It was an exciting day on Saturday as the Sportsbar was deployed. The process was pretty smooth, thanks to all the help we had. In fact we didn't even use a snowmachine or ATV this year, we just used people power and pulled and pushed it about a mile onto the lake. It is all set up on the tip of the point as usual. There is about a foot of ice and very little snow on the lake.
The Sportsbar is our wooden ice fishing house. It is about six feet by eight feet. It fishes four comfortably and has hosted parties of up to eight. Putting on the ice and fishing in it that first day is always an event that reminds you another year has past and that life is good.
Unfortunately, fishing continues to be slow. We had only one bite on Saturday-a northern pike that bit through the line. On Sunday we hooked four pike, landing three small ones and losing one at the hole. The water seems to be clearing a bit (it was very murky the previous weekend), so maybe fishing will improve. There were a ton of people out on the lake both Saturday and Sunday. All that activity can't help the fishing too much.
I won't be fishing again until after Christmas, so I'll take this time to wish everyone Happy Holidays.
The Arrowhead Angler
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
First Ice Adventures
After much anticipation and waiting for safe ice, I finally made it out ice fishing this weekend. On Friday I took the day off and went to the Fish Lake narrows, a spot that always has good ice early and where I have had good early season crappie and walleye fishing in the past. It was very cold and windy, so I took the bigger, warmer blue house. I don't use that house very often (I even tried to sell it) and after a few hours of fishing I remembered why-it is the most uncomfortable portable ice house ever built...it is short (can't even come close to standing up in it), and the built in seats are convenient, but uncomfortable. Getting in and out of it requires you to be a contortionist. My back was screaming by the end of the day. It didn't help matters that I only had two bites all day, resulting in a small northern pike and a decent walleye. To top it off, when I went to pack it up, two of the house poles suddenly snapped in half. Not good, but I was already leaning towards never using the house again. Fish Lake was awash with other anglers...tons of people...too many for my taste.
On Saturday, the forecast was for warmer temps, so I put my very small, mobile 1-man flip-over shack in the truck. As I packed the rest of my gear, I realized I couldn't find my new headlamp. I had used it the day before. I finally grabbed my old one. When I back out of the garage, I found my new headlamp. It must have fell out of my pocket in the alley and now it was in several pieces as it had by driven over several times. Argh. I drove an hour north to a little lake that I heard has big crappies. To get to the lake, a person must walk down a swampy winding creek. I checked the ice at the bridge and it had 6" of good ice. I reasoned that the current should be strongest where the bridge constricts the creek, and if the ice was good there, it should be no issue to get to the lake. Still, I walked carefully on the creek as I drug my gear towards the lake, pounding my heavy ice chisel ahead of me as I went. When I was nearly to the lake, I heard some odd cracking noises under me and so I pounded the chisel harder to test the ice underneath me. I discovered I was on about an inch of ice. The cracking continued as I did an about-face and went back to the truck. I am sure the water was very shallow in the creek, but I didn't feel like getting wet just for a couple crappies. So, back towards Duluth I went. I went to Wild Rice Lake, where the ice was much thicker (There were even some brave four-wheelers out there setting up permanent shacks). There were lots of people fishing on Rice. I sat in my tiny flip shack all afternoon and only had one bite all day, and I failed to see the fish. I also decided the small flip shack is not the fish house for me. It is fine for warmer days when you are moving around a lot and all you really need is a windbreak, but on colder windy days, it doesn't cut it.
On Sunday, the weather changed again and it was very cold with a brisk northwest wind. I went back to Wild Rice and set up a bit deeper and closer to the main lake. This time I took my ultra-portable 11lb tent that fits two people, but is a major pain to set up in the wind and doesn't heat up very well (especially if it is cloudy and windy). I had the TV with, and I watched the Vikings as I waited for fish. The Eager Angler joined me after noon and we never had a bite all day-not even a hint of a fish. It was very cold that late afternoon as we packed up.
So another first ice weekend has come and gone, and I can't say it lived up to expectations. I'll blame it on the unstable weather. I will now start my search for the perfect portable fish house. I'll get by on old ones for this year, but I will be examining all the options for next year.
Okay then.
On Saturday, the forecast was for warmer temps, so I put my very small, mobile 1-man flip-over shack in the truck. As I packed the rest of my gear, I realized I couldn't find my new headlamp. I had used it the day before. I finally grabbed my old one. When I back out of the garage, I found my new headlamp. It must have fell out of my pocket in the alley and now it was in several pieces as it had by driven over several times. Argh. I drove an hour north to a little lake that I heard has big crappies. To get to the lake, a person must walk down a swampy winding creek. I checked the ice at the bridge and it had 6" of good ice. I reasoned that the current should be strongest where the bridge constricts the creek, and if the ice was good there, it should be no issue to get to the lake. Still, I walked carefully on the creek as I drug my gear towards the lake, pounding my heavy ice chisel ahead of me as I went. When I was nearly to the lake, I heard some odd cracking noises under me and so I pounded the chisel harder to test the ice underneath me. I discovered I was on about an inch of ice. The cracking continued as I did an about-face and went back to the truck. I am sure the water was very shallow in the creek, but I didn't feel like getting wet just for a couple crappies. So, back towards Duluth I went. I went to Wild Rice Lake, where the ice was much thicker (There were even some brave four-wheelers out there setting up permanent shacks). There were lots of people fishing on Rice. I sat in my tiny flip shack all afternoon and only had one bite all day, and I failed to see the fish. I also decided the small flip shack is not the fish house for me. It is fine for warmer days when you are moving around a lot and all you really need is a windbreak, but on colder windy days, it doesn't cut it.
On Sunday, the weather changed again and it was very cold with a brisk northwest wind. I went back to Wild Rice and set up a bit deeper and closer to the main lake. This time I took my ultra-portable 11lb tent that fits two people, but is a major pain to set up in the wind and doesn't heat up very well (especially if it is cloudy and windy). I had the TV with, and I watched the Vikings as I waited for fish. The Eager Angler joined me after noon and we never had a bite all day-not even a hint of a fish. It was very cold that late afternoon as we packed up.
