Family Fun

We had a good family camping trip last weekend. We went with a neighbor family whose daughter is a buddy of Super Kid. We got packed up Friday morning and then cruised up the North Shore for a bit before going inland to a Forest Service campground. It was a nice, breezy day as we got camp set up and unloaded the canoes. We grilled brats and hot dogs over the fire for supper. After we ate, the other Dad and their 7-year old daughter joined me for a little fishing. The kid was really into it and talked a good fishing game. We ended up getting 4 walleyes and 1 smallmouth bass. They weren’t big, but she was excited to catch her first walleyes.

On Saturday, it was another beautiful day. After breakfast, I took Super Kid, the other Dad, and the 7 year old out for a canoe ride…we caught nothing. After listening to the Twins and get some rest, we all went swimming and shorefishing. We caught one decent smallie and the kids enjoyed the water. It was pesto pasta for supper and then we had a campfire and s’mores.

Sunday morning we went ahead and packed up after eating pancakes. It was an uneventful drive home on a warm and sticky day.

Let's Talk Moose to Moose

In June 2012 Camp Shitstorm went Moose (Lake) to Moose (River) in eight days of fun. The trip was notable for its rain-while we got wet, people back home in Duluth dealt with a deluge. Many areas flooded in the biggest rain in recorded history. A recap:

Day 1: The Colonel (formerly the Smoked Fish Guy) and I (Private Phillips) spent Thursday packing and prepping. The Iowa guys and Fran Tarkington Fan arrived to Duluth that evening. The Iowa van included Wear-Some-Shorts, Tick Check, and Gatorade, as well as a new tripper-The Bull. The Bull is a high school senior and broad at the shoulders...he’ll get the Big Ugly pack. On Day 1 (Friday) we got up early, heralded the arrival of the final team member, The Lieutenant, packed the gear in the vehicles and hit the road. We cruised up to Ely and zipped over to the tow boat dock. We had struck a deal with the tow boat operator to shuttle our vehicles over to our take out point about 40 miles west. We hit the water in the tow boats and headed into the BWCA...we did a truck portage into the next lake and were dropped off at the end of the motor zone. It was a beautiful day as we transferred the gear into the canoes and paddled north. We ate Smokehaus Italian sadwiches as we drifted on the pleasant breeze. We made our way around a point and were pleased that, despite the fact it was now Friday afternoon, our preferred campsite was open. It had a nice beach garage, a good swimming rock, and a great view. After getting camp set and taking a quick swim, we loaded up the fishing rods and set out to augment our supper. Wear-Some-Shorts and I put on flutter spoons and headed for the deepest hole in the lake in the hope of getting a lake trout. It wasn’t to be, we had no strikes. We worked our way home fishing the shallower shoreline and hooked a few bass and a couple eater walleyes. The others reported good luck-The Bull and Tick Check caught several nice smallies and the others caught several nice walleyes near camp. We had a great meal of steaks, fried fish, mushrooms, and asparagus and hit the sleeping bags after a picture perfect first day.

Day 2: It was sunny, but clouding up, when we packed up camp and ate our breakfast burritos. We hit the water and soon found some white caps and a quartering wind. Before long, we were hitting shore and making the first portage. This portage was the longest of the trip, but it was generally flat and had good footing. We made a few more portages and soon had all four canoes rafted on a narrow, river-like lake. We were discussing which campsites to head for as we watched rain showers heading our way. We headed down the lake fishing a few likely holes and getting a few walleyes. Finally our luck ran out and the skies opened up in a downpour. After shrugging our raingear on, Wear-Some-Shorts and I headed north and found The Lt. and Gatorade on a campsite we hadn’t planned on taking. As the rain continued to fall, the site began looking better and better. We shared some mohitos and laughs under the tarp until the deluge stopped. The Colonel caught a couple eater fish (including one sauger) to add to the pot and he whipped up some dirty rice with andouille sausage for supper…a new favorite.

