Things are getting pretty quiet up here on the Trail and the weather was nice enough for some last chance fishing. After winterizing my guide boat last weekend, I thought I would not be able to bend a rod on open water until next spring. Fortunately I was invited to fish Isle Royale with some friends and I just could not say no.
We left on Sunday morning and returned Tuesday evening. We were blessed with some beautiful lake trout and steelhead as well as some unseasonably nice weather. The wind kept us on land Monday morning but we were able to get out in the afternoon and the action was pretty good. The fish averaged fifteen pounds and were in surprisingly shallow water. Downriggers were set at 10 to 20 feet of water and some other boats were taking fish as shallow as three feet.
It is a little nerve-racking handling a 24-foot fiberglass boat against those shallow reefs, but the payoff was well worth the white knuckles. The reefs are very difficult to navigate because of the sporadic changes in depth. One guy told a story about being pulled off of a reef when his bow was stuck on the rocks and his depth finder was still reading 30 feet of water. The water is so clean and clear that you would think you could see every hittable spot, but without the sunshine you cannot see the bottom.
Thistruly was a last chance to fish since the National Park closes on Saturday and nobody is allowed within the park boundaries until May. There is something very magical about the big island that fills me with excitement every time I see it. Miles of pristine shoreline getting pounded by the surf. Crystal clear water filled with gigantic lake trout.
Minnesota is a great state to live in with all that it has to offer. I make a living by guiding people on a phenomenal walleye lake and I get the opportunity to fish Lake Superior with my friends. We have beautiful trails for hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area is right in our back yards. No wonder so many Iowans end up here.
I am not a very traveled individual, but I know what I like and I certainly like to live here. Key West, Florida has incredible fishing and it was a great way to make a living while guiding year round, but it never felt like home to me. The people do not seem to trust each other and everyone is in a hurry. Even after twelve years of migrating, I still prefer to hang my hat on the Trail. Floridians are not all bad, but it would not hurt them to get an occasional shot of Minnesota Nice.
Cory Christianson, a 2000 graduate of the University of Iowa, has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail for nine years. If you have any fishing reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@ hotmail.com or call 218-388-0315
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