So another first ice weekend has come and gone, and I can't say it lived up to expectations. I'll blame it on the unstable weather. I will now start my search for the perfect portable fish house. I'll get by on old ones for this year, but I will be examining all the options for next year.
Okay then.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Interesting Ice Fishing Gear for 2009/10
In response to my many fans' requests for my Christmas List, I began trolling the internet looking for cool new Ice Fishing gear items I might need. Here are a few of the more interesting ones (note: this is not really my actual Christmas List...that is being delivered to you via courier in an armored truck as I write this):
Item 1: A battery operated seat heater that runs on a 12v battery…not sure that my butt is the first thing to get cold when ice fishing…I am also concerned about the heater being an ignition source.
http://www.clamcorp.com/Accessories/SeatsHeaters/SeatHeater/tabid/409/Default.aspx
Item 2: A light/fan combo that runs on 4 AA’s…a fan could be handy in the Sportsbar due to air pollution. For people not in the know "the Sportsbar" is our ice fishing palace we keep on a lake north of town.
http://clamcorp.com/Accessories/LightsFans/FanLightComboSmall/tabid/411/Default.aspx
Item 3: A Sled Pulling Harness…an engineered 4 point sled harness for hauling ice gear...I may get this one for all my buddies-I doubt they make my size.
http://clamcorp.com/Accessories/SledsTowing/SledPullingHarness/tabid/415/Default.aspx
Item 4: A tool for your power drill that installs ice anchors. Ice anchors are used when it is windy and your portable ice house threatens to sail away. In theory, you pound anchors, which are big metal screws, into the ice to hold the edge of your tent down. This theory does not work. Ice is hard and brittle. The anchors either don't go in the ice or just break it. This tool might help, but if I bring a power drill, couldn't I just bring my other tools and build a permanent shack?
http://clamcorp.com/Accessories/IceAnchors/IceAnchorInstallTool/tabid/402/Default.aspx
Item 5: Winter Lubricant. I believe this is for fishing reels.
http://www.frabill.com/store/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/122/s/1669/category/8/
Item 6: The Mr. Heater Buddy heater has been improved…same heat, but significantly more compact unit…folding handle…swiveling hose attachment means easy hose hook up, especially when using a filter…it now has a single switch lighting system (one handed lighting). Basically, they took all my ideas for improvements and made them.
http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=41&id=24
Item 7: Battery Operated Ice Auger engine…there are a couple brands of these out there. I wonder if I could an alternative energy tax break for buying one.
http://www.icegator.com/
http://www.strikemaster.com/electra_lazer.html
Item 8: Someone should buy one of these new "hub" styled lightweight fish houses and let me know if they set up easier in the wind than the polar ht house I already have-for now (it has threatened to enter the atmosphere a few times).
http://www.geteskimo.com/foundations/store_getEskimo/shopdetail.asp?params=69151*79&tab=docs
Item 9: LED fishhouse lighting systems eliminate the need for the fragile lantern that is waiting for the opportunity to burn a hole in your portable fish house’s nylon wall…these light strings appear to have improved recently.
http://outdoorprostore.com/led-ice-fishing-lights.html
Item 10: These rod holders would work better than the metal hooks we have in the Sportsbar, but they are permanently mounted, so everyone would have to have the same length fishing pole to use them. And everyone's rods are probably different lengths (but that's okay-the length really has nothing to do with a good fishing experience-right?).
http://todaystackle.com/rodrocker.html
Item 11: A motorized lure spinner. If you are really too busy to jig your own lure, aren't you too busy to fish?
http://todaystackle.com/miniteaser.html
Item 12: I can see how in lakes that don't have much structure these fake weeds might make a difference…until my fishing line got wrapped around them and I lose the fish.
http://www.reelweeds.com/Products/StructureonaString/tabid/126/Default.aspx
Item 13: These skirted leaders might help get pike or lake trout on a tip up if you had a really lively minnow…or they could be used in the annual "Aloha Sportsbar!" hula dancing contest.
http://monsterfishgear.com/FeaturedProducts/TeaserLeaders/TrophySeriesTeaserLeader/tabid/256/Default.aspx
There you have it-I have successfully saved you, the loyal reader, from hours of shopping for the angler on your list.
The Arrowhead Angler
Item 1: A battery operated seat heater that runs on a 12v battery…not sure that my butt is the first thing to get cold when ice fishing…I am also concerned about the heater being an ignition source.
http://www.clamcorp.com/Accessories/SeatsHeaters/SeatHeater/tabid/409/Default.aspx
Item 2: A light/fan combo that runs on 4 AA’s…a fan could be handy in the Sportsbar due to air pollution. For people not in the know "the Sportsbar" is our ice fishing palace we keep on a lake north of town.
http://clamcorp.com/Accessories/LightsFans/FanLightComboSmall/tabid/411/Default.aspx
Item 3: A Sled Pulling Harness…an engineered 4 point sled harness for hauling ice gear...I may get this one for all my buddies-I doubt they make my size.
http://clamcorp.com/Accessories/SledsTowing/SledPullingHarness/tabid/415/Default.aspx
Item 4: A tool for your power drill that installs ice anchors. Ice anchors are used when it is windy and your portable ice house threatens to sail away. In theory, you pound anchors, which are big metal screws, into the ice to hold the edge of your tent down. This theory does not work. Ice is hard and brittle. The anchors either don't go in the ice or just break it. This tool might help, but if I bring a power drill, couldn't I just bring my other tools and build a permanent shack?
http://clamcorp.com/Accessories/IceAnchors/IceAnchorInstallTool/tabid/402/Default.aspx
Item 5: Winter Lubricant. I believe this is for fishing reels.
http://www.frabill.com/store/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/122/s/1669/category/8/
Item 6: The Mr. Heater Buddy heater has been improved…same heat, but significantly more compact unit…folding handle…swiveling hose attachment means easy hose hook up, especially when using a filter…it now has a single switch lighting system (one handed lighting). Basically, they took all my ideas for improvements and made them.
