If there has ever been an inspiration to soak a minnow under the ice it would be to join the ranks of Lac La Croix angler Rob Scott who landed a monstrous lake trout last week.
The 45-inch-long fish with a 32-inch girth weighed in at 52 pounds 3 ounces on a handheld digital scale making it a potential ice fishing world record. Let’s hope that Rob does not know about the Trail Center Ice Fishing Contest or we will never stand a chance of winning it.
Lac La Croix is well known for having some big lakers swimming around but this surprised local anglers since a 20-pounder was always considered to be big. Inland waters rarely produce fish larger than 20 pounds so this 52-pound freak of nature is truly an amazing specimen that took Rob an hour to land.
Anglers in search of trophy-sized lake trout in our region tend to gravitate to Lake Superior or Nipigon with the rationale that giant lakes produce giant fish. I have guided an angler who has shown me photos of 40- to 50-pound fish caught through the ice in the Ashland area of Lake Superior, but to have proof of such a fish being caught inland is very inspiring.
If Lac La Croix can produce a world record, I have to believe there are similar monsters swimming around Greenwood, Clearwater, Saganaga, or even Seagull lakes as well.
I better mention Loon Lake as well or I will hear about it from my friend Tom Caldwell who owns the historic Loon Lake Lodge, and he would be right since Loon has a reputation for producing trophy sized walleye and lake trout.
The one common denominator of the above mentioned Gunflint Trail lakes is an abundance of big and greasy forage like herring and rainbow smelt to feed such hearty appetites. Big fish have to eat big meals without spending too much energy or else it becomes counterproductive, especially in the cold water months.
There are a number of talented anglers residing in Cook County who have taught this Iowegian journalist a lot about fishing local waters. Local knowledge is priceless and I attribute much of my dayto day success on the water to what I have learned by simply paying attention to the right people.
Once an angler has mastered the basics of fishing it becomes important to continuously explore new spots and refine what you already know and trust. Veteran guides like Mike Berg and Roger Campbell have been fishing Saganaga Lake for three decades and they still learn a new spot or technique every year. Roger likes to say, “I’d rather be lucky than good,” but I have learned that the more I fish the luckier I get.
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