The ice season for walleye anglers has come to an end, but old man winter has not. Gunflint Trail lakes are still not showing any signs of thawing and we are only three weeks away from the 2013 fishing opener. It could be an interesting change of events if I have to use an ice auger on opening day.
Saturday evening was absolutely perfect for fishing. The sky was bright and clear with very little breeze. I was fortunate enough to get out of the house and spend the last few evenings fishing for walleyes on Saganaga Lake. Thanks honey!
There were a few anglers setting up camp outside of the narrows but it did not sound like it was a very hot bite so I decided to avoid the crowd by fishing in front of Saganaga Falls in Red Sucker Bay. The bite lasted about 20 minutes each night and I managed to put a couple of eater-sized ’eyes on the ice, but it was not enough action for the effort.
Now that the ice fishing season is over, Rachelle and I decided it would be a good time to get away for a week. Little Bo does not travel well but it has been too long since we last visited my family in Iowa and if you have ever spent some quality time in a vehicle with an unhappy infant then you can understand why.
Despite the exhausting drive, we feel it is important to get off of the Gunflint Trail occasionally. It is great to live away from people and technology but I feel like we have to keep an eye on society in the real world to see what we are missing. The grass always seems greener on the other side until you are actually on the other side. I may have stolen that line from someone—but it sounds like something that I would say.
Somewhere around Albert Lea the snow disappeared and the temperatures climbed into the 40s. It’s not Florida, but it sure feels like it. I know that we have been experiencing a long winter in northern Minnesota but I was very surprised to see frozen lakes down here. Albert Lea Lake was 90 percent covered with ice and as soon as I find a lake in Iowa I will let you know if it is frozen or not—but it might take me awhile to find one. I am a proud Iowan, so I do not want to sound like I am picking on my homeland. Iowa is a great place to… uh…visit.
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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