http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=41&id=24
Item 7: Battery Operated Ice Auger engine…there are a couple brands of these out there. I wonder if I could an alternative energy tax break for buying one.
http://www.icegator.com/
http://www.strikemaster.com/electra_lazer.html
Item 8: Someone should buy one of these new "hub" styled lightweight fish houses and let me know if they set up easier in the wind than the polar ht house I already have-for now (it has threatened to enter the atmosphere a few times).
http://www.geteskimo.com/foundations/store_getEskimo/shopdetail.asp?params=69151*79&tab=docs
Item 9: LED fishhouse lighting systems eliminate the need for the fragile lantern that is waiting for the opportunity to burn a hole in your portable fish house’s nylon wall…these light strings appear to have improved recently.
http://outdoorprostore.com/led-ice-fishing-lights.html
Item 10: These rod holders would work better than the metal hooks we have in the Sportsbar, but they are permanently mounted, so everyone would have to have the same length fishing pole to use them. And everyone's rods are probably different lengths (but that's okay-the length really has nothing to do with a good fishing experience-right?).
http://todaystackle.com/rodrocker.html
Item 11: A motorized lure spinner. If you are really too busy to jig your own lure, aren't you too busy to fish?
http://todaystackle.com/miniteaser.html
Item 12: I can see how in lakes that don't have much structure these fake weeds might make a difference…until my fishing line got wrapped around them and I lose the fish.
http://www.reelweeds.com/Products/StructureonaString/tabid/126/Default.aspx
Item 13: These skirted leaders might help get pike or lake trout on a tip up if you had a really lively minnow…or they could be used in the annual "Aloha Sportsbar!" hula dancing contest.
http://monsterfishgear.com/FeaturedProducts/TeaserLeaders/TrophySeriesTeaserLeader/tabid/256/Default.aspx
There you have it-I have successfully saved you, the loyal reader, from hours of shopping for the angler on your list.
The Arrowhead Angler
Monday, October 26, 2009
Snowy Sojourn
It was my last shot at open water fishing this past weekend. Early Friday morning I left town with three friends and headed up the north shore in a steady rain. We turned inland and stopped at designated trout lake near the road. Designated trout lakes are interesting spots. A designated trout lake is a lake (usually a very small one) that the Minnesota DNR has deemed as not having a viable fishery (either no sport fish or just small northern pike and/or perch). The DNR poisons out the existing fish and then stocks the lake with brook trout, rainbow trout, or splake (a cross between a brook trout and lake trout). Splake are the most prevalent fish, with brook trout and rainbow also being in several lakes.
We fished in the rain at the first lake and quickly caught 3 keeper splake. We then cruised on to another designated trout lake and set up camp. As we cooked up some splake bacon cheeseburgers for lunch, the rain turned to snow. After lunch we hiked around the lake on a nice trail and shore fished several spots. Despite constant snow and wind, we caught several decent rainbow trout and splake. During the final few hours of the afternoon it really snowed hard and began sticking to the ground. That evening we relaxed in my canvas tent around the wood stove and ate pesto pasta for dinner. The local radio station was playing old time music, which seemed to fit the setting.
After a chilly night, we dallied a bit over our breakfast burritos and the wood stove. We then hiked around the lake on a sunny but cold morning. One of my friends caught a really nice splake right away, but oddly, that was the only fish of the day. A couple additional fiends joined us after driving up from Duluth and we enjoyed the sun all afternoon. We made Quetico Supremes for lunch (grilled swiss cheese, salami, and mustard sandwiches) and spoke to a few hikers as they passed.
That evening we all drove to a nearby bar and grill and had burgers as we watched the Iowa Hawkeyes pull out an amazing victory with 2 seconds left in the 4th quarter. The smoked fish guy was ecstatic over his Hawks. After some more laughs in the tent after the game we turned in on a slightly warmer night.
Sunday morning was pretty dreary...cold, wind, and rain. It made for a mess to pack up camp. We drove to another nearby lake and the rain turned to heavy snow as we fished on a very brisk day (in fact, there was a couple small, shallow lakes near the road that were 1/2 frozen over). At the new lake, the splake were really biting, but only a couple of them were big enough to keep. We soon hit the road again and got back to Duluth around 4pm. In Duluth, being next to Lake Superior, it was rain, not snow, again. Baked splake was might tasty for dinner. Now it is time to get organized and switch out all the gear to ice fishing and winter camping mode.
Nature Moment: On Saturday afternoon we were watching our bobbers when a big splash was heard to our west. Soon a whitetail deer with an impressive rack of antlers was spotted swimming across the lake. We didn't spot any wolves, but something made that deer want to swim across a very cold lake.
We fished in the rain at the first lake and quickly caught 3 keeper splake. We then cruised on to another designated trout lake and set up camp. As we cooked up some splake bacon cheeseburgers for lunch, the rain turned to snow. After lunch we hiked around the lake on a nice trail and shore fished several spots. Despite constant snow and wind, we caught several decent rainbow trout and splake. During the final few hours of the afternoon it really snowed hard and began sticking to the ground. That evening we relaxed in my canvas tent around the wood stove and ate pesto pasta for dinner. The local radio station was playing old time music, which seemed to fit the setting.
After a chilly night, we dallied a bit over our breakfast burritos and the wood stove. We then hiked around the lake on a sunny but cold morning. One of my friends caught a really nice splake right away, but oddly, that was the only fish of the day. A couple additional fiends joined us after driving up from Duluth and we enjoyed the sun all afternoon. We made Quetico Supremes for lunch (grilled swiss cheese, salami, and mustard sandwiches) and spoke to a few hikers as they passed.
That evening we all drove to a nearby bar and grill and had burgers as we watched the Iowa Hawkeyes pull out an amazing victory with 2 seconds left in the 4th quarter. The smoked fish guy was ecstatic over his Hawks. After some more laughs in the tent after the game we turned in on a slightly warmer night.
