Juls WFA Blog
Monkey Off My Back....2 Hour Motor Break In Complete...3/21/2026
by Capt Juls on 03/23/26My work schedule and the weather finally gave me the opportunity to get the new Vexus out for it's first run on the water. The 400 Verado V-10 needed to get its initial 2 hour break in done, before I could run any trips. The other required 8 hours of break in can be done while I'm running trips, so that's all complete.
The DVX22 ran perfectly. I don't know how they did it, or if it was my imagination, but it seemed to ride even better than last year's model. I duplicated the 2025 boat in every way, so there isn't anything different that I know of, but this 2026 boat just felt even better while driving it.
The first two hours on the motor are most critical, because it seats the seals when the RPMs are adjusted up and down every two minutes (keeping it below 4500rpms), and will help the longevity of the motor in the future. For the next 8 hours, it can be run as normal as long as it is not run wide open for more than 5 minutes at a time....which, running wide open on Lake Erie doesn't happen too often...so, I'm good there. lol
We launched at Mazurik's and headed to Huron, for a 13 mile ride. Once we made it to Huron, one hour had been used up. We stopped to deploy the baby Merc and the Ulterra, to make sure everything was working. The iTroll worked on the kicker, and the Ulterra settings were set, so it's ready to go. The Ulterra's iPilot was set on "Locked Course", and had to be switched to "Locked Heading", so it would be using the compass instead of the GPS, but that's all that had to be changed.
We headed bacck to the south side of Kelly's, to get out of the wind, so it could be opened up to 4000-43000rpms, and be a smooth ride. We ran the slack water bakc and fourt several times untl the final hour was used up. Checking the Merc Smart-Gauge it said we had 2.4 hours on the motor....critical hours completed. :)
It was a chilly morning, so we headed back in to go get a hot meal, and gas her back up. It took 20 gallons of gas to run around, but thankfully, I had done my grocery shopping at Kroger's on Friday, so I got the 4Xs the gas points, and had .40 cents off per gallon. That made it 3.39 a gallon instead of the 3.79 it is right now. grrrrrrr....
My first trip will be the 29th....but, I told you about that in my previous post, so that's all I'll say on that. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that Mother Nature will play nice next month.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Waiting Out the Weather... 3/18/2026
by Capt Juls on 03/18/26The boat is still sitting on the showroom floor over at Fisherman's Central here in Port Clinton, while this weather decides what it wants to do. After some warm spring-like days, it decided winter wasn't over yet. We just had two big blows (50-60mph) out of the SSW, so the water levels at the ramps in the Western Basin are very, very low. I think I read someplace that it's 4+ feet low....ugh.
We haven't had a good satellite picture, because of the cloud cover, so we can't see how muddy and torn up the lake is right now. But, from what I could see from land, looking out, it looks pretty muddy.
The massive snowfall in northern MI the other day brought up to 50+ inches in some places, so that should help the water levels when it all melts and has to go somewhere.
I still need to get the big motor broken in with at least the first 2 of the 10 required hours on it, and between my work hours at the store, and the weather forecast, I doubt I will get that done before the 24th. My first scheduled trip is on the 29th, with one of my long-time customers from Wisconsin. You might recognize the name, "Vito", from my previous blogs over the years. Vito bought my 2017 boat, and likes to book me for a day before taking his boat out for a couple of days on his own. He's very chill and fun to fish with, so having him out first is something I'm looking forward to.
I just looked at the forecast for that week, and, of course, Mother Nature wants to be a bitch and says, "Oh, you want to bring your boat home next week? Let me dump 4" of blowing snow on you the night before you're scheduled to go out"....deep sigh. I sure hope that forecast changes. I only have a carport, and the Vexus boat cover has changed to a cover that is almost impossible to put on by oneself. It's an awesome cover, but it's not easy to put on. Mine is still in the box, and I will probably just keep it new in the box for the next owner of this boat.
Call me lazy....lol
I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it doesn't fill up with snow that night.
So, that's about it for now....just waiting. I'll be working some part-time hours at the store today through Saturday...just passing time, and talking fishing with humans. It's much better than spending my days talking to my dogs, who just look at me like, "Quit talking, woman, and just throw the damn ball!" ;)
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Picked up the 2026 Vexus Yesterday...2/28/26
by Capt Juls on 02/28/26Took a ride down to the New Franklin "Fisherman's Central" store, to pick up the new Vexus DVX22, yesterday. It was a beautiful day to drive down, which is only an hour and 45 minutes away. Between my work schedule at the PC store, and the weather conditions for the next two weeks, it was the only day I could go. When I got there, she was already to go, so I was able to get back to Port Clinton in a timely fashion.
She's over at the PC store for the next couple of weeks, due to the weather forecast, so she can be inside where it's nice and warm, and I can clean her up, and get it loaded up with all the gear, while she's inside. I only have a carport here at the house, so that helps greatly. :)
It won't be long now....as soon as the ramps are clear of ice, and there's a nice day...I'll get her out to get the big motor broke in.
Much thanks to Trevor, over at FC for doing the rigging...he always does a great job!
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
It's Been a Long Winter but it's Almost Time... 2/26/2026
by Capt Juls on 02/26/26With the winter doldrums starting to dissapate as the days get longer, and the temperatures warm, I'm looking forward to gearing up for the upcoming season. As I type this, the lake ice is melting and the new 2026 Vexus DVX22 is at my dealer's getting the last bits of rigging done.
The only added items the dealer is installing for me are the iTroll, a Cisco TM stabilizer mount, the third Garmin for the rear of the boat that was shipped loose, because I had the Cicso mount needed to mount it, some Miller Tech Lithium batteries for the Ulterra, and a longer pedestal for the Air Wave on the driver's side. (I like to sit above the windshield, so I can read the waves better....to make it a smoother/safer ride for my customers. The passenger side will stay lower, so they are behind the windshield, and protected).
March 7th, I'll be at the South Shore Marine Seminar with the Off Shore Tackle display, but I will not be a speaker at this event. Jake Romanack, with "Fishing 411" will be the guest speaker, and is guaranteed to give all attendees a plethora of information about walleye fishing Lake Erie. So, if you haven't secured a ticket yet, there's still time to do that. Contact South Shore for more information.
