Fog Delays Return Trip

Original scheduled departure is 9:00. Patsy gets a call the night before that we have been moved up to 6:30. However, we awake to heavy fog, and the expected call comes that we are back to 9:00. The actual pick-up is late and we are not able to get on the road until 11:30. We eat lunch at the diner at our usual gas-up stop in Ignace. Actually, the food is quite good. Crossed border at 5:30. Dinner is Subway just short of Duluth. Arrived Joe's at 4:30.  Tired but basking in another really great fishing trip!

Last Day of Fishing

Another Great Trip

Like every year, the last day comes so fast.  It has been another great fishing trip. 

Weather is partly cloudy an quite a bit cooler - with a temperature of 50 at the start of fishing.  Very difficult fishing, although Joe and Andy have some success at Matt's Cove.  Joe catching two 19" walleyes and Andy a 28" pike.

Lunch is baked walleye with fried potatoes, corn and salad.  How can you top that.  Thanks Chef Joe.

Bill fillets the 28" pike.

New Boat Game

Only one boat out after dinner. Bill, Joe and Mike visit the Classics and catch fish. New game created by a collaboration of the three - when someone has a fish on, before the fish is brought to the      surface, he declares a size (length), and the other(s) declare "over" or "under" - point awarded to whomever is correct).

Slow Start, Great Finish

Difficult Start

The group awakes to identical conditions as yesterday - sunny, clear, and coolish - and later comes the wind. Fishing is difficult to start.  

Jigging for Walleyes

Boat #1 (Bill, Matt and Andy) and accompanied around the lake by boat #2 (Rob and Daniel). First stop is Big Bay - and first at the creek and then at the islands off Picollo Point.  Next The Narrows and finally All Fours. Just a few fish and a few keepers caught up until All Fours.  Few bites.  Matt catching the most fish.  Initially at All Fours, the tough fishing continues although Matt catches a keeper. Team boat #1 change their tactics from trolling and casting to jigging and the effect is almost immediate - Andy and Bill finally get their first catches of the morning - and by lunch time, there are 5 keepers on the stringer - most of them 17" plus. Boat #2 makes the same adjustment and bring in an additional keeper.

Boat #3 (Joe and Mike) follow a similar starting pattern - working the Picollo Islands, then to M&M Isle, then to Joe's and finally to The Narrows.  One fish caught here and one there, but in the end, they come in with 6 keepers on the stringer.  

Lunch is chicken egg rolls.  No hot mustard or sweet and sour sauce in our provisions - but Rob gets a jar of hot mustard from Patsy and we make do with that plus ketchup, catalina dressing and hot sauce.  Nothing left on the platter!  Thanks UB.

Matt's Cove and First Milk Bottle Marker - Hot Fishing

Weather has become overcast and a bit cooler.  Evening fishing starts slow, but picks up steam. All boats report 20-30 fish caught.  Andy and Daniel move around and settle at Matt's Cove.  10 fish caught at Kent's Korner and Jozzzzzz, then 20 fish caught at Matt's Cove.  Bill and Rob make a stop at the milk bottle off Matt's Gateway and catch a mess of fish as well.

The Trip North, Hawks Win Stanley Cup

The long-awaited trip to The North.  Everyone up by 7:00 and out to the boats by 7:45.  Patsy yells across from her cabin that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup last night defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in game 6 of the Finals. [When we left Joe's,  Tampa Bay and Chicago were tied 2-2 in the series with the Lightning heading back home for game 5.  Yesterday, we learned (from Matt T's call home) that the Hawks won game in Tampa Bay to take a 3-2 lead heading back home to the United Center). Today, we learned that they won the cup in 6 games and at home.  Can't wait to watch the replays of games 5 and 6.]

Weather is blue sky and cool temp - around 50 degrees.  Matt T opts to stay back, so the 3 man boat with Bill and Daniel aboard becomes a speed cruiser. Boat #2 (Joe and Rob) is clearly faster than boat #3 (Mike and Andy), so everyone arrives at a different time at the entrance to the destination bay.  Bill and Daniel graciously wait to start fishing - and once all boats are fishing, it is a free-for-all.  Joe rates it as "top 5" of all trips to The North.  Although no new trip records are broken, everyone catches multiple walleyes over 20". Andy estimates that over 100 fish were caught between 8:45 and 11:30.  A few walleyes caught at the creek, but mainly in the first bay.  Only late were walleyes being caught in the sub-17" range.  Most everything at the beginning were very nice fish.  Shore lunch is amazing as always. A bit tricky to get the fire started due to increased wind. Trip back is directly into the wind all the way.

Back at the cabin, Balderdash and Wizard are played to complete the evening.

Mike's 25.5" Walleye

Wind

Daybreak weather is clear sky and slightly cooler temperatures. By the time the boats head out, it is cloud covered and windy - very windy.  Fishing is difficult with the constant battle with wind.

Big Double Header

Boat #1 (Mike and Rob) test UDHH without success - then to Matt's Cove and a couple of keepers.  Last stop is The Narrows where the action gets hot and heavy.  Near the end of the morning fishing session, Rob hooks a nice walleye (turns out to be a 19"-er) and Mike makes it a double header.  Sensing that it is a big fish, Mike plays the fish right and Rob nets it while still holding his fish.  It is a really nice one - a 25.5 (6#) walleye. Back in camp, Mike reports the catch to Patsy, puts his name on the trophy catch list, and receives his trophy fish lure.  Might be the largest walleye he has ever caught (need to consult the records, particularly the walleye that he caught at Amyot on his very first trip).