Sunday morning was pretty dreary...cold, wind, and rain. It made for a mess to pack up camp. We drove to another nearby lake and the rain turned to heavy snow as we fished on a very brisk day (in fact, there was a couple small, shallow lakes near the road that were 1/2 frozen over). At the new lake, the splake were really biting, but only a couple of them were big enough to keep. We soon hit the road again and got back to Duluth around 4pm. In Duluth, being next to Lake Superior, it was rain, not snow, again. Baked splake was might tasty for dinner. Now it is time to get organized and switch out all the gear to ice fishing and winter camping mode.
Nature Moment: On Saturday afternoon we were watching our bobbers when a big splash was heard to our west. Soon a whitetail deer with an impressive rack of antlers was spotted swimming across the lake. We didn't spot any wolves, but something made that deer want to swim across a very cold lake.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Getting Ready for Winter Camping
The recent cold, rainy, and even snowy weather has inspired the Arrowhead Angler (me) to start getting ready for the Winter Camping season. Winter Camping season is my favorite of all the seasons in the north woods. The north woods seasons are Winter Camping (Ice), Waiting for Open Water, Open water, and Waiting for Ice. Some outdoorsy folks also talk about the short season in the middle of Open Water called Going to Weddings of People You've Barely Met.
I have done a few things in preparation for Winter Camping. Last weekend I got the wood stove out, set it up in the yard, and lit a fire in it for the purposes of burning off the preserving oil. It is a sheet metal stove and, to protect it from rust, I had sprayed it down when I put it away for the summer. Last year, I hadn't burned off the oil and so when I went camping the for the first time, the tent filled with an acrid smoke when I got the fire going. It took a good hour for the oil to burn off and the smoke to clear. So it was good to get that task done.
Also, last night, I rolled up my sleeves and made a bunch of burritos. I wrap them individually in foil and freeze them. Then, when I go ice fishing and winter camping, I set the burritos on the wood stove or ice house heater until they are grilled a golden brown and have a nice hot lunch (or breakfast). In total I made 36 burritos (they are small). I decided to make them now because on Monday my lovely bride had cooked a giant turkey for dinner (I could go into a long dissertation on why we made a 24lb turkey for 2.5 people in October, but for everyone's benefit, I won't). I used all the leftover turkey for the basis of the burritos. So I made the following kinds of burritos:
Turkey Fajita Burritos (turkey, cheese, fajita seasoning)
Chipotle Turkey Burritos (turkey, cheese, chipotle seasoning)
Turkey Pizza Burritos (turkey, mozzerella cheese, pepperoni, pizza sauce)
Turkey & Gravy Burritos (turkey, cheese, gravy)
Breakfast Burritos (scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon)
I admit, by the time I got all done, I was a bit nauseous and didn't want to see turkey for a while. But I am now all set for winter lunches in the woods.
This weekend I am headed up north one last time to try and get some rainbow trout and splake in designated trout lakes. The DNR has stocked these trout in a bunch of small lakes in the National Forest that did not otherwise have viable fisheries. The trout bite great in the fall and taste really good. Judging by the weather report, I'll be bringing the winter tent and wood stove, not the summer gear. I'll let you know how it goes.
I have done a few things in preparation for Winter Camping. Last weekend I got the wood stove out, set it up in the yard, and lit a fire in it for the purposes of burning off the preserving oil. It is a sheet metal stove and, to protect it from rust, I had sprayed it down when I put it away for the summer. Last year, I hadn't burned off the oil and so when I went camping the for the first time, the tent filled with an acrid smoke when I got the fire going. It took a good hour for the oil to burn off and the smoke to clear. So it was good to get that task done.
Also, last night, I rolled up my sleeves and made a bunch of burritos. I wrap them individually in foil and freeze them. Then, when I go ice fishing and winter camping, I set the burritos on the wood stove or ice house heater until they are grilled a golden brown and have a nice hot lunch (or breakfast). In total I made 36 burritos (they are small). I decided to make them now because on Monday my lovely bride had cooked a giant turkey for dinner (I could go into a long dissertation on why we made a 24lb turkey for 2.5 people in October, but for everyone's benefit, I won't). I used all the leftover turkey for the basis of the burritos. So I made the following kinds of burritos:
Turkey Fajita Burritos (turkey, cheese, fajita seasoning)
Chipotle Turkey Burritos (turkey, cheese, chipotle seasoning)
Turkey Pizza Burritos (turkey, mozzerella cheese, pepperoni, pizza sauce)
Turkey & Gravy Burritos (turkey, cheese, gravy)
Breakfast Burritos (scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon)
I admit, by the time I got all done, I was a bit nauseous and didn't want to see turkey for a while. But I am now all set for winter lunches in the woods.
This weekend I am headed up north one last time to try and get some rainbow trout and splake in designated trout lakes. The DNR has stocked these trout in a bunch of small lakes in the National Forest that did not otherwise have viable fisheries. The trout bite great in the fall and taste really good. Judging by the weather report, I'll be bringing the winter tent and wood stove, not the summer gear. I'll let you know how it goes.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Last Chance for Lake Trout
It was a very good weekend to be up north. After getting packed, the smoked fish guy and I left Duluth about 10:00 a.m. on Thursday morning and headed north to the Gunflint Trail. After a quick lunch, we headed across the portage into one of our favorite lake trout lakes. It was another beautiful, sunny day-continuing a string of good weather this September. We caught a couple lake trout right away after the portage on the way to the campsite. After getting set up we paddled to the honey hole on the point and caught several more eating sized trout before dinner. Dinner was freestyle lake trout, steaks, and mushrooms. Meals are always top-notch with the smoked fish guy along.
Friday turned out to be a very memorable day. After breakfast burritos, we went after the trout. It was an epic day of fishing. Not usually ones to count fish, for some unknown reason we started keeping track of our catch for the day. We ended up with 31 lake trout. We caught them 30 feet down over 50-70 feet of water. We got them on spinners, spoons, jigs, and slip bobbers. Basically we got them on anything we put down there. To top it off, it was a gorgeous day-we even got a swim in during lunch. That evening we had double Kek Burgers (lake trout bacon cheeseburgers) and were able to tune in a Twins victory on the radio. What a great day!
