Fish Catching Travel

Baits for all your fishing needs

What says more about our trip than today’s fishing.  Being the final day we hit it early with an early quit to pack up, load the truck, and put on the boat cover.  So in the morning we will be out of here by 5:30 for the long haul to our brother’s house in Arkansas.  That will give us a fairly short, 9 or 10 hour drive, back to Texas.  You know, just knock of a quick 1700 miles towing a boat.  No big whoop.

As to today’s fishing.  The muskies were on the move.  In fact we had a fish make a pass at it on the first bank.  Unfortunately that is the way it went all day.  We had them follow and not take a figure 8, we had them hit it but not get it, we had them nipping at the skirt and not eating, in fact anything that could keep us from catching one happened.  Before we quit at 3:30 we had 8 or 10 do something, anything but eat it.

Why?  Not sure.  Maybe to fast, to slow, wrong color, wrong size, I am just not sure of the answer.  But what ever it was Paul phrased it in only the warm and fuzzy eloquent way he does, it was just a &*%# up.  I have seen a lot of muskies here in the past but this was by far the most we had a shot at in one day.  Usually here if you see or get that many follows you will put a fish or two in the boat.  It was as exciting as it was frustrating.

That was a fitting finish to this trip.  We started off with a bang, then got that cold front which knocked them in the head for a week.  The fishing picked up everyday and then the last couple of days on Lake of the Woods were great.  When you can catch fish all day it is a success.  For a buzzbait lover like me pike smashing that thing is a thing of beauty, not to mention some bit smallmouth.  And when the boys went to the trophy smallmouth lake they caught 200, and folks that is not an exaggeration.  There is so much to do here.  If you are willing to work at it, including some portages into the lakes connecting with Crow Lake, you can have some fantastic fishing.  And this trip we put in at 3 different ramps on LOW, one of the areas we had not fished before.  LOW is huge, and each area of the lake is different.  And this trip like so many others over the years reinforce my rule, go as long and as much as you can swing, the weather  can be your friend or your worst enemy.

For me personally the lack of success on muskies is not a failure, it is motivation.  It really is a learning experience.  For some of the guys it was just to much effort.  I can see how some folks get obsessed with it.  The fishing just motivated me more to learn and grow.  They are a wonderful creature, curious, big, and when they want to be ferocious.  When you reel a bait in and here comes this big predator it is the stuff my dreams are made of.  They bit on the big front right before it got here, and then something happened that is counter intuitive.  The warmer and sunnier it got, the more active they got.  Hot and sunny, with water as clear as bottled water, and they werw active in the middle of the day.  Compared to bass it was exactly the opposite of what I would expect.  Lots to learn about these magnificent fish and I am all about it.

Muskie Bay Resort, what can I say about them.  They go above and beyond to help out.  Marking maps, giving out info, helping with tackle, and anything else they can do.  Paul and Chris are great folks, their son Jake and his wife Ashley are a hoot.  And I am not kidding, Paul makes one of the best pizzas on the face of the earth.  The cabins are awesome and sitting on the porch with a nice breeze and looking out at the lake is calming and restful.  If you ever wanted to just do the short thing, fly in to International Falls MN and take a quick 3 day guided muskie trip, or go over to LOW and catch walleyes, the price is well within reason.  Just give them a holler and they will work it out.

That about covers it.  As we speak it is raining like a mother and the lights are flickering, this is the woods.  Now it is back to real life.  It will be interesting to see how things are shaping up on the coast and at Coleto.  The reports I am getting from Bastrop and Fayette are enough to warm a bass fisherman’s heart.  If you have been out on the Gulf drop me a note and let me in on the scoop.  I figure a couple of days getting my stuff together and I will be itching to get back to it, though my hands will take a little longer than that.  About the time I am back in the swing of things it will be off to Italy.  Then it will be another episode of jet lag and burning the candle at both end.

