The “dog days” of summer angling have put a slump on the action, and an appreciation for the shade. It is air conditioning week on the Gunflint Trail with temperatures in the mid 90s and not a cloud in the sky, nor a ripple on the water. These are days I would prefer a golf club to a fishing pole.
Mid-summer fishing is challenging because of the range of depths that fish can be found in throughout the course of the day, not to mention their unwillingness to bite during the mid-day sunshine. One or two bites per spot is normal, and covering a lot of ground is the key to a successful day of fishing.
I like throwing jigs tipped with either a crawler or leech, because they are versatile. Jig heads can be cast into shallow water and slowly retrieved along the bottom covering a variety of depths, but they do not always work. Walleyes have been a little prudent on calmer days, often running away from the jig heads. Whenever the walleyes start nipping at the jig heads, it is usually time to try live bait rigs or slip bobbers instead.
The bite on both Saganaga and Northern Light lakes has been slow lately, and many of the walleyes are small. The action has been a little better in the early morning and late afternoon hours, especially during this full moon phase. Guides typically fish the daylight hours, at least this one does, making it difficult to fish at night, but these are perfect times to try some lighted bobbers after dark.
We are forecasted to see milder temps for the remainder of the week, and I would expect to see more action as soon as the fish begin schooling on the deeper rock piles. The bigger lakes have stayed high this summer, and the rain keeps coming at least a few times a week. We are fortunate to see the high water and thriving forest when so many other parts of the country are dry, with a high fire danger.
It makes it a little less frightening to see the wild summer storms roll through when the fire danger is down, and we have had our share of storms. A few wild lightning storms backed by big winds smashed through the area last week causing some more trees to tumble along the Gunflint Trail. It was a bad storm that hit in the early morning hours and woke us up with some wild lightning and thunder, but it was much worse for Duluth. There are trees down on every block and many people have been without power for a week now.
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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