Once I have the boat here, I'll have to get that 400 Verado V-10 broke in. Unlike my old Evinrudes that didn't need a break in, it's important to get the initial two hours done on the Merc, following the break in procedure, per the Mercury Marine instructions. That way, there should be no issues with the motor this season.
The 2025 ran flawlessly last season, so I hope this season is another issue free year. I hope Mother Nature will give us at least a few days of nice weather in March, so I can get that done before I have customers in the boat.
There really isn't much to do, other than load everything back in the boat, and choose which crankbaits boxes will start the season. All the Off Shore boards are updated with new flags, foam, and releases, so they all look brand new again.
The FishHawk was sent in towards the end of the season last year, and they refurbished it, to brand new condition. I did order another one the other day, so I would have a back up if I needed it. It was on sale, and 150.00 off, because they are discontinuing the old clear probe that uses AA batteries, and replacing it with a lithium run probe that is rechargeable. I just didn't want to spend 500+ on a new one, when the old one works just fine, and I could get a back up for only 200.00.
I need to spool up some dipsey leads, which doesn't take any time at all. I usually just do 12 at a time, and when they run out, I'll tie up more. I simply tie a snap on one end and snap-swivel on the other end of a 6' lead, and wrap them on a cut piece of a pool noodle. That cut piece fits easily into one of the many storage compartments on the boat, so it's always handy when I need it.
I'll check my crawler harness supply, and tie some of those up too, if needed. I usually try not to use crawlers if I don't have to, but sometimes that's what they prefer on the tougher days. I find that during a Mayfly hatch, that a crawler harness with rootbeer colored beads and a #5 gold hammered hatchet blade works well to mimic the doomed little creatures, and gets bit. ;)
That's about it....now, it's just a waiting game. Come on Spring! :)
I still have 9-10 days open in April, and around 15 days open in May and June, too. So, if you're looking to get out fishing on Lake Erie's Western Basin, and it's only 2-3 of you, give me a shout.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
The New Vexus Is Here...2/13/2026
by Capt Juls on 02/13/26The new Vexus DVX22 is at my dealer's now...(Fisherman's Central's New Franklin, OH store). The rest of the rigging will be done, before I bring her home. While most of the rigging was already done down at the Vexus plant, a few things need to be added, that were not sent down there.
The 15hp kicker motor needs to be fitted with the iTroll system, so that I can control the RPM speed, easily.
The Cisco trolling motor stabilizer mount needs to be installed, to keep the TM safe while running from spot to spot in rough water.
The Garmin that will be in the back of the boat will be installed on a Cisco mount. The other two Garmin's (at the dash and on the bow) were already installed at the plant.
The factory trailer steps will be removed and the EZEESteps will be replacing them. Those I'll do myself, because they are "EZEE" to install...(see what I did there?) hehehe
I think that's all they have to do, so it shouldn't take long. Then, it's just a matter of waiting for the ice to leave the lake and launches, so I can get her out on the water, to break in the big black beast (400hp Merc Verado V-10), before running any trips with her.
I was getting a little worried that the economy was keeping people from booking trips, like they have in the past, but the last couple of weeks have brought enough bookings in, to keep me from panicking. :)
It's still less than previous years, but there's still time. And, I hope Mother Nature is kinder to us than last year, and lets me get all these trips in, this time. Last April was brutal, to say the least.
Right now, as I write this this morning, I have the following open in April:
10, 11, 12, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30th.
May and June have more openings and are my two favorite months to fish the Western Basin. Those usually start filling up as my reports come in, so unless there is some economic catastrophe I expect those two months to fill up too.
Anyway...that's where I'm at right now. I've been working part time over at Fisherman's Central, at the Port Clinton store, over the winter, so I can get out of the house and have conversations with someone other than my dogs. They are cute, and funny, but they are lacking when it comes to making conversation. ;)
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
ODNR Raised License Pricing for 2026...1/12/25
by Capt Juls on 01/12/26Just a heads up, for those of you who come from other states to fish out of Ohio launches...
The ODNR has raised the license pricing for the 2026 fishing season.
The new prices are as follows:
Non-Resident Licenses
1-Day.....$27.04
3-Day.....$52.00
1-Year....$76.96
Happy New Year! :)
by Capt Juls on 01/02/26https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YizKJrGBfcg
This link is to a video on YouTube that features my customers and trips from the 2025 season.
The 2026 Vexus DVX22 is in production right now, and should be here some time in late February or early march, I'm thinking.
Looking forward to the first nice day without ice on the lake, so I can get the 400 broke in. :)
It's only a few months away now...woot! woot!
2025 Vexus DVX22 is For Sale....12/7/2025
by Capt Juls on 12/06/25
It's that time...:(
But, the good news is, the 2026 is being built as I write this...:)
She's all cleaned up and on the showroom floor at Fisherman's Central in the Port Clinton store now. She's nice and warm…and safe from the winter elements.
You will be the first owner, as this was Demo boat and was never titled. That means full warranties on everything (except for the iTroll and the EZEESteps, as I added those myself).
**Only 90 hours...with a bonus 3/4 tank of gas left! (60 gallon tank)
Victor Package Includes:
~Patented Intensive Care Livewell System w/Oxygenator
~High density Polyethylene pad on center rod box to replace carpet.
~Coastkey Digital Ignition
~Airwave pedestal on passenger side (I have a Smoothmove on the driver's side, swapped with the buyer of my 2023 boat, so the driver's side is higher...manual version. He wanted to be lower, and I wanted to be higher, to see over the windshield while driving)
Electronics:
3 Garmin EchoMap Ultra 126SV units. One on the dash, bow, and in the rear.
Trolling Motor:
Ulterra Quest MSI WR 60"
Kicker Motor:
15 ELPT PK 4S Remote
Misc:
3 Miller Tech Lithium Batteries for the Ulterra
2 31 AGM batteries for the motors and electronics
Bennett Trim Tabs
Mercury System Monitor Gauge
Mercury Flush Control w/Tie Bar (Port Kicker)
Isolator for remote kicker/Verado
Manual Setback
Single trim lever on steering wheel
60" Rear Tracks
Garmin VHF radio/ 4' antenna
Deluxe Boat Cover (still new in box)
iTroll controller for the kicker
EZEEStep trailer steps
6" track on starboard bow for LiveScope pole (Pole not included)
$125,000.00 (Retailed new at 146,000)
Please contact me if you're interested in this Fishing Machine, and would like more information, or talk to Dave Gambone at FC PC store, or Kenny Grimes (sales mgr at the New Franklin store).
