Strategically left the boat up in Lutsen last month so I would “have to” make one last trip up the shore to retrieve it (hard for the wife to argue with that logic, right?). With near perfect weather on tap for the weekend, headed north early Friday and was up in Lutsen by mid-morning. Hadn’t actually planned on fishing that afternoon, but too beautiful of a day not to get out on the water. Calm and clear as I’ve seen it all year.
Trailered up to Grand Marais and ran out towards 5 mile rock with my father where we fished from ~2:30 to 6:00 going 9 for 13, all lakers we released save for the largest one who was bleeding badly enough that I figured I should keep and steak out. Pretty decent size average with most in the 8-12# range. Smallest around 6#, largest a 35″ redfin that I’m guessing was just shy of 20#. Hits were equally mixed between downriggers and 8-10 colors of LC. Fish ignored the FF I had out for the first hour, but pretty much any mag spoon I put out, they were eager for. We were fishing in 60-90 FOW and were marking quite a few on the bottom in 70-80′ Surface temp up around 58 still and I hit 42 down 50 or so. Agent Orange and a Mag ’57 Chevy consistently took the largest fish. The most active fish seemed tightly bunched up on the top of the reef we were working as we’d get flurries of activity. One double and two triples, which was quite the handful with just myself and my 80 y/o father. One of the triples actually ended up being a quadruple as after we cleared the triple, I decided to check that last rigger and found another ~8# fish that I can’t believe didn’t trip the release.
Another spectacular morning on Saturday. Nearly as calm as Friday with a beautiful sunrise ahead of me and plenty of fall color up the hill from GM as I motored out around 7:00. Fishing solo and had both lines in the water by 7:15. Barely had the 2nd line set out on the rigger before the 8 color went screaming (mag ’57 chevy). Unfortunately, didn’t even get the board off the line before the knot in my leader failed and he broke me off. Judging by the way he was taking line am guessing I missed what would have been my first 40″-er in a few years. I proceeded to shout a few curse words into the cool morning air and soldiered on. Fished until 10:00 and managed 8 for 10, all lakers again. Fish were more spread out (no doubles) and seemed to favor my LC rod over the rigger. Took fish as shallow as 70 FOW and a couple out as deep as 150 FOW as I was reversing course. Average size was back down in the 4-5# range, but did land one fat 32″-er that I figured had to be back in the mid-upper teens. Determined that was a good fish to end the season on and enjoyed a beautiful run back to GM harbor.
Been a strange and frustratingly short season. Couldn’t find a Coho to save my life all year and most of my lakers (with the exception of this weekend) were smaller than I usually average. With the poor Coho turnout this year, think I’m going to forego my usual Oct trip to Bayfield and put the boat to bed for the winter. Still, was a great season out on the big lake. Great weather for the most part, fish tended to cooperate (Coho excluded), met a handful of great folks from these forums out and about, and fished a couple of spots I hadn’t been to in years. Tight lines to everyone still out there this afternoon and the last couple of days of the season up on the N. Shore.
Too beautiful of a weekend not to post a few photos!
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