With the busy schedules of everyday life and a newborn, 2010 has definitely been a year with limited opportunities to head out and I’m sure there are many out there in the same boat! Sporadic one day outings to lakes new or old become R&D sessions, with fish behavior and locations changing throughout the year and over time, you are unable to cash out with these one day outings. Add the expenses of a boat, equipment, a few of these one day outings here and there, you are left with empty pockets and are lucky if you have a few pictures to show. Something needed to change, but what?
Getting over my thoughts of thinking guides were only for non-fisherman and with no more outings planned for the year, I decided to contact Taro Murata from Fish City Tours in hopes of catching a Smallie over 5lbs. After a quick email over to him on the weekend, he responded later that night:
“We got a 6lb 13oz smallie today, unreal! We also got 4 in the high 5lb range and many others in the 3-4lb range it is on right now and I am very busy but how does wed the 17th sound”
Wow, with other guides wrapping up for the season and deferring requests to bookings for the next year, I was confused, how could this be? It’s late in the season, and my past outings this late would produce nothing. Just wanting to head out after being trapped in the house, my buddy Dave and I figured we’d give it a try. We’ve always heard about the monster fall time bass, but could never get them.
Taro is truly a master at what he does. He’s humble, friendly, extremely knowledgeable, experienced with many hours on the water, and separates himself from others with his ability to adapt to any condition. Simply put, he knows where the fish are, and how to get them to bite. Just by talking to him, he will inspire you with his wealth of knowledge and love for fishing.
This was an eye opening experience, and has definitely taught me to keep an open mind on fishing and in life! “You gotta keep an open mind on things”, in the words of Taro, his words also exemplify why we were the only ones on the water when the weather was cold, wet, and windy(25-45km/hr at times, but able to do it safely)!
I would humbly say that Dave and I fish pretty hard. With many day outings, fly-in trips, and camping/fishing trips to various locations under our belts, we both have quite a lot of mileage. Combining all the trips Dave and I had, we had pulled in more trophy smallies that day with Taro then we have in all our years of fishing combined. We both even established personal bests many times over! The day was a record day, even for Taro! We managed to boat a total of 49 fish for a one day outing, 10 being over 5lbs, all ranging from 3.5-5.5lbs, 3 double headers + 1 triple, and averaging around between 4-5lbs. We even ended the day with a nice 6-7lb Walleye. This day will definitely be one we'll all remember for the rest of our lives.
The money lure was the soon to be released Swammer made by StrikeZone Tournament Baits, a lure you can't even buy at this time!
The experience was priceless not only for the fish we caught, but for the knowledge we gained. After fishing for many years many of us tend to “know what to do” and as a result we do the same things and leave it up to the fish’s mood if we catch or not. Taro's Fish City Tours are great for experienced and non-experienced anglers. He’s not only an expert at Small Mouth Bass but also for others which include: Large Mouth, Pike, Musky, Walleye, etc. He provides everything you need, from gear, lunch, even jackets & boots if really needed!
So next time you are chasing a dream out to catch your fish of a lifetime, give Taro a call. Until next time, Dave and I will be looking forward to booking again with Taro to head out for some spring Pike =)!
