While driving up to Saganaga Lake last Sunday, I thought it was odd that I had not seen any wildlife lately. Just as my mind wandered off to contemplate any possible scenarios that could explain why the local wildlife have not been showing themselves…a cub bear ran out of the woods. It crossed the highway near Seagull Outfitters and ran from my truck as if it were being hunted.
I returned to Saganaga Lake an hour later to launch a second boat for the day and less than a mile away from where I spotted the cub was the mother. She was a pretty large bear for these parts and she spooked away from my vehicle in the same manner as her little cub. The Seagull Lake burn area is well known for producing blueberries and the bears are surely taking advantage of them while they can. I am still seeing some good berries near the end of the Trail, but the bushes that look like miniature grape clusters are becoming harder to find.
We fished Saganaga that day and it was a tough bite considering there was a storm brewing in the distance. Fish usually like to bite before and during a storm but these stubborn walleyes would pick up your bait and spit it out before having a chance to hook them. If something isn’t working, then it is time to change tactics. We did manage to boat a few of those picky walleyes but they were beginning to frustrate me, so we set our sights shallower and found some big smallies that were more willing to play along with us. I think the term “big smallies” might only make sense to Minnesotans.
Any angler that claims to not enjoy fighting a 20-inch smallmouth is either lying or afraid. These bruisers can hurt you with powerful runs and acrobatic jumps in an effort to expunge the hook from their lip. Bass typically will empty their stomachs after being hooked, either in the water or inside of your boat if you land them too quickly. The aftermath (if done in the water) will cause a feeding frenzy as the other bass eat the regurgitated cloud of minnows and crayfish that were left behind.
A 1/8-ounce jig-head tipped with a whole night crawler is hard for a big smally to resist—even when their bellies are already full. I string the night crawler on the hook like a rubber worm so that it looks very long and aerodynamic. Hooking a crawler multiple times does not work well since the bait tends to twist around, especially if you are casting or back-trolling. Keep it aero-dynamic and they will hammer it.
Labor Day weekend is upon us, the last busy weekend of summer, and the evenings have been brisk. The overnight lows are causing so much dew that it is hard to tell if it rained or not. There have even been a couple of frigid mornings that I warmed-up my truck before leaving to fish. Summer was brief indeed.
Hawg Catch & Release Report
Aug. 22
. Ely Poferl
30-inch walleye
Saganaga Lake
Aug. 23
. Cory Christianson
28 1/2 inch walleye
Northern Light Lake
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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