And last but not least a personal and heartfelt thanks to my lovely wife.  To be able to do this kind of thing takes a wife who is understanding.  So thanks Nancy, I appreciate what you do for me, and let me get away with, and I can not wait to see you.  And the rest of you, your comments are so appreciated.  At times I have thought of giving up the website but then I hear from all of you and it keeps me writing.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.  That is all from Canada, eh.  We have already set next years trip and I can not wait.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Baits for all your fishing needs

I know I keep harping on staying as long as you can, and this trips is a perfect example.  We catch a couple of muskies in less than a full day, and then the big front.  I mean a norther out of Alaska on what Paul says is usually the hottest week of the year.  And it kills the fishing.  But as the time has worn on the fishing has got better and better.  To make a long story short my hands could not take another fish or make another cast.

And it began.

We started throwing buzzbait first thing in the morning and did not make it a half mile from the ramp.  The fish have moved shallow and until the wind started to really blow, and we were giving out, they were absolutely smashing buzzbait.

We caught these all day until my hands were like claws, as is swollen and useless.

It would be hard to describe how ferocious they were.  Obviously making up for lost time after the front and feeding on the one coming Saturday, they were hungry.  It was an easy patter to duplicate, weedy bays.  We would throw to the reed line, reeds were clearly the best, but if it was slow we would drift the bays in the middle and the pike were in 5 – 7 feet.  And when they hit that buzzbait it was a big flush.  I refuse to guess how many, but it was a bunch.  But it was not all pike, we did some smallmouth fishing.

Look at how thick this thing is, awesome fighters.

Before the wind got up we fished grub and jerkbait and caught them almost any point, period.  Hit a point and catch 2 – 6 and move on.  They are such good fighters up here.

We even picked up a largemouth, talk about fat.

The fishing was steady all day and you never knew what might hit next.  You would be hopping that grub along and one would thump and when you set the hook it was gone.  Or maybe it was a nice smallmouth.

Never go anywhere north without a gold 3 hook Rapala Husky Jerk, it catches fish.

And speaking of jerk baits I had on eat one off, 12″ leader and all, that must have been a horse.  Around 3 the wind started blowing and it killed the buzzbait bite and made grub fishing tough so we threw spinnerbait a while.

Pull up on a point and it was bam bam!

So with the wind high and us getting really tired, my hands are swelled about the size of my head, and that is no mean feat.  We decided to make a pass on a stretch where we caught several big smallies the last 2 days and Shoedog put the smack down on a big one.

This picture does not due this fish justice.  This was a flat out moose!

Finally about 5 we decided to head back in with the wind blowing pretty good.  But we stopped and trolled a bank.  If you ever come to Muskie  Bay and Lake of the Woods you can troll and save yourself.

A nice big pike, one of 2 we caught on the way in.

We called it a day about 5 and came back to the resort.  With muskie fishing to finish our last day we could get some of the tackle and rods and reels put up and begin the prep to hit the road Saturday.  Paul’s wife said he guided this morning and they caught 3 muskies and lost one and we out for the evening bite.  So things are looking good for last call.

I can not describe how tired I am.  Words do not due it justice.  I guess it is why I fish so hard, this kind of fishing is a young man’s game.  13  days of up at 5, back at dark, supper at 10 or later, then doing it all over again without a break.  But like all the fishing adventures I take I would not trade them for the world.  And there is no way to count what we caught.  So it is 8:30 and I am headed to bed.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Baits for all your fishing needs

After wearing myself plum out muskie fishing it was time to just go catch some fish.  So the Shoedog and I headed over to Vic and Dots and paid the $15 for the ramp, what a rip off, but oh well.  We have fished the Whitefish Bay area the 3 times we have been here so are pretty familiar.

We started in the first big cove and it was game on.  We probably caught 25 smallmouth and pike in there.  We caught on buzzbait, jerkbait, and grub.  Shoedog had a nice muskie follow it to the boat but could not get the figure 8 done to make him bite.  From then on for the rest of the day we caught fish.

A nice LOW smallmouth.

From there we went to a big shallow weedy bay and caught a bunch of smaller pike on buzzbait.  I had 3 big fish just not hook up, but will changer skirt colors tomorrow on the buzzbait and that should help.  Then we headed to the back of Whitefish Bay and fished several points catching smallmouth and pike everywhere we fished.

While no giant these really smash a buzzbait.

From there we went to a big weedy bay and wacked the pike and a few smallmouth.  Though most of the smallmouth we caught on grub were on rocky points in 10 – 20 feet, there were some good ones in the grass.

