Makokibatan Lodge guest Brian shares how he lands 80+ fish a day… consistently!

First rule:

CATCH & RELEASE!
In the past few years, thanks to Wilderness North efforts & placing a conservation license only (rule of fish allowed), the lake has genuinely begun to get better and better each year! I see it strengthening every year & it places a smile on my face knowing that my children will be able to take their children to this same amazing spot & so on for generations to come!

Second Rule:

UltraLight Or Light 6.5’+ Rod!!! Forget what people say about rods, tried & true for over 20 years, the fish up here are light strikers, but greedy! You need to be able to feel them coming & toy with them!! Sometimes I have a walleye mess with my lure for over 3 mins.
Personally, I run a UL St. Croix 6.9’ Panfish rod on 4lb test. I run 6lb for my son & father’s setups.

Third Rule:

Cast out & bounce the lure back, taking your time & keeping the lure in a constant stream of motion as it dances on the floor all the way till the end. ACTION ACTION ACTION!! Now, I run a minnow on my dad & son’s setups for the added “catch”; however, I can tell you that I outfish the both of them while motoring the boat to fix their snags and to get them near the holes. I’m not using minnows on my lures… its all about the action & recreating something that the fish locally recognize, with an extra amount of enticement on top of it all.

Fourth Rule:

The lure!!! Yes, that very thing we constantly try to sell someone on as the “best” or the “secret weapon”……
What I run is this:

A 1/2oz or 3/8oz Jig Head that is wrapped up in feathers. The black one being the “best bet”. If the black one starts to fail due to the weather shifting, I swap it out for a Hi-Viz Orange & Yellow deal. They are known as BuckTails. BuckTails can be purchased at almost any fishing store and can just as easily be made at home. Again, Black will be your ticket 90% of the time on this lake. Sometimes I add some streamers or tails, just to mix things up too (see pics). But in my opinion, if its got even just a few feathers on it…. it’s catching a fish!

I don’t put anything on the hook. No grubs, minnows, eggs or bait of any kind. Just as it is!

-Brian Hughes

Brian and his family come up each year to Makokibatan Lake, more recently with three generations of anglers! Check it out:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb2e6SNA5rj/?hl=en&taken-by=wildernessnorth

A big thanks to Brian for sharing his fishing experience with us – and to everyone else, we hope you get the chance to come up and try for yourself!