Fisherman's Central phone numbers:
Port Clinton store: 419-573-6650 or 888-599-9811
New Franklin store: 330-644-5346
Fishing with Ken...11/21/2025
by Capt Juls on 11/21/25Ken doesn't live far from me, and drove in from the west, so I just had him meet me at my house this morning. I asked him to be here at 6:45. I was out warming up the truck at 6:30, when he pulled in. He knows I'm always early, so he showed up early...which was good. It gave us a little extra time to get to Huron.
I was originally going to go out of Vermilion, but I had seen a post on Facebook stating that one of the ramps was damaged, or something, and that it was down to one usable ramp, so I opted for Huron. The winds were light, so running a little further wasn't a problem.
We were headed out of the river at 7:45. The Vexus glided over the 6" waves as the 400 purred at 50mph. The Garmin was marking a lot of fish from Huron to Vermilion, so we set down and set up just east of Vermilion, in 36 feet of water.
Not having a plan, I started with yesterday's program of the Purple Mist Bandit at 145 back on the outside Off Shore board (on both sides), and the Flashy Pearl and Slick Purple Bengal Flicker Minnow 11s... 50/30 with a 2oz Guppie weight.
Speed was 1.7mph (Fish Hawk reading).
Water temp was 46 degrees at 18' down.
We trolled from 36 to 42 feet, but turned around to keep it at 36-38', where most of the fish were hanging out.
Best Bandit colors were:
Purple Mist
RC Crush
and, a blue/orange/chartreuse chrome one I don't know the name of, and I don't know who painted it. It's a custom...not stock.
Ken was entered in the Fall Walleye Brawl, so we were hoping lightning would strike and catch a big one, but all we caught were nice eaters, which is okay too.
It was a great day to be on the lake at the end of November. It was 50 degrees with a light SW wind. The sky was gray, but it wasn't raining, so that was a blessing. :)
Ken has his own boat, so he likes to ask a lot of questions to help get ideas of what to do to improve his fishing machine. We both had a good time today, and caught our limits of walleye. You can't ask for more than that.
Good luck to all the anglers who have already weighed in a big one for the tournament! You only have another week to wait.
I may or may not get out again before the end of the week...we'll see.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing with Ron, Josh, and Zach...11/20/2025
by Capt Juls on 11/20/25Ron, Josh, and Zach came over from MI, and were originally on the calendar for tomorrow, but the forecast for Friday was showing wind and rain most of the week, so I asked if they could do today, instead, and they could.
We left Mazruik's at 8am and headed to the north side of Kelly's where I had been the last time out. They are not in the brawl, so I just need to find them some "fish-fry" fish. :)
I started with what I had on the rods from the last trip up there, and put the "Purple Mist" Bandit out 145' behind the Off Shore board. It was sent out and was running in its place, when I started on the second rod. We didn't get to put it out, because when I looked out at the first board, it was dragging back, had a fish hanging on it. I like when the morning starts out like that, but I also don't get too excited, because I've had days where we would catch one fast, and then nothing for hours.
The Ulterra and the baby Merc were set on a SW to NE course, at 1.7mph on the Fish Hawk. The SOG was 2.07, but the Fish Hawk probe was reading 1.6mph down at 18 feet.
Water temp was 47 on the surface and 44 degrees down below.
I had set up the starboard side with the same program as last week, just to see if they still wanted that. But, too keep a long story short....because I have another trip tomorrow, and i'ts already getting late, so I don't want to write a long story.... :)
What ended up working best were three baits.
The Flicker 11s in "Flashy Pearl" and "Slick Purple Bengal" with a 2oz Guppie weight at 50/30. (The Flashy Pearl ran on both sides of the boat, and probably caught the most fish).
Second, was the Purple Mist Bandit at 145 back. We had three of those out at that distance, and all of them took fish.
We ran the south side of Gull Island Shoal, over 43-46' of water, and trolled on over to the north edge of Kelly Island Shoal. The best bite we found was on the edge of KI shoal in 40' of water.
We had a slow pick on the SW to NE troll, but when we turned around to go back the way we came, it turned into a fast bite. We added 6 to the cooler in 5 minutes. It was a small pod of active eaters, and gave my crew a taste of what this lake can be like sometimes. They were having fun, and that made me happy! :)
The wind picked up a little bit from the NE and the bite died for us. We would pick one up here and there, but it was definitely slower. Teashingly, I told Zach, "You had me throw that 17 incher back, so now we won't get any more". They all laughed and said I was probably right.
At least we had their limit in the cooler, and were working on getting some of mine, when it slowed down. They called it a 1/2 hour early, so they could get home earlier, and we headed in.
Tomorrow is my last scheduled trip, and it's only one man. Ken was originally scheduled for yesterday, but the forecast for tomorrow was showing light winds, and higher temps, so he was able to move to tomorrow.
He's in the brawl though, so we will be heading east to launch in the morning. I haven't decided if I should go all the way to Lorain, or if I should launch out of Huron, or Vermilion and head north.
I see the wind forecast went from less than 10 out of the SSW tomorrow, to now blowing much harder...with gusts to 20 out by the buoy.
I'll decide in the morning, after looking at the forecast again. It's always changing.
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Deep Sigh....I made a bad call...11/14/25
by Capt Juls on 11/15/25I had a scheduled trip for yesterday (Friday), but had cancelled it, due to report from friends who said the lake was trashed, and that there was zero visibility. The satellite pic confirmed the massive amounts of mud out there. So, I told my customers that "It would probably be just an expensive boat ride", and that they should probably save their money.
