times two

Today started off good, as we boxed 3 fish in the 6-7lb range early, one 17"er and a nice steelie, then it died, seemingly for almost everyone. Full moon can be a tough bite for sure! 10 color, no weight, green chatterstick (5"); 62 and 70 ft rigger with a DW green melon, 225 diver with a small green chatter and a copper turtle blade. John

Tim: I am on year 2 of owing a 2005 2301 Striper o/b. Overall, I have been really happy with her. When I got in the market a couple of years ago, I was using a 22' Larson walkaround i/o. That was a good boat, and we caught lots of fish with her. An LOU member still has her, as a matter of fact. But I was getting the itch to go bigger and wanted to get an outboard, so the search was on. I targeted 3 boats mainly...Proline, Seaswirl, and Parker. I could not find a good used Parker that wasn't saltwater, nor were there many used Porlines or Seaswirls. I finally got mine as a 2005 new leftover via Happy Days Boating in Port Clinton. Ask for Jim Burroughs if you call there. Pros: Great running into a good chop, love the hardtop. Nice sized fish box and cabin tall enough for me to stand in. Cons: Do not like it in a big following sea...as you come over the top of the wave with the big "V", she wants to dig into one side or the other...2 hands on the wheel. Also not quite used to the feel of the hardtop in a big trough....I had a softtop...so it feels more tipsy. I have a 225 Evinrude, pre E-tec. That's what was on the boat at the time of the deal, and it was too much more to justify going to the ETEC, but that's what I really wanted. Great on gas, loves plugs (65-70hr trolling per set). Seaswirl, as I have learned, was notorious for wiring issues. I had to redo both bilge pumps. One was wired backwards, and the other auto one was wired to a switch so it only went to auto if the battery was on. Would I buy another? Yes (bigger, twin ob's!). Check out this dedicated Seaswirl site: www.seastriper.com You have to register, but its all Seaswirl stuff...they were a great help when I was rigging mine! John

After the weekends hard blow from the west, and waterspouts, I thought it might have killed the fishing, but all reports from Monday were really pretty good. 80-100 fow west of Dunkirk. Decided to enjoy the nice afternoon, so I took a half day to fish with my 8 year old today. We did 2 eyes right off the bat, 10 color with a green chatterstick, no weight. Little bit of a lull and a couple of junkers and we took another on a 225 slide diver on 2; DW chicken wing, and dropped another on the 10 color. Only fished about 2 hrs before my son decided we needed to go introduce the walleye to some hot peanut oil! Should be good if the wind stays down! John

Little bit tougher bite for us today than of late. Mostly small 'eyes and 1 steelie lost behind the boat...plus tons of junkers. I think we got the biggest sheep I've ever had...pushing 10lbs! 10 color took a couple early, then off the rigs....60 down with Dreamweaver WD green melon, and DW SS chicken wing off the 195 slide diver. Now off to the oak for a few days!

Short report....basically very good at Dunkirk right now. 65-85 fow, west of the harbor. Lots of DW's...super slims and WD's; chattersticks off the core. We did 16 Fri, 13 more today. For a complete rundown, you can check out my blog report at www.timestwocharters.com. John

Walteye...hopefully I'll be long gone by 5 o'clock ) If you want to call my cell I'll give you an on the water report...... John

Ray/Sluggo: As much as I hope yesterday was a sign of good things.....I'm hesitant to say that until we string a few more together. You all know how tough its been this year, and I doubt we will see Ohio fish.....but We roll Fri/Sat....so we'll see. The report of the big laker is true. 40.5 when the finally got it on a certified scale. Came aboard Small Fortune Charters in Dunkirk. Word is on the boat scale, which they verified using 10lb cannonballs....it was in the 45 lb range when caught. John