On Saturday the weather finally started to turn with some wind and clouds being present. Still, we caught quite a few trout, although it was less than half of what we caught the day before. It was on Saturday that I noticed my map case wasn’t attached to the canoe like usual. I couldn’t find it anywhere. It had the permit in it, so there was some concern. That night we cooked up a BWCA jambalaya (red beans and rice, sautéed andouille sausage and vegetables, chunks of lake trout) and, amazingly, we were able to tune in the Iowa Hawkeyes football game on the radio. The smoked fish guy is a massive fan of the Hawkeyes and he was in 7th heaven as they pulled off a big upset of Penn State.
The wind came up overnight and we packed hurriedly on Sunday morning due to impending rain. It rained and blew a good amount that morning and we only caught one lake trout on our way to the portage. We didn’t find the missing map case on the portage and it wasn’t in my truck. We got the gear loaded up and hit the road, listening to the Vikings as we went. To my chagrin, Mr. Farve pulled off the miracle victory. Does this mean I have to cheer for him? I got home mid-afternoon and was pleased to find my map case stuck in the front door with a nice note from a gentleman from Pine City who had found it on the portage. He got my address from the permit. That was sure nice of him. It wrapped up a very good little canoe trip.
Nature Moment: As I made the journey from camp to the latrine on Saturday, I noted the unusual amount of mountain ash trees. The trees, heavy with ripe berries, were in several locations around camp. I remember that the berries attract lots of birds and as I was seated and contemplating life, I heard some chirping right above me. I looked up to find myself only a few feet from two ruffed grouse in a mountain ash tree. Like typical grouse they didn’t seem to care about me, and just continued to eat the berries.
Friday turned out to be a very memorable day. After breakfast burritos, we went after the trout. It was an epic day of fishing. Not usually ones to count fish, for some unknown reason we started keeping track of our catch for the day. We ended up with 31 lake trout. We caught them 30 feet down over 50-70 feet of water. We got them on spinners, spoons, jigs, and slip bobbers. Basically we got them on anything we put down there. To top it off, it was a gorgeous day-we even got a swim in during lunch. That evening we had double Kek Burgers (lake trout bacon cheeseburgers) and were able to tune in a Twins victory on the radio. What a great day!
On Saturday the weather finally started to turn with some wind and clouds being present. Still, we caught quite a few trout, although it was less than half of what we caught the day before. It was on Saturday that I noticed my map case wasn’t attached to the canoe like usual. I couldn’t find it anywhere. It had the permit in it, so there was some concern. That night we cooked up a BWCA jambalaya (red beans and rice, sautéed andouille sausage and vegetables, chunks of lake trout) and, amazingly, we were able to tune in the Iowa Hawkeyes football game on the radio. The smoked fish guy is a massive fan of the Hawkeyes and he was in 7th heaven as they pulled off a big upset of Penn State.
The wind came up overnight and we packed hurriedly on Sunday morning due to impending rain. It rained and blew a good amount that morning and we only caught one lake trout on our way to the portage. We didn’t find the missing map case on the portage and it wasn’t in my truck. We got the gear loaded up and hit the road, listening to the Vikings as we went. To my chagrin, Mr. Farve pulled off the miracle victory. Does this mean I have to cheer for him? I got home mid-afternoon and was pleased to find my map case stuck in the front door with a nice note from a gentleman from Pine City who had found it on the portage. He got my address from the permit. That was sure nice of him. It wrapped up a very good little canoe trip.
Nature Moment: As I made the journey from camp to the latrine on Saturday, I noted the unusual amount of mountain ash trees. The trees, heavy with ripe berries, were in several locations around camp. I remember that the berries attract lots of birds and as I was seated and contemplating life, I heard some chirping right above me. I looked up to find myself only a few feet from two ruffed grouse in a mountain ash tree. Like typical grouse they didn’t seem to care about me, and just continued to eat the berries.
Monday, September 21, 2009
A Northwoods Jaunt
It was yet another spectacular weekend here in northeast Minnesota. We have had a run of very nice weather this September. On Saturday my mom and dad were visiting and we had an ambitious day trip planned. Right on time at 8am, my lovely bride, the wonder kid (now age 2), mom, dad, and I left Duluth and headed up the north shore. We headed inland at Beaver Bay and went through Finland to George Crosby Manitou State Park (about 1.5 hours from Duluth). Manitou is more rustic than other state parks. There is simply one parking lot with a network of trails. There are 20 designated hike-to campsites along the trails. The easiest sites to get to are located near Benson Lake, a pond stocked with stream trout. There is also a small, but very shady and pleasant picnic ground at Benson Lake.
We started out our adventure by hiking downhill to the Manitou River, where we took in a very scenic waterfall. The water was low, but the cascades were still very nice. My mom took advantage of the low water and scrambled up the rocks beside the waterfalls to get closer. The rest of us observed from a flatter location. We then hiked steadily back up hill along the river and then inland across some ridges, eventually coming back to the car. The wonder kid fell asleep in the backpack the final couple miles and her head kept bouncing against the back of my head, but she didn't seem to mind. All in all, about 5 miles of hiking. Back at the parking lot, we grabbed the coolers and food and had a picnic at Benson Lake. It was a very nice day. I threw in a line for some trout, but it was very shallow around the edge of the lake and shore fishing didn't look promising. I had no bites.
After a relaxing lunch we drove up to the the old Finland Air Base. It was a cold war era radar site. It has been closed for some time, but the old houses and barracks are still there. There was still someone living in one of the houses. The actual radar building was still there the last time I had looked, but this time that road was gated off. From there we stopped for gas in Finland and then cruised home on the North Shore Drive. It was a very fun little trip.
Nature Moment: We didn't have any wildlife encounters of note-the woods were quiet. But that in and of itself is notable...It is a sure sign of fall when the woods start going quiet. There were very few songbirds calling, fewer squirrels chattering, and no frogs peeping. Pretty soon there will be snow on the ground and the only wildlife noise will be the resolute gronking of the raven.