I guess I was also feeling less confident, because my previous trips out, while fun fishing, resulted in the Garmin marking a lot of fish, but we couldn't get them to bite. So, after a three day blow that muddied up the water...I thought I was making the right decision for them. (Woke up early, so I've seen all the reports of the lake miraculously cleaning up overnight, and the bite was vert good for most fishing over by Lorain, yesterday.) So, clearly, I made the wrong decision.
It was a husband and wife from PA, and I wanted it to be fun. They understood, and said they would contact me again in the future.
I wanted to get on the water though, because it was going to be a nice day. It didn't matter if we caught any fish. Just being on the water...with its sights, smells, and calming effects just makes life better. :)
My friend, Keith, (who was able to get the day off from work on short notice) and I, took the Vexus out of Mazurik's at 10am. Originally, Keith wanted to take his boat, to run some gas (with winter storage additive) through the motor, but his Ranger's battery charger is complaining, and not working, so we took mine. This time of year is not the time to have boat troubles out there.
I wanted to hit the hole by Starve Island, first. It's usually pretty good this time of year. We stopped short, on the east side of it, so we could get set up before hitting the contour I wanted to follow.
(I like the 35-42 edge on the south side of the "hole".)
The Uterra and the baby Merc were deployed, and set to a speed of 1.5-1.7mph showing on the "Fish Hawk". The SOG was showing 2.1mph and the Fish Hawk was showing 1.6mph.
I started with Bandits behind the Off Shore boards on the starboard side, and Keith ran P-10s and a Jointed DHJ12 on the port side.
The P-10s ran with 2oz snap weights at 25/25 and 50/30. Colors were blue/chrome and Marvin...the Rapala (blue/white/orange belly) was also running at 50/30... (if you don't know what these numbers represent, the first number shows where you put the snap weight on, and the second number refers to how much more line you let out before putting the board on).
The Bandits started at 105, 80, and 67 back (unassisted). Colors were Taco, Beetle Juice, and Pink Squirrel. The Garmin was marking scattered fish from 12 to 35 foot down, so I put a snap weight on the inside board and ran it 50/30, which put it at 27 feet down.
Keith caught one pretty quick on the blue/chrome P-10 set on the 25/25, but that one small suicidal walleye would be the only fish caught in that area.
The water clarity wasn't the best. I could make out the cavitation plate on the big motor, but it wasn't great. I decided to make a move to the north side of Kelly's Island to see if the water looked any better over there. Luckily, it did...so, we set up on a SW to NE troll.
After putting pieces of the puzzle together, we changed things up and started putting fish in the cooler. It wasn't fast by any means, but steady enough to keep us entertained.
I changed out "Pink Squirrel" for "Purple Mist" and put it out at 145 back, unassisted. It caught several fish.
I changed out Bettle Juice for a Blue/Chrome, and added a 2oz snap weight. It caught fish at 50/30. Same with the Blue/Chrome P-10 I added to my side. It was out at 50/30 and caught fish.
Keith ran two Blue/Chrome P-10s, and kept the Jointed DHJ12 on. All caught fish at one point or the other.
Speed was best between 1.7 and 1.9mph. I was running the south side of Gull Island Shoal, and then out oand over the two humps between KI Shoal and Gull.
Water temp on the surface was 42.7 and 44.2 degrees at 18 feet down. (That's where I was running my Fish Hawk).
We ended with 11 nice eaters, so now I at least have my freezer stocked with my winter's supply of walleye. I love to make chowder with it...nothing better on a snowy winter's day. :)
I feel bad that I made a wrong decision with my customers, but hindsight is 20/20, and at the time, I thought I was making the right decision. Who would have guessed it would clean up that much overnight. That's not usual...at all.
Anyway...
I might have a trip on Tuesday or Wednesday...that's not confirmed yet. I have scheduled trip on Friday, but the forecast is looking bad for Friday...lots of wind and rain....again. He asked that I touch base with him on Wednesday, to make a decision. Deep Sigh...
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
My 2025 Vexus DVX22 Will be For Sale this Winter...11/12/2025
by Capt Juls on 11/12/25I'll be running a 2026 Vexus DVX22 next season, so this 2025 boat will be for sale over the winter.
It will be at the Fisherman's Central Store in Port Clinton OH, when I'm done using it this fall.
I'll be posting everything about it when the time comes, but for now, if you're interested in my boat, please contact me at:
Rngrgal@gmail.com or 419-835-7347
Or Kenny Grimes (FC boat mgr) at:
kenny@fcmarinegroup.com or 330-644-5346 (press 2 for the boat Dept)
Either of us can answer your questions about it....thanks! :)
Juls
It's Been a Month Already....11/12/2025
by Capt Juls on 11/12/25
It's been a month since my last scheduled trip, due to reschedules and cancellations, due to wind. Somehow, it's nice out when I don't have a trip scheduled and it blows when I do....deep sigh. Oh well...no one can control Mother Nature, and it is what it is. At least most rescheduled, rather than cancelled, so there's that silver lining.
I got out a couple of times with a friend to just get on the water on a nice day, but the results were less than stellar, so I never wrote about it. The first trip was out of Marblehead a few weeks ago, and while the fish were in the area, the bite was not. Well, that's not completely true....the bite was there if you were going in the right direction in relation to the currents happening that day. We were on a SW to NE troll, but the bite was happening on a NE to SW troll. lol We only caught one small walleye.
We never turned around to go the other way, because we had also brought perch stuff, to try for them if the walleye bite failed us, so we went to try for perch instead of making another pass the other way.
Well, that decision resulted with the same outcome....nothing....not even a nibble, so we headed in after about 4 hours.
The next time out was for perch....again...mark them, but they wouldn't bite. We were rewarded with one throw back and one jumbo after 6 spots and 3 hours. Then, we tried trolling for walleye. We marked fish in the zone that would make you think they would be eating, and it would be a good bite, but they refused.
We had one pull back with a big fish, but it came off half way to the boat. So, we called it and went in.
So, nothing really to write about. I have been busy cleaning up the gardens, yard, and house during my time off, to get ready for the boring season of winter.