So here's the story....... I have a very enthusiastic group for today.....so I get on the NOAA forecast yesterday morning for Saturday, and it says 10-20 mph, going to 15-25 mph, chance t'storms and showers.....so I call the guy and tell him that it doesn't look good, but let me check the 4 pm update......SO I do that, and it is slightly better, but still not great, so I tell my wife that I think I need to move these guys....and she says....why don't you wait until the morning....so then I call the guys, and they say, we want to come, its not that bad a drive, if we can't go we'll go out to breakfast.......LET'S WAIT UNTIL MORNING....... OK...call Gerb (my mate today)....tell him we are in........... SO I check the 4 AM update today, winds are knocked down to 10-15 mph, no rain on doppler, guys are early all is GREAT....so I tell them....the fishing hasn't been very good of late for walleye at all, but the lake trout fishing has, so lets slide out west, try for 'eyes for a while and see if the lake rolls as expected....if not, we may move out to try the lakers.....group is cool with that...just wants to catch a fish.... So we set up and mark some good stuff 8 miles from the harbor, and pop a walleye really quick, not big, but a good start, ......I tell the guys, Man, last week in the Con Club derby we would have killed for a couple of fish on Saturday....and we get a sheepshead, then another, then another, then another, then another.....I tell my Gerb who is driving for us, we need to get the heck out of here...so he turns us out, but all of the sudden, bam....3 more 'eyes in the box....now I'm NOT moving.... Long story short, we box 18 walleye today, plus a bonus brown trout, and easily lose 8-10 other 'eyes, and land a couple of smallmouth in the 5lb range!! On a calm lake!! Unbelieveable!! 10 color with a big green chatterstick, DW WD's in copper watermelon and buffalo bill of the 50-60 riggs; a couple on a big watermelon harness on the slide at 160; a couple on the chicken wing DW SS; 145 no ring and the MOJO DW SS on a big slide, mag ring, 125. AWESOME!!

Couple other tidbits leftover from the tournament.... 69 teams did not even weigh in on the 3rd day, probably a combination of the weather, waves and lack of fish. Also, 20 teams did not weigh in for the tournament...... ** I can tell you that the lake trout fishing offshore has been awesome. Several fish were caught this weekend in the 27-30lb range.... John

bigkahuna: A chatterstick is basically a renosky stick bait with a special metal lip. Zman tackle. I tried to post a pic...but can't figure that out. I got all mine at Bills Hooks in Dunkirk. John

For sale: 1985 340 Sea Ray Express Ready to fish including..... twin 454's radar/radar arch with multiple rod holders 3 electric proos riggers chartplotter furuno video depthfinder full top/side/aft in very good condition stored inside..winters This boat is extremely clean and well maintained. Call Dan at 716-672-5868 or 716-672-9188 Was last listed for $28,000; owner has reduced price to $24,000! _________________ Capt. John Forbes Times Two Charters

I can't tell you how many times we heard on the radio phrases like "blank screen", "desert", etc. The 6 fish we did on Friday came with absolutely 0 fish or bait on the screen. That was 7 miles straight out of Dunkirk. 105 fow. Yesterday, we ran the shoreline to get up to Barcelona, and noticed some good areas of bait in 65 fow, so when we turned to troll toward Dunkirk, we slid inside, and ended up getting our 2 in their. But, inside waters means sheephead galore......

July 31-Day 1 We were short 1 team member due to work, so we ran a simple 4 rod set up. Did 3 fish early, 3 fish late. In the Con Club tournament, its 3 fish per day to the scale. Our 6 fish was one of the better boxes for the day. Ended up putting in 22.8 lbs, good for 3rd place out of 100 boats. Aug 1-Day 2 We fell victim to the dreaded 2nd day jinx...boxed none. But we were not alone. Fishing could be described for many as horrid. Miles of blank screens and no fish. The #1 boat only weighed in 1 fish for 3lbs.... We probably put 45 miles on the boat today, looking. We slid to 15th. Aug 2-Day 3 Have to be in line by 1 to weigh in, but one crew couldn't get out of work until 7:30....so one he showed, we rolled 12 miles west towards barcelona. Ended up putting 2 in the box before we rode the 5 footers back to the harbor. Finished 17th out of 100.....and also had the 15th heaviest fish for the tournament, so not to bad. 10 color with a big green chatterstick was good...with 2 oz.; WD Buffalo bill off the 75 rigger. TOUGH fishing....there was about 15 boats that didn't weigh a fish for the tournament! I don't know where all the walleye went...but it is tough going right now.... John

Posting this for a friend..... For Sale: 1984 19' Four Winns Horizon w/ cuddy Trailer 4 cylinder, 3.0; 140 hp mercruiser fish finder new alternator Full top/side curtains, including screens Runs great! Good condition Selling due to possible purchase of a larger boat Call Gary at 716-785-5580 Boat is in Fredonia Gary sent me a couple of pics that I can forward if you send me your email. John

