, missed two right behind the boat but that's fishing. Great Day!

6 Aug 20    The Lake settled beautifully overnight with calm winds as Ron and I headed to where we wanted to go yesterday. Whilst setting up lines, we had an equipment failure with the weight and associated gear donated to the Lake bottom. So we put out the Starboard  rigger and Johnson, the latter of which caught a nice Laker in short order. We then reconnoitered the Port rigger and we were fully in business. Action was pretty steady. With 9 nice Lakers in the box at the 2 1/2 hour mark, I was thinking we'd circle to 3 hours when of all things, we got a double and had to release one. But what a fun day and a good way to erase the memory of those slow days and a skunk. However, I do know slow days happen regardless.

5 Aug 20    Ok, usually fishing should pick up in August and the winds finally settled after blowing all day yesterday - sounds good. So guest Ron Mattson and I headed out thinking there being light winds the Lake would be settled. But we were to be greeted by 2-1' rollers and down the tabs went. Too tough to go where I planned so we slugged it out to my closer run that hasn't produced squat the last couple of trips. An hour passed after setting lines and no runs, hits, errors, or marks. Finally, we broke the ice and boxed a small Laker. Surprisingly, we trolled well against the rollers coming in but we needed our sea-legs much of the time. Rollers from the north and light winds from the south worked fine. I mentioned to Ron I thought there likely was a fish on his rigger but he said he thought it was bottom. Well, guess what! Anyway, we finally ended with 6 Lakers which included a single line double on the Johnson. The Lake had calmed considerably as we powered off after 3 hours and some great time on the Big Pond.

29 Jul 20   The forecasts of NNW 5-10 mph proved more lumpy than anticipated as Ron Mattson and I encountered  1-2' waves so we changed our plans on where to fish, fishing into the waves for half the trip, and turning to run with the increasing waves and wind. Well, we had one solid hit that didn't materialize and a dink that kept us from getting skunked. So let the introspection begin as I reviewed some of my past records for July. I was curious about July as some fishermen say it's not a good month. So here are the number of Lakers for several years but I left out  how many trips for each year, even though I have that data. 2012  was 227 Lakers (phenomenal record year whence we were tagging for the DNR study), 2015 = 66, 2016 = 51, 2017 = disregard with boat issues, 2018 = 68, 29019 = 37, and this year = 27 Lakers. WTF! Never marked a fish today. Haven't changed any techniques. So what has changed, apparently the fish and their location. Some fishermen are coming in with great catches, some with little so it would appear, this leopard has to change his spots and get out of the missionary position of fishing. Big question is where. Stay tuned! BTW, it was lumpy fishing into the waves and wind and hard to hold bottom but the reverse run was decent, even though it was starting to cap.

24 July 2020    Well, it might be a condtition we've previously talked about...too nice. Great seas as Gary McDonnell and I basked in the sun on a perfectly calm seas and struggled to catch 2 small Lakers.WTF! Marked a fair amount but few takers.

21 Jul 20    Great forecast of near calm as Guest Ron Mattson and I headed out. The reality was different than the forecast with a steady 10 mph wind and 1-2' waves. But we slugged it out trolling with the wind and waves. It wasn't too long before a real bell-ringer hit the port rigger and that lasted about 15 seconds before it was gone. We did manage 3 Lakers in under 3 hours but we wonder where the fish went. We marked one fish the whole time. But we enjoyed our time on the Big Pond. 🐟

16 Jul    Remember the old saying "I went to the well too many times", well my guest Ron Rabe and I went to my spot that was good two trips ago and guess what. 🦨 Yup, no runs, not hits, no errors, one mark in a little under 3 hours. Took  a short look back on records and no skunks last year and one in 2018. The boat at the dock when we came in was skunked. A guy fishing along side of us for an hour never touched his net. The good news is it was beautifully calm and most enjoyable. Jim always says this is typical July fishing and I hate to mention that to him.

15 Jul Great forecast and calm seas as Jim and I left the harbor, only to be greeted with 1-2 roller. Down went the trim tabs and we slugged it out towards our familiar haunt. Slow going and we finally picked up 4 Lakers in 3 hours, marked very few so they haven't showed up yet. However, the rollers slowly subsided, not that they were a problem but sea legs were a help for a while. Beautiful day!