On Sunday we checked out Hawk Ridge (www.hawkridge.org). It is a world-famous raptor migration spot in Duluth. The hawks, eagles, ospreys, and falcons that migrate south from northern Minnesota and Canada tend to fly past this spot because they are unwilling to fly over Lake Superior. When they arrive at the lake, they follow the shoreline south, which concentrates them in Duluth before they spread out again futher south. Mid-September is the busiest time for migrating hawks. A couple years ago there was a day in which over 90,000 hawks flew by Hawk Ridge in one day. That was unusual, but they do regularly see 5,000 hawks a day. We were only there an hour and saw many small hawks, several osprey, vultures, and other birds.
This week I will be heading back to the Gunflint Trail for a final try at some lake trout. It has been so warm that the trout will likely still be holding in deep water and fishing may be a bit tough, but it will be nice to just get out, of course.
We started out our adventure by hiking downhill to the Manitou River, where we took in a very scenic waterfall. The water was low, but the cascades were still very nice. My mom took advantage of the low water and scrambled up the rocks beside the waterfalls to get closer. The rest of us observed from a flatter location. We then hiked steadily back up hill along the river and then inland across some ridges, eventually coming back to the car. The wonder kid fell asleep in the backpack the final couple miles and her head kept bouncing against the back of my head, but she didn't seem to mind. All in all, about 5 miles of hiking. Back at the parking lot, we grabbed the coolers and food and had a picnic at Benson Lake. It was a very nice day. I threw in a line for some trout, but it was very shallow around the edge of the lake and shore fishing didn't look promising. I had no bites.
After a relaxing lunch we drove up to the the old Finland Air Base. It was a cold war era radar site. It has been closed for some time, but the old houses and barracks are still there. There was still someone living in one of the houses. The actual radar building was still there the last time I had looked, but this time that road was gated off. From there we stopped for gas in Finland and then cruised home on the North Shore Drive. It was a very fun little trip.
Nature Moment: We didn't have any wildlife encounters of note-the woods were quiet. But that in and of itself is notable...It is a sure sign of fall when the woods start going quiet. There were very few songbirds calling, fewer squirrels chattering, and no frogs peeping. Pretty soon there will be snow on the ground and the only wildlife noise will be the resolute gronking of the raven.
On Sunday we checked out Hawk Ridge (www.hawkridge.org). It is a world-famous raptor migration spot in Duluth. The hawks, eagles, ospreys, and falcons that migrate south from northern Minnesota and Canada tend to fly past this spot because they are unwilling to fly over Lake Superior. When they arrive at the lake, they follow the shoreline south, which concentrates them in Duluth before they spread out again futher south. Mid-September is the busiest time for migrating hawks. A couple years ago there was a day in which over 90,000 hawks flew by Hawk Ridge in one day. That was unusual, but they do regularly see 5,000 hawks a day. We were only there an hour and saw many small hawks, several osprey, vultures, and other birds.
This week I will be heading back to the Gunflint Trail for a final try at some lake trout. It has been so warm that the trout will likely still be holding in deep water and fishing may be a bit tough, but it will be nice to just get out, of course.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Labor Day Lake Trout
After getting most of my gear ready to go the night before, the dog and I left Duluth after work on Friday. The Labor Day weekend traffic wasn't bad at all and we cruised to Grand Marais with a stop in Tofte for gas and some food for supper. Made it up the Gunflint Trail at dusk without hitting any critters, but did see two wolves cross the road about a mile apart from each other. I got to the boat landing at about 8pm and did some shorefishing until about 10pm on a point near the landing. No luck, but it was beautiful night with a red sunset and a full moon. It was hazy the entire weekend, I assume from wildfire smoke, which accounts for the red sunset. We slept in the back of the truck on a cool night.
Saturday morning I was up early and we were crusing down the lake on calm waters while the sun came up. I made radio contact with Mac, who had been on the lake since the day before. He described what campsite he was on and I headed that direction. On the way, I spotted several boils on the water indicating feeding fish. I quickly tied on a topwater plug and caught three nice smallmouth bass in short order. I arrived in camp and learned of Mac's slow fishing on Friday. I set up my tent and got organized and we headed out on calm waters to fish. Mac nailed a nice lake trout right away and we thought we were in business. Unfortunately, it was the only fish of the morning. We had a couple strikes, but no takers. The wind had steadily building all morning, and by afternoon, we were unable to fish the deep water trout spots. The walleyes were not biting closer to shore, and the wind never died all evening.
On Sunday we were up and on the lake right away. The wind had calmed a bit and we were able to fish the area where Mac had caught the trout the day before. They were still there and they were hungry. Fishing spinners and spoons about 40 feet down (2oz of weight) in 60 to 70 feet of water, we caught several smallish trout with some nicer ones mixed in. It was a good morning. After lunch, Mac packed up and trolled his way back to the landing. The wind had picked up again, so after getting another trout in waves that made fishing uncomfortable, the dog and I hung out in camp most of the afternoon. We got out again in the early evening and caught a few more lakers.
On Monday I packed up camp, loaded the canoe and took off an tour of the lake, trolling as we went. I spotted some nice campsites and fishing spots for future reference and caught a few bass, a northern pike, and a few more lake trout. I also spotted the two most inexperienced canoeists I have ever seen in the BWCA. I gave them some basic pointers about map reading and finding campsites. I hope they live. It was very warm and dead calm most of the day as I worked my way back to the landing. I loaded up the truck at about 3pm and cruised home. Overall it was good trip with fairly good lake trout fishing and very pleasant weather.
Nature Moment: Sunday evening, when it was nearly dark, I was doing some shorefishing from camp. I had set a cup of leeches on a rock near my pole. I neglected to put the lid on the cup and a couple leeches were attempting to escape, hanging outside the cup, when suddenly out of nowhere, a big green frog leaped on to the rock grapped a leech and ate it. He rotated around the cup, grabbed another leech and ate that one, and then hopped away. I had never seen a frog eat anything except bugs before that moment.