Walteye: Your welcome. No problem sharing information...especially this year...we need all the info we can get. The general consensus here is that they are gorging on smelt....we had one that spit up a very fresh 6incher! Mother Nature parked us for 2 days....but hopefully out Tues or Wed..... John

Well....did another quick getaway with my wife and son to Moon River, Ontario. Stayed at Moon Basin Marina, in a very nice cottage. They too have suffered the summer of 2009..cold, wet, you know the deal....said the first two days there were the best 2 they've had in some time....which brought us to the almost all day downpour on Thursday.... good thing I had some cold Carling! Fishing was good, not great. We concentrated on worm fishing for bass, etc to keep my son busy...but did get in some pike fishing...got 3 of those and 2 really nice largemouth. Pics will be up on Sunday on my blog at www.timestwocharters.com. Great to get away, and I love it up north.....so we got back in time to get blown off my mother nature today on Lake Erie.....! John

Walteye...sounds really good....I was up in northern Ontario...just got back... how deep of water? John

Sold...thanks!

I don't know if you've ever been there before....but make sure you stop for a cold beverage at the Black North Inn...tell 'em the Dunkirk guys said hello....or for a great prime rib...hit the Village Inn which is only a couple miles down the road.....

Walteye: You are correct about the bottom hugging. Each day the last 3 days we got deep fish on the 10 color combo, and more than once came up with zebra mussels on the hooks. That's a tough rod to run, though, as its 550ft back and no one wants to crank that in! We also marked a lot of fish very close to the bottom. We finally pulled a harness on the 65 rigger yesterday in the 65-75 fow, and took 2 in there. I also heard a report that one of the guys that brought in a good box yesterday had been fishing tight to the bottom. We did have a few high marks, but most seemed deep right off the get go, and in three days we only had 1 board fish. We have hardly run worms, as the small WD's and chattersticks have been doing as good as anything. Another big guy each day would have really helped us out..... John

Day 2 Ameracan.... Rough water leftover from Saturday to start...we had second wave (8 am ) and lost 45 minutes or so to assist another boater with a tow. Did 4 fish on a universally tough day. Weight got us into 28th place out of 82 boats. 1 on the 10 color with 2 ounces/chatterstick; 2 on a 65 rigger with a copper/orange harness and one with a DW super slim, 135 back on a big slide.

Friday...tough bite by all accounts, but ended up getting 6 good ones, including a couple in the 8-9lb range. Little bit of everything...small b/s chatterstick of a 40 jet, b/s or perch of the big slides anywhere from 145-175, 1 on a 60 rigger on a buffalo bill WD; and 2 on the 10 color, with 2 oz of weight with a big chatterstick. 70 fow was best. *** Saturday, day 1 of the Ameracan Tournament. Wasn't sure they were going to send us with the forecast of heavy t's...but they did. Boated 4 walleye, and the all hel* broke loose. The final t-storm looked like it wasn't going to clear, so we started breaking down the rods, when it rolled in. Very big waves, multiple directions, lots of white water. An extremely slow, nerve wracking 3.5 miles in, to say the least. Big slides at 125 with chattersticks and the 10 color/2 oz combo was good again. We're unofficially sitting in 30th out of 82 boats...and another big one sure would have helped!

Salmonite: We're running this fri-sat-sun; I'll post reports and then next Sunday, so far for sure. Feel free to email me or give me a call. I'll give you what I know.... John

Salmonite...glad he got you all set. They've been a great bait so far this year. Add to that....the last two days out we've had bait spit up in the box, and it's really close to the size of the chattersticks! Walteye, I hear you. One day you can't catch a fish except on perch...next day blue. Go figure. We are definitely behind as far as temps, so I think its going to really get going here pretty soon. Got a charter friday, then the Ameracan Tournament Sat/Sun, so we hopefully will have some real solid information for you. John

Reel Bob: Thanks for taking the time and effort to do this. You and the rest of the Oak gang are honoring a couple of great people in the process of promoting the LO fishery. Due to the walleye here....it looks like most dates are out....BUT....August 22nd looks like its the first full day of our Oak trip...let me clear it with the guys, but I'd say we will be one of the oak boats "in". And I think you know firsthand that we will do our best to support the BNI.....! Looking forward to having one with you. John