Day 3: We enjoyed sunshine as we packed up our damp camp and headed down the large, winding lake. We found a few walleyes in several different narrows and I also caught an ancient old rod and reel someone had lost overboard. Wear-Some-Shorts dawdled behind the others a bit and we were pleased to come around the corner and see our partners setting up camp on our preferred site. It was amongst some larger pines and had good rain tarp options, tent pads, and garages. It was only missing a good swimming rock. We almost immediately discovered that the site had two resident red squirrels that had become good at finding snacks in packs and helping themselves. The Lt. made sure they got a clear, strong, rock-like message that their behavior wasn’t acceptable and they didn’t bother us again. After getting set up and taking another swim, we hit the lake to scare up some more fish for supper. We had some success, finding a few more walleyes, a few nice smallmouth bass, and one decent northern pike, which we kept and ate in the coconut Thai rice that accompanied the fried walleye. It was a beautiful day.

Day 4: We decided to stay in this camp one more night and so we switched up partners. I fished with Lt., mostly trolling crankbaits along shorelines. We had decent luck with walleyes that had a good average size. I even caught my biggest walleye ever…a chubby 27 inch fish (I know that isn’t big personal best for someone that fishes as much as I do…probably an anomaly). We dodged some thunderstorms all day but finally did have a pretty good rain late that afternoon. Others also had good luck either trolling spinners for walleyes or casting to shore for bass. It was gourmet mac and cheese and panko fried walleye for supper as we listened to a wet forecast.

Day 5: Under darkening skies, we pack up and headed west onto waters I had never explored before (that is getting to be rare in the BWCA for me). We trolled some shorelines without much luck and donned our raingear just before the showers rolled in. We continued to fish in a steady rain and were passing a weedbed when I felt my Rapala stop dead. I thought I had looked a log, but soon felt the “log” swimming away from the canoe. It took some time, but I finally battled what turned out to be a 38 inch northern pike to the boat and grabbed it. Wear-Some-Shorts snapped a few photos and I slipped the big “gator” back into the water. It was the only fish we landed all day. We made our way on a portage around a roaring cataract that was at water levels more reminiscent of spring thaw than mid-summer. It continued to rain as we looked for our friends and we were glad to see they were on the closest campsite to the portage. They reported generally slow fishing all day, but The Bull and Fran Fan each caught 27 inch walleyes. We set up rain tarps and set up the tents in breaks in the rain, but for the most part, it was a steady shower. The site was getting pretty muddy and few of us were dry anymore. There were some rousing hands of Euchre played under the tarp and we made a simple meal of mashed potatoes, veggies, and fried fish.

Day 6: The previous day’s rain must have taken some spark out of us, because we all woke up after 10am. Even so, it was still raining. We had a lazy breakfast of Quetico Supremes (grilled elk summer sausages, swiss cheese, mustard sandwiches) and decided to stay in the same site for one more night and wait out the rain. It stopped around noon, but the sky continued to threaten rain all day. We made it out to some fishing and Gatorade and I found a mid-lake reef that wasn’t on the map. The reef gave up several nice walleyes to spinners with white blades. The others found some walleyes as well. We tried another new meal, fried fish and black bean tacos. I liked it.

Day 7: We set an alarm in order get up earlier, and we greeted a bright sunny morning. We had our damp camp packed up and we were on the water at 8:30am. It was a nice sunny day, but the wind picked up as we made our way across the only portage of the day. We paddled on, using islands as windbreaks. Every single campsite was taken as we headed for our preferred site on a bay that is out of the main travel route. It was open and very nice…pine trees, good swimming, nice kitchen. We got camp set up and set out to a nearby deep hole to try and get some lake trout. Only smallmouth bass and northern pike were around. It was camp pesto pasta that evening-a last night tradition.