Nature Moment Runner Up: As I drifted around a point while fishing, a beach campsite came into view. On the beach were an older couple enthusiastically making love. Awkwardly, I turned around headed the other way, but it was obvious I had ruined their moment.
Nature Moment Runner Up #2: As I drifted around a point while fishing, I came very close to a campsite with a nice smooth rock out front. On the rock were two college age women in their birthday suits, arguing about who should jump into the cold lake first. When they spotted me, they both decided to jump at the same time.
Saturday morning I was up early and we were crusing down the lake on calm waters while the sun came up. I made radio contact with Mac, who had been on the lake since the day before. He described what campsite he was on and I headed that direction. On the way, I spotted several boils on the water indicating feeding fish. I quickly tied on a topwater plug and caught three nice smallmouth bass in short order. I arrived in camp and learned of Mac's slow fishing on Friday. I set up my tent and got organized and we headed out on calm waters to fish. Mac nailed a nice lake trout right away and we thought we were in business. Unfortunately, it was the only fish of the morning. We had a couple strikes, but no takers. The wind had steadily building all morning, and by afternoon, we were unable to fish the deep water trout spots. The walleyes were not biting closer to shore, and the wind never died all evening.
On Sunday we were up and on the lake right away. The wind had calmed a bit and we were able to fish the area where Mac had caught the trout the day before. They were still there and they were hungry. Fishing spinners and spoons about 40 feet down (2oz of weight) in 60 to 70 feet of water, we caught several smallish trout with some nicer ones mixed in. It was a good morning. After lunch, Mac packed up and trolled his way back to the landing. The wind had picked up again, so after getting another trout in waves that made fishing uncomfortable, the dog and I hung out in camp most of the afternoon. We got out again in the early evening and caught a few more lakers.
On Monday I packed up camp, loaded the canoe and took off an tour of the lake, trolling as we went. I spotted some nice campsites and fishing spots for future reference and caught a few bass, a northern pike, and a few more lake trout. I also spotted the two most inexperienced canoeists I have ever seen in the BWCA. I gave them some basic pointers about map reading and finding campsites. I hope they live. It was very warm and dead calm most of the day as I worked my way back to the landing. I loaded up the truck at about 3pm and cruised home. Overall it was good trip with fairly good lake trout fishing and very pleasant weather.
Nature Moment: Sunday evening, when it was nearly dark, I was doing some shorefishing from camp. I had set a cup of leeches on a rock near my pole. I neglected to put the lid on the cup and a couple leeches were attempting to escape, hanging outside the cup, when suddenly out of nowhere, a big green frog leaped on to the rock grapped a leech and ate it. He rotated around the cup, grabbed another leech and ate that one, and then hopped away. I had never seen a frog eat anything except bugs before that moment.
Nature Moment Runner Up: As I drifted around a point while fishing, a beach campsite came into view. On the beach were an older couple enthusiastically making love. Awkwardly, I turned around headed the other way, but it was obvious I had ruined their moment.
Nature Moment Runner Up #2: As I drifted around a point while fishing, I came very close to a campsite with a nice smooth rock out front. On the rock were two college age women in their birthday suits, arguing about who should jump into the cold lake first. When they spotted me, they both decided to jump at the same time.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Welcome to the Arrowhead Angler!
September 4, 2009
I am resolute in my resistance to Facebook, but the Arrowhead Angler has become a blogger. I'll be posting my adventure reports here and my many fans can read them at their leisure. This blog may be a couple years late since I don't get out quite as much as I used to, but I'll give it a try.
Every trip report will include a "Nature Moment" that highlights a unique wildlife encounter or other natural moment that stood out on the trip.
After work today I am heading to the Gunflint Trail. The dog and I will sleep in the back of the truck tonight and then paddle to the lake in the morning. We are hoping to meet up with Mac, as he left yesterday and will be camped somewhere on the lake. We'll stay until Monday and try to get some lake trout and hopefully a big walleye. The lake we will be at doesn't have fast fishing, but there are some nice ones.
Here is a summary of my adventures so far this summer...
Believe it or not, I didn't make a trip on the fishing opener in May. Never thought I'd say that, but other things were going on.
A friend and I went to up the Gunflint Trail on Memorial Day weekend. We had good weather and the Lake Trout were biting. My friend, a rookie with lake trout, caught several decent fish, I caught a few. I did catch a number of decent smallmouth bass as well, but we never saw a walleye. Nature Moment: While fishing in the Alpine River, we heard a weird "whooshing" sound. We looked up to see a falcon or some type of hawk diving so quickly towards the water it made a jet-like sound when the air rushed past its wings. It dipped behind a hill, so we couldn't see what it was chasing. A few minutes later it did it again.
The annual Goerdt clan trip was in mid-June this year to accommodate the addition of Ben, a high school senior. This year we split the trip in two halves, one in the Quetico (Canada) at Carp Lake and one in the BWCA at Knife Lake. We had a great campsite on Carp Lake, but the fishing was slow. Nice lake, with lots of bays, islands, and reefs, but just never connected with the walleyes or lake trout. The smallies were abundant and hitting on the surface. The shortest route from Carp to Knife includes a moderate portage that doesn't see a lot of use. It wasn't bad except for two really nasty slopes on the east end. We spent four days on Knife and hit the lake hard, but the fishing was fairly slow again. One evening some of the guys got a number of nice walleyes, and the bass were going crazy on topwaters, but the lakers were few and far between. The fishing on Knife hasn't been as fast the last couple years as it was when I first started going there. Still, the weather was nice (bugs were bad), and the characters on this trip keep things entertaining. And we ate like kings. Ben did get his first lake trout and saw a bull moose. We also had a northern pike that kept trying to eat our walleyes as we reeled them in one evening. Nature Moment: We were anchored near a rock one evening with a walleye on our stringer. Soon a very large snapping turtle was hovering near the boat eyeing the stringer. This is not an uncommon occurrence. What was uncommon was the tenacity in which the turtle attempted to pilfer the walleye. It tried sneaking around the rock and coming in from the back, it attempted to climb over the rock in a rush attack, it would not quit. Taps on the head and whacks on the back did not deter the creature. It hissed and snapped and clawed at the paddle. It was not fazed. We finally gave up and went fish elsewhere, Scrappy the Persistent Turtle was the victor.