Sure, it's pretty and all, but I hate the gray dull hues, and cold winds, when there isn't any snow around. It's depressing. I can't wait for spring when things start turning green again, and I can grow stuff. :)
I do have a scheduled trip this Friday and Saturday, and right now it's blowing 20-30 from the WSW for the second day in row. It was blowing hard from the NE and then the NW prior to the wind switch. It will start to lay down tomorrow and hopefully will put some water back on this end of the lake, so the ramps aren't too shallow to launch this weekend.
The weather report is showing warmer temps this weekend, so I'm hoping that doesn't show up with wind. The wind forecast for Friday, as I write this, is showing winds out of the south at less than 5mph. It's switching to the east during the morning, but shows it only getting to 10mph in the afternoon, so that's good. I hope it doesn't change. It's going to be a run to find clean water, I think.
I plan on meeting them at Vermilion, since they are coming over from PA that morning. He's a farmer and gets up early, he said. It's a 4-hour drive, too...so, meeting them in Vermilion would shorten their trip by 40 minutes, and put us closer to fish that might be willing to bite. Fingers crossed!
Saturday is showing a SSE wind from 12-20mph. I'm hoping that the water inside by Vermilion will have a chance to clean up enough through Friday, that it's fishable on Saturday. We shall see.
I might just take along some perch stuff in case we do well on the walleye and can target some of those jumbo perch over there, too.
Then, the next scheduled trip isn't until the 21st, and it's too far out yet to look at a forecast.
I still haven't caught my 6 walleyes for my freezer, for the winter. I like to make walleye chowder over the winter, and only need 6 walleyes to spread over the months. I need to catch some perch, too, to take to family in Wisco, for Christmas. Maybe Mother Nature will find it in her heart to give us good weather and stable conditions, so we can get a few more good trips in, with fish willing to bite aggressively (making it easy!)
I'll let you know how we do on Friday....
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Four Days of Perch Fishing with Bob and Bruce Brenton...10/6-10/2025
by Capt Juls on 10/12/25Day 1:
October 6th
Bob and Bruce have been perch fishing with me in the fall for several years now. They like to come in early October, which is usually a great time to catch perch around here, but the lake is about 3 weeks behind, due to the warmer than usual weather we've been having this fall, and the bite is hit or miss for most anglers.
Day one would be our best day. There was a 5-10mph wind out of the south, so it wasn't a rough day. It was the last of the warm mornings, due to a cold front moving in.
The sky was partly cloudy and the high temp in the afternoon would be near 80 degrees.
After stopping to get Emerald Shiners from Hi-Way Bait, we drove to the ramp and launched at Mazurik's at 7:30. We headed to the area just east of Lucy's point. I hadn't been out chasing perch lately, so I got the info from Matt, at Hi-Way. We tried a couple of spots up there, and were marking what looked like Perch, but we didn't get bit in an hour (1/2 hour each spot), so I decided to go try the red can on the north side of North Bass.
I wanted to check it out over there, because that area can be really good in October...and, because it was a little wishful thinking on my part.
Bob and Bruce are two of my favorites, and I really wanted to put them on some Perch. They are both very adept at catching them, so I wanted to find some that would bite. Thankfully, that spot didn't disappoint. The bite started right away, and they were jumbos! The guys were happy and giggly. Yay!
We caught 9 pretty fast, and then it went slow....then, another wave of fish would go through, and we would catch a handful, and it would go slow again. We would move around the area the rest of the trip, and pick up a few more, then it would die again. We kept moving around, and picking off fish, but we weren't close to limiting. We only had 45 of our 90 by the time their time was up. The perch we did catch, though, were all jumbos. Those 45 fish went 17 pounds at the cleaners.
Day 2:
October 7th
The forecast was calling for rain in the morning, so I told the guys the day before to have their rain gear with them. It did rain on and off all morning, but it was never a heavy downpour. It was only annoying when I was driving, and making it hard to see. Rain drops hitting the eyeballs....hurts! lol
We launched at Mazurik's at 7:30, and headed to the lighthouse, first, to check that area. The wind was out of the south. We caught a couple of perch and three catfish.
I asked them if they wanted to go back up to North Bass again, and they both said, "Yes".
So, we went back up where we were the day before. Bob and Bruce really liked the size of the fish up there, so we gave it another shot. We didn't see any other boats on the lake all morning, which I thought was strange, and kind of creepy. I thought to myself, "what does everyone else know that I don't know?", but the weather was fine... other than being a little wet.
It wasn't too cold yet...that was coming the next day. I couldn't figure out why no one else was on the lake all day. Once we got towards the mainland again...I did see two or three boats in front of Lakeside and the Lighthouse....but, that was it.
We ended that trip with only 37 jumbos, but the guys were still happy.
Day 3:
October 8th
Blow day....gusty NE wind.
Day 3 (cont'd):
October 9th
We launched at Catawba at 7:30.
The cold front moved in. It was only in the high 40s in the early morning. The wind was out of the NNE at 10-15mph, so we were staying on the protected side of the islands, where it wasn't as rough.
We started out on the SW corner of South Bass, but the first spot only produced a couple of perch and a catfish. So we moved further north along the west side of the island and tried one more spot on that side of the island. We didn't stay long though.
Next, we tried a spot with decent marks by Sugar Island....nada.
Bob had asked about the spot at North Bass, but looking to the north, and trying to determine the wave heights on the north side of North Bass was hard. I told them, it looks pretty rough on that side of the island, but it might be an optical illusion, so if they were game...we could go back up there, and if it was too rough, we would find another spot on the protected side of the islands. They were game.
Well, it was in-between reality and an optical illusion. It was rough, but it wan't rough enough to keep us from going out to the buoy. I'd say it was solid 2.3s with a few 4s from time to time. But, mostly 2-3s.
We would end up catching 33 Perch on their 3rd day. The bite was a lot tougher, and less aggressive, but the brothers were still happy.
Day 4:
October 10
Hit Hi-Way bait at 6:45, but they only had itty-bitty shiners, and that wouldn't do.
So, we drove over to Herb's Drive Thru and checked their stock. They only had the itty-bitties, too....and, the Party Mart only had Goldies. So, I called "Wozniak's Sunoco" back on the other side of town, and asked if they had Emeralds...they did. They have their own boat for catching them, so they don't get what everyone else gets when they get delivered around town.
