Oh Canada, 2011!

 Well,   I'm back and both my hands are completely toasted.  Every year, a week of hard fishing in Canada chews 'em up.  Turns out this year, a giant pike would too.....
Our Cabin at Bear Paw
Dad, Cousin Mark and I hit the road 6:30 am sharp, headed straight north through I-Falls, Dryden, Ear Falls and down a 61 kilometer gravel road to Kabeelo Lodge.  Kabeelo's a pretty special place.  Years ago, I shot a couple of television stories up there and fell in love with the place.  The Shercks have been going back for the annual family trip ever since.   This year we set up shop on Bear Paw Lake for four days.
First bit of business?  Load the DeHavilland Beaver for the roughly 25 minute flight out to Bear Paw.  I never get tired of hearing that radial engine fire up on cold mornings... Chug, chug, chug, chug....

"Our" plane

The view from 800 feet...

Once unloaded and unpacked in Bear Paw's new cabin, we set up a couple boats and headed out.   Bear Paw's reputation is all about giant pike.  Fact is, every one of Kabeelo's lakes we've been to has big pike (40+ inchers), but for some reason, people want Bear Paw.  We were more interested in the lake's walleyes.    With heavy wind and fog (due to near freezing air temps), we dropped Northland jigs and spinners and got to work.  Wasn't five minutes and dad had our first big fish.

Way to go Dad!

  We actually found hundreds of walleyes over our first two days.  The best part?  A few of them were what you'd consider a Kabeelo trophy, 25+ inchers.  Nothing at 30, but who cares!
       

Nice fish Mark!  

 We caught so many fish on Northland Fireballs I eventually switched over to Rapalas. Guess what?   The Wallies ate up those too!

Our second evening, Dad hooked a nice fish on the rocks and fought it to the boat.  Wow!   A monster of a pike.  Now, some of the old outpost nets are a bit too small for these kinds of trophies, so I leaned over to pick this big female from the water, as I've done hundreds of times over.  One quick swirl and the big pike had taken a swipe at my finger.   Why I didn't snap a photo of my hands and rain suit covered in blood is beyond me. Would have been fun to have!  The shots a day later just weren't quite as tough-lookin'...
Ouch!

We did find a few of the big pike in the lake, althought the cold weather kinda screwed up any pattern.  And yes, I mean cold.  Did I mention we had snow the last days of May?  Good Golly!
Snow! Brrrrrrr!   A Monster on a GIANT X Rap

 I think our other two highlights came after we flew out of Bear Paw and back to Kabeelo's main lodge.  We like to stay there a day or two and fish Confederation Lake for Lake Trout.  Problem is, the last couple of years, they've been tough to find on Grandpa's old "Green Box".   So, this year, I took out my Humminbird portable unit.   We never did see anything shallow, but a check of an old spot revealed piles of fish suspended from 40 to 60 feet.  Dad asked, "How do you now those are fish? "  Seconds later we had doubles and triples going!
Trout!

 Mark and Dad w/ Another Double!

It's always with sadness that we drive out of Kabeelo's gravel driveway and head south for home each year.  I think the Kabeelo crew knows it too.  Lorraine, our longtime buddy up there, surprised us with handmade beaver tails for breakfast before we left.  While I can't get into all the details of this northwoods delicacy, I can tell you, Lorraine deserves to be the focus of a national cooking show just for this dish alone.

Mark and Lorraine AND the Beaver Tails!Beaver Tails!

The only thing she won't tell us about this breakfast creation?  How she sneaks up the beaver lodge and, first, grabs those fast swimmers off a log and, number two, then wrestles the tails off those scrappy guys!  Thanks Kabeelo for another great family trip.  We'll see you in 2012!

Wind, Rain and Walleyes...Another "Normal" Minnesota Opener.

Well,  the dock held.  That's good news....

Big Rollers for Gull Lake!

   Long ago Dad taught me to rope up the boat between corners of the dock so it can move freely in big waves. The real plus? The boat never touches the dock, avoiding any dock rash.   When the wind howls like it did this weekend, it's nice to know the boat's properly tied up, although I laid in bed Friday night worried my 1/2 inch dock ropes might snap from all the pressure.  At one point I snuck a peek about 3 am just to make sure the boat hadn't washed up on the beach.  I woke Saturday morning to find the boat weathers the "inland gale" just fine.   As I idled out through the waves at 6 am, I was amazed at the wind.  Howling out of the north.  Chattering on the rough water.  Darn cold too for mid-May.   I fished a few of my normal spots and found spot-tail shiners on a Lindy rig was the ticket.  Didn't find fish very shallow, although I had a tough time controlling the boat in those spots. I brought plenty of walleyes to hand, even though I couldn't  feel 'em biting out in that wind.  You'd just kinda feel the wind pushing your rod around (and whistling through the guides) and then notice a bit of extra weight.  I'd  set the hook and fish on.... Ha.  Not really normal, but effective. 

"Eater" Walleyes

The big highlight of opener this year was son Brady's first fishing trip.  Although we had to wait out the cold and wind Saturday, we finally got on the water Sunday. 
"Jonesin' " to Fish

I figured we'd go out and hit a few crappies and call it a trip in an hour.  In the morning, we hit a small pond connected to Gull Lake where we found the water temp 9 degrees warmer than the main lake.  We fished in there a bit looking for shallow crappies.  About 20 minutes in, Brady's bobber disappeared and I helped him set the hook.  He proceeded to reel in a heavy fish on his UL rod.  At one point, the darn tip of that rod was just about touching the handle as the fish about pulled Brady out of the boat.  Ha.  First fish of the trip.  Nice bass Brady!

