Day 1: Monday, September 13, 2004
On September 13, 2004 I took a
trip to Manitoba, Canada in pursuit of a fish called the lake
trout. I traveled from Minneapolis to Winnipeg through
commercial airlines (Northwest Airlines), then from Winnipeg to
Flin Flon Airport in a turboprop (Bearskin Airlines). The total
trip time took about 6 hours including a two-hour delay in
between the two flights. My destination: Bakers Narrows Lodge.
It was an expensive trip, but for an opportunity to catch a lake
trout it was well worth it.
A young gentleman name Jake,
who was later my guide, picked me up at the Flin Flon Airport
and took me to the lodge. As I was coming into the office to
check-in I met the host. His name is Rod Baynton. He greeted me
with a warm smile and said "Welcome." He told me to get settled
in my cabin and meet over at the restaurant at 6 p.m. for
dinner. After getting my cabin info and lodge procedures from
the main office Jake took me to my cabin. He helped bring my
luggage and fishing equipment into the cabin.
I quickly unpacked my luggage
and began rigging my fishing rod, reel, line and lures. The
cabin had a kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms (one with two single
beds and one with a single double bed) and a small living room.
I slept on the double bed. It was one of 15 cabins in a
wilderness area right by a beautiful blue lake. The lake where
the lodge was located was called Lake Athapapuskow. It was a
lake known for his huge lake trout and northern pike.
Around 6 p.m. I ventured over
to the restaurant for dinner. It was a delicious plate of warm
BBQ chicken and ribs, baked potato, and mixed vegetables. Every
night I always got the special on the menu. The food was
excellent!
I met a couple of nice folks
while I was there eating: Don and Mike from Missouri. I also met
many of Baynton Family members and staff who worked at the
lodge. Rebecca was the oldest daughter who was my waitress. Rod
was the host. Peg was his wife. Mike was another guide who
cleaned and cooked our fish. Sebo (or Sebastian) was my pilot on
the float plane. Jake, who worked just for the summer, was my
guide.
After dinner and meeting new
friends I went back to the cabin to grab my fishing poles and
took a fishing boat out on my own. I went north on the lake in
around the bays filled with reeds. I thought I would at least
get the line wet if nothing else. I shut off the motor and began
casting. After a couple casts I tried starting up the boat to no
avail. The motor would not start. I pulled the rope about a
ka-zillion times (realistically, 60-70 times) swearing at each
pull. Swear words I didn’t even know I had. I pulled so much
that handle attached to the rope broke! I could not believe what
had happened. I was in between islands and it was getting dark
fast. I found two paddles down by the boat side and I started
paddling my way to shore. If you have ever paddled a canoe on a
very gusty windy day, and multiply it by 10 times the weight of
the canoe that was what I was paddling in to shore. Having to
switch from side to side I paddled. I paddled like crazy. I
paddled until my arms would fall off. I was not going to be
stranded out here in an unknown lake. Paddled, paddled, and more
paddling it didn’t seem as if the lodge was getting any closer.
It was within sight however, but with each stroke of the paddle
it seemed an eternity. About and hour and a half of extreme
paddling a passing boater heard me yelling for assistance. He
turned his boat around and pulled me in. I told Rod about what
had happened and he ensured me that would never happen again. I
went back to the cabin, cleaned up and went to bed dreaming of
that one lake trout I hoped to catch.
Day 2:
Tuesday, September 14
I woke up at around 6:45 a.m.
There were no alarms in the cabin. I was so used to waking up at
around that time at home. I took a shower, got dressed and
headed down to the restaurant to get breakfast at about 7:30
a.m. I ate two eggs (overeasy), sausage, hash browns, toast and
a glass of orange juice. While I was eating I watched Rod and
his staff outside the window putting gas into the boat tanks and
starting them up to get them warm. I went down to the main
office and asked Peg if I would be able to follow another boat
out on the main lake. She introduced me to Mike (guide) and
asked if I could follow him out. Mike said no problem. I quickly
went back to the cabin, grabbed my fishing stuff and headed back
down to the dock where the boats were. About 8:30 a.m. I
launched my boat and began my journey for that elusive lake
trout.
We went south on the lake
towards some small islands where the lake trout were hiding and
spawning. When we got close Mike yelled out to me to fish around
the islands and that we should meet up at around 1 p.m. to have
shore lunch. So, I took my boat and headed between the islands
and my adventure was just beginning.
Before this trip I was
studying exclusively on lake trout characteristics, habitats,
and their seasonal movements. They main thing to know about lake
trout is that they like cold water. Lake trout migrate up-lake
during winter and come back down in spring. By early June they
are usually in good numbers off the ends of the main lake points
extending into the lake, drop-offs, and extreme outside edges.