Day 8: We packed up camp and made our way to an incoming river-our route back to our vehicles that had been dropped off by the outfitter. The initial river section was supposed to have some rapids to fish under, but the water was so high the rapids were covered up. The third set of rapids had to be portaged, as were the several rapid sets upstream. The normally placid river was up into the trees and it was slow, hot paddling slog to the parking lot, but we eventually reached the cars. We loaded up and had some burgers and beer at a local tavern. It was late when we got back to Duluth, where we heard all the stories about the flood. I said goodbye to the crew and headed home. The other guys hit the road the next morning. Despite the weather, it was another fun trip.

Nature Moment: There were a few encounters with wildlife on the trip, including a fox in camp on night 1, a very well fed garter snake on the last portage, and lots of loons and eagles. The insects were particularly interesting on this trip. We observed several different kinds of mayflies hatching and we witnessed dragonflies crawling from the water, shedding their exoskeletons and eventually flying away to eat some of the abundant mosquitoes.

A Tribute to a Dear Friend

I heard the news of Teresa’s passing on my way to a work meeting that took up most of my evening. The impact really didn’t hit me until the meeting was over and I was headed home. When I opened our side door and looked up the stairs my eyes happened focus on the bulletin board where Cameron keeps the photos of nieces and nephews and others when people send them to us. The picture in the center of the board was the one I was looking at…Kurt (Chief Many Little Bottles) and Teresa’s Christmas Card picture. The photo features the Johnson family at their home away from home, Ontario's Crow Lake. Kurt and Teresa, Heather and Michelle, and the girls’ husbands (aka “the two luckiest guys on the planet”), plus the two dogs, were all smiling and obviously happy to be spending time with each other. Underneath the photo were the words Faith, Hope, and Love. Those words summed up Teresa perfectly.

Faith. I admit I don’t know much of Teresa’s spiritual faith except that I know it was strong and has sustained her through the past three years. I do know of another faith she had that I am sure is similar to her spiritual faith-Fishing Faith. I have heard many stories from Kurt around campfires and in fish houses about Teresa’s dedication to and love for fishing. She was the one with the unending confidence that the lake trout (Is there any other fish?) would eventually bite. I saw the best example of her fishing faith firsthand. Our crew held a couples weekend up at Gunflint Lake one winter. The fishing was slow, or more accurately, non-existent. One by one, the other anglers gave up and headed off for other activities. A few of us stayed at it, with Teresa being the only woman to stick it out. Late in the afternoon I gave up and drifted off for a nap. I was awakened by a whoop. I looked out my fish house door to see Teresa fighting a fish on a tip-up line. Now, Teresa was not known for her athletic talent, but I swear she jumped three feet in the air when that lake trout came through the hole. It was our only trout of the day. She had faith. It is that same faith within Kurt, Heather, Michelle and all of Teresa’s loved ones that will keep us all moving forward toward better days ahead.

Hope. Teresa was an example for all of us. Despite handling two blonde kids and one larger, Finnish one; despite having debilitating headaches; despite gaps in time between her educational endeavors; she went to pharmacy school, graduated and got a job as a pharmacist. The odds were stacked against her, but she worked hard and became an inspiration to us all. She gave us hope for any risks we want to take, for any dream we finally follow. She continues to give us hope.

Love. This is the attribute we know Teresa for the most. While she had faith and gives us hope, we will never forget her love. She held family first and Heather and Michelle were her joy. Her pride shown easily when discussing their accomplishments and she cherished their company. I always laughed when they were together…Hey there’s Teresa and the two mini-Teresa’s. Your mom will live on in you forever. It is Teresa and Kurt’s love for each other that we all admire. Peas and Carrots. Partnership. Fun. Dedication. Meant for each other. I always looked at your marriage as an example for my own. Her love will always be there for you.

Faith. Hope. Love. Teresa Ann Johnson.