  We have to throw that back! Bass season isn't open yet!  We zipped home in rough water to grab a little lunch.  After, Brady asked if we could fish again.   Mom gave us the okay so Brady and I headed up the lake to the smaller series of lakes on Upper Gull.  We snuck down to a favorite panfish spot and Brady caught more fish than we could count. 

 After about an hour of that, we took a cruise and Brady assumed his new favorite position in the boat. He likes to stand on the rod locker, inbetween the windshield and watch the world roll by.  Not a bad place to be.

Brady's Catch...

 
As we all drove home last night, Mom asked Brady if he'd like to stop and get dinner. In a slightly pouty voice, Brady responded, "No Mamma, I don't wanna eat dinner."  "I wanna go fishing."  

Goal accomplished...

Time to Fish AND Boat!

Well, now that I've got my 2011 turkey hunt off my plate and in the past, I'm all fishing now.   Still hoping to head north in the Due North /Rapid Marine Lund and chase a few sturgeon on the Rainy River.  I had to cancel last week's trip, due to a bout of flu.  After the Rainy, we're off to Wisconsin to celebrate the Bass Opener around Hayward.  I can't wait!  Meantime, here's a great little update from our "wraps shoot" for Due North Outdoors.  A cool behind-the-scenes look on the Rapid Marine site at how we produce our shows!  Thanks to Amy Hannay!

http://www.rapidmarineboats.blogspot.com/

Two Right-Handed Mittens?

 My Spread....

I had the back of the Jeep popped open and was slowly gearing up.  The second moring of the turkey hunting season is always the toughest (if you get to your second day)... You've had a couple short nights of rest and you're tired from that first full day in the woods.   Anyway, I curled into my turkey vest in pre-dawn darkness,  double-checked to make sure I had all my calls,  then popped on my headlamp and reached for my camo mittens.  I'd done a good job prepping for the cold morning forecast.  I had extra long undies, my fleece camo hat, my warm socks and, of course, my mittens.  Well, my two right-handed mittens.  As I reached into the back of the truck and pulled the mittens out in darkness, I slowly realized (after trying to wrestle them on repeatedly) I had two of the same mitten.  How's that possible?  I'd worn these things before and I didn't even own two pairs of them.... Whatever,  I pinched my fingers and flipped the righty onto my left hand and stumbled off to the woods completely chagrined.....
My Righties....
On Wednesday, my 2011 season started with a, well, rainstorm.   I sat against the hay bale watching the weather radar on my blackberry.   I had shown up a bit early, but we all do that our first morning back in the turkey woods.  Soon enough, I heard the pitter patter of rain and pulled on the hood of my rain coat.  Moments later, a hen walked out on my right and startled me.  Seems rain hoods cut off your peripheral vision... Ha!  That hen picked in front of me for a couple minutes then wandered anway and up the hill into the brush.   I settled back in and wondered where she was headed.   Five minutes later, I got what I had come for.  Atop the hill, I could see my bird.  His fan was wide and he was strutting, slowly making his way towards me.  At best guess, he was 80 yards from my spot.  I hit the call.   He started to come.  At 60 yards,  my heart raced and I thought the deal was done.  This property had been good to me the last few years, with willing  and sizeable gobblers.   But all the sudden, that hen walked back out of the brush and right by the gobbler!  He quickly turned and followed her away and I slumped down against the hay bale.

I could see him up top in the tilled field, strutting back and forth, back and forth.  I decided to make a play and eventually got within 25 yards of the strutting tom.  As I laid out my shooting lane and got ready to shoulder my gun,  holy smokes... A blind on the property.  You kidding me?  Where did that come from????  Although the blind wasn't in my line of fire (or even close),  I was sure whomever was inside could also see that bird and now, probably me, so I backed off and passed on the shot.  

Okay, that was frustration #1.

Now for # 2....
My Gear Stash....

Wednesday night, I headed back to my spot and did a bit of scouting.  I was walking the area about 4:30 pm and noticed the blind was gone.  I thought, "either they shot that gobbler after I left or picked up because they had seen me out there".  Either way, I was happy to have the hunting spot to myself again.  I eventually threw out a single decoy, hunkered down against an old barbed-wire fence and started calling.  For the next two hours, I didn't see or hear a thing. 
Evening Stand...
I could only shoot up 'til 7:55 pm, and had started checking my watch when I heard that magical sound, "gobble, gobble."   I quickly picked up my call and responded.  A moment later, "gobble, gobble."  I knew this bird had heard me.  I knew he was headed my direction and I knew I was between him and the roost.  EXACTLY how I wanted this plan to play out.  I guessed he was 100 to 150 yard out.  That's when I heard it.  BOOOOOOOMMM!!!!  A shotgun blast very near.  I knew someone had shot that bird!  I hopped out of my blind, grabbed my optics and tried to quickly make my way to a spot where I could see where the shot had come from.  To my dismay, I saw someone else on the property picking up the bird and walking away.  For the next while I glassed and watched him walk off the property, through a slough, over a stream and to his truck about half a mile away.  What a way to end my day of hunting....

Anyway, I haven't heard or seen a thing on the property since.  So goes turkey hunting.  It seems my 2011 season has me about whipped and we're only two days in...... Oh, and a closing shot from my drive home today......

I'm Getting Fishy....

 

Great News!  The 2011 Rapid Marine Lund arrived this weekend, just in time for our summer wraps shoot and first tv trip.  This year's boat is a 2011 Lund Explorer 2010.  200 hp Mercury Verado on the back,  Minn Kota trolling Fortex up front and Vantage on the back.  Electronics will be two Humminbird 900 series GPS/SI combos.  Wow!  The boat will be on the water next week chasing GIANT sturgeon up on the Canadian border.   If you'd like to own the Due North Outdoors Lund,  I'd be happy to get you the inside scoop from our good friends at Rapid Marine! Let me know if you're interested!