The recent snowfall has excited everyone on the Trail. As of Monday, we have received about 8-10 inches up here and it seems to continue falling. It started out being very wet, but has turned into some really good snow for all of our winter activities.
Fishing has been very good through the warm spell, but is expected to get a little tougher with the cold front on its way. I have heard reports of walleyes and lake trout cooperating in some of the smaller lakes, and the bigger lakes were producing a lot of action with the lakers. Fish of any species tend to like stable weather, so the first day of a cold snap is usually the toughest bite. Once the barometer stabilizes, the bite will surely improve. Look a little deeper during the cold front and expect fish to be less than willing to chase baits.
I was fishing last week during the last couple of hours of daylight on Gunflint Lake in about 35 feet of water, but only managed to catch some eelpout. The action was nice, but they were taking my buckshot spoon with a minnow head so deep that it was difficult to get my lure back without damaging the fish or the hook. Eelpout come alive during the lowlight periods and you can usually tell it is them because of their unwillingness to rise up for your offerings. They mark very nice on the machine, but do not react like a trout will. Trout tend to chase things up a long way even if they do not want to bite.
Thelake was popping and cracking so violently that I began to worry about having my plow-truck out there on the ice. I am pretty sure my insurance does not cover stupidity. You could actually see the waves pass through the holes I had drilled. There was about 16 inches of solid black ice, so I am sure it was safe, but sitting there it makes you worry a little.
There had been a mangy wolf hanging around the Gunflint Lake area last week. This wolf posed a threat after growling at a person. The USDA was notified and sent up a representative to resolve the problem. The wolf was taken and I was told that it had very little hair left and was quite unhealthy. It had most likely been excommunicated from its pack. Wolves are smart enough that the alpha male will typically not allow a wolf with mange to stay in the pack risking any health problems to the rest.
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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