According to my calendar another bittersweet finale of open-water fishing is approaching— despite the recent trend of beautiful weather. A person could get used to 80-degree days in the middle of September, even if it does mean an occasional big wind or blood-curdling explosions of thunder at 3 a.m.
The inevitable cold weather in our future will make fishing tough to endure and eventually push the walleyes deeper on the big Gunflint Trail lakes, but we can save that discussion for October. Meanwhile, the warm days have kept the fish loitering in 20-30 feet of water much longer than I am used to. Vertical fishing with leech, or minnow tipped jig heads has still been the method of choice, in my boat, and most days the bite has been good.
A widely accepted fishing philosophy that “action creates action” has been key to successful days of fishing this week. Many of the “spots” that have been holding fish on both Saganaga and Northern Light Lake are lifeless at first glance, but are actually loaded with walleyes. I rely heavily on my electronics this time of year, but even the best depth finders will not see walleyes that have their bellies to the ground. The best machines money can buy claim to recognize an inch of separation between the fish and the bottom, but I have my doubts.
The first step is to idle over a reef slowly while trying to pinpoint the walleye’s exact location before sending baits down to the bottom. If the fish are not showing themselves I look for other signs of life such as schools of suspended baitfish around the perimeter of the reef or loons swimming around the surface before wetting a line. One bite will cause the school to jump off of the bottom and begin feeding. I have seen this happen every day this week—action truly does create action.
One fish gets hooked, acts sporadically while being reeled to the surface and all the other fish jump up to see what is going on. Instantly the screen of the depth finder lights up with arches signaling a school of walleyes swimming one or two feet off of the bottom that want in on the action. The caught fish sends out a dramatic vibration throughout the water column and before you know it the northern pike and bass are showing up to join in on the feeding frenzy.
Fall fishing can be intimidating since the spots are usually not obvious like the shoreline fishing of spring. The best advice I could give an angler would be, “If it feels like a fishy spot—it probably is!”
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218- 388-0315. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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