The appropriate title for this report is
“What a short day trip up the north shore of Lake Superior can turn into!”
After a quick phone call to James a few days ago, the plans were set to head up north of Duluth in search for some trout. I got my salmon fill in last week, and water temps were right for trout so the Skeeter was loaded up and we were off. The near shore forecast called for waves clam to 2 feet as well which is always a blessing in itself.
James had all the rods rigged up and ready to go, two on each side one with 5 colors of 832 advanced leadcore, and the other with 6. It’s always good to vary your rods a little because the difference in 5 or 6 colors can directly impact your success. It did not matter for us yesterday but there are times where it is of the most importance.
Before all the rods were deployed, we had our first fish on, and it was a good one! 10 minutes later a beautiful low 20 pound range trout came to the boat. After that fish was released, we knew we’d be in for a good day! In fact, our first trolling pass we had 8 or so fish, with numerous weights in the upper teens. These fish were hungry! Water temps on Lake Superior have been COLD this summer, with readings in the 38 to 45 degree range common. Trout fishing can be tough when it is that cold, especially in the middle of summer. When I saw temps in the low 50’s I knew we could have good potential at putting the smackdown on some big fish. Although I never expected us to do as good as we did!
There were slow times during the day that lasted 20 minutes or so, but overall it was fish after fish, with numerous doubles and a triple. The north shore of Lake Superior always ceases to amaze me at the potential it obtains. Combine deep, cold, clear water and bait fish and you have a recipe for success. Bait fish and water temps are huge. We marked schools upon schools of bait and when you find bait, you will find fish especially in 50 degree water. After putting the beatdown on fish for the whole morning and early afternoon fishing began to slow down. We were on a pass that hadn’t produced a fish in 30 minutes or so. But that’s when all heck broke loose.
A rod on James side of the boat started screaming. Maybe it’s because I’m a little younger and have a quicker reaction time, or James is a nice guy and let me have it, I don’t know but somehow I ended up with that rod in my hands. Struggling to get it out of the Tratech tree rod holder, I prematurely yelled out were snagged on something. The sheer weight and way the board went back had me thinking there is no way this is a fish. Fast forward 15 minutes, and the planer board is in James hand as he is taking it off. Im still thinking this isn’t a fish, its got to be a log or a piece of a boat or something LOL. The drag on the Shimano Tekota was as tight as it could go, it had to be for me to gain any amount of line. And then I felt a headshake. After I realized it was a fish, the next 5 minutes or so are kind of blurry in my mind, although the excitement/anticipation/energy level and everything else went up 10 fold. Now my lower back and left bicep are burning and I have 60 feet on my line counter. 10 minutes later I still have 60 feet on my counter, as I could not move the fish at all. Eventually I get her to come up and could not believe what I saw. “Is that a surfboard or a VW beetle” exclaimed James. I don’t even know what I said back, I was in shock at the size of this creature. James performed a flawless net job and she was ours for a few minutes!
We struggled to get her in the boat and as she laid on the floor, it was of a size neither of us had ever seen before. It was the fish of our dreams (and still is of course). It is why we fish every chance we get, why we go fish in the cold, rain, waves, etc. An absolute trophy fish for us both, and something we had been working towards for a long time. A milestone in our Lake Superior fishing experiences. We took a few pictures and quickly slid her back into the water. This fish was absolutely beautiful, not one lamprey mark or scar on her. She was fat and healthy to top it off. I didn’t feel worthy of ending her life, so it was an easy decision for me to let her swim away. Coming up from the side of the boat, I just sat there, arms wet and weak trying to realize what we just caught. I don’t think it has sunk in yet either haha.
Needless to say, after that fish we were content enough to go home, but knowing us, we fished another 3 hours or so, catching some more great fish that put the cherry on top for this trip. Fishing out there is all about teamwork, and James and I sure have that down. 50% of the credit for that fish goes to him as well. This was an absolute wonderful experience that will be in the memory book forever. It was foreseen as a fun relaxing day trip up the shore and if we got into a few fish that would just be a bonus. Oh boy did we top that. If you get the chance to fish Lake Superior, even for a few hours, the potential is sky high and you can have a day of your dreams. The north shore is so rich in trout and salmon. This is just the beginning of the prime time for trout, so there will be more to come!
Thanks for the great read!