Quick Trip

I took a quick little camping trip this weekend. Headed north on Saturday despite a dismal forecast, went up Lake County 2 to the Isabella area. The first spot I stopped was Isabella Lake. This area had been burned by the Pagami Creek Fire last fall. The Isabella entry point is at the site of a logging camp village called Forest Center. When the roadless act was passed (pre-cursor to the BWCAW), the logging stopped and the entire town was moved. Wandering around the site I discovered the fire had exposed the old landscape. Road beds, home sites, and the old railroad were easy to spot. The railroad bed was the most interesting, the fire had actually burned the railroad ties out of it, leaving a ladder pattern of trenches. After checking that out, I headed over to the Island River and paddled upstream for quite a distance, leaving the burn area. I tried to find some crappies, but had no bites. When I drifted back downstream, the sun came out and it was a beautiful afternoon. I came around the last bend coming into a wide shallow area of the river, and spotted a cow moose making her way across. She quickly turned tail and headed back into the woods. I wrapped up the fishing effort and packed it in, heading over to a nearby "secret" drive to campsite. I set up a tidy camp, started fire to ward off the cool, cloudy night, and made some supper. The Twins were disappointing to listen to again. On Sunday morning I woke to clouds and rain and decided to head home, it was an uneventful drive.

Nature Moment: I saw many grouse this weekend, more than I have seen in years. It should make for some good hunting this fall after the broods grow up.

Call me Ishmael

I was prepared. The lake of choice has achieved a legendary status in my circle of angler friends; never discussed by its real name and even its pseudonym only whispered into cold winter breezes...Tuna Town... Named for its propensity for giving up lake trout of prodigious sizes, a.k.a. "Tunas." Lakers of 39 and 40 inches have seen the winter sun here, almost unheard of sizes of trout within Minnesota's inland waters. Multiple specimens of trout between 32 and 37 inches have also been caught in the past. For the most part, I was not the one holding the giants spoke of here for the photos before the release...I have been the one holding the camera. So the spot was proven and it was my turn. I had the rods rigged and double checked with ice braid line and fluorocarbon leaders. Swivels were tested and proven. It was time for my great white whale.

Joined by Captain Karkov and the Smoked Fish Guy, I left Duluth on a crisp morning and headed north along the crashing shore of Lake Superior. Turning inland, we found our destination's sun dappled snowbanks and hitch the sleds full of camping gear to the snowmachines. After a run of several miles, we arrived at the lake of note. We chose our campsite, set up the canvas tent and wood stove, and drilled some holes on a favorite reef. Captain Karkov scored a nice 28 inch lake trout right away, seemingly indicating that more success would follow. It didn't. Captain caught a couple more smaller fish, but the Smoked Fish Guy and I failed to land a single one all afternoon. We had three more days and we were not concerned. One reason for the lack of action could have been the weather...the sunny day had turned gray and windy, and eventually it began snowing heavily. We packed up our gear in a driving snow and headed back to camp. After gathering firewood and getting the final tent prepping done, we settled around the wood stove and shared our appreciation of being able to get out and experience nature in all seasons. We enjoyed a chicken, andouille sausage, and rice dish for supper. The snow stopped after while, but the clouds obscured any chance of seeing northern lights.

Friday dawned cold, likely around zero degrees. The power of the rising sun was allayed by an increasing breeze. We headed back out to our proven location and set up our shelters. We jigged our lures, but the fish were not cooperating. Morning turned into mid-day, and I had had enough. I pulled stakes and moved on to a new spot we had never tried before. The reward was nearly immediate-I caught a fiesty four pound lake trout that had been through some battles-it was severely scarred. I tossed it back down the hole to heal. Soon another mark on my depthfinder moved up from the bottom towards my white bucktail jig. It struck and I drove the hook home with my rod. I immediately knew this fish was sizable, as it shook its head and headed for deeper water at a rapid clip. I just hung as it pulled line off my reel, waiting for the fish to turn. When it did, it headed right back towards me and I had to reel like mad to keep the line taut. This dance continued for what seemed like an hour, but the ending of the podcast I was listening to indicated that I had fought the beast for 20 minutes. Finally, I was able to turn its head and get the fish off the bottom and under the hole...it glided by, passing through my vision. Now, I am not all that young anymore, and most of you reading this know I fish a fair amount, so when I say the lake trout under the hole at that moment was the biggest fish I had ever seen, you know it means something. The last big fish I had caught through the ice was a 39 inch northern pike last Christmas. This fish, at least at that moment, dwarfed that one. This was the fish I had come for and then some. It turned away from me and headed back for the bottom. And the line broke.