By mid-summer the lake trout move away from the shallow warm
water and into the deep holes of anywhere between 50-80 feet.
Active fish are usually suspended 3-20 feet off the bottom. As
for time of day? I learned to fish early and late. Concentrate
my efforts during the first three hours of light in the morning
and the last two hours of light in the evening.
There was so much water to
cover so I decided that trolling was the best option. Trolling
is where you let line out behind the boat and move along at slow
speeds with your motor on in forward motion. Trolling typically
produces the biggest lake trout. I set my troll speed to match
the action of my lure. I was using a large spoon called the
Gator Spoon manufactured by Lindy Tackle. The spoon has a
diamondback pattern and the color I was using is green and
chartreuse. I was using a Pflueger Trion Baitcaster loaded with
50 lbs. Spiderwire Stealth on a Shimano Compre Rod. The combo
was superb for the fishing I was doing!
Just as I was making my way
through the islands my spoon bumped off the rocks. Or was it?
Anyhow, it was long after that I had my first bite. I set the
hook and played with the fish for maybe 5 seconds and the spoon
popped free. I was mad so I decided to go around the island
through the same area and try once more. On my second pass the
same thing happened and I gave what I thought was solid hookset.
I kept horsing it up and then my tug was light again. I was just
reeling in my spoon with no fish attached. I thought about it
and then I came up with an answer. The hooks on the Gator Spoon
were big and thick and the rod I was using was a bit soft. I
placed the Compre rod down and picked up my medium spinning
outfit loaded with 20 lbs. Power Pro. I tied an old lure
designed by Bill Dance called the Dance ‘N Eel. It was an old
favorite of mine and I had just bought on Ebay not that log ago.
I dropped the eel back and started trolling. The eel has a lip
like a crankbait and the tail action is incredible, so with
every tail movement I could feel it vibrate up my shoulders.
I made another pass through
the area and as I was turning around a bend I got hammered and
my rod bent back in a full arc. I set the hook hard three times
and I was determined that I would not lose this fish, or at
least if I did that I would see the fish. The fish fought long
and hard and it didn’t seem to want to come up. It made dives
under the boat and I followed the fish from one side to the
other, and then the fish went back to the other side and I
followed. It stayed deep. About a minute and a half or so I got
the fish up near the boat and I could see what it was and how
big she was. It was a lake trout. I got her into the boat,
measured her at 25 inches, and took a quick photo and let her
go. It was my first lake trout!
I had studied the map of the
lake before I headed out and pictured in my mind what the
contours and depths were in and around the islands. As I was
trolling I glued my eyes to the fish finder located in front of
me watching how quickly the depths went from 35 feet to 3 feet.
Sometimes it would get shallow so quick that the boat would be
bumping the top of the rocks. Most of the fish I caught were in
the 15-25 foot depth along an edge.
At about 11 a.m. the lake
trout stopped biting, although I continued trolling. After a
period inactivity I headed for the back bays to cast for pike. I
landed a few nice pike throughout the day and caught a fish
known as the whitefish. The whitefish bit the chrome/blue
Rat-L-Trap I was using.
I headed in for shore lunch at
about 1 p.m. with Mike and his clients. Mike cleaned the fish
and made shore lunch for us. It was a plate of fried lake trout
fillet, potatoes, and beans and rice mix. It was delicious!
After the shore lunch I went
back out to the bays and caught several more nice pike in the
bays using crankbaits, spoons, and spinnerbaits. We headed in
about 5:45 p.m. and had dinner (turkey roast). I prepared my
equipment back at the cabin for tomorrow’s fishing action. At
about 10:30 p.m. Rod swung by my cabin and told me to go out and
see the northern lights. They are glamorous!
Day 3:
Wednesday, September 15
I woke up at 5:45 a.m. This
was my guide day with Jake. I don’t think Jake was much of a
guide as a young kid working for a summertime job. But hey the
kid was great! I had equipped all the rods with pretty the same
tackle I used from the day before. Immediately we started
trolling from the dock and all the way out to the islands. It
was a waste time really, but I guess Jake said the lake trout
were everywhere. Nothing happened for quite a while until
mid-morning when we went through the back bays in between the
islands. I hadn’t gone through this area the other day. I tried
the Gator Spoon first, but no action. Then tried the Dance ’N
Eel with no action either. Then, I pulled a Mepps spinner called
the Flying C. It was a gift I received to sample test from (Shep)
T. Layton Shepherd, owner of Sheldons’, Inc. and Mepps, awhile
back. It had been hanging on my mounted walleye at home. I
trolled with it and as it was coming around a bend I got a big
hammer from a big fish. I set the hook and up came my biggest
lake trout. It measured close to 28 inches. We made another loop
along the same pass and again I hooked another laker. Only this
one was much smaller at 25 inches. We made another pass and
another hit, but no connection. This went on for about half
hour. Jake landed one and I landed another. All in all, I came
up to catch one lake trout and caught 4 and lost three during
this whole trip. We had shore lunch again with Mike and his
clients. We headed back for dinner (roast beef and gravy) around
5:30 p.m.
