The 90-degree temperatures today were enough to make a person want to jump in the lake and cool off.
I spent my day above water staring at bobbers on Saganaga Lake with little success. We caught a few walleyes and bass but nothing to brag about. When it is hot and balmy on the lake it feels good to create a little “natural air-conditioning” by driving around. The extra gas is well worth a refreshing shot of cool air in between fishing spots but eventually you have to stop and fish.
Summers on the Gunflint Trail happen way too fast for me. A fishing guide has a short window to make money so it is very hard to turn down any business. It is not uncommon for me or any of the other fishing guides to work 30 or 40 consecutive days on the water, then take a day off only to start over with another 30-to 40-day grind. It is brutal but fun, as long as the fish are biting.
I could go fishing every day and die a happy man but the pressure to consistently produce fish for customers every day starts to wear on a guide about this time of the year. If you fish every day, like we do, there will be days that fish do not want to bite. Add to the equation some 90-degree temperatures, impatient children, and ridiculously silly questions it is amazing that everyone makes it back to the dock each day.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a challenge (and it still beats a “real” job) but the Minnesota side of Saganaga Lake can be very frustrating at times. Especially when I know that we could be wearing our arms out from fighting fish on Northern Light Lake, but many people are still not willing to get the paperwork and pay the extra money to fish in Canada. A guide is only as good as what he caught the day before and we all want to do our best every day that we are on the water. It is just too bad that the best fishing is across the border.
Sag Lake has been in a slump for a few years now and is not really showing any signs of recovery quite yet. There were a few good days of fishing this spring but it does not give up the walleyes like it used to. I, like many of you, am still hoping the restocking efforts by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will improve the fishery but only time will tell. Meanwhile I have been mixing in some new lakes to my Minnesota arsenal in an effort to put anglers on some more action. I even have a few canoe days booked this summer. Paddling is not my first choice for guiding anglers, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to produce some happy faces.
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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