From the Gone Fishing archives: June walleyes

I miss the easy fishing of early summer.

Nordinger!

Because we were in Minnesota and it was November 3rd and it a bizarre and balmy 70 degrees, PK and I had to go fishing yesterday. He had heard promising rumors of big walleyes roaming the shallows at dusk along a certain spot on the western side of on Mille Lacs. We had high hopes on the hour and a half drive north.

As it turned out, we didn't catch any walleyes. But shortly before sundown, as I was wading in two feet of water and casting a big blue Rap, I was startled to see this dandy northern in hot pursuit of my lure.

I was using light line and no leader, which worried me, because I was sure the fish's sharp teeth would put an abrupt and unwanted end to my sport. But after a couple of minutes, a few strong runs and an awkward and excited scramble across the rocks for a net, I managed to reel the big fish in.

Right away, I noticed that the fish--which I initially mistook for a muskie--had completely swallowed my Rap. Thinking that was a death sentence, I put her on a stringer and told PK I'd steak her out when we got back to Minneapolis. He didn't seem happy about the prospect of having his car stunk up by a big, ripe northern. What he said was, "You're not putting that fish in my car!"

A couple hours later, as we were getting ready to leave, I hoisted the fish from the water, with every intention of stuffing its lifeless body into a garbage bag. I was surprised to find the fish spirited and spunky. I was more surprised when she suddenly spit out the lure. Three treble hooks, seemingly buried deep down the throat, and she just spit it all out. Astonishing.

I figured the return of my lure called for amnesty. I tossed the fish back into the water and watched her swam off briskly, looking not much worse for the experience.

A rare catch

Hesler visited J and me at Cass Lake. Between the grouse hunting and general merry making, we squeezed in a little fishing. There was not much action but Hesler, while still fishing off the dock, managed to land an eelpout.

Over several decades of fishing off that same dock, I have never caught a single pout, so I consider this quite an accomplishment.

J and I ate the fish on our anniversary. Locals call the eelpout "poor man's lobster." If that's true, being poor isn't so bad as it's cracked up to be because that fish was scrumptious.

Some fish-free images from Cass Lake

October kitty

I caught this chunky channel cat on the Mississippi River in mid-October. He (she?) was fooled by a ripe chicken liver.

Fishing Lake Windigo

J and I lucked out with the weather on our visit to the Island. On Saturday, we snuck off for an afternoon Windigo paddle.

The fishing by the south portage was good. We managed to boat a mess of northerns and largemouth. J caught a northern with an unusually big head. I'll post that pic when I get a copy.

Couldn't complain about the scenery, either.

PK snared a dandy walleye

in Ensign Lake on our last day in the BWCA.

It was a bit rugged--rainy and windy--as we paddled our packed canoe to the portage at Splash Lake.