Day 4:
Thursday, September 16
This was our fly-out day with
our guide Jake. I woke up early this morning at about 5:45 a.m.
Breakfast at 7 a.m. and got on our float plane at 8:30 a.m. Our
destination: Waupun Lake. The guide and several others back at
the lodge said I was entering a walleye heaven and that I will
be catching an endless number of walleyes. I didn’t really taken
anyone serious about it. Was I wrong?
Our pilot’s name was Sebo (or
Sebastian). Great guy. Funny too. It took roughly 20 minutes to
fly out to the lake. Once we landed Mike and his clients, Jake
and I got off and got all of our stuff off the plane and loaded
it onto our boats. The float plane left and they would come back
at 5:30 p.m. Mike was quick to say that one of his clients there
had caught a 44-inch pike the other week using a spinner with a
big plastic minnow. We launched the boat and immediately I
started trolling a Mann’s 8-inch Super Stretch Crankbait in the
firetiger color. A pass through a shallow rocky bar and a bite.
The boat went around a small bend into a bay and bang another
bite. Only this time I set the hook hard and started reeling.
Was it that big northern pike? It seemed rather easy. I pulled
the fish to the surface and it looked small. Too small. It was a
nice 22-inch walleye. What a surprise! This fish bit an 8-inch
musky bait! Never happens in the Twin Cities area, believe me.
Awhile later we started
casting in the bays for pike with spinnerbaits, spoons, and
crankbaits. Caught a few small northerns. Then, we began our
walleye hunt. It didn’t take long. Fishing along the shoreline
in 5-20 feet the walleyes came in the boat just about every
cast. There’s was one time I think I had 8 consecutive fish
without resting. The bite was so good that I’d wonder how hungry
these fish might be. They bit on a ¼ oz. jighead tipped with a
frozen shad hooked sideways.
We had shore lunch with Mike
and gang at 1 p.m. then went out and continued hammering more
walleyes. I didn’t want to quit.
Before I knew it it was time
to go home. Our float plane arrived, but since we had a total of
6 at the lake. The first group left first and my group continued
to wait for the next float plane, which would be in 30 minutes.
Right from the dock I cast a firetiger Rattlin’ Rap and burned
it in from all sides of the dock. Two more walleyes and a nice
pike. Our float plane arrived and it was time to go home. This
lake was unbelievable!
Arrived back at the lodge, had
dinner, packed up and checked out.
Day 5:
Friday, September 17
I woke up at 6:30 a.m. feeling
bummed I had to go home. Had breakfast and said goodbye to a
couple of folks. Jake came in and told me to write my name and
address to take my fish box home. I tipped him about $100
altogether for taking good care of me. I tipped the waitress $20
and the cleaning ladies $20. The cleaning ladies and waitresses
are all the same people. I happened to run into them when they
were cleaning my room.
Jake took me back to Flin Flon
Airport to check-in. There was a big fog over us and our 8:55
a.m. flight back to Winnipeg was delayed until 8 p.m. that
night. The alternate: A flight home at 10 a.m. from The Pas
Airport. Trying not to panic, I told Jake about the situation
and he immediately took me back to the lodge and he discussed
about what happened to Rod and Rebecca. Rebecca drove me back to
the Flin Flon Airport and informed them that they were going to
drive me to The Pas Airport, which was a good hour and 15 minute
drive. Rebecca drove me back to the lodge where Jake was
awaiting. It was 9:05 a.m. Jake sped the car about as fast as I
have ever seen anyone drive. He got us there at 10:15 a.m.
because he missed a turn. I got in and the passengers and
airplane were waiting for me. I shook Jake’s hand and said
"Thank You."
Needless to say I will be
making a return there next year. To meet the Bayton Family once
again who were the nicest people on Earth and also catch lots of
fish. Only this time one other person will be coming with me. My
brother An.
Here are some lake trout
fishing tips that I have learned from this trip to pass along to
you:
How to
Catch Lake Trout
Trolling is usually best.
Jigging can be good when you find a concentration of fish. Look
at your fish finder. If you see 10 or more fish then it might be
worthwhile for you to stop and jig. But remember there needs to
be a school of trout for even considering jigging. The fish
finder transducer shoots down at an angle, so at 100 feet it
shows a wide section of bottom. Fish that appear together on the
fish finder may actually be a considerable distance apart.
To catch lake trout
consistently you need to get a lure down to the active fish.