Boat #3 (Joe and Andy) head to Picollo Point.  Joe masterfully guides the boat through the heavy winds around the islands behind the point.  Several fish caught - Andy lands a 21.5" and a 20" walleye (released).  Further efforts at the creek entrance and at the recently discovery M&M Isle nets few fish.

Chimis for Dinner

Everyone in around noon knowing that today's meal is Chimis.  As always they are wonderful (thanks UB) and there are no leftovers.

Weather remains overcast, windy and chilly.  With wind chill factor, seems like one cold almost justify wearing long undies.  Change in weather seems to have spooked the fish. Boats cover a lot of territory but with few results, and yet, four keepers are put in the live well. At one point, the pursuit of fish brings all four boats together at David's Den.  A bit crowded.  Everyone in by 8:00.

All keepers so far are over 16.5", with the vast majority being 17-18".

Hungry for Blackhawks News, A Double Rainbow

Boats are #1 - Bill, Rob and Daniel; #2 - Joe and Matt, and #3 - Mike and Andy.  Fishing is good - pretty much catching fish wherever we fish - but the group (as in recent years) tends to fish the Big Water much more than the Classics.  

Fish for dinner today - relatively large fillets for eating - and Joe's cooking has never been better.  The fish dinner was outstanding. Matt T calls home and learns that the Blackhawks won game 5 and have taken a 3-2 lead going into tomorrow's home game with a chance to win the Cup.  We brought an AM-FM radio with us to try to listen to the games of at least get scores, but the only station that we could receive was a local CBC station that only reported world news and weather forecasts - no sports at all.

Boat #1 spies a moose and her calf swimming across Rapalla Reef.  Thunderstorm moves through right before lunch and evening fishing ends with a steady rain.

During the evening Wizard game, the sun came out casting an erie glow to the far shore line, followed by a double rainbow that persisted for quite awhile.

Daniel's First Fishing Trip

Getting on Our Way

Another year with a first-timer in the group.  Last year it was Andy's neighbor John.  This year it is Bill's son Daniel who graduated from high school this year.  There will not be another first time son to go on the trip until (if it happens at all) Mark's son Brennan (who is 2 years old this year!).

Renting a Sprinter again this year. Last year spoiled us. Andy picked up the van at 9:15. With the rainy weather, traffic, and having to go back to Oak Park to get Mike and Great Gramma Claire, and then to Joe's, the van did not arrive at Joe's until nearly 11:45. Arrival time at the float plane base is particularly important this year because we will go out first and as soon as we arrive if we arrive before 7:00.  Everyone is well prepared at Joe's, and he does his usual excellent packing job, including, this year, incorporating a sleeping area in the luggage section!

Departed Joe's just shy of 12:45.  Cleared immigration at 12:15, about an hour earlier than anticipated.  Weather and traffic very cooperative.   Arrived at Dryden too early to get breakfast, so pressed on, arriving at Sioux Lookout around 4:15.  Got to float plane base at 6:15 - total driving time of 17.5 hours (typically the drive is more like 18 hours). 

As promised, we were first out - two Beaver float planes at the dock.  First plane took Bill, Joe, Daniel and most of the food.  Second plane took Rob, Matt, Mike, Andy and the rest of the stuff.  Earliest we have ever been to the camp.  Out on the water by 8:30 which is a typical time midway during the trip.

Weather and Early Fishing Success

Warm - approaching 80 degrees - with some cloud cover.  The group is rewarded by a really great first day of fishing.

Bill takes the 3-man boat with Joe at the helm and Daniel taking the middle seat.  First stop the Narrows and was captured there by the good fishing.  Whether it is first time luck or not, Daniel lands both a 29" (7#) pike and a 22" (4#) walleye.  Pike is kept for later filleting (more like slaughtering) to take home.  Walleye is released.

Rob and Andy are in boat no. 2 - start at the creek entrance in Big Bay.  First fish caught is Rob's 21" (3.5#) walleye. After catching a few more fish, they move across to island and catch a fish, then on to the shoal outside of Splashing Fish - Andy catches a 21" walleye.  By lunch time, they add a 22" walleye (Andy) and a 26" (5#) pike (Andy).

Matt T and Mike comprise boat no. 3.  Fishing tough, but, wait for it, check out the evening's results.

"Fresh Poultry" Not Welcome in Canada This Year

Lunch is pasta with turkey meat sauce and garlic bread.  Delicious as usual.  accompanied by a fine wine - a $5.99 1.5L bottle of Chianti.  Note:  All poultry brought into Canada had to be in cooked form due to a ban on raw poultry and eggs from the USA.  Thanks Patsy, for calling Joe ahead of time to warn us or it would have been a huge dinner problem if our turkey and chicken was confiscated.

New Hot Spot - M&M Isle

After a well-needed nap, back out on the lake. Boats 1 and 2 do OK in the evening, but boat 3 hit them big time.  Mike and Matt pick a new spot in Splashing Fish, back in the corner and catch 30+ walleye, bringing a full stringer back to camp - all good keepers. Named M&M Isle.