Fall is approaching quickly up here with the aspen and birch displaying their brilliant colors. The temperatures have been all over the thermometer and we are even expecting some much needed rainfall. This is a wonderful time to visit the Trail, especially since much of the Boundary Waters has been closed due to the Pagami Creek fire in Ely.
Saganaga and Seagull Lake entry points are still open, however you are currently not allowed to portage beyond those lakes.
The recent rainfall has certainly helped the fire situation and the containment percentage has climbed from 8% to 23%. These numbers may not mean much since they can change with the drop of a hat, but they give us an idea of what is happening with the big picture of things. I have had a lot of people ask where to get accurate information concerning the fire since the web sites are a little vague. I have suggested for people to either attend the meetings that have been held or to listen to the meetings on WTIP. This is the most recent and accurate information available to us.
Saganaga Lake has finally snapped and the fall fish are biting. Minnows and a good depth finder are the two things required to catch fish on Sag this time of the year. Walleyes are in 30-45 feet of water, which means a good depth finder is needed to find them, and minnows are their preferred forage. If you cannot mark the fish on your machine, they simply are not there.
Jig heads in a variety of colors have been working just fine, or else a Lindy rig with a ¼-ounce sinker, which has been getting the bigger fish. I usually put customers on Lindyrigs, but I sure like the jig bite better. If one rig is out-producing the other then I will switch everyone over to the preferred method. The jigs tend to pick off the more aggressive fish within the school, while the rigs are more consistent.
Deep fishing is much like ice fishing and I tell people to “hover” with the fishing lines as vertical as possible. If you are trying to back troll it needs to be done very slowly so that your baits maintain the correct depth. Find the bottom, and then give your reel a couple of turns, which will put the bait about a foot off of the bottom. If your depth finder is working correctly, you should be able to see your bait on the screen. I like to keep the bait just above the fish that are showing on the screen.
A lot of people do not like braided lines such as Fireline or Power Pro, but for deep vertical fishing like this, it is much easier to detect the bite and set the hook. Monofilament is great for a lot of things but it stretches like a rubber band and makes it difficult to get a good hook-set in deep water.
Releasing deep fish is difficult since their stomachs tend to implode while ascending. I like to pierce their swim bladder with a needle. The bladder is located about an inch behind their gill plate favoring the lower half of the body. Rubbing their forehead lightly is supposed to make them want to swim down and shooting them, head first, into the water seems to help as well. The best advice is to bring them up as slowly as possible. I was told that putting them in the live well for a few minutes allows them to release their bladders, but I have yet to try it out.
Every fall there are new spots found where walleyes have been showing up so do not be afraid to invest a lot of time driving around and looking. Deep structure is scarcer which forces fish to congregate in tighter areas. Searching near the basin areas is usually your best bet and who knows; you could find a “virgin” spot that nobody else knows about. Those are the best ones, for a while at least, since they usually have not seen any pressure. It is not uncommon to fill out a limit of eatersized walleyes on one spot, so the time invested in searching can really pay off.
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.
Leave a Reply