Their Emeralds were the perfect size, too. It took an extra 1/2 hour to 45 minutes to do all that unexpected running around, but we were able to get launched by 8am. We launched at Mazurik's again.
The morning was a little cooler than the previous day, but the wind was out of the south at around 13mph. I decided to go try some areas that we hit last year, and did well, because I didn't think they would want to go back to North Bass again, with the count going down each day.
The first spot we tried was just east of Middle Island, and just south of the Canadian line, over 34' of water. We caught some big perch there, and kept busy with other species like, Sheephead, White Bass, White Perch, and Catfish. When we did catch a perch it was 10-12 inches, so that had my guys focusing. When the bite died, they wanted to move....so, we moved.
In my mind, I wanted to stay, thinking that the fish are moving a lot and we just needed to wait for the next wave to go through. If so many species are there in that area, there must be a reason. :)
We left that spot and headed down towards Kelly Island Shoal, and found a spot that was marking good fish on the Garmin, and set up. Nada....and we were running out of time. I decided to run down and try the SE corner of Kelly's, on the west side of the Ferries, but didn't pick up anything there either. Then, I said, "Pick A or B" (A being the lighthouse and B being the area out in front of Lakeside Pier)...they chose A. So, we went there. Marked some fish east of the lighthouse, but no biters. We only had 40 minutes left, and Bob said, "Brother, if you want to get going now, we can go. I'm tired and we could get back home a little earlier." Bob was tired, and so were Bruce and I, so Bruce said, "Let's do it"....and we were done. We only had 11 in the cooler on the last day, but they were probably the biggest we caught in the 4 days.
Day one had big fish but went 2.6 fish per pound. The 11 on day 4 were 1.5 fish per pound. :)
I could tell Bob was a little disappointed in the results this season, because they've always had good success on their previous trips. But, that's Mother Nature for you...it's not always going to be perfect. You can find them, but you can't make them bite all the time.
The guys said they had a great time anyway...and, so did I. And, that makes me happy!
My next trip was scheduled for Wednesday, but he had to reschedule, so my next trip will be a 3-day walleye trip starting Thursday. Bryon Haro fished with me years ago, and has tried to get here in the spring, but due to winds, wasn't able to get out. So, he thought he would try the fall this time. Fingers crossed!
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing with Cory, Sawyer, Holly, and Collin...10/3/2025
by Capt Juls on 10/03/25Woke up early....(that's a given)...
Took care of the dogs, critters, and chores before leaving the house at 5:30, to head to the gas station and Hi-Way Bait, before driving over to Huron, to meet my crew.
This isn't a "Mom and Dad with the youngins"; this was a family trip, but related differently. Holly is Cory's sister-n-law (I think her sister married Cory, if I have the story straight), and Collin is Holly's boy. He's 15. Sawyer is Cory's boy, and he's 9.
I got to Huron around 6:30 and had told them to meet me at 7am, since the sunrise isn't until 7:30(ish), and took that opportunity to check all my lines in front of the crank baits, and cut some off, if I needed to. Only two were suspect, so it didn't take long. Then, I pulled the dipsey rods out and checked the leaders. I changed two of the four leaders due to abrasion and changed out a couple of spoons to worm-burners.
They showed up right on time. We launched, and headed out the river. The sky was clear, the air temp was in the mid to high 50's, but was forecasted to warm up to the 70s. The wind was light out of the SSE. The wind direction was NE yesterday, but was supposed to switch by early evening last night, so I was hoping it had enough time to lay down.
The rollers weren't too bad, but just enough to keep me from going too fast. I didn't want to beat up my customers, or the boat, so we took our time. As we rode out, I kept an eye on the Garmin, looking for good marks to start over.
We had headed towards Cranberry initially, because I was thinking of starting in close, thinking they might be in shallow that early, but changed my mind, and went towards deeper water instead.
I had a friend that was fishing the shallower stuff, and confirmed I had made the right decision. He wasn't doing well, and he said there was a lot of floating grass in that area.
The Garmin started marking some fish over 36 feet of water, so I decided to start there. The Ulterra was deployed first, then the baby Merc, and then the FishHawk. I had the Ulterra pointed towards Vermilion, which was a few miles away yet, and looked at the FishHawk, so I could set my speed....but, it wasn't working.
Long story short...I think the transducer cable, that has exposed wires at the plug in (that attaches to the unit), might be the culprit.
I'm already in communication with the company, so we'll see what happens. They were unbelievably quick to respond, which I really appreciate! Woot! Woot!
Anyway....with my confidence gone, because I don't know what speed my baits would be running down there...especially, when there are whacky currents happening...I set the speed to what the Garmin was showing for "Speed Over Ground", and crossed my fingers. lol
While none of them had ever caught a Walleye before, they were well versed anglers with other species, so I knew they could at least handle a rod. I didn't know what to expect from the youngest one, Sawyer, but I have to tell you, I couldn't stop saying how impressed I was with this kid. He's just the coolest! He's quiet, but a critical thinker, LOVES fishing, and could handle the dipsey rods better than a lot of adults I know. lol His patience was something to be admired, too. Usually, young ones under 10 can get kind of fussy if there's a slow bite happening, but not Sawyer......he's so cool. :)
Collin picked up how to put the Off Shore boards on the lines and helped me set lines. He's just an older version of Sawyer, so I think that family has some good genes and parenting happening. They were awesome!
I digress....
We started out with Flicker Minnow 11's on the starboard side, behind the Off Shore boards, and Walleye Nation Creation Reapers on the port side. I was only running 3 per side, to keep it simple.
Two dipsies ran off each corner...
zero settings started at 40 (port side) and 54 (starboard), and the three settings at 70 (starboard) and 55 (port). BadMo, Yeck, and Scorpion spoons were used. I tried a couple of worm-burners for the first hour, but nothing touched them, so I put regular spoons back on. The best leads would end up being:
Zero setting at 60 and the three settings at 70 and 100 back.
