The Chik Wauk Museum opening was an outstanding success. Theresponse from the people who attended say that it surpassed anything they could possibly have expected. I was guiding and unable to attend the event, but I can tell you there were plenty of cars in the parking lot at County 81. Pat Shunn would have been very pleased to see the turnout in her parking lot.
The blueberry pickers have been hitting the side roads along the upper Gunflint Trail lately with some pretty good success.
There have also been quite a few raspberries growing in the ditches, but they look like they could use a couple more weeks before they actually peak. If it was not for the recent rains, I do not think they would have been close to ready yet, but Mother Nature has her way of fixing things in the nick of time. Even Smokey Bear says low fire danger right now.
The sticky summertime heat has been making for some long days in the boat, and the slow fishing is not helping matters. Lake trout have been saving some days in the deeper water. Most of the biters I have been able to find are in the 60 – 65 foot range. Thefew walleyes caught recently have had herring in their bellies and they just do not want to take the bobbers under. The spots that are holding fish are also holding bait as well. If you cannot find bait suspending off of the side of the reef you plan to fish, then you should probably consider searching for spots with more life. Thebaitfish can be seen on your depth finder and are usually sitting on the upwind side of the reef or rock pile suspended in 10 – 15 feet.
I have been doing some research on the invasive spiny water flea lately and it looks like Mother Nature will be the only one who can fix this problem. The “flea” is actually a crustacean brought to the Great Lakes by merchant ships from northern Europe in the 1980s. It took only three years to spread from Lake Huron to Superior and is now being found in a handful of inland lakes as well. Thefleais a rapidly reproducing crustacean that devours the zooplankton necessary for the survival of immature fish. Fish will eat these fleas as well, but their hard spiny shell makes it difficult for the smaller fry to digest them. Saganaga Lake has been infested for quite a few years now and could be the reason we are seeing lower numbers of fish each year.
The flea has been considered a permanent invader in the Great Lakes ecosystem and there is no way for us to get rid of them. We can make sure that we do not spread these creatures into any more of our lakes by draining boats, live wells, and bait tanks at the landing. This may seem like no big deal right now, but it was not that many years ago we thought it was acceptable to fish for, and kill, spawning walleyes. Your day on the water used to be measured by how many pounds you brought back to the cleaning table. We truly are our own worst enemies, so get on board and help save the lakes for the next generation.
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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