This one ate that buzzbait in the grass in 4 foot of water.

And a few casts later here comes his buddy.

I got these 2 on video with a few pike.

It was a fun day.  We caught an easy 75 and plan to back tomorrow for one more day of fun.  I long shot a little video so tomorrow it will be as much as my batteries allow.  We are right on the edge of a big weather change which is coming Friday.  So it will be fun fishing and then our last day will be right on the front for one last run at a muskie.  So as soon as I get home I will get a video or 2 posted.  We are wearing down, hands, back, all of it.  Looks like our motors should give out just right.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Baits for all your fishing needs

The boys hit the road and Shoedog was in no hurry so it was 11 by time we got to the spot I found yesterday where I almost boated a couple of muskie.  Crow Lake is a deep super clear island filled lake.  The place I found yesterday has a deep hole surrounded by saddles between islands that provide perfect ambush points.  There is deep grass in the area, and today we expanded out knowledge and found a couple of places that will be killer in the spring.

We both started with inline spinners and we fished the hot spot first without any bites, but it was dead calm.  As soon as the wind started to blow we re-fished and the Shoedog had one boil it at the boat.  You have to watch your bait at all times with muskie, they are very curious and do lots of following to the boat.

. 

There is no such thing as a bad muskie.

Muskie fishing is not far you if you can not take hours of boredom broken up by the most fantastic bites.  When it happens it is like a dream.  The rest of them kinda gave up, it is tiring and takes dedication.  For me it is the opposite, the tougher it gets the madder at them I get.  It is work, but I have just begun to fight.  I am already planning next year, those muskies better look out.

We did come in and rest and went out for a couple of hours but no bites.  I think tomorrow we will go catch some walleyes and pike to bring home.  One of the great things about this area is there is plenty to catch, in fact at times to much.  Tough problem to have.

And last but not least here is the comment I received from my grandbaby, Little Wren.

Your reports are hair raising Grandpa!

So that is it for today.  Tomorrow is Wednesday and here we are, only 3 days left to fish.  Hard to believe with how hard we have fished but we are really going to get after it the next 3 days.  We only have so many days on this earth and I intend to finish it out with a fishing rod in my hand.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Baits for all your fishing needs

Today I spent all day keeping after the muskies.  I am still trying to catch a real one, and today the muskies were not to blame.  First it was the bay where 2 made the boat yesterday and it was a sign of things to come. Muskie fishing fishing is not easy.

On my second cast with the Suick, a really old school muskie bait I realized I did not have my sunglasses on and could not see the bait real well.  So at the end of the cast I laid my rod down and put them on.  The bait was laying on the water and a huge boil came up as a big one rolled on it.  Dam good thing it did not get it or a couple of hundred bucks would have gone over the side.  Later I had a small one follow all the way to the boat, did the figure 8 but she would not bite.

Then around noon I did everything right, and it came out all wrong.  I was trolling to give my arm a break and when I crossed a point the bait hit grass in about 12 foot of water, a classic muskie situation in the fall.  As it was blowing pretty good I went up wind and got out the big double bladed inline spinner.  These things are like reeling in a car.  As I got to the end of the point a really good one just smoked it, I mean came up and ate it right in front of me, and with my superior skill managed to F’ it up.

The point flatted out in 10 foot and led into a little channel about 6 foot deep and so I buzzed it and here comes a big girl, bigger than anything I have seen this trip.  She was waking behind it and took a wack at it, missed, I figured 8″d it, thought she had it, missed her and stuck the bait in the side of the rub rail of the boat.  By time I got that sorted out she was gone.  That was it for bites.  And that is the muskie game.  I am still learning but it reminds me of hunting.  Only so many chances and you better not mess it up.  But even though it turned into muskies 4, me zip, those few moments of shear awesomeness keeps me after them.  What a fish.

On the flip side Clyde and Shoedog carried a motor and tackle over to Jesse Lake off of Crow.  A small lake only accessible by portage it is classed as a no keep trophy lake.  Smallmouth and pike are the quarry and to say it was good would be any understatement.

Now that is a smallmouth.

To make a long story short they caught over 200 hundred smallmouth and a couple of pike in about 6 hours.  Some on grub, a few on jerkbait, but the real ticket was buzzbait.  They said the fish were coming out of deep water and blasting it.

