The annual Trout Derby was held this past weekend on West Bearskin Lake and I thought it was a nice change of scenery. The fishing was slow for most, and the lake was pretty sloppy with a lot of slush to power through, but everyone seemed to be having a great time.
I was over-dressed and over-heating since I chose to wear a pair of long-johns, and only long-johns, under my arctic bibs. I knew better, but I have been ice fishing so many days this winter that I am used to it being cold on the lake. Anyway it was still a good time. Rachelle and Sophia even came down to see the weighin.
I was fishing the basin on the far west end of West Bearskin during the derby and managed to catch four lake trout. The biggest one was 2.6 pounds (for which I won a cool Rapala tackle box) and the other three were all about a pound.
There were a couple of squandered opportunities as well, but they did not feel like tournament winners.
The “basin fish” usually need to be called in which can be a patience game, but once the fish arrive they are usually willing to bite. The live minnow-rig on a deadstick got just as many bites as the Buckshot jigging spoon. I think the jigging spoon gets their attention and the live minnow seals the deal.
This happens quite often while guiding if I set a deadstick close-by each customer. The trout sometimes like to “bat” at the jigging spoon feeling like a missed bite, then they decide to go for the live bait instead. Two opportunities are better than one.
The snow is melting rapidly up here and pretty soon the added runoff will cause the lake ice to pop up. This will also re-oxygenate the water and entice the smelt to start spawning on the bigger lakes. Typically you can start fishing closer to current in shallow water to find those lake trout that are following the annual smelt migration. The places to try are going to be in 10- to 20-foot-deep flats that are found outside of the major river mouths, on any lake that has a population of smelt.
West Bearskin has such a spot by the public landing; Cross River on Gunflint Lake and Hoof Creek on Northern Light are all productive spots. It is not like structure fishing where you need to be precise about where you drill a hole. It is more like basin fishing where you should use lures that will call fish to you. Rattling baits, Buckshot spoons, and live minnows all have the dinner bell quality that can get a fish’s attention from a distance.
The derby had some changes this year that I thought made the event feel more like a real tournament. A small entry fee for a shot at the grand prize of $500 was great. In the past everyone took home a small gift, and this year there was a raffle for a couple of really nice gifts instead. This was a more exciting approach to the event if you ask me.
Anyway, the Ridge Riders Snowmobile Club encourages suggestions from anyone who might have new ideas for the future trout derbies. I really liked the changes that were made this year and hopefully everyone else did as well.
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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