I was unable to attend Irv Benson’s Memorial, but I was told on good authority that it was a wonderful event. Over 150 people were in attendance and the weather even cooperated for a day.
The high winds have made the fishing a challenge. I like a walleye chop, but too much wind is dangerous and restricting. The walleye fishing has been fair to partly cloudy, but the lake trout bite has been very good.
There are a lot of small lake trout biting aggressively which is a good sign for the future of Saganaga, but annoying as well. If you like to use ice fishing lures you will quickly lose your temper. I have found that if you switch to a jig and Cisco combination you will get bigger trout. Thelittle guys will still whack at your bait, but the bigger fish will bite. You need a pretty stout jig in the halfounce or heavier size range. Buck tail jigs will work fine, but I prefer the plain heads without the stinger hook.
My wife and family spent the weekend at the cabin on Saganaga and I was able to join them on the Fourth. We watched fireworks out in front of Chippewa Inn while tied up to seven other boats. It was a lot of fun floating around the bay with a bunch of friends and family.
The Gunflint has been getting busier by the week but the Saganaga Lake motor permits have been readily available. There just aren’t as many people using the lake this year. I know a lot of local fishermen have been turned off by the lack of motor permits available in the past, but take advantage of the free permits. You can stop in the Forest Service Ranger Station in Grand Marais and get a free motor permit the day before you want to go. If you choose to reserve a permit further in advance you can for a small fee. It is relatively painless and a great time of the year to ride up the trail.
Exempt motor permits can only be reserved at the Ranger Station. The other permit issuing stations are no longer allowed to write them for you. Evidently there were some people abusing the system and they have tightened the reins. You must be spending the night at an exempt cabin in order to qualify (which has always been true) and you will need proof of permission from the actual cabin owners. This is a real inconvenience for my wife and me since her family cabin is on Saganaga and we live across from Loon Lake. Thismeans that we have to drive to Grand Marais and back, during Ranger Station business hours, in order to get permission to go to her cabin in Canada. I should keep track of the wasted mileage driven to town over the course of this summer. Not a very “green” alternative in my opinion.
Cory Christianson, a 2000 graduate of the University of Iowa, has worked as a fishing guide at Seagull Creek Fishing Camp for eight years and worked for Almost There Charters in Key West for nine years. If you have any fishing reports or stories to share, send an e-mail to christiansoncory@ hotmail.com or call 218 388- 0315.
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