I do not know what happened. I had everything in order. The line must have nicked during the fight, either on a tooth or on the ice. Maybe I had the drag too tight...it is a good idea to loosen it a bit when you have just a short amount line between you and the fish. AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH! Moby Dick still swims.

After a short discussion with a nearby cedar tree in which I did all the talking and most of that talking was of a salty nature, I retied on another jig. I did manage to catch a couple more average sized lakers, but I also managed to lose a few more at the hole. I returned to where my friends were fishing and told the tale and received a cold Pabst Blue Ribbon in solace. They were not all that sympathetic, considering neither of them had gotten a bite all day. We returned to camp to enjoy a supper of smoked ribs that had been steamed on the wood stove. It is hands down my favorite winter camping meal-the Smoked Fish Guy is handy in the galley, to say the least.

Saturday morning was crisp, but it warmed fast. The SFG and I tried the site of the white whale in the morning, but I only caught the same smaller, scarred trout I had caught the day before. The SFG finally got off the skunk with an average trout as well. Captain tried a new spot and was rewarded with a couple average trout, a 28 inch trout, and a Tuna - a 32 inch dandy laker. After it slowed around mid-day, we all moved to another spot that I had good luck previously. It paid off, as the SFG caught several nicer trout up to 26 inches and the Captain and I caught a few more as well. It was a beautiful day...sunny warm and fairly calm. It is always fun to fish comfortably outside of the shelters. After some photos of the sunset and cleaning a few of the fish we caught, we headed back to camp for healthy portions of pasta and Starfire Pale Ale.

The weather radio had prepared us for unusually warm temperatures on Sunday, but after catching a few more decent trout that morning, it was really heating up as we packed up camp. It was a sloppy ride back to the landing to the waiting truck and trailer, but the snowmachines didn't heat up too badly. The thermometer on the truck's rearview mirror read 56 degrees. In extreme northern Minnesota. On March 11th. It was an uneventful ride home and we got the machines put back away for the year.

I had hoped to get out after the trout one more time, but it doesn't look likely right now due to deteriorating ice conditions. Moby Dick will have to wait until next year.

Nature Moment: The Smoked Fish Guy cleaned two lake trout on Saturday that we had caught in the same spot. The fish were relatively the same size. But when filleted, a distinct difference was found-one fish's flesh was pale pink, and the other's fillets were bright orange. We have noticed these types of variations nearly everywhere we have caught lakers...we have seen white flesh, orange flesh, pink flesh, and even red flesh. I haven't seen a definitive description of why the variations occur-most say diet, but some say genetics. They all taste great.

Canadian Beach Party

The mild winter in the North Country continued this weekend. On Friday morning I met Captain Karkov at the crack of dawn and we loaded up my truck and hitched up the snow machines. We headed north, meeting up with the Lieutenant in Two Harbors. We caravaned up to the Gunflint Trail, unloaded the snow machines, and cruised up the lake into Canada and to the rustic resort we would be staying at. The owners showed us the 3 bedroom, wood heated, no plumbing cabin we would call home. It was perfect. We stowed some gear and headed out to fish. It was gray, but fairly warm. Captain had a good afternoon catching several lake trout, while the Lt. and I struggled. I made a very tasty jambalaya for supper and we had a few laughs. The cabin stayed a comfortable temp all night.

