Guide Services

In 2008 was the first time I guided on a regular basis, and really enjoyed it. Almost all my guide business were people from my fishing schools, so it was extra fun to show them how techniques that were taught in the classes worked on the water. I regret not being able to take out everyone that wanted to book me, but I just didn’t have enough dates available.

This year I will take more bookings in May and extend a little more into July. I expect an even better year because I discovered several new patterns that are deadly in May on both Lake Geneva and Lake Delavan.

Guiding on a regular basis made me a better fisherman because I could see the changes in fish location and activity levels on a day to day basis. I wasn’t just going fishing under more favorable conditions.

Drop-shotting is by far the best presentation on Lake Geneva using 4 ¾ inch Yum Houdini worms, a 1/4th ounce drop-shot sinker and a size 1 Gamagatsu drop-shot hook. On Delavan, using 5-inch soft plastic Yum Dinger rigged wacky worm style on a 1/0 Gamagatsu shiner hook caught the most fish, but other presentations were also effective.

Last years clients and those that were on the waiting list will get first crack on dates. Then will come those in this spring’s classes. After that the general public, but all the days should be booked by then.

Prices will be the same as last year $325 for one person; $375 for two for a full day. The day usually starts at 6:30 am and lasts until at least 2:30 pm., unless other arrangements are made. 

This year I might try some half day trips. These would be from 3:30-4 pm to 7:30-8 pm. I’d only do this a few times a week so I don’t get too tired.

The cost on these would be $225 for one or $275 for two. We meet at Linn pier on Geneva and at the main park on route 50 for Delavan.

Last year I often spent several hours in the evening re-spooling lines; sometimes as many as three reels with expensive super lines. It would be a great help if you can bring a spinning reel spooled with 10-pound braided line. I would recommend SpiderWire Stealth. Fire Line and Power Pro are other good lines.

I will have plenty of fluorocarbon line to make leaders and I will be happy to show you how to tie them. I will have extra rods if needed.

The ideal rod for drop-shotting is a 6 ½ to 7 foot medium-light rod which is generally rated for 4 to 10 or 6 to 12-pound test. I’m working on getting a great deal on perfect 7-footers that will be available in the classes.

2012 Guiding Report

Delavan-Geneva Guiding Wrap-up

We had a great guiding season on these two lakes. The weather was general fishable, the fish were biting, and I had a lot of clients that knew what they were doing. Sometimes a person would start out slow, but as the day went on they would get the “feel” and do very well. Another big key to our success was that I better learned the lakes and the times to fish spots, plus found some great new areas. I made 14 trips to Delavan and we boated 422 bass, 20 pike, 7 walleyes, and two muskies. The muskies were small, but on the day one small one was caught Steve Nebel had a 25-pounder hit a X-Calibur Rattle bait at the side of the boat and tear him up! Steve, brother Brad and I had a lot of fun that day. I usually have the pleasure of guiding the “Nebels” twice a year and we always do well. Several days later I fished with Brian and Jack Nebel Jr. We had another good day catching 32 nice bass. Brian usually does quite well despite being pretty much un-prepared. When he cast it sounded like Zoro making a Z into someone shirt, as 3 or 4 small “birds-nests”rattled through the guides. I’d hate to see how much more effective he would be if he was actually prepared!

On the first trip of the year I fished with two new clients on Delavan, Sean and Tim Burke. Tim caught a 5-pounder on his very first cast, which was one of three “5’s” we caught that day out of the 45 bass boated, plus 2 keeper walleyes and several pike. The Burkes also hit a home run with me on their Geneva trip-54 bass on a cold, rainy day on May 31. It helps the numbers when you have several “good sticks” in the boat with me! Another exceptional day was on Delavan was Dan Burke and his two sons on a Saturday. I usually don’t fish 4 in the boat and never go out on Saturdays, but Dan has been such a good supporter for many years and is a real nice guy. I launched the boat and pulled it out without waiting, which was a big concern of mine. And by the way, the first spot we fished produced a bullhead, 1 pike, a legal walleye, and 50 bass!

We had a lot of good fishing on Delavan. I was out there 14 times and had 422 bass in the boat, plus 20 pike, 7 walleyes, and a musky. We averaged 30.14 bass a trip. The slowest day on bass we had was 12 largemouth, 1 smallmouth, 3 walleye, 3 pike and a musky, and that was with one person.

Geneva was also hot from the first trip on. 38 bass with Lee Sullivan on May 30, then 54 with the Burkes on the 31^st, then 32 with Ludkowski on June 1. We had a few 20 ish bass trips in June on Geneva, but had many more 30-plus trips. Reid and Jim 44 bass, Andy Norocki and son A.J. 40 bass, Joe Rygiel 41 bass, Harry Wallat and Zach 41 (42 and 55 the other two time I fished with Harry).Besides catching a lot of bass most clients were just a lot of fun to fish with. Jeff and his son, then with Ron, the Everly’s, Paul and Pete, Zamen’s, Brad and Brian the list goes on, but I’ve got to get ready for two weeks of musky fishing.

The final tally for Geneva (guiding and “scouting” at least that’s what I tell my wife), was 18 times out, 594 bass caught for a 33 per trip average. That’s 1016 bass out of Geneva and Delavan, or an average of 31.75 between the two lakes. It helps a lot that almost everyone comes pretty prepared and doesn’t bring equipment with Disney characters on it.

Thanks for a great season, and I hope you all learned something.

The hot techniques and lures were on Delavan wacky worming with 5-inch Yum Dingers for bass. Muskies, most pike, both muskies and most walleyes were caught on X-Caliber Rattle Baits-size 50. About 75% of the fish on Geneva were caught drop-shotting with 4 ¾ inch Yum Mightee worms (which use to called Houdini worms). The other 25% were caught in less than 7-feet of water wacky worming with 5-inch Yum Dingers. For best results spool up with 8 or 10-pound test Spider Wire Stealth or Nanofil and use a 6-7-foot fluorocarbon leader. Recommended hooks for drop-shotting is 1/0 Gamagatsu drop-shot hook. For wacky worming with Yum Dingers or Senkos, try a 1/0 Gamagatsu shiner hook.

Next report will be on muskies!
 

A note from the webmaster:  I was lucky enough to spend a day on the water with Spence, first on Lake Delevan and then on Lake Geneva, this past season. The photos on this page are just a sampling of the many largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike that we caught on that one day adventure.

All I can say is that if you can book a trip with him - don't even hesitate. It was one of the most enjoyable days of fishing that I had all season and I also picked up a few new "tricks" that put more fish in the boat the rest of the year.

Thanks again Spence for the GREAT memories!

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