No, this is a smallmouth!

The lake also some really nice pike.  And up here they love that Rapala Husky Jerk in gold, we have caught everything that swims on it.

34″ of talk about ferocious!

The boys are gone and it is just Shoedog and I.  It is a lot quieter here as we kind of have a take it easy morning.  We will be back to muskie fishing in a little bit this morning.  Then it will be the last 3 days, and we will hit them hard.  I have not walleye fished yet not concentrated on the smallmouth and some of that will go on.

The last of the boys take home limit.

Paul, his wife Chris, their son Jake and his wife Ashley are so accommodating.  They had us over for Paul’s famous pizza last night and boy was it good.  Jake loaned me a couple of trolling baits.  We all just love coming not only to Ontario but specifically to Muskie Bay.  Time to sign off and head to the lake.  I can not get enough of throwing baits the size of a small beaver until my arms want to fall off and my hands swell up the size of baseballs.  Life is good.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

(I am sure there are some serious editing and spelling mistakes, sorry but it is time to go fishing!)

Fish Catching Travel

Baits for all your fishing needs

The clock is ticking down.  Today was absolutely beautiful, got up to the high 80’s with no wind, not the best day for fishing Crow.  When I say the water is gin clear it is the clearest water I have ever fished.  So to get to the point we only had 2 bites today, but it was my turn.

This one smoked that Suick jerk bait.

The Suick is a big wooden jerk bait with very little action.  You jerk it slow and when this fish hit it he came out of 20 foot of water and absolutely killed it.  It was a thing of beauty.  And I finally got a big one, at least for me.  It hit a trolled Bucher Depth Raider in a sucker color.  We were trolling and area we found with lots of bait and muskies on the locator.

43″ of muskie.  They are beautiful.

We are headed out shortly so I am keeping it short.  We specifically fished for muskies today so I could catch one, and  I did.  This is the only 2 bites I had all day but it did get the muskie out of the way.  Clyde and John caught  the usual run of walleyes on Lake of the Woods.  Jim struck out on the Lake Trout.

Today John is staying in the cabin, Jimmy is going to fish for Lakers again, Jeff and Clyde are going to portage to trophy bass lake, and I am going to muskie fish again.  So it is a short report, time is a wastin’.  I will try to get into a little more detail tomorrow.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Baits for all your fishing needs

It is 5 am and they boys are sleeping and of course I am awake even though I should be sleeping.  The fishing alarm clock which will not shut off wakes me up way before it should, but I just can not help it.  When I tell you I am tired it is not BS.  My wrists and hands feel like, and are, swollen and sore but at least I have kept from sticking myself as much as usual, I probably should not have said that.  I have a few comments I want to share with you all to kind of try to catch up.

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Boys!!!  There are a lot of people looking forward to your fishing trip and all the big ole fish you are to be catching!!  Don’t fail me!!!  Doug, you know those knuckleheads don’t like getting up in the am.  I think they are getting old LOL  Anxiously awaiting some great fishing stories with pictures to prove it.  Maria

Maria is my buddy Clyde’ wife and one of the great people in this world.  Always in good humor she is probably the only woman who can keep him in line.  And that girl can fish and has done her share up here on previous trips.  Hope you like the stories and I have to give that worthless bag of bones that is your husband credit, he had carried the show here this trip, just ask him!  But in all seriousness, he has worked hard and really has them pegged right now, they absolutely put it on them yesterday.  And there is a good chance he might actually come home on time.  Hope you can join us next time.

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I heard from Dan in San Antonia and I believe this is his first comment.  I love hearing from new folks.  I can look at the numbers who visit but they mean nothing.  Kind words and interesting comments let me know there are real folks out there reading this junk.

It sounds like typical Northern Mn fishing to me. I lived in central Mn for nine years and the only thing I miss about Mn is the bass fishing. If the weather stays nasty try for bigger Pike along the deeper weed lines. I’ve caught a ton of big Pike while fishing a jig for Largemouth and Smallies out in 20-25 Feet of water. Crankbaits in Perch color work well too. If it’s an expensive crankbait with no leader you are guaranteed to catch a trophy hahaha. Good luck.

