I had a fun weekend up north of the border last week. The Colonel and I left a day earlier than others due to a work thing I did on the way to the border. We crossed the border in the truck and, again, we were delayed and searched. I can't ever get through there cleanly. Of course, there was no issue and we were soon on our way. We had considered doing some fishing that evening, but the overnight low had been -36 and it was still -15 when we arrived at the lodge. So we scrapped fishing and got the room organized, talked with the owners a bit, broiled some ribeyes (we couldn't grill them because the propane had gummed up in the extreme cold), and had some laughs.
Friday dawned cold and sunny after a night that brought about 5 inches of fluffy snow. The snowmachine started, but it was a chilling ride to the chosen fishing spot. The Colonel got set up on a proven point and I did some exploring nearby, but finally set up near him. he caught a decent lake trout after a bit and we were off to a good start. The sun soon disappeared behind clouds and the day became quite cold. The others (the Lieutenant, the Captain, the Chief, and a new member, the Rocket Man) joined us later that afternoon. The Colonel caught a dandy 30" lake trout soon after they arrived, the biggest trout he had ever caught. The Captain also caught a very nice fish. I caught only two tiny fish all day, the others went fishless. It was an extremely cold ride back to the lodge at sundown. We caught up with each other around the table and enjoyed a tasty pasta dish.
Saturday morning was warmer and cloudy. We got organized and took off down the lake to a spot I hadn't been to before, but the Chief said he had been with other friends that had done well there, even getting a big muskie through the ice the year before. The Colonel and I had a heckuva time finding a fishy looking spot that was out of the cold wind. We finally settled in an area with a subtle point and shallow bay nearby. We didn't have a lot of confidence in our spots. That feeling came true for the Colonel, he didn't sniff a fish all day. I was luckier fishing directly in front of the bay in 40 feet of water. I had 9 fish hit over the course of the day, but only managed to get three lake trout through the hole, a 29", 28", and a 25". Lake trout are very good at shaking the hook, especially when trying to get their head started up the hole. My luck changed how I look at lake trout spots...I may look for bay mouths in the future. The Captain also caught a nice trout, but all the others were skunked. Pretty slow day overall. The sun came out, low on the horizon, just as we were heading back to the lodge. The Colonel had slow cooked a bone-in shoulder ham while we fished, and it was delicious with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and sauteed cabbage. The cabbage was a brave move...
It was sunny and warm on Sunday, pushing 30 degrees. The trout should have been snapping, but again it was slow. I had lost a fish right away, but only had one more bite until I was packing up my gear at sundown. I saw some activity on my flasher screen right before I was going to shut it off, and I ended up getting a 27" laker. The Colonel had a similar experience, getting his only trout while he was packing. The Chief got a nice trout and had a few hits, as did the Captain. The Rocket Man only had one bite and it turned out to be a very large muskie that he had all the way through the hole when it shook, cut the line, and disappeared back down to the depths. Shucks. The Lieutenant also was fishless after losing a couple fish after hook up. It was a nice warm trip back to the lodge riding on the new fluffy snow. It was lasagna for supper.
Monday morning was warm, but damp, and even a drizzle at times. I fished right out from the lodge and had a fish on for a second before losing it, but that was the only sign of fish for the entire group. We got packed up around noon, loaded the machines, and hit the road. I arrived home to my Awesome Wife and Super Kid, which is always a good thing. It was a fun weekend with great friends, but fishing was slow. The Lieutenant and the Rocket Man didn't land a fish in four days, and they are talented anglers. The rest of us caught a few fish, but less than we are accustomed to getting. We may have to give that lake a break for a while.
Nature Moment: On Sunday, we had all agreed to go to a certain bay to fish. Some folks went around an island to the west, some went to the east. I went the east way, but set up to fish near the west trail. I noticed that the west trail users' snowmachine tracks were wet and filling with water. Then I noticed the tons of otter tracks around the area. A concentration of otters in winter can only mean one thing - open water. They need the openings to access the lake to fish. I examined the area closer and there indeed was some very thin ice and some open water. The users of the west trail had come close to taking a swim with the otters. This was an area that, when looking at map, is not an obvious spot to have open water. Goes to show you need to be careful at all times.
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