Each year my body has to endure the painful transition from accomplishing very little in the short days of winter, to the marathon of grueling work each long spring day. The goal is to finish all of my projects on land before the fishing season becomes too busy. This is my way of working off the winter fat and a great reminder why I would rather be guiding anglers on the water than throwing rocks into a dock crib while gagging on black flies on the land.
The warmer days are a welcome sight this week on the Trail and it should mean the fishing will warm up soon as well. Early season angling can be challenging on the bigger lakes due to water temperatures that are still in the mid to upper 50s. Fish are not overly anxious to chase a bait in the colder water, and I am not overly anxious to try and make them. A key component to a productive day on the water is to actively search for either warm or moving water—both places will hold fish in the early spring.
Follow the wind (if you are fortunate enough to have any) and that is where you should find hungry fish. Windswept shorelines and pockets tend to corral baitfish which in turn will attract hungry predators looking for a meal, this phenomenon is often referred to as a “Walleye Chop.”
I started guiding on Saganaga Lake over Memorial weekend and the action was surprisingly acceptable. We only caught three walleyes (one was 28 inches) but the smallmouth bass action kept everybody’s interest. The midday bite has not been that exciting this week with very little wind and bright skies causing fish to turn off for a few hours each day. The best bite has been either early or late, during the lower light periods of the day.
We began fishing in Red Rock Bay and I was certain there were more walleyes lurking around than the two we had caught on slip-bobbers right off the bat. Sometimes the fish being caught will spook the others away—especially when it is this calm—so we decided to pull the anchors and investigate. With the help of an electric trolling motor we crept up to the shoreline we had been fishing and sure enough there were 20 to 30 big female walleyes scattering around the boat. They had been sitting right where our bobbers were and had no interest in eating our minnows, but what a cool thing to see. My customers had been walleye fishing their entire lives and told me they had never seen anything like it.
If there is one thing I have learned from guiding it is that fishing is not only about catching, it is about making memories.
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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