Good to hear from you.  As you saw from yesterday we put some largemouth in the boat.  And the pike are really starting to bite, making it scary to throw anything without a leader.  The 20 foot range is the current ticket for the walleyes and bigger pike, the largemouth came in the 3 – 6 foot range.  I hope these reports brought back some good memories for you, they are sure making some for me.

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Long time reader – Random/Rare that I comment.  I’m usually pretty jealous of your fishing trips.  This is why I keep reading.  I sit in my office and dream about being on the bay fighting a bull red, or sitting in the marsh calling in some fast flying teal (soon!).  I try to live vicariously thru your blog.  Ha! And this post has me lusting to be in Canada right now!  Wow! The hunting – yes please.  The fishing – yes please.  You make it sound like deer camp.  The fact you get to fish and/or hunt is awesome, but spending time with great people is what makes it worth it.  Can’t wait to hear (and see pics) about whatever plan someone comes up with!
-Evan

This is exactly like deer camp.  Lots of stories and memories being shared.  2 nights ago it was all about how we all got started fishing.  With all of us it was at an early age, and I mean 5 or 6, and we were just flat out crazy about it.  And I wish I could really tell you about how they deer hunt up here, it is not anything like how we do it in Texas or Iowa.  This is wild big country and the deer are big to go along with it.  They are pretty successful here and when you see deer up here they are real hooters.  We say a doe yesterday that would go an easy 200+ on the hoof.  And when you add moose, bear , wolf and all the rest of the critters this can only be described as one of the great outdoor places on the face of the earth.  Thanks for commenting I appreciate hearing from you.

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I for this from my buddy Chris down in Victoria TX.  Though he did not say who he was out with I assume it was his buddy Terry.

Floaters trip last couple days.  Trolled up a weed line on the way out and notched my first Mahi.  Finished up the 130 mile trip to Boomvang and drifted/chunked for tuna.   Spotty Blackfin until about 430am when the jigging turned on hard with a couple triple hookups and lots of back to back fish.  Ended up with 4 yellowfin and 14 blackfin.  Trolled a while on the way back this morning without any luck and picked up a single snapper, a short ling, and a few small sharks on a wreck back in state water.  More pics to follow.

To bad they did not airlift some up here, would make a big hit with folks here!

Man what I nice bunch of fish.  Going out to where they caught these is a real undertaking.  Talk about fishing hard, this is basically a fish all night fish all day thing.  Though I have caught blackfin a yellowfin is surely on my list.  Whether it is 130 miles offshore or big spinnerbaits for pike, fishing is fishing and we are all nuts for it.

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The corporate party of 28 that is here at Muskie Bay Resort are fishing pretty hard, and catching their share.  Every night they have a bonfire at the lake and from the sounds of it the boys are having a real good time.  And Paul and Chris are working hard to keep them all fed.  Many folks dream of running a resort but when you see how hard they work you realize it is a lifestyle and not for everyone.

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The boys are moving around so I will wrap this up this morning.  Who knows what the day will bring but I will report no matter how it comes out.  So as soon as we come to some consensus off we go.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Baits for all your fishing needs.

Today is the reason we stay two weeks, the fishing is really picking up.  Both boats scored today and the numbers were way up.

We headed up to Nestor Falls, the muskie capital of the world.  When we got ready to take off it was foggy, I mean ugly.  So what should have been a half hour ride turned into an hour.  Shoedog and I took it real slow as we worked our way up Lake of the Woods, into Yellowgirl Bay and to the entrance  to Bear Bay.

The entrance.  Just idle over a couple of 2 foot shoals and you are there.

They were already there and had caught some smallmouth and a few pike.  Clyde caught a real big smallmouth on a popper.  We started in the small lake on the way in and the pike and bass were smacking the snot out of spinner bait and buzzbait.

One of the 8 or so largemouth we caught today.

The pike and largemouth were in the grass, most of them in about 5 foot of water.  They were smacking those baits hard enough I actually had a big pike jerk the rods out of my hands.  Luckily I managed to catch it.  That bite lasted all morning.

I even got in on the action.

The rest of the day we hunted and pecked catching more pike and smallmouth.  Grub was the choice for the smallies but we never found that big one.

A nice Lake of the Woods smallmouth.