That is difficult because the fish stay so deep, and because
they are usually found on or just above rock piles, drop-offs,
ridges and other structure. Stay close to the bottom as you can
about three feet off the bottom or so. You should snag
occasionally. If you aren’t snagging you aren’t getting deep
enough. Learn to control your lure depth with precision. Three
feet may mean the difference between catching a trophy and going
home skunked.
Drag
Setting (Most Important)
Keep your drag set so it will
release line with light pressure. It’s important to remember
that when you hook a fish, tighten down the drag but keep it
where the fish can take line if needed.
Setting The
Hook
Most people don’t set the hook
hard enough. When you are trolling with lots of line out or
fishing at 100-foot depths, there is considerable stretch in
your line and you need to jerk it hard to get a solid hook set.
Trolling
Speed
To keep this simple: Troll at
the proper speed so your lure’s action is the way it should run.
If you are using a floating Rapala for instance, if you troll
too fast the lure will spin out onto its side, however, if you
troll too slow the action might not be the way it was intended
for the lure. Experiment by running the lure along side the boat
to see if it runs properly as the speed at which you are moving.
Troll
Strategies
Don’t troll in a straight
line. Follow the contours you see on the bottom. Try to stay on
the edge of the channel, on the side of a ridge, or along some
other feature.
Use a Fish
Finder
A good fish finder is
essential when you are after lake trout. Look for rock piles,
ridges, humps, drop-offs, and sunken islands. You want to focus
on the area just off the bottom.
How to Fish
Trolling is usually best.
Jigging can be good when you find a concentration of fish. You
need to see 10 or more fish at once to make it worth your time
to stop and jig. Remember, the fish finder transducer shoots
down at an angle, so at 100 feet it shows a wide section of
bottom. Fish that appear together on the fish finder may
actually be a considerable distance apart.
To catch lake trout
consistently you need to get a lure down to the active fish.
That is difficult because the fish stay so deep, and because
they are usually found on or just above rock piles, drop-offs,
ridges and other structure. You need to constantly vary the
depth of your downrigger ball, attempting to keep your lure
about three feet off the bottom. That’s not always possible —
you will snag occasionally. If you aren’t snagging you aren’t
getting deep enough.
Pay attention to little
things. You’ve got to learn to control your lure depth with
precision. Three feet may mean the difference between catching a
trophy and going home skunked.
What To Use
Lures should resemble a small
kokanee - the primary forage for lake trout at the Gorge.
The single best lure is a J-13
broken back Rapala. Colors vary somewhat. Silver and black are
usually best. In the fall, when kokanee are spawning, orange
Rapalas with gold bellies can be effective. Chartreuse can be
good when other colors aren't working.
Big flatfish and spoons may
also be effective.
A deep-diving crankbait can be
effective at times. If the fish are nervous, a downrigger ball
may spook them. With a deep diver, the lure may be going through
the fish while the ball is 20 feet higher.
People with manual downriggers
may want to use a diving lure so they don't have to continuously
raise and lower the ball. Measure how deep your lure dives at
trolling speed, then position the ball so the lure will bump the
bottom. Diving lures usually bounce off the bottom without
snagging.
Keep hooks sharp. Sharpen them
every time you snag.
Smelly jelly smeared on top of
the lure can help produce more hits. Anchovy (salt/glitter) and
crayfish flavors are good.
Lighter line is better. If you
know how to play a fish, use 10-12 pound line. If you don't, use
14-20 pound.
Use the Rapala knot to tie on
a Rapala. The knot leaves a loop in the line that allows the
lure to move freely. (Tying instructions are included in the box
with each Rapala sold.) Don't use swivels or rings with a Rapala.
Jigging
Jigging is the best way to
fish for lake trout through the ice, and can be effective
year-round when you can hold over a concentration of fish.
It is important to stay right
over the fish - you want to jig vertically and keep slack out of
the line or you won't be able to feel a bite.
Use low-stretch line. The new
synthetic lines work well.
Use small jigging movements.
Just pop your wrist, even when the fish are active. Lake trout
are lazy; they don't want to chase a lure.
Big gitzits (3-4 inch) on
heavy jig heads (1/4 to 1/2 ounce) are effective. Motor-oil is
usually the best color. Glow-in-the-dark can also be effective.
Sometimes burnt orange and brown work well. Load Smelly Jelly on
the jig head and shaft before inserting it inside the gitzit.
Make sure the tentacles on the
gitzit don't stick together - they need to move freely. If
action is slow then try tipping the jig with a piece of sucker
meat.
The fish will be looking up,
so jig just above them. Watch them on your fish finder. If you
see one come up to the level of your lure then try setting the
hook, even if you don't feel anything. A strike may not feel
like much - perhaps just resistance on the end of your line. If
you feel anything different then try to set the hook.
Lake trout fishing is work.
You've got to pay your dues before you can expect to catch a
fish consistently. But it's worth it.
