2017 Bigwater Catches

[Divemaster]

2017 Bigwater Catches

Haven't posted much here lately so I figured I'd share a few pictures from our season out on the bigwater this year.

 

Our season ran from early April to early November (though, Oct. and Nov. we're totally dead) and we fished three of the Great Lakes this year including our home eastern Lake Erie and western Lake Ontario on our boat as well as central Lake Superior on Captain John Tomczyk's boat (Daybreak Charters, also highly recommended if you're looking for a great experience!).

 

On Erie we trolled for Lakers, Drum, and White Bass and jigged for Drum and Walleye. Lake Ontario in early August was monster Steelhead trolling with plenty of small Chinook as bycatch. Lake Superior in late June was a great new place to fish for us and we caught a multitude of native Lakers. It's amazing how much variation Superior fish have since they're the original strains and have adapted specifically for the various environments of that lake.

 

Another awesome season in the books, we'll be back at it again next April for Erie Lakers, but until then it's time to keep crushing them in streams and rivers!

 

(We catch & release 95% of our trolled fish, but a few pictured below (the gill gripped ones) were kept for the grill.)

 

Erie Lake Trout

 

Wicked Lamprey wound

 

Largest fish of Spring, 18 pounds

 

8.5# Walleye

 

White Bass are welcome on our boat

 

Superior Laker

 

Bug-eyed Char

 

33" Lake Superior tank

 

Awesome coloration

 

Inshore Drum jigging

 

37" 23# Erie Laker

 

Action was hot in July

 

New PB Lake Trout, 38" 24#, eastern Lake Erie

 

Some more jigged Drum

 

Lake O Steel

 

Bycatch Chinook

 

12 pound Steelshark

[N II Deep]

Thanks for the share 

[Nailer]

Very Cool.  Thanks for sharing.

[Divemaster]

Thanks, guys.

[EdB]

Nice catchin!

[FBD]

I too will target the drum.  Those are some hogs.

[Divemaster]

Thanks! Drum are such an underutilized sportfish. Hit like a freight train and take off running, even more fun when you can jig them in 8-20'. Even had a couple spool me with a 12lb leader! Our biggest this year was only a 9 pounder but in 2015 we boated a 10, 12, and 14.

[@lastacyKevin]

Very cool! It was the year of the Laker!

[Divemaster]

Thanks! Spring Lakers were a bit slower than usual for us but summer was on fire whenever we could get out.

[FishingFry23]

Nice catches! I had no idea you can get fish that big from lakes. I am such a noob here lol

I will be going up to Lake Erie over the summer and I am really looking forward to getting some good fishing in!