Nothing was interested in the cranks this morning. Eventually, the Reapers came off, and were replaced with Bandits, and the Flickers were replaced with Bill Lewis Lites, with 2oz snap weights. The only fish that chased our cranks were a couple of walleye interested in the Baby Bill's at 50/115, and 50/90 (50=where you attach the snap weight, and the other number is the total amount of line out).
We only ended up with 10 good eaters, but they were happy with that. They have a big family fish fry planned, and this catch would cover that event.
This family was so enjoyable to fish with, because they were so "chill", and just kept a positive attitude.
They all said they had a great time, and that makes me happy! :)
It's supposed to start cooling down again next week, so hopefully, that will kill the huge numbers of Spiney-Fleas in the system right now.
We marked fish here and there, but not in the numbers they are seeing way to the east yet. It will be nice when those fish decide to finally make the trek back this way.
My next trip is a 4-day perch trip with the two brothers from MI, who have come every fall for the past 8 years, I think. We always have a good time, and I always look forward to their time here. I've been hearing the bite is picking up, so fingers crossed it keeps improving!
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Today and Tomorrow's Perch Trip has been cancelled....again. 9/26/2025
by Capt Juls on 09/26/25My long time customer, and friend, had to cancel his two day perch trip for today and tomorrow....again....due to work. I think this makes it 4 or 5 times in the past two years now.
He always pays me, though, so at least it doesn't hurt the wallet. I sure would like to get him out in the boat again....I always have a lot of fun fishing with him.
Maybe next time.
I'll be getting out Sunday....taking my neighbors out to do some fishing. It's too nice of a weekend to let it go by without getting on the lake. :)
Stay tuned....
Capt Juls
Fishing Day 2 with Bob, Kory, and David...9/21/2025
by Capt Juls on 09/22/25The plan was to launch out of Lorain at 6:45, from Hotwaters. I had never launched out of there before, so that was new to me. I had gotten word that the area that I had targeted my last time over there (last week) was still holding fish..."Stacked" was the term I was told, so I was excited to be launching a lot closer than Vermilion this time.
The wind forecast at 2am was showing 18mph out of the ENE at the weather buoy, and by 5:00am, it was showing 13mph, so that was good to see. It would still be rough, but I knew the wind direction was going to change. Originally, iWindSurf was showing the wind switch at sunrise to come from the SSE at around 10mph. But that wouldn't be the case. When we left the marina, it was doing just that, so we headed out. The ride would be 6 miles to the north side of the dump.
The rollers from the NE were pretty big, but drivable. But, as we made our way out, I realized that the SSE wind was definitely more than 10mph, and building. You know what that means? Big rollers coming from one direction and building waves coming from another direction...that creates a washing machine effect, and makes it difficult to navigate the waves.
Once we got out 6 miles and the Garmin was showing no fish, I made a decision to head back in. It was going to be very hard to try to drive around to find fish, and I didn't know how bad it would get, since the forecast was obviously wrong. I told Bob, Kory, and David that we were going back in and then would relaunch at Huron, where it would be a little nicer, due to the wind direction. They were in favor of that idea, so we headed back in.
One of those washing machine waves put about 5 gallons of water over the bow, and gushed water to the back of the boat. I heard them all yell, "Whoa"! It's been many years since I took water over the bow, because usually, I'm smart enough to stay out of those kinds of conditions. lol
I reached down and turned on the bilge. The water was pumped out. We made it back without any more incidents, and I looked at the floor and said to them, "I've been needing to clean the floor, so at least that's done". :)
"I was watching how hard you were working on the way in", said David. "Yeah, my wrist is a little sore from working that throttle all the way in". Then, I laughed and said, "Happy birthday, I'm glad I didn't kill you on your birthday!" He laughed and said, "So am I!"
We made it to Huron at 9:00am and went NW out of the river, over to the SW side of the dump. It was still a little windy, but the conditions were so much better in that area than where we had started this morning. I knew it would probably be a tough bite out of Huron, but their safety was my number one concern... it was what it was.
The Ulterra and baby Merc were set on a course towards Cedar Point, over 35 feet of water. The speed was set to 2.5mph on the FishHawk. On that track, we would start in 35 feet of water and then out to 41 feet.
Dipsies were out first. If you've been reading all my blogs, you know what the program is by now. I start with the zero settings at 35 and 54 back, and the three settings at 50 and 70 back. Then, I figure it out from there, if those settings do not work. They worked, when we marked some fish...but, there weren't a lot of fish in the pass we were making. I said, "direction can sometimes make a difference, so I changed from an east to west troll, to the NE (out over the dump).
We had crankbaits out behind the Off Shore boards, but they never took a fish, so no need to let you know what that program was. Ha!
The wind was subsiding, and it was becoming even more pleasant. We never got into a steady bite, but we did end up with 8 nice eaters. The guys were as funny and patient as they were the day before, so it made it an enjoyable day, again. They had brought some dice to keep them occupied in between fish...so that was fun.
A half hour before we were done, David asked, "What's that red/white/yellow thing over there?" I said, "Ope, looks like someone lost an Off Shore board today. We need to go pick that up and see if there's a name and number on it. I'm sure he wants it back". I added, "I lost two of them over the past two years, and had my name and number on them, but no one ever returned them".
I made the turn and drove over to it. David netted it. It was a brand new board. On the front was "(DM)" and his number. I gave him a call, and it went to his voicemail, so I left a message. About 5 minutes later, he called. We discussed how to get it back to him and agreed on the best way. I got to the ramp first, and put it in the back of his truck. :)
I do not have a trip scheduled until Friday and Saturday, so I'm off all week, unless I pick up a trip.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing with Bob, Kory, and David...9/20/2025
by Capt Juls on 09/20/25When I went to bed last night, the forecast for this morning was 15-20 out of the northeast, and when I got up, it had changed to 14-17mph. The plan was still the same.
Originally, Bob wanted to spend two days of fishing for walleye, and possibly some perch if time allowed. But, since the wind direction and speed were too strong for where I wanted to fish, over in Lorain. So, I had discussed it with Bob and told him that the only option was to try some perch fishing and use the islands as a windbreak. He was for that game plan.
I left the house at 4:30, so I could go gas up the Vexus and truck, grab some ice, and hit Hi-Way Bait for some minnows, before picking up my crew at 6:30.
