No, I am not talking about autumn colored drapes or what is acceptable to wear after Labor Day, I am talking walleyes. The bite has been pretty hot on Saganaga and Northern Light Lake this past week and the fish are taking to their usual fall patterns. The hottest action has been between thirty and forty feet of water on many of the same reefs they were on just weeks ago in eight feet.
A minnow tipped jig-head or a Lindy rig is the best way to attack these deeper fish. Trust your electronics and “hover” over them just as if you were jigging for lake trout. I like to use about a 1/4 ounce of lead, but you can also use 3/8, especially if you are faced with some wind. Theheavier weight will get there faster and keep you pinned to the bottom.
If you are marking fish that do not want to bite, try raising your offerings to a couple of feet above their heads and just hold it there. If the fish seem to be a couple of feet above the bottom, you may have better luck with a Lindy rig. You should vary your leader length, hook color, and even try adding some beads if they seem finicky.
Leeches and crawlers will still get some bites, but minnows are definitely what they are looking for. Most of these deeper fish are ranging from small to eater size, but pretty soon the bigger fish will start to join them. If you have the patience, you can still get some bigger walleyes at more shallow depths, but it takes a lot of spots for very few biters.
The lake trout have been cooling off with fewer biters each day. This is pretty typical for this time of the year. It will not be much longer and they will be coming into the shallows to spawn. The water temperature has to start dropping a lot more, but it should be happening just after the season closes at the end of the month.
The brook trout and rainbows have been cooperating, I am told, and are starting to show their fall patterns as well. I do not know of a prettier or tastier fish than a fall brook trout.
The traditional slip-bobber and half a night crawler trick works well, and so does inflating a whole crawler with air and sending it to the bottom. I prefer casting small spoons and spinners because it is a pretty aggressive hit. I spool up with four pound test and use small but heavy baits so that I can cast them a mile. Trout are very spooky so the further away you fish from the boat or yourself, the better.
I have heard some pretty successful bear hunting stories this week and it appears there has been no shortage of bear sightings as well.
Mid-Gunflint Trail has an aggressive garbage feeder that put a pretty good ding in Windigo Resort’s dumpster. I had one in my driveway a few days ago that seemed more curious than hungry. He just sat and watched me for a while, until my wife scared him away unknowingly while coming home from work with her car.
It makes you wonder how many times you just miss seeing wildlife on the Trail!
Cory Christianson, a 2000 graduate of the University of Iowa, has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail for nine years. If you have any fishing reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@ hotmail.com or call 218- 388-0315
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