13 Jul 20    Today's forecast for calm seas and winds was made last Thursday so I want to give credit to the NWS for being right on. So on a beautifully calm morning Ron and I headed out, not too far, and dropped lines in 180'. Shortly, the Johnson rod bent and after several big pulls, it was gone. Ok, we got our miss out of the way. We plied waters for the next 2 3/4 hours and picked up three nice Lakers, the Johnson rod doing the heavy lifting.  Closing in on where we started, the Johnson rod bent again and Ron started reeling it in. About half way up, it went wild and when the line was behind the boat, there was a wild Chinook Salmon on one lure and a Laker one the other, stacker line, each going in different directions. Wild indeed! But miraculously, we got them both in the box. Great day, with the two Lakers mad a Chinook in the last fifteen minutes was frosting on the cake. BTW, the last Laker was on Ron's rigger as he was bringing up his rigger to quit. Story is it hit on the way up. 😁Seas could not have been better Great day on the Big Pond!

8 Jul 20    The NWS reported light winds and fog but as my guest Ron and I got near the Big Pond, just haze but beautifully calm water. Leaving the marina I could see the powerful currents swirling at the entrance, proof they exist even after several days of calm. Sorry to digress. We set lines at 180' and I got into a deeper track than usual and eventually worked over the 200' depth, my goal being 180'. It was 20 minutes when the Johnson rod produced a Laker that got off, probably 10" from the net. Bummer! Short story, we later picked up 4 nice Lakers after that, all in a little under 3 hours, but it was hot and we were ready to get off the Lake. Surface water was 66º, not that it matters much to the fish 200' down. Great time.

5 July    Thinking calm seas were too nice to pass up, I headed out to try some shallow fishing, like I've done periodically over the years. Well, just like periodically over the years I didn't get a hit, but in fairness, there were some good days in the past. So after an hour I headed to deeper waters where I caught a nice Laker despite my ugly netting job.  Then after a while and turning 180º, another Laker, this time on the Johnson rod. Oh boy thought I, gonna get more.! Well, I decided to drop the Johnson rod out between the two downriggers and guess what, it didn't work but  it usually does. Goatus Ropeus (Latin for goat rope) happened, which took me 45 minutes to untangle. During the process there was a dink Laker that must have hit the Johnson rod on the way down. Too small to keep so over it went. I looked around for someone to blame for my long cut (opposite of short cut) but a mirror would have been handy. Anyway, besides the goat rope, my I/O wouldn't come up. Not good for putting the boat on the trailer so my friend Rick came to the dock with a jumper to the solenoid and up it came. Another project to work on. If I ever get another boat (won't happen), it'd be named Always Something. Rick named his boat Last One. Yeah, right on both counts. Don't let the mumbling cause you to think I didn't have an enjoyable day on the Big Pond, befause I did. Yeah, could have went a little smoother!

2 July    Another calm day as neighbor Ron Mattson and I headed out for a nice boat ride. Slowly it got hotter and hotter, but not the fishing. Finally, a Laker in the box and one rigger bell ringer that got off and that was it in just under 3 hours. Talking with a few other fishermen, they did much better but that's fishing. During the last hour, the wind clocked from the NW to N and increased to 10+ mph and whipped up some white caps. Trip to port was good and as we approached outside the breakwater, it was near calm. That's quite a Lake!

1 Jul 20   Guest Gary McDonnel and I headed out to beautiful waters and it wasn't nearly as hot as expected. We struggled to catch 3 Lakers in just under 3 hours but just enjoyed the time out he water. Gary said he improved 50% catching 3 Lakers over last time when we caught 2 and referred to that as "Fish Math". 😁 Mostly we plied the 170' - 190- depths. Few marks.

28 June 20    Another beautiful day with sunshine and calm winds and seas as my guest Cooper Smith (Grandson) and his friend Delaney Thunell joined me. We set lines at 170' and pretty much stuck to that depth, give or take. An hour passed with no marks or hits and suddenly we had a triple. Here and there we picked up 4 more Lakers, two were over 5#. Cooper was stacking higher than I do and managed two Lakers between 30' and 50' off the bottom. Delaney picked out a lure to use and it caught 2 Lakers so she was pleased. Great day! Here's a picture of Cooper and Delaney with some of their catch. Click on image to enlarge, back arrow to return here.

25 Jun    Perfect weather as neighbor Gary and I set out. We to my favorite run, only to get two Lakers in 3  hours. Beautiful conditions so one asks was it too nice...not as it was just beautiful on the calm seas. Next time...