On Saturday, we headed to a familar spot and I hooked and lost 3 fish right away, before finally catching one on a tip up. Meanwhile, Captain continued his hot streak, catching several trout. After lunch, things turned around for me...I caught 6 lake trout between 12:30pm and 2pm, including a nice 26" fish. I caught another trout before packing up, giving me 8 for the day...a good day by any standards. I took some time to take a walk that afternoon to check out some campsites in the area. We had some chicken curry rice for supper and I defeated the Lt. in cribbage. The northern lights were out a bit that night.

Sunday dawned cold and sunny. I checked out some new spots to fish and found substantial evidence of other people already fishing those spots. So I tried a more subtle area and did well, getting 4 trout in short order. The day heated up significantly...into the 30's with little wind, an absolutely gorgeous day. I caught another 2 or 3 trout that afternoon, but nothing of any size. The Lt. and Captain also caught several fish, but nothing big came up their holes either. It was beautiful sunset as we cruised off the lake. It was pasta with red sauce and sausage for supper. I again defeated the Lt. at cribbage.

Monday morning came early and we headed out for one last shot at the lake trout. I caught only one fish, but it was a solid 27 or 28 inch fish, my biggest of the weekend. We packed up and headed home at about noon on another nice, sunny day. It was a good trip.

Nature Moment: After I filleted a nice trout I had caught on Saturday, I set the carcass on the ice outside the cabin. On Sunday evening, as we came in to camp from fishing, four bald eagles were flying near the cabin. One of them had the trout carcass firmly in its grasp. It is unusual for eagles to be this far north in February, but the little snow cover we have this year allows them to feed in this area. I also spotted two wolves on the ice on Monday morning.

Slow...

I got away to the Ely area after seeing the forecast was for stellar weather. I couldn't find anyone to join me, but I didn't mind, I am my own best friend. I was able to drive right onto the lake and up to my island campsite. There isn't a lot of snow and the ice was just thick enough to be comfortable driving on it. I set up camp and then drove to the BWCA boundary line (lake is 1/2 inside the BWCA). I walked my gear to a favorite spot and had action right away, even before the shelter went up. It was an okay lake trout on the tip-up. I hooked two other trout that day and lost them both before they got up the hole. I also caught an eelpout. It was gray, windy, and warm. I had some Northern Waters Smokehaus Italian sausage and baked beans for dinner (I was the only person in the tent, after all).

The next day dawned gray, but the sun burned off the clouds before mid-day. I walked a pretty good distance into the BWCA, looking for a fishing looking trench shown on the map. I searched and searched, never finding it. The maps was wildly inaccurate. I ended up fishing a shelf area I didn't have a ton of confidence in, but I caught a little lake trout right away, so I stuck it out. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm, and I did a lot of "trolling" on the shelf hopping from hole to hole. I did get one pretty nice laker but that was my only bite! Very slow. It was a beautiful sunset as I walked off the lake.

On Saturday, I wanted to go to a particular spot, but someone beat me to it. In fact, despite my early rising, nearly every trouty spot on the lake had people on it! I ended up back at the spot I had fished the first day. Right after I was set up, a big marked appeared on the graph, but it wouldn't hit my bait. I kept reeling my jig up slowly and the mark followed it up, but still wouldn't hit. I finally had my jig right underneath my feet...I looked down the hole to see a nice lake trout staring at the bait but still not hitting it. Then came something I had never seen before...the trout moved over and hit the transducer for my graph which was hanging near the jig! I lifted it up and it let go, but then came around and did it again! I played with it for a bit, but the fish soon disappeared. I may put hooks on my transducer in the future. After that it was slow again...two tiny trout all day. It was warm and sunny again, but the wind was more brisk. After I packed up and headed back to the truck, I stopped at a hole that someone else had cut earlier to do some last minute jigging. I immediately had a vicious strike. After a battle, I spotted the big fish below the hole-a big, ugly northern pike. As I got it's head started up the hole, it gave one last shake and cut the line. Shucks. As I watched him disappear, I noticed that somehow in all of the action, the tip of my rod had been broken. Double shucks. I walked back to the truck and noted that the Fishing Doctor's truck was parked near mine. I waited for him and his buddy to walk off the lake. They of course reported they each caught several trout. Aargh. Oh well, you can't win them all.

