The ice fishing season is upon us and I am getting pretty excited. The few times I have been ice fishing this year have not been very impressive, but that will change.
During the early ice angling season, when the trout season is closed, an angler needs to be creative to find some good fishing on the Gunflint Trail.
Smaller lakes are the key since they will have better ice and less water to search. These types of lakes seem to shine from early-ice to mid-January.
Many of the species of fish that are found in Gunflint Trail lakes—other than trout—are hard to catch after January. Perch, walleyes, and panfish are the species that local anglers are targeting now, and I am told that a few are being caught. The action has not been very consistent so it is hard to give an accurate report. Ice anglers tend to be tight lipped, especially this time of the year.
It is no big deal to tell someone that you caught a bunch of lake trout in 50 feet of water on Saganaga Lake in February. However, if you were to catch a bunch of walleyes or perch on a little lake in December, you might want to keep that a secret.
The best fishing advice I have for anglers is that persistence pays. The longer your bait is in the water, the better your odds are of catching a fish.
Many days of fishing on the ice have been salvaged by “sticking it out” for one more fish. The extra effort will many times be rewarded… and many times not.
One reason for the successful angling found on smaller lakes is the lack of fishing pressure from anglers. Fish will get “trained” very quickly if too many people are fishing for them, especially on small bodies of water.
Over-harvesting is another concern since it is possible to “fish-out” a small lake. Keep a few to eat and return the rest to be caught again another day. I know that it is hard to throw back fish in the winter since they can be few and far between but I only keep what we will eat fresh. I cannot justify freezing fish anymore since we live so close to a variety of great fisheries that I am able to fish frequently. I know this is not the same situation for many of you, but it is one of the advantages of being a fishing guide and spending so much time with a hook in the water.
Rachelle and I are in the cities for a few days celebrating the holidays with our families.
There has been a lot of talk about ice fishing destinations and Red Lake is the buzz. They have good ice conditions before we do on the Trail and are already catching walleyes through 12 inches of ice.
If you are interested in fishing Red Lake you can contact John’s fish houses. John is from Grand Marais and has a nice operation going on Red Lake. I have never been there but I hear it is top notch. You can look him up at www.johnsfishhouserentals.com or call him at (218) 370- 1603.
There have also been reports of a lot of small walleyes caught on Lake of the Woods. Many of the fish are too small to keep but the action is good.
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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