Matt, over at Hi-Way, had said that he would have it open by 5:00am. I got there at 4:45, and he was already open. They had a nice selection of mostly Emeralds, but there were some Goldies and Alwifes in the mix too. A nice size, though. :)
I ran home to spend the last hour with the dogs, and take care of some chores before heading out.
I picked up Bob, Cody, and David from the Whitecaps Motel, and headed straight to Catawba, since I didn't have to stop for anything.
Sunrise was at 7:17 this morning, and it was beautiful. The sky was partly cloudy, with wispy clouds, the air temp was in the 60s, and the wind was blowing around 12-14mph.
I thought about staying on the west side of Catawba and searching the area around Clinton Reef, but decided to make a run up to the islands while the waves were still decent. We made it up to the west side of South Bass around 7:30, and when the Garmin marked a lasagna-looking set of marks on the bottom, I dropped the Ulterra down and hit "Spot-Lok". Once anchored, I handed out the rods, and told them, "I usually give a spot a 1/2 hour...it's 7:30 right now", and added, "Should we bet a dollar on the first keeper yellow in the boat?" Bob said, "Only a dollar?" Laughing, I said, "That's all I can afford." They laughed, and all agreed to it.
We stayed in the first spot for 1/2 hour and then left, and headed towards Middle Bass. We tried two spots there and stayed in the third spot. Bob would win the dollar bet. My fish was late by about 3 seconds. Ha! Bob and Kory used the rigs I tied up, and David and I were using Fishing Addiction Flies, because that's what was on the rods from the last trip out. I told them I had all kinds of rigs to use, along with spreaders, but they just kept what they had on and kept fishing.
We would only end up with 18 perch in the cooler, about 10 throwbacks, one 3-pound catfish, one baby white bass, and two itty-bitty baby walleye, but it was probably one of the most humorous and fun trips I've had. These guys are funny and keep a positive attitude. They're long-time friends, and came over from Iowa to fish together. David flew in from Florida to meet Bob and Kory here. I think he's originally from Iowa, too, though.
I have them tomorrow too, so I'm really looking forward to it. We are going to go fish for walleye in the morning, and will be launching out of Lorain, instead of my usual Vermilion launch. The wind forecast is for a south wind, and I figured going out of Lorain would save us a long, bumpy ride back in. I told them I would pick them up at 5:30, since it's an hour away from Port Clinton.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
Fishing with Jim, Rusty, and Adam...9/12/25
by Capt Juls on 09/12/25I woke up at 2:00am, and remembered that I was finally going fishing again, and jumped out of bed. With coffee and dog treats in hand, I hit the back deck to check the weather. My apps said it was going to be a great day to be on the lake today, and that made me happy! :)
I was meeting Jim, Rusty, and Adam at the Vermilion ramp at 6:30, so I left my house at 5:00am, so I could hit the gas station and take my time on my way to Vermilion. The gas pump was super slow at the Speedway in Port Clinton, so I only filled up the truck, and decided, since I had all kinds of time, that I would hit the other Speedway in Sandusky, so I could top off the Vexus's gas tank. Slow pumps could mean a clogged filter, and I don't want yucky gas in my boat. I might be wrong, but I usually listen to my gut, and it keeps me out of most trouble.
I got to the ramp at 6:10, and parked. No one was there yet. After I put some warmer clothes on, a truck pulled in and parked. I kind of thought it might be my crew, since Jim knows I'm always early. After I paid the launch fee, and hit the bathroom, I walked back towards the truck, and three men were by my boat. I was right, they were my crew.
I have fished with Jim and his wife before, many years ago, when they hired me for a learning walleye trip. He had his own boat, so he did just fine, but has now sold the boat, and hired me again. This time, bringing two friends along...Rusty and Adam. Jim had kept in touch over the years, and when he was on the lake at the same time as me, we would share information with each other.
We launched at 6:30 and headed towards Lorain. It was a beautiful morning. The air temp was 54 degrees on the West side of Port Clinton, when I left the house, this morning, but was much warmer in Vermilion. It was 67 degrees by 7:30 out on the lake. Water temp was 64.8 degrees. The sky was clear, and the wind was less than 5 out of the NNE, so the lake looked flat, but had some of those small rollers coming in.
I was headed to the Lorain dump, when the Garmin lit up with marks in the middle of the east side of the dump....over 49' of water. I figured it was a good place to start. I set the Ulterra on a northerly course (towards deeper water), and fired up the baby Merc. I dialed in the RPMs with the iTroll, and when the FishHawk showed a speed of 2.5 mph, I started puting the lines out.
Jim already knew how to do everything, so I gave Rusty and Adam instructions on how to set lines with dipsies and Off Shore boards.
The dipsies went out first. The zero settings were set to 54 and 45 back. The three settings were out at 70 and 75....running BadMo, Yeck, and Scorpion spoons. I changed colors out several times, but they hit on everything when they hit. There really wasn't one that was hotter than the other. The best leads were 54 and 60 on the zero settings, and the three settings did best at 70-77 back.
Flicker Minnow 11s ran behind the Off Shore boards on both sides. I only ran 3 instead of 4 boards per side, because of the newbies on board, and I didn't know what kind of bite awaited us. Sometimes, it's best to keep it simple.
The Flickers ran at 110, 77, and 67 back on the Port Side, and 57, 80, and 110 on the starboard side (Yes, I run the longest leads on the outside boards).
Colors were:
"Slick Pearl Silver" (2) at 110 back
"Firetail Chrome Candy" at 80 back
"Slick Blue Alewife" at 57 back
"Slick Purple Bengal" at 67 back
"Slick Green Alewife" at 77 back
Everyone, including me, had a great time this morning. It started out a bit slow on that northerly troll, but when we made a direction change to the WNW, we started picking up fish on a more steady basis. They were a nicer grade than I had gotten my last time to Vermilion, so that was good to see.
The guys did a great job, and they all said they had a great time. Jim said he would be back for a fall trip, and that makes me happy!
I had a perch trip scheduled for tomorrow, but we are rescheduling that to next month, with the hopes that the perch bite continues to improve.
Stay tuned...
Capt Juls