21 June    The fog was forecasted to clear by 10am and it did...at my house. Didn't on the Big Pond away from shore as my Grandson Cooper and I went out in calm seas. Didn't go far before we needed the radar spinning. It was slow going but we boxed 4 nice-sized Lakers in 3 hours and missed 2. Fished the whole time in the fog and never saw land until we returned to port. Conditions were otherwise great with calm seas and slight sun radiation so we were quite comfortable. Must be nice to be young as Cooper remembered all the little nuances and techniques. I have to be retrained each Spring.

19 Jun 20    Days of winds huffing and puffing finally settled as Jim and I headed out to his favorite spot (kinda mine too). His idea of a route is lining up shore points by triangulation and me, I'm a GPS person. But we both end up on the same run. First hour was lure-washing time with no hits, then 2 on the first 1 1/2 hour run out  and 5 more Lakers on our return leg to where we started. Conditions were super with light winds and near calm seas. We could see ominous clouds for the west so with the last Laker we thought after a little over 3 hours, it was time to bunch it. Most of the time air temps were around 55º, surface water 47º, but we both agreed that beat 90º on the water, and some recent 45º air temps. Nearing the launch, temps shot up to the lower 80ºs and after the boat was on the trailer, winds shifted and the temperature dropped to 72º. Doffing and donning clothing is a way of life on or near this wonderful Lake. Got home and the skies briefly poured down with a great rain . Great day, lucky timing.

14 Jun    Ron and I headed to the east, in anticipation that the forecast of later east winds came true. Seas were calm en route and during most of our fishing time. We slowly picked up one or two before we turned and headed west. Slowly the cold east winds built from our stern and we picked up a couple more Lakers, all fairly small. But it was comfortable most of the time and finally, after 3 hours when the air temp (not to menton wind chill) was 45º, and seas lightly capping, we decided to bunch it with 6 Lakers in the box.

13 Jun 20    Finally the winds died off and neighbor Gary and I headed out in calm seas. Granted it was 47º air but whence calm like that, very comfortable. Short tale is we caught 2 Lakers in 3 hours but the seas were perfect and it was so nice being out there. Next time, we'll change hats (that impacts on how fishing goes) but a good time anyway.

7 Jun    Great forecast of near calm and sprinkles in the afternoon. Neighbor Ron Mattson and I headed out in the cool 42º air but calm seas. We missed the first Laker but after what seem a long time, caught a nice 4# Laker.  We turned 180ºk basically making the same run back in roughly 200' and picked up another Laker. About half way back Ron reeled in the third Laker on the Johnson rod. Suddenly, the NE winds picked up to 12 mph and it was cold. Then Rod's rigger went off and much to his surpise, there were two Lakers on. We decided to bunch it with the wind kicking and 5 Lakers in the box in a little shy of 2 1/2 hours. Nice run! Here's Ron in action, click to enlarge.

13 Jun 20    Guest Ron and I headed out to light winds but in almost flat seas, more so as we got further out. Winds were forecast to be 5-10 mph in the afternoon so we went east, as if they kicked early, we'd have a nicer ride home. Seas remained calm as we set lines at 175' but action was slow. Made our run and as we turned, the NE winds gently picked up on or starboard quarter. Slowly we boxed 6 Lakers, well make that 5 1/2 as one we didn't net and lifted into the box, thinking if it fell of, so be it, but a legal keeper. So we wrapped it up in slightly shy if 3 hours, surface water 45º and NE breeze now at 11 mph, 45º, and a few white caps. But, a great time out on the Big Pond.

4 Jun    The forecast of light winds proved accurate as my guest Gary McDonnell and I headed out to set lines at 155'. Action was slow with only two Lakers in the box but we thought we'd go another 15 minutes when the port rigger bell rang, producing a Laker on the stacker. However, the bottom lure was missing so we decided to wrap it up with 3 Lakers. Of course on the return trip there were tales of how big the fish was that took the lure just grew and grew. Great time on the Big Pond, which was lightly capping as we headed in but still provided a fairly smooth ride.

24 May 20    Yesterday's forecast for today included calm winds and fog, but the fog didn't show up as Jim and I headed out on beautiful seas. Action was fairly slow but near a favorite spot, we picked up 3 nice Lakers, which I marked on my GPS. We then ranged around and picked up one more before we headed back to the GPS icons where we caught 2 more. We slowly picked up 3 more as we trolled towards our starting point. Doing the math, we ended with 8 Lakers and 1 miss, in 3 1/2 hours in wonderful conditions. Great time!