On Sunday I just fished an area near camp and caught one little trout. I then packed up camp and headed home on another sunny, warm day. Made it home in plenty of time for the super bowl. It was a fun trip, but the lack of fish and the broken rod were a bummer.

Next trip will be up the Gunflint Trail with Captain Karkov and the Lieutenant.


Nature Moment: On the first night as I cooked supper, a pack of wolves howled from the next island over. They are a bit spooky to listen to that close up.

New Pike Bait?

My buddy Chief MLB sent me the above photo today with the following story...

Hello Fellow Anglers,
Are you looking for that new bait that is guaranteed to catch big Northern Pike? Well my daughter (Sportsbar Record Holder), her husband, and another couple were out fishing a few weeks ago and may have found the best bait yet. They caught a large approximately 9 pound pike on a regular jig and a minnow. They noticed a bulge in the fish's belly, so upon cleaning the fish they opened the stomach to view the contents. What they found was not typical pike fare, but a BRATWURST! Partially digested and with the grill marks still on it. I couldn't believe it but my daughter (who couldn't tell a lie - not even a fish story) was witness and took the photos. They weren't eating bratwurst, so some other clumsy fisherman must have lost their lunch down the hole. Now I've lost a lot of stuff down an ice hole (sunglasses, rod, etc., etc.) but you'll never catch me losing a sausage...............
It just goes to show there's nothing a pike won't eat.
Happy fishing!
Chief MLB

Not Quite as Planned

The winter trout opener occurred this past weekend. It may be the most anticipated fishing event of my year. I usually chase lake trout on Gunflint Trail lakes and this year was no different. The Smoked Fish Guy and I made our way up the trail after work on Friday and set up camp in a spot we have used before. It is a fairly quiet spot where the tent can go up right next to the truck. After the "White House" (the new nickname for my tent and baseboard set up) was up we got the wood stove fired up and the SFG conjured up some giant ribeye steakes with onions and mushrooms. Captain Karkov rolled in to join us just as supper was ready. We had some laughs after supper and hit the cots fairly late, only to be woken up a short time later by a group of folks coming into the parking lot and taking off on snow machines in the middle of the night. A little odd.

On Saturday morning we made the coffee and tea water, packed our toboggans and hit the lake. We hiked on the ice, which was about a foot thick and had only a couple inches of snow on it. We headed to a spot I had nailed the lake trout the January previous. Unfortunately, some other folks had the same thought and just as I was finishing setting up my portable shelter, some snow machines zipped up and starting fishing right next to me. Not one to hurt my chances by sharing fish, I packed up and moved down the shore to a spot that didn't give me a lot of confidence, a shallow slope. Still, I had my chances and had a couple bites, but I failed to get them up the hole. Skunked on day 1. The SFG and Captain did better, get 2 decent trout a piece. We had a visit from the game wardens that afternoon, at which time the SFG discovered he had his wife's portion of the husband/wife license and not his. The officer was understanding and only gave him a warning. We headed back to the White House as darkness fell. We turned one of the lake trout into the main ingredient in a pot of thai curry rice. Very good.

On Sunday we decided to get away from the crowds and headed to a different spot that is inside the BWCA (meaning snow machines can't go there). It was a longer hike and we did indeed have the lake to ourselves. The Captain was the only one that had any luck, even though he set up on a shallow flat and the SFG and I were on a more traditional laker spot, a steep cliff. After getting checked by the game wardens once again, Captain got four nice trout and the SFG got skunked, having lost the only two fish he hooked. I didn't catch a fish until I gave up, put the rod down and stopped jigging. As I was goofing with my ipod or something, the rod started bouncing and moving towards the hole. I grabbed it and reeled in my only trout of the day. It was slow fishing! Not what I had been anticipating all fall and winter, that is for sure. Back at camp we had some pasta with Italian sausage for supper. Another tasty meal.

