Above: Matt Moss of Lady Smith, Wisconsin, hooked this hefty lake trout using a Beaver Flick purchased at the Beaver House. Moss was fishing with Captain Kelly Shepard of North Shore Outdoors Lake Superior Charters. Fishing on the big lake has been good this season.
Fishing is about patience. It’s also about forgetting and forgiving.
Years ago my brother and I fought brush for about four long, strenuous miles until we reached a large, beautiful beaver pond. The water was stunning. Brook trout were rising to the surface to catch flies. The pond looked like a pot of boiling water. Fishing was going to be good. Great. Our excitement grew until we realized one thing was missing. Bait. One of us left the night crawlers back at the truck. Without a word we turned and headed for a ridgeline and walked two hours out.
A second fishing adventure led to similar misunderstanding. My best friend and I worked hard to get into a seldom fished lake and I soon had the biggest northern I have ever seen on my line, furiously thrashing and banging the canoe.
My friend swished the air repeatedly with the landing net, waving the net around the air like a crazy man trying to catch invisible butterflies. Alas, the northern broke my line and returned to the murky bottom. Without a word we pulled up anchor and headed for home.
Left: Derek Bronson, Litchfield, Minnesota used a Beaver Flick to catch this lake trout. He was also a customer of Captain Kelly Shepard.
I forgave my brother and best friend. Someday we may even talk again. These things happen. You just have to realize it and move on.
This week’s fishing report:
Captain Kelly Shepard of North Shore Outdoors Lake Superior Charters reports that lake trout are scattered from 200-foot to 150-foot depths. The Lake Superior surface temperature is 50 degrees. No salmon are showing up as of yet but should be soon.
Walleyes have slowed down due to a mayfly hatch.
Forrest Parson from Hungry Jack Lodge called to say that decent size walleyes are being caught in the evenings out on Hungry Jack Lake using leeches and trolling crawler harnesses.
The smallmouth bass bite is also good. Artificial baits and sight fishing are also working great, said Parson.
A 33-inch northern was caught and released recently on Hungry Jack.
Leo Lake is still producing lots of rainbow trout trolling or still fishing with a crawler, reported Parson.
Tyson at The Beaver House said walleyes have been biting real well on Two Island, Elbow and Crescent lakes on Beaver Flicks and leeches.
Rainbow trout slowed down a little on Mink, Kimball and Trout lakes, but if you make it to one of these lakes, use a crawler and Beaver Flicks or Little Cleos, and floats with a crawler. A 2.5-pound rainbow was caught on Mink Lake.
For Lake Superior the lake trout bite is hot; fish are being caught in the 120- to 130-foot depth on blue and white or blue and silver Beaver Flick spoons. A few salmon are being caught higher up in the water column in depths from 50 feet up to the surface.
Devil Track and Two Island lakes are giving up nice catches of smallmouth bass and northern, added Tyson.
Lake trout are active on Trout Lake using Beaver Flick spoons.
Stream fishing is still good. Use gold, silver, red, or orange spinners with a crawler or just a bobber and crawler to entice the fish to bite. Flies —where there is enough open water to cast—will all work well to catch brook trout.
Remember, patience is the key. That and making sure you didn’t forget to bring your bait.
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