22 May 20    My guest today was Dan Webb, who's waiting to get his own boat in the water. Conditions were near ideal with sunshine and calm seas and winds. We didn't go very far and set lines at 154' but sloping downward. It wasn't 5 minutes with only one rigger in the water that we had our first Laker in the box. Shortly afterwards, The Johnson rod had a hit and was fighting to about 50' being the boat, then went the other way. After quite a while we picked up a 4# Laker on the Johnson and later lost two more. Then our last Laker was on right behind the boat when we had an equipment failure so we're considering that a release. Boiling it down, we went home with two nice Lakers, two misses, and having the therapy of having un-cloistered time on the water. Beautiful day! 🚤

21 May 20    It wasn't easy but I talked Jim into going to one of my ole hot spots, where in the past I've done well on average. Seas were a little lumpy for the first mile, then as we got to open water, the seas and breeze flattened, mostly caused by the cold 39º water dampening the wind. I've seen that many times in the Spring. Surprise -  the hot spot wasn't very hot and we struggled to get 5 Lakers in 3 hours. But once again, conditions were near perfect and excuses were hard to find. Finally, whence wrapping it up, we could see an east breeze heading toward us with heavy, cold air headed towards land to fill in for the rising warm air on land. I looked at my thermometer and saw it quickly drop from 52º to 42,8º. Moral of the story is if you take off your coat, keep it within an arm's length, for you may need it soon. Perfect time to quit after a great time on the water.

20 May 20    Today was a mixed emotion day starting with beautiful water, no wind and sunshine. That said, Jim and I struggled to get but two Lakers in a little over 3 hours. What was that all about! Then talking to a few other fishermen (there weren't many out), they did considerably better than us. Guess that's really what fishing is about but it was not a down day for us. Rather both of us expressed how wonderful it was to be on the water, in the sun, and that the fish were a bonus. We couldn't be more appreciative after being cooped up this spring and continuing on for who knows how long. 

16 May    I awoke early this morning to 39º and in an hour it dropped to 36º, and the forecast was for fog but calm waters. Pretty sad when you consider that to be a good forecast, but cloistering will do that to a fisherman. So Jim and I launched in fairly heavy fog, radar spinning, then setting lines in 145' but in depths slowly dropping. We were running roughly along the same run we made last time, which went quite well. Half an hour passed and finally my rigger indicated a light hit and whence netting the Laker, called it a dink (legal size usually but to small to keep) so we released it. Another half hour passed without a hit and suddenly, Jim said I have two (single line double), I had one, and the Johnson rod had one, four at one time. Another big huh? (I won't say WTF)  So we finally thought this is the spot (I have found it strangely very productive over the years) so we turned and followed our GPS track through the same area. You're getting ahead of me if you guessing no hits. Right! So it seemed like at least another hour plus of nothingness we circled, hoping for one more. So I said I'd log us out for 15 minutes more which magically sometime produces another fish. Well, it worked as we caught 2 Lakers just before we quit. The fog had lifted about an hour before we quit and seas remained wonderfully calm. It proved a wonderful fishing trip, mentally and productive too. Surface water was FWIW 38º, air 54º.

5 May    With a cold but calm forecast today and a lousy forecast for the next several days prompted Jim and I to go for it. It was fairly calm when we left and set up in 185' water. It wasn't long before we boxed the first Laker. Then 15 minutes later, a single line double on the starboard rigger when the Johnson rod went off - a triple. Then a fifth Laker in the box after just half an hour.  Then reality set in as we trolled for over an hour without a hit, whilst the NE winds and waves slowly increased. While talking about quitting in the last 15 minutes, we picked up two more Lakers so we were glad to pick up 7 Lakers in a little over 2 hours but also glad to head in with a 10 mph NE wind and 1 foot seas. Water temperature was 39º and the air 37º.

1 May 20    Finally, a light wind and a warmer day as Jim and I headed out mid morning on our maiden voyage. Seas were light with small rollers. We set lines at 165' and about 45 minutes passed before the first Laker went into the box. Then an hour passed without a hit, then a double, one over 7#. We turned and finally picked up another Laker before wrapping it up in 2 1/2 hours. Oh, we missed 2. But it was so nice to be outside in the fresh air and sunshine after being cooped up for months. We were hoping the weather would turn the corner but the coming week looks disappointing with wind and cold. Oh well! Today is a good memory!

26 Apr 20    Still snow on the ground. Coronavirus Pandemic has changed our lives, perhaps forever. Governor just took off boating ban but I didn't miss much fishing what with all the wind and cold. Today Jim and I readied boat, took it to the launch, left it on the trailer, then started both engines. We're ready!

Below is an extract from my 2000 log. Hopefully entertainment to help us through the winter.! My organizational skills have not improved much since then.