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Author Topic: My 2022 open water reports - Part 2.  (Read 1589 times)

Water Wolf

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My 2022 open water reports - Part 2.
« on: Dec 31, 2022, 01:17 AM »
My reports for the month of July.


Wow, did the open water season ever fly by, don't know were the time went this year. Not as much fishing this July as in the past, but, it was good when I was out.

The weather was still unpredictable this July.
Around SK. there have been a few more tornadoes, and large hail. Thankfully neither weather events were close to us these times. 
There were a few intense lighting storms roll through this month though, and, on July 19th, we had a fair dump of rain, in just a short time.
We had a few days with heat warnings - hot days and warm muggy nights.
With the humidex, one day was almost +40 deg C / 104 deg F. :P


July 1st. ( Canada Day).

On Canada Day I though I would go to the lake, do some fishing and watch the fireworks around the lake in the evening.

My destination - Fishing Lake, in my usual shore fishing spot.  This area would give me a good view of quite a few of the beaches where fireworks may take place.

I got to the lake in the evening and fished off shore from 8:50 pm - 10:00 pm.
Other family members were with me, but, they were there just to watch, not fish.

It was a cool, damp evening / night, with cloudy skies, and, even a few light rain showers from time to time. The temp was only +13 deg C / 55 deg F with some wind fromt the SE.

Not much boat action on the lake at this time of day with just 2 boats fishing and 2 tubing and 2 jet skies.

The fish were there, and, in the time I fished, I was able to catch and release 2 pike. :)




I quite fishing at 10:00 pm when the fireworks started. A group to the N of me put on a really good show.
There was also good fireworks across the lake at the main beach and I could hear, but, not see others going off to the N and S of me as well.
A good way to spend the holiday for sure. :D

I hope everyone else had a good Canada Day long weekend.



July 4th.

I was back at Fishing Lake to do a bit more shore fishing at my usual spot.

The day was cloudy with some wind from the SE, and, +19 deg C / 66 deg F temps.

I fished from 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm.

There was not much fishing action on the lake or along the shore. Just 1 other boat that I could see was out, but it came in, down the beach from where I was fishing, just as I was getting started, and, then went out again, just before I left. At one point they went by close enough that we could talk. The folks in the boat said that they had caught enough walleye for their supper that night.

For myself, fishing started off a bit slow with most of the action starting to fire up as the sun was close to setting.

In the end I was happy to land 5 fish, 4  walleye and 1 pike. :)
I also had 3 fish that got off,  a distance from shore, and, had 3 pike follow the lure right up to the edge of the shoreline, but, still not hit.





The mosquitoes got nasty just at the time I was packing up. ::)

All in all it was a nice evening at the lake.
I left the lake to the sounds of a great horned owl hooting across the lake and coyotes howling around me.

I hope all of you in the USA had a good 4th of July / Independence Day.



July 14th.
This would be the last day of fishing for the month of July, and, the first time this year I had the boat out. 8)

My mom accompanied me on the first boat trip of the season.  She likes boating and was happy just to ride and enjoy the fresh air. I fished and drove.

We had an early supper, got to the lake, loaded the boat, and, were on the water by 6:05 pm fishing to 8:30 pm. It sure felt good to be on the open water in the boat again!

It was a nice evening for boating / fishing, with mainly sunny skies, a breeze from the NW, and, +28 deg C / 82 deg F temps at the time. It had been alot hotter in the earlier part of the day - this felt like a reprieve from earlier sweltering temps and a welcome soothing calm brought by the comfortably moist lake air.

What a difference a few days can make, at the lake. When I was there last, the lake was clear, and, the water was still quite cold. This time when you drove up you could smell the lake. The water was a bit warmer to the touch and there was large floating mats of green algae, and smaller bits of algae through the water column, yuck, would not want to be swimming in that. :P

There were 7 other boats out on the water, 5 were fishing the other 2 were tubing.

Out on the lake it was a very calm atmosphere with the sun shining, the waves gently lapping agains the side of the boat, the birds singing,and, the fish biting.

I fished close to the boat launch area just trolling back and forth along the beach there. Not long into the trolling (8 min or so) and I get a bite, and, net the first fish of the day, this walleye. :)


The action was non-stop all the time we were there, and, by the end of the day, I caught and released 20 fish, 2 pike and 18 walleye. ;D




All the fish hit on a new lure that I ordered online this spring from Lucky Bug lure company. They all went for the F- Bomb crankbait. I spiced it up with a bit of walleye scent, added to the lip of the lure. The lure was new out of the box, and, by the end of the day, had many battle scars. You know the lures are good when you see that in a tackle box.




Near the end of the trip, the fish flies made their presence known. The air and boat suddenly started to fill with them. I think they were coming out of the water at the time, and, we were in the area where that was happening. They were all over us and the boat, going in our ears, eyes and nose, good thing they don't bite. ::)

In the end, it was a great first outing with the boat, and, I am hoping for more days like that. :thumbup_smilie:



Here are a few other non fishing photos from the month of July.

Here is that same "Angry Birds" bird house I saw last month.
Now there are several little heads peaking out (a new family of swallows emerge) :laugh:


While going home from one of the fishing trips this month I spot this female moose not too far from the lake.

She looked to be a yearling.


My reports for the month of August.


Aug. was another active month, weather wise, with a few good thunder and hail storms.
The one bit of hail that we did get was short lived and small in size not doing any damage at all.

Aug. was also filled with nice sunny days. We did have quite a few days that would be considered above normal in temps, with 4 days that were really hot with high humidity.

We are starting to see those longer days shortening up, and, by mid Aug., quite a few different bird species are beginning to bunch up in preparation to leave for their winter homes elsewhere across the miles.

Late Aug. with it's heat, and, now drier conditions, gave many farmer an opportunity to get harvest under way.

Aug. proved to be a great fishing month as well - having some degree of success on each trip out - making the trips worthwhile.



Aug. 6th.
This was my first trip for August.
I was back at Fishing Lake, in the boat, and, fished from 6:20 pm - 8:30 pm.

The weather was a mix of sun and cloud, with the wind from the SW and temps at +20 deg C / 68 deg F.

It started off busy on the water with 12 other boats around, but, some of them started to leave not long after I got there. By evening there were just 3 other anglers out fishing, 1 tuber and 1 water skier.

I took a quick spin around a bit of the lake, just to clean the carbon out of the engine and then got to trolling in several different promising areas. That seemed to pay off and I had action as soon as I put the hook in the waters. In the end I caught 16 fish, 15 walleye and 1 pike. :azn:
As usual they all went back.

First one of the trip.


They were all around this size.


The 1 pike.


The moon was out while I fished.


On this trip, I caught all the fish on a, new to me, crankbait. This one was called a 13 Fishing Jabberjaw. It's a shallow diving crankbait, but, what makes it unique is the metal lip on the crankbait moves back and forth and bangs on a metal plate in the jaw area.
I was using the dream gill color, as I though it would best represent a wounded perch.


I left the lake in the evening when the temps began to drop, and the humidity went up.  Even the pelicans were going in for the night.

Hoping for more days like that.


Aug. 15th.
This was the next time out in the boat at Fishing Lake.
I fished from 6:10 pm - 8:30 pm.

The weather was mainly sunny with a lite wind from the W, and, +22 deg C / 72 deg F temps.  It had been even warmer earlier on in the day.

Joining me on the water were 6 other fishing boats and 2 jet skies.
Some of the boats were trolling lazily along, while others were just anchored in place jigging off the sides. Both methods seemed to be producing - mainly walleye that I seen caught.

For myself, I motored to a likely area of shoreline, and also trolled along it with a rattling crank.

This method usually works for me, and, it did again, with myself netting and releasing 8 fish, 6 walleye and 2 pike. :)

First one of the day.


Mr. split fin, again? ???

Oddly enough I caught a split fin walleye on Aug. 15th of last year (2021), deja vu. :whistling:

The slightly larger of the 2 pike.


Some photos from the water of the ever changing sky that day.


Looks like a storm is coming.


Calm waters.


All in all it was a decent day on the water with some fishing action.


Aug. 23rd.
I returned to Fishing Lake and was on the water fishing from 5:40 pm - 8:00 pm.

The water level was still the same as last time I was here, but, had less algae in it.

It was another quite day on the lake, boat wise, with just 3 other boats out fishing.

The weather was great with mainly sunny skies, a very lite wind from the NE, and
+26 deg C / 79 deg F temps. Can't wish for a better weather forecast than that.

Fishing was good that afternoon with the fish biting in short order.
I was able to catch and release 13 fish this time, 9 walleye and 4 pike. :)






Most of the fish went for a crankbait, but, I did catch a few, still-fishing from the boat, and casting the orange-brown Northland mimic minnow I caught in the creek earler this summer.

In the end it was a nice way to spend a summer's afternoon / evening.



Aug. 27th.
This would be the last outing of the month.
Once again I was back to Fishing Lake to see what I could tease from her depths.

I was on the water and fished from 6:05 pm - 8:15 pm.
Those shortening days are really starting to be apparent now.

The weather was dandy, with just a lite wind from the NW switching to SE near dark. There were mainly sunny skies, and, a temp of +26 deg C / 79 deg F.
I could not think of a better spot to be, than on the water. :D

There were 5 other fishing boats, and, 1 water skier out when I started to fish, but, as the evening wore , only 2 fishing boats remained.

This time I found the fish a bit deeper, probably due, to the recent few days of very hot temps. The sonar detected good numbers of fish in the depths.

 Trolling deeper payed off, with my best day of the month. I was able to catch and release 17 fish, 1 pike and 16 walleyes + 3 fish that got off / long distance release. :azn:

The first one.


Here's looking at you. ;)


The fish were hitting on 2 discontinued lures. The lure that seen the most action was a beat up Storm Rattle tot. The other that produced a few was the Rapala clackin' minnow.
It will be a sad day for me when I loose either of these 2 lures, particularly the Rattle Tot. It's been a long time fish producer for me that I can always rely on it when other lures fail.

Another fun and relaxing time spent on the water with active fish and peaceful waters.

I hope all of you had good spring and summer fishing too. ;D
Next stop for us, fall fishing, with shorter days, but, hopefully big fish.


 



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