Clyde, John, and Jim went walleye fishing and laid the smack down on them.  They limited and John put one over 7lbs in the boat.  They were back trolling mightcrawlers on bottom bouncers and found them in most of the places they fished.  They are on Sunday nights menu.  We just point hopped and finally about 7 called it a day.

Shoedog with one toothy critter.

He was skinny but long, but boy did he knocked the stuffing out of it.

For our day it was an easy 40 fish, those guys easily topped that, probably 60 or more.  The fish have started to bite and it is looking big time up.  Shoedog and I just wanted to take a day off from muskie fishing and just go catch some fish.

John with a big walleye, the kind you come up here to catch.

Clyde continues to wear out the lake trout.

We are having a really good time.  It is up at 5 -6 and fishing until 7 or 8.  By time the fish are cleaned, supper made and eaten, it is 10:30.  As I type this the boys are whining like a bunch of girls.  (No offense to girls.)  Our hands ache, our backs ache, we are all wobbly and feel like we are still on the water.  It does no get any better than this.  And we have 6 more days to go and the fish are biting better everyday.  They will be leaving Tuesday so we will continue to fish the same areas with them.  Then the serious muskie hunt begins.  To my lovely understanding wife, I am coming home soon, really.  I am more than due.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Baits for all your fishing needs.

One of the great things about coming up here is my buddy Clyde’s past experience.  He has been fishing this area for almost 20 years and has really fished a lot of it, and believe me that is only a small part.  We started our day off with some lake trout fishing on Crow and then went over to the Sabaskong Bay.

Headed out at daylight.

The plan was to lake trout fish first thing and then head to lake of the woods to walleye fish.  It was pretty good.  To bad I just seem to have lost my mojo.

Shoedog with a small laker.  Not quite the size we were looking for.

Clyde with a couple of nice lakers.

Clyde has his mojo working with the lakers and has caught a couple every morning.  The boats up here are tiller steering and he is able to see his jig in 100 foot of water and when he sees them at 60 or 80 or whatever he reels it and shakes it right in front of their nose.  It is a very efficient way to get them.

About 10 we headed over Saboskong Bay on Lake of the Woods.  The took off for a channel way up lake to walleye fish and we started trolling for northern pike.  To say that sucked would be giving it a break.  Then we fished a big cove with assorted baits without success.  At this point it was time to do what we know and keep it simple.

I remembered a big cove with lots of rocky structure and a good channel looking bank.  We spent the rest of the afternoon until it was getting late fishing grub.  We limited on walleye and I did catch a smallmouth.  As it was getting late it was time to throw a big prop bait for muskie.  The first reef we stopped on I had the fish I have been looking for absolutely blow up on it, and miss.  Dang it.  We went to the next place and another one rolled on it, double dang.  We fished 2 more small places without a bite and the day was over for us.

They also limited on walleye and we met up with them as they were going in.  They had the same kind of day.  Once they found the fish you could not come back and re-fish them.  So not a bad day.  And when we ate the walleyes tonight there was not a bite left.  The fishing for me has not been that great, but the eating has been spectacular.

To make a long story short today (Friday) was nothing to write home about.  Both parties caught smallmouth but the muskies have a case of lockjaw.  Muskies have always been referred to as the fish of a thousands casts, I wish.  Shoedog said lets bet $5 this afternoon on the first muskie, I said heck, I would pay him $5 if I caught one.  But my turn is coming.

Finally done for the day.

Everybody limited on walleye, headed to the fish fry.

So that catches up the fishing.  Tomorrow we will go way up on Lake of the Woods to fish a place called Bear Bay.  Clyde found it about 10 years ago, and when we fished it last year we caught big smallmouth until our arms were falling off.  Shoedog and I will give the muskies a break and spend a couple of days catching the easy stuff.  Give us time to rest our bodies from throwing muskie baits as big as your head.  They are really hard to pull, but that is the point.  The muskie are fishing for are big, and it takes a big bait to catch them.

Sorry again for the disjointed report and the poor editing.  But here it is again, 10:30 and we will be up at 5 for a 45 minute drive and then a 45 minute boat ride up to Bear Bay.  By time we get back tomorrow night it will be 9 and then we do it all over again.

