Another Week on Snowbank

My wife Bea and I just returned from a week up at Snowbank Lake north of Ely on Saturday. As always it’s great to get away and spend some time on the water. On the trip up through Duluth and north you could definitely see that they had received some massive rains. Ditches, stream, rivers, ponds and lakes were overflowing. Snowbank was also higher than normal and docks were within 2″ of being under water.
Our week started out with a trip to the ER in Ely on Sunday ( which I must say is very nice) to get two treble hooks removed, one in each hand from a Rattling Rogue. Don’t ask me how that happened but it was prior to Beer:30. With the front treble in my “flip off” finger of my right hand and the back treble in the index finger of my left hand I was pretty much handcuffed – I had hooked myself good. Bea could have had her way with me but she was too freaked out for that stuff. I wish I would have had a video of me trying to guide her on how to get the hooks undone from the split rings. Needless to say after the trip to ER and back at the cabin it was time for some pain killer from Uncle Jack.

The rest of the week went a lot better……. for HER! All I can say is I’m a good guide. I kept busy baiting hooks, taking fish off, navigating, boat control, anchoring and keeping the small fish busy so they didn’t bother her. Monday she landed a nice 19″ walleye and another 19″er on Friday. In between she caught a nice 2 1/2 lb smallie and I found time to hook into a nice mid 30’s northern. The walleyes were a tough bite on this week but the smallies and pike were on fire and we had a blast playing catch and release every day. There are a lot of 12-14″ smallies in that lake and I know there are quite a few pike with sore lips up there this week too. The picture of Kawishi Falls was some sight to see on this week. I guess it’s normally a pretty tame 37′ waterfall but this week it was a raging torrent of water – could have been one wild ride in a kayak or canoe.

Bea doesn’t go out fishing too often so I was really happy that she had such good success and her ‘guide’ was able to find her fish. Now teaching her to respond to emergencies is something I’m going to have to work on. I’ll be back up there this fall so I’ll have my way with the walleyes yet this year.

Nice guiding Mike. Can I ask how you got hooked in both hands?

Quote:

---

Nice guiding Mike. Can I ask how you got hooked in both hands?

---

I wish I knew for sure – I was taking it to the other end of the boat to put on my wifes line and must have tripped or something and in the process of catching myself,,,well I caught myself. Just one of those dumb things that you say afterwards “how the heck did I do this”? I’ve been fishing all my life and never had something like this happen – and hope I never do again.

I feel your pain with the hook in the finger. I just had one removed from my finger at the ER in Cook two weeks ago. I got mine while trying to get the crank bait out of my Springer spaniels nose and mouth.

Mike, I hear ya. 2 years ago I had caught a muskie and in the process of the picture taking, he shook his head and ended up with 5 stitches in my thumb. Missed 2 weeks of work for that stupid move. Good thing for ER’S.

When you sent me the text picture of your fingers I busted out laughing, it wasn’t even a surprise
I wouldn’t even be surprised if that wasn’t the only time you bled on the trip either buddy

Glad you had a good trip and caught some nice fish

Great Example You Are Setting…by wearing your PFD! (not the hook “holders” LOL!)

One question. Why didn’t you let Bea wear the inflatable??

Either way, looks like you both had a great time and that’s what counts.