While certain days on certain lakes have been harder work, the fishing has been reported by most of our guests as very good. And believe me, if had not been so…they would have told me! Now that it is early August, I know that in a couple weeks we can expect early fall patterns to emerge. We think there are a few reasons guest have been more successful:

• Good Information…we have been tracking the fishing on all of our lakes this year as never before and sharing that knowledge with guests BEFORE they head out. We do keep current maps with hot spots marked, but…it’s more the pattern we record. You know: wind, sky condition, water flow, depths, and temps that we watch. I guess it bears out the old adage: “If you fail to plan you should plan to fail” So trip planning has become a big part of our welcome service to every guest.
• Good Anglers: Today’s guests seem to “get it”. They are eager to succeed and so they take the knowledge they acquire, from both our trip planning seminars, and from their own experience and apply it. They have learned that patience is critical, especially for deep down fishing. Plus, today’s tackle is making the “bite” more readable. Lines are better, and lures and baits are better. When we meet arriving guests, they have questions from reading these reports and other material that add to their knowledge base, and so they go into the wilderness “ready” to have success.
• Good Conservation: Area MNR officials tell us fishing has been “good” throughout the area. More so on remote fly-in lakes. The big lakes with big names have been suffering. Too many anglers. Too many fish harvested. Too much pressure. Too many invasive diseases. That is why we teach and live conservation fishing – barb-less hooks, and catch-photo-release of the trophy fish. And it has paid off. Many of our new guests are those converting from the “drive ins” to fly-ins. Our guests agree this great resource can only survive for tomorrow, if we respect it today.

Side Note:

Whitewater’s Grand Portage -Thanks to Joel Crookham, our own canoe route master, a portage has been created allowing our guests to take a fifteen minute walk below the rapids at the east end of Whitewater Lake. I walked it myself with our native guide last week, and watched him catch 10 walleye over 22 inches in the fast flowing water, while I landed six pike on a Zara Spook all in about an hour “fooling around” in the current under high skies at midday … So, if you’re coming to Whitewater Lake, ask about the portage. We ‘ll help you find it (it’s a bit hidden) and we now have boats and motors below the rapids for your use as well.

Happy Fishing,
Alan