Finally as the boys fished this one bank there was a bald eagle on a tree giving them hell.  Jim caught a rock bass, which they hate up here as they make a living eating lake trout eggs, so he wacked him and tossed him in the lake.  The eagle sailed right down and circled the fish but the boat was to close so he went back to his tree.  As soon as they moved down the bank he came down and grabbed it.  That is what makes this place what it is.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Line

Fish Catching Travel

Baits for all your fishing needs.

It still remains tough for me.  This is one of the longest stretches I have not really done worth a crap.  What is the saying?  Pride goeth before the fall.  I quess I was due to have a tough trip.  Thank goodness I have 9 more days to get it right.  Somehow I figure it will happen.  One thing about fishing hard and heavy in lots of places you learn to put on your big boy pants and make it happen.  What takes the sting out is having old friends, good eats, and tales tall enough to build a building.+

Having a meeting.

Lake trout at this time of year are in the 40 – 125 foot range and you use light line and small jigging spoons and  heavy rattle type baits.  On the way out Jimmy’s locator quits and of course what happens?  He drops it down a couple of minutes after we get there and catches this one.

Jim with a good lake trout.

His fish was not quite as big as they come on Crow but this one was a really good one for Crow.  We are all moving around seeing fish scattered at all depths and Clyde finally boats another one,

Clyde got in the action.

We ended up fishing 3 areas and while we saw lots of fish the Shoedog and I could not buy a bite.  At times we were in big bunches but for some reason no go.  John did not manage to catch one either.  We got a late start, at least for me, so finally about noon the Shoedog and I went fishing.  We fished a couple of muskie places without success to we started throwing grub on rocky points in what is called Peninsular Bay.  We started catching smallmouth and after hitting about 5 places and catching a couple at each place, probably 10 small ones, we decided to muskie troll.

That ended up going nowhere.  So as evening wore on we started casting and after 5 days finally had a muskie follow.  The water has warmed 6 degrees in one day and we are really warming up, hopefully the fish will follow.  We ended up not boating a muskie but Clyde had one hit a prop bait, which I threw without a bite, so things are looking up.  I ended up have Shoedog bring me in early so I could prepare the evenings fish fry.

On another note Jimmy was outside right after dark and saw the Northern Lights.  By time I went out they were already gone.  It is quiet at the resort with just a few other guys here but we met some nice guys who fish here often and have been doing ok.  One was using a slab spoon for lake trout he got in Oklahoma for stripers while visiting family.  When he showed it to me he said he could not fine them up here.  I said drop me a line on the website and I will pick you up whatever you need.

Today, the 27th, I am getting them up at 5 so we can be on the water by daylight to have another go at the trout.  Then it will be back for a big breakfast and then boats on trailers for another run at Lake of the Woods.  Even thought it has been slow for me everyday is another day closer to my turn.  The weather is just gorgeous and we have no where to go but up.  We did hear the wolves howling today, which is such a cool thing.  Of course it is turning into done with supper at 10 and up at 5.  Last night those animals were still yacking late and they were a little hard to get up this morning but I just yell a lot and tell them tine is a wasting and they finally get to moving, after lots of moans and groans.  It is not long before opptomism returns.

I know I go on and on about Paul and his wife Chris, but they are just the bomb.  Though they are getting ready for a group of 28 Paul took the time to lead us out and show us 3 deep spots on the lake to jig for trout.  That is what seperates this place from the others.  Not just tell us, or mark it on the map, but actually lead us out there.  That does not happen many places we fish.  I did feel sorry for Chris, she fell last night and has a nice set of coons eyes, both of them black.  Of course when Paul came down and chatted while we ate he was accused of all sorts of heinous things.

On an unrelated note here is Aaron with a nice striper.

Arron with a nice 23lb striper.

I am sure he caught this on Texoma but I have not talked to him, hell I have not ever talked to my lovely wife.  So I will hook up with him for the info when I get back.

Sorry this report is disjointed but I am so tired I can not see straight.  We were up at 5:30 and it is now 10:00 and we are just eating supper.  It will be out again at daylight to keep working those lakers.  Today (Thursday) was better and I will try to catch up tomorrow.  So thanks for sticking with me and reading this crazy stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines