The fishing has been a roller coaster ride, much like the weather patterns of the past week. The bigger walleyes have moved out to the rock piles, but they are scattered. On windy days the bite is pretty good in the muddy bays, but the fish are definitely staging in spots closer to the big lake now.
I love the Fourth of July. Hawgs are on the reefs. The lake comes to life with the smell of burgers grilling, and with the exception of the 1999 blowdown storm, the weather is usually just right.
The guiding season is incredibly busy throughout June and most of July, but tapers off through the rest of the season. My life is pretty chaotic right now, but I think I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.
I have some really fun regular customers in June, which makes the busy month a lot more tolerable. I actually get excited every single morning to go fishing. Even on those blistering hot days of August or June for that matter. You just never know what you might see or whom you might meet.
Stephen Foster, Seagull Creek Guide, and I have a fish fry on the third day of the trip every year for one of our regular groups. They used to want a shore lunch, but with the fire scares and inconvenience factor, they settled for a shore dinner at their cabin. We have a great time eating fish and sipping on cocktails. These guys even fished down in Florida with me. Good customers and even better friends.
Every group has a little different tradition. For example this group has a booby prize, a pink hat, which gets awarded to someone different each year.
I earned it one year for losing the group. We had been catching walleyes in Powell’s Bay for the first two days of the trip, and there was no reason to fish anywhere else. While leaving the boat ramp on day three, I told the other two guides that I would see them at Powell’s. After fishing for a half an hour with no sign of the other two boats, I realized they must have been waiting for me at Powell’s Resort instead of the bay. I backtracked and saw one of the boats heading back to the landing from the resort dock. I cut in between Connors Island and almost caught up to them. Almost. Unfortunately they didn’t turn around and see us until we reached the landing about three miles later. It was like a nail biting snail race, and it cost us some invaluable fishing time. I accepted the hat.
Cory Christianson, a 2000 graduate of the University of Iowa, has worked as a fishing guide at Seagull Creek Fishing Camp for eight years and worked for Almost There Charters in Key West for nine years. If you have any fishing reports or stories to share, send an e-mail to christiansoncory@ hotmail.com or call 218 388- 0315.
Leave a Reply