On Monday morning we woke to a strong wind swirling down the lake. We ended not fishing at all that morning because the wind made getting the portable shelters set up impossible. Instead we packed up the White House and headed home. As we drove down the North Shore Drive that afternoon, I suddenly remembered it was my birthday! I hadn't thought about it all day. It was nice to get home early and have plenty of time to unpack. My Wonderful Bride had to work that night, so my birthday supper will be tonight instead.

The next trip is planned for the first weekend in February, hope we catch a few more fish.

Nature Moment: It is hard not to notice the lack of moose in northeast Minnesota. In 2004, I once saw 9 moose on 1 trip. I now haven't seen a moose in nearly 2 years. There was only 1 set of tracks on the shoulder of the road on the Gunflint Trail...a few years ago, the bank would be littered with the tracks as the moose love to lick road salt in the winter. Scientists are working to figure out why the moose are disappearing, but aren't getting any clear answers.

Winter? Fun

Like most places, the Duluth area has been much warmer than normal this winter. The ice fishing is generally still quite safe though. We did have an emergency meeting of the Sportsbar Association on Friday afternoon. We moved the Sportsbar out of the bermed area it was in, as the berm was filling up with water. It didn't take too much work to move the house to a better spot. I went back to the SB on Saturday and caught a bunch of little perch, wish a few decent ones mixed in, in the morning before I was joined by a neighbor. A bit later Chief MLB came out and we watched playoff football while fishing. We caught a few more nice perch, a few pike, a walleye, and two really nice crappies. Lots of fun. I stayed for the late game as well and again spent the night in the SB, catching 3 pike overnight, then getting 2 big perch and a decent pike the next morning before heading home. Another nice weekend to be living in the Northland!

This weekend brings the winter trout opener for Minnesota. My favorite time of year is starting! I'll be up on the Gunflint Trail chasing the finest fish that swims: Salvelinus namaycush (lake trout). As Chief's Finnish Uncle Norman would say: "Is der any udder fish?" Of course, cold weather has arrived just in time for this winter camping trip...lows will be below zero. We wouldn't have it any other way. I'll report when I get back.

Ice Fishing Fun

I was able to get out and do some ice fishing in our wood shack ("The Sportsbar on Rice Lake") last week. On Tuesday I got some bonus fishing in as our flights home from Pittsburgh came in early. My neighbor and I caught several nice eating sized walleyes, a number of perch, and an few pike. Later in the week I met some friends at the Sportsbar and we caught a couple decent walleyes and a jumbo perch. One of the walleyes flipped off the hook and somehow squirmed its way in to the space above the ice but under the floor of the shack. It took some work to get it back. That night I completed a Sportsbar first-I slept out there overnight. It was a warm night and I had a comfortable cot. I had a bite on one of the rattle reels not too long after I fell asleep, but the fish bit through the line right as it was coming through the hole and it got away. When I woke up the next morning, both rattle reel bobbers were down and their minnows were missing. I guess I was sleeping too soundly to notice the bites. We had quite the party out there the next day...the Smoked Fish Guy was there with two of his kids and a friend and Chief MLB came out again with some family members. Chief's daughter and son-in-law brought their new underwater camera and we all watched it get set up, find my jig, and see the jig catch a perch within about 5 seconds of getting the camera going. Pretty entertaining. The unusual winter weather became a factor that night as we packed in a drizzle that covered our gear in ice. Not what you expect in January.

My next adventure will be an opening weekend lake trout ice fishing trip (if the lakes are still frozen up north) in a couple weeks. It looks like I have a full schedule of winter camping trips again this year, and I am looking forward to them all.

Happy New Year everybody!!!