After 16 days of east winds I am getting a little tired of fishing the exact same shorelines each day. The weather pattern this spring has been very unusual and the water temperature is staying fairly cold because of it. Walleyes and bass are being caught in the same spots that would be fished on the opener and we are now officially into July.
Luckily the walleyes have been biting well on both Northern Light Lake as well as Saganaga for a change. Customers have been pleased with the fishing action but eventually the wind direction will change and cause the walleyes to scatter. There were 30-40 mph winds on Monday straight out of the south in the morning, eventually turning west.
The heat and humidity carried an eerie reminiscence of the 1999 Blowdown Storm. The sky would change every hour and big clouds were exploding upward like an erupting volcano. I am always a little nervous on “big wind” days, but it ended up being a pretty good day.
We were fishing on Northern Light Lake and actually ventured out past Trafalgar Bay since the south channel near the portage was not giving up many bites. Trafalgar Bay was calm on the south shore, despite the gale force winds. We managed to boat a 28-inch and a 31-inch walleye that were released to fight another day, plus a couple of smaller ones for the cooler. It was a good day.
There is a pair of bald eagles (siblings, I am guessing) that are residing for the summer near the Saganaga homes in Minnesota. These might be the same two eagles that were reared in the big nest south of James Bay. I watched and heard them being raised until one day the mother pushed them out of the nest, literally. One frightened baby glided to the branch below and I am not sure where the other one landed but it appeared to be the ground.
For the past two years these frolicking juveniles have been residing near the Sag Lake Narrows and this year they have a brilliant white cap and little bodies. Their aggressive bond reminds me of my own two children, which leads me to believe they are siblings. The aerial combat is very entertaining as they lock-up in flight momentarily then chase each other around like a couple of children at the playground.
We watched one of the eagles glide in and hover above the other (who was peacefully keeping watch atop a dead white pine) and tap the h*ead of the resting eagle with the tip of its wing. The resting eagle would turn its head and chirp, “leave me alone” at the antagonizing sibling. With side acts like that, my job is pretty easy.
Catch & Release Report
Northern Light Lake
. Cory Christianson
28-inch walleye
. Ben Nelson
31-inch walleye
. Doug Grenier
28½-inch walleye
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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