Walleyes go through an annual migration around the lake after spawning in the shallow water each spring along with the baitfish in search of the ideal water temperature. The old saying that hawg walleyes leave the shallow bays and migrate out to the main lake rock piles when the daisies have grown to knee-high length seems to reign true each year. This year would be no exception.
Rock piles are basically sunken islands and reefs that have very shallow water and are surrounded by deeper water. These fish havens can be hot when the hawgs first make an appearance. They will literally hit anything that moves when they are hunting on the rocks. The preferred method of fishing these snaggy spots is to use a slip-bobber and a leech from an anchored boat.
Slip-bobbers are a very stealthy and effective method since they are easy to adjust the depth that the bait is presented. It also helps that the boat is anchored and quiet. It is easy to spook fish that are in shallow water, so anytime you can fish without the motor running is good.
These old girls (since male walleye rarely reach 25 inches) are quite wily when it comes to being caught by anglers. A 28-inch walleye (minimum length to be considered a hawg) could be a teenager in years, so they have been around the block a few times. I hesitate to call any fish wise, but the older females are certainly more leery than the smaller ones are.
I have written many times in the past about the drastic differences between Northern Light Lake and Saganaga Lake. It is actually more common to catch a hawg walleye on Sag than it is to catch a limit of walleyes. I have caught or guided anglers to 12 hawg walleyes on Sag this year but only cleaned a handful of eater-sized fish for the customers to take home.
On Northern Light Lake I have caught or guided anglers to 22 hawg walleyes and more eaters than I can calculate with a fishing guide’s brain.
I should also note that I have only guided 10 days on Northern Light and 22 days on Sag this year. That equates to 32 days of guiding and 33 hawgs total. These impressive statistics are fairly common for Gunflint Trail guides that are fishing these two lakes.
If this seems hard to believe just pay attention to the catch and release reports from Buck’s Hardware in the paper. I have not been turning in my catch reports because I feel like my name is in the print enough as it is, but the Seagull Creek guides are making the paper each week as well as many of their customers.
If catching a trophy walleye is on your “bucket list” then take advantage of this world-class fishery that is easily accessible from the Gunflint Trail. Hope to see you up here and have fun celebrating our nation’s independence this week.
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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