Where are the fish biting?

Captain Kelly Shepard of North Shore Outdoors took the Rob Hoen family fishing recently and they are proudly displaying their catch on the dock at the Grand Marais harbor. A dozen lake trout wait to be cleaned and then, presumably, some cooked for a delicious meal. The Hoens are from Longville, Minnesota.

Fish love water and boy they must be ecstatic because we sure have had a lot of water in the form of rain. Every day it seems the skies cloud up and burst into tears, or maybe that’s me.

Despite the never-ending downpour people are still getting out to fish. And this week the reports are good.

Forrest Parson at Hungry Jack Lodge and Campground said there has been some good northern action. A fellow caught three nice northern using large sucker minnows and a bobber. “There is also some decent bass action. People are using live and artificial baits to catch bass. Some groups fishing below the falls on Rose Lake have reported catching nice size smallmouth. As for walleyes, they are being caught in the evenings,” he said.

Captain Kelly Shepard of North Shore Outdoors Lake Superior Charters reports that the lake trout are being caught in 180 feet of water. With all of the rain Lake Superior has remained colder than normal for this time of year. “The temperature is still in the mid to low 40s,” Shepard said. The fish are biting and we are catching plenty, but they remain deep. Shepard also said that the inland lakes are showing good action for walleye, bass and northern. Leeches, minnows, night crawlers either with a jig or a bobber work best. Evening fishing is best to catch walleye, he said.

Tyson at the Beaver House reported nice catches of walleyes and rainbow trout in area lakes.

People are catching walleye in Devil Track, Two Island, Crescent, and Elbow, he said. Tyson advises using a Beaver Flick with live bait to help increase your catch total. “There have also been good reports of rainbow being caught from Mink, Kimball and Trout lakes using Little Cleos or floats with a night crawler.

“Lake Superior lake trout are biting in 140 to 180 feet of water. There aren’t many reports of people catching salmon yet, added Tyson.

Meanwhile stream fishermen are putting up some nice numbers of brook trout when they put in the time. Use spinners and night crawlers or angleworms for bait. A short fishing pole works best for fighting through the brush that grows along side and over the streams. Remember your bug dope. The mosquitos are biting even better than the brookies. Not sure what the limit is, but I’m pretty sure the last time I was out the mosquitos went way over their bite limit.

Here is something I ran across while reading (and dreaming) about fishing. It’s called the Fisherman’s Prayer and the author is unknown. “I pray that I may live to fish until my dying day. And when it comes to my last cast, I then humbly pray: When in the Lord’s great landing net and peacefully asleep, that in his mercy I be judged big enough to keep.” Keep angling!