In late July, the dog, a buddy, and I went to Brule Lake, on the southern edge of the BWCA, for a weekend. The cool summer we had this year created some odd fishing conditions on Brule Lake. We fished in the usual summer spots (10-25 feet deep) for mid to late summer walleyes, but didn't catch anything. We finally found a few nice fish in five feet of water. Overall fishing was slow again (or am I losing my touch?). The mosquitoes were bad in the evening. Weather was cool and windy. Nature Moment: The first night in camp, we got all set up and we hanging out near the lake, but the dog was nervous and agitated...he kept growling at the woods. He would wander in a little ways, and then would back out, growling. We couldn't hear anything big moving about, so we dismissed as a pine martin or something small. The next time the dog went in the woods, however, he came flying back out and we did hear something sizable moving towards us. A quick look down the trail revealed a bull moose. The moose was unfazed by our presence and continued to hang out and eat. In fact he hung out all night and into the next morning. We named our pet moose Horatio.
That has been it for my adventures this summer. I'll be going this weekend and will have the annual last fling at lake trout at the end of September and the stream trout trip in October. After that I will be waiting for ice. I am excited for winter already. I made some phone calls this week and learned two guys could get dropped off by dog sled on Knife Lake for five days of winter camping and the musher would charge only $200 per guy. Trust me, I am more than aware that hiring a mushing professional for such an endeavour is the way to go, and $200 seems reasonable. I am saving my pennies now.
I am resolute in my resistance to Facebook, but the Arrowhead Angler has become a blogger. I'll be posting my adventure reports here and my many fans can read them at their leisure. This blog may be a couple years late since I don't get out quite as much as I used to, but I'll give it a try.
Every trip report will include a "Nature Moment" that highlights a unique wildlife encounter or other natural moment that stood out on the trip.
After work today I am heading to the Gunflint Trail. The dog and I will sleep in the back of the truck tonight and then paddle to the lake in the morning. We are hoping to meet up with Mac, as he left yesterday and will be camped somewhere on the lake. We'll stay until Monday and try to get some lake trout and hopefully a big walleye. The lake we will be at doesn't have fast fishing, but there are some nice ones.
Here is a summary of my adventures so far this summer...
Believe it or not, I didn't make a trip on the fishing opener in May. Never thought I'd say that, but other things were going on.
A friend and I went to up the Gunflint Trail on Memorial Day weekend. We had good weather and the Lake Trout were biting. My friend, a rookie with lake trout, caught several decent fish, I caught a few. I did catch a number of decent smallmouth bass as well, but we never saw a walleye. Nature Moment: While fishing in the Alpine River, we heard a weird "whooshing" sound. We looked up to see a falcon or some type of hawk diving so quickly towards the water it made a jet-like sound when the air rushed past its wings. It dipped behind a hill, so we couldn't see what it was chasing. A few minutes later it did it again.
The annual Goerdt clan trip was in mid-June this year to accommodate the addition of Ben, a high school senior. This year we split the trip in two halves, one in the Quetico (Canada) at Carp Lake and one in the BWCA at Knife Lake. We had a great campsite on Carp Lake, but the fishing was slow. Nice lake, with lots of bays, islands, and reefs, but just never connected with the walleyes or lake trout. The smallies were abundant and hitting on the surface. The shortest route from Carp to Knife includes a moderate portage that doesn't see a lot of use. It wasn't bad except for two really nasty slopes on the east end. We spent four days on Knife and hit the lake hard, but the fishing was fairly slow again. One evening some of the guys got a number of nice walleyes, and the bass were going crazy on topwaters, but the lakers were few and far between. The fishing on Knife hasn't been as fast the last couple years as it was when I first started going there. Still, the weather was nice (bugs were bad), and the characters on this trip keep things entertaining. And we ate like kings. Ben did get his first lake trout and saw a bull moose. We also had a northern pike that kept trying to eat our walleyes as we reeled them in one evening. Nature Moment: We were anchored near a rock one evening with a walleye on our stringer. Soon a very large snapping turtle was hovering near the boat eyeing the stringer. This is not an uncommon occurrence. What was uncommon was the tenacity in which the turtle attempted to pilfer the walleye. It tried sneaking around the rock and coming in from the back, it attempted to climb over the rock in a rush attack, it would not quit. Taps on the head and whacks on the back did not deter the creature. It hissed and snapped and clawed at the paddle. It was not fazed. We finally gave up and went fish elsewhere, Scrappy the Persistent Turtle was the victor.
In late July, the dog, a buddy, and I went to Brule Lake, on the southern edge of the BWCA, for a weekend. The cool summer we had this year created some odd fishing conditions on Brule Lake. We fished in the usual summer spots (10-25 feet deep) for mid to late summer walleyes, but didn't catch anything. We finally found a few nice fish in five feet of water. Overall fishing was slow again (or am I losing my touch?). The mosquitoes were bad in the evening. Weather was cool and windy. Nature Moment: The first night in camp, we got all set up and we hanging out near the lake, but the dog was nervous and agitated...he kept growling at the woods. He would wander in a little ways, and then would back out, growling. We couldn't hear anything big moving about, so we dismissed as a pine martin or something small. The next time the dog went in the woods, however, he came flying back out and we did hear something sizable moving towards us. A quick look down the trail revealed a bull moose. The moose was unfazed by our presence and continued to hang out and eat. In fact he hung out all night and into the next morning. We named our pet moose Horatio.
That has been it for my adventures this summer. I'll be going this weekend and will have the annual last fling at lake trout at the end of September and the stream trout trip in October. After that I will be waiting for ice. I am excited for winter already. I made some phone calls this week and learned two guys could get dropped off by dog sled on Knife Lake for five days of winter camping and the musher would charge only $200 per guy. Trust me, I am more than aware that hiring a mushing professional for such an endeavour is the way to go, and $200 seems reasonable. I am saving my pennies now.
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