Well hello all you walleye and fishing maniacs.  I’m back.  Sorry its been so long since I blogged, I have been super busy the last 6 months with a job interview, the start of my new full time job, and the fact that I had some hosting issues with my website, and I was locked out of making updates for a while.  I am here to say that, I am back, better than ever, and this sight will once again be regularly updated with reports, tournament info, and the latest fishing media and adventures I come up with.

Let’s start off with the job…  As many of you know, I am a pilot and have been flying for a regional airline the last 8 years.  The opportunity came along to step up to the big boys this winter.  Early January, I was invited to interview in March with Delta Air Lines, which was the opportunity of a life time.  To me, Delta is the dream job, the biggest player in the market, the Google, Off Shore tackle, Berkley, Mercury, Startcraft, Lowrance (you get the drift) of airlines.   I pretty much locked it down all winter with my face in the books in preparation for this interview, 12+ hour days in the office (I don’t know how all the full time desk jockeys do it?).  It was tough, but I succeeded!  What a relief and joy that was, such an amazing feeling and so gratifying!  Training started this April, and I am currently on a break for home study of systems and procedures before I head back to Atlanta for simulator training on the 757/767 in early June.  I finally have a minute to breathe!

So back to the fishing, this past fall we hit the night bite hard, lots of great nights and some new baits and tactics found.  Also did an incredible musky trip to the world class Lake St Clair.  Due to the interview prep madness, I went 2.5 months without wetting a line or catching a fish, which I believe is the longest stretch of my life since I was maybe 5 years old since that happen, won’t ever happen again, I promise.   We did still do the Walleye Wisdom of course and raised a record $9,000 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.  Throughout March I did get out for some kick ass steelhead trips on the raft.

Last years boat is sold, and the 2015 is at Vic’s this week getting rigged, its going to better than ever.  I was so focused throughout the winter on this job, that I didn’t put priority on getting all the pieces of the boat ordered and put together,  and that’s why I am just getting the boat now.  I apologize to all of you that I have had to turn down for charters this spring due to being boat less.  I should be finishing the rigging Friday, then break in Saturday, and let the fun begin!

Greg and I didn’t get to do the Spring Valley or Detroit MWC’s due to our complex and crazy work and training schedules this Spring.  However, there was no way I was going an April without hitting the Detroit river, so I did end up getting some good fishing in up there this Spring.  Honestly, with the new job, tournament fishing this year is going to be a step back due to the little flexibility I will have with my schedule.  But this is one step back to take a bunch of steps forward toward my ultimate goal of running the entire National Walleye Tour year after year, its coming soon… 

One of the perks of being with a new company that’s training head quarters are in Atlanta, is that its right down the road from our good friends lake house on Lanier.  Its an awesome striper, crappie, and bass fishery.  During my first few weeks of training, we had the weekend off, Julia brought Stella along with my parents down and we all headed up to the lake.  We caught some nice bass, crappies, catfish, and smaller stripers (lost the big one due to a gear malfunction, I’m bringing my own gear next time).  But the highlight of the trip was just relaxing on the lake and watching Stella grab minnows out of the tank, kiss them and let them go, hilarious.  I’m blessed to have girly, but not too girly-girl, just right.  After the lake house, Delta had a celebration dinner for us that was in their museum under under a retired 767 (my new ride) pictured to left.

So as I said with the tournaments, its a little step back this year, but we are still going to get in everything we can as we did this past weekend.   The AIM weekend series hit Port Clinton and Greg and I hopped in.  It was a 1 day team tourney on our home court, couldn’t resist.  The lake was wicked calm for days leading up, I mean too calm.  I like it when there is wind blowing up on structure which packs the fish on and that’s where we shine.  With no wind, we found fishing in the basin water up near North Bass and targeted them with spinners and bottom bouncers.  We were catching fish suspended, but big girls seemed to be hunkered down more near the bottom.  This was a Catch, Record, Release format that I loved, no need to keep the fish alive in the livewell or hurt any fish.  We were sitting pretty around 11am in the tournament with 4 fish right around 29″, and one at 25 3/4″.  Turned out that our bite kind of shut off and we couldn’t upgrade that one 25 3/4 which cost us in the end.  We ended up a very respectable 5th place and only about a 1″ out of 2nd place.  Always gotta be about 1″ short, haha, let the jokes begin…

So, my schedule, boat end of this week, break in this weekend, mothers day, next week I’m going to Baja for some rooster fishing fish my old Alaska buddies (its Julia and Stella’s fathers day gift to me, it pays off to make babies!), then I’m back in for the second part of May and plan on running charters, I am free to start booking now!  I head back to Atlanta early June and will be in and out of town until early July.

Thanks for reading, I appreciate all of you that expressed disappointment in my long layoff from blogs!  Its nice to know people enjoy reading and keeping up!