Soooooo..........my bud, whose wife and her family have an island on LOTW's invited myself and our other bud out there for last weekend. The other bud could not make it, but I did, ....................and..................well...........LOTW's delivered.
Lac Des Mille Lac, closer to me, can be a tough fishery at times, this place is definately not. Virtually everywhere we dropped a line(other than the humps, we could not beg a fish off of the humps).
Started off with the long 6.5 hr. drive to Kenora, stop on Dryden for a refill of Timmies, then Vermillion Bay at a place called Bobby's Corner's, where we each picked up one Musky Lure. I opted for the "Funkey Chicken"(basically a feather duster with huge hook), and my bud bought the??????????????????? "cowgirl"sumtin' or other????????????
Who thinks up these names for Musky Lures????????????
Suprisingly, I only took 50 pics on this trip, 7 of which where a bit blurry, and deleted.
Where I stayed the 3.5 days, an island just south of the Barrier Islands, Crowrock and Shamus Islands.
The main cabin, I opted to stay in the outer cabin, no electricity, no running water, oil lamp for light, felt like old times, didn't take a pic of it.
Our ride down to the island, a 20 ft. Bayliner. How we stuffed all our gear into this boat I will never know.
Our fishing vessel for those days, a very, very, old Thorens 13 ft. aluminum. This boat has been used, and abused. It was used to haul rocks for the cribbing for the dock, and has a few patches in it. My buds new Yamaha 6 horse is on the transom. It got us around OK, but doesn't match his 9.9 Mariner for torque.
We caught a lot of walleye, and perch, and a few Sauger in the mix. Here is one of the Sauger my bud caught(and it was part of a very nice meal on the 2nd day there)
Now, I have never caught a Sauger, or ever seen one personally, so I had to land one, and I did, just a wee one, lol
Actually landed two, the other being about the same size, both released.
Also caught my PB perch, about 15 inches, hooked deep and bleeding profusely. Said to self, get a pic at the dock, but forgot to tell my bud of my intentions, and he got to it with the fillet knife a little faster than I anticipated.
THAT WAS SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING
Sunday, back out after walleye, only had one Sauger and one Walleye so far worth keeping for a feed, and we caught lots more. It was hard to come by fish over 13", must be a huge year class of them. Not disappointed at all, just not what we were hoping to land. We eventually did get 6 more walleye/sauger in the size range we wanted for supper for 4 people(14-15"), but it took the morning, and afternoon to achieve it.
We must have caught 70+ walleye, and one crappie in the mix.
Now, I have heard about the Pelicans on this lake, and seen pictures. But on the ride down the lake to the island, not one pelican spotted. My buds wife said she saw a "raft" of them the day before. Took a bit of time before we came across 2 on a rock. Bit of a blurry pic, full zoom in a rocking boat, but got the best shot I could that day.
On the Sunday we headed SW to Queen Island area, into the wind, and caught quite a few fish, landed the biggest walleye of the weekend on this trip, but since we already had supper taken care of, it went back. It was overcast almost all weekend.............I didn't mind...........lower temperatures just into the 20's,,,,,,, loved it.
Going west, north of Queen Island, it got very dark, very fast....but didn't look like anything was really going to happen.
Yeah, right............it opened up on us as the trailing edge passed, lol.
20 minutes later, and 5 kms later, we were fishing a hump on the main lake, caught squat, and started heading back up the north side of Crow Rock island to get back to the island..................................then.....................I saw it........................rafting Pelicans, along with Cormorants, had to be 1/4 km long, and 50 yds. wide. T'was a sight to see.
See the green point on the right, I tried to take a pic of the rest of them in the 2nd pic
Full sided to them
And a pic looking right up the length
OK, a bit off of fishing here........I was in that cabin............with nothing...............so........... bathing was in the lake. AND...................this is what I contended with in the mornings, lol
Crayfish, everywhere. No wonder this lake has such the fishery it has with such a food resource.
I got to swim with them for 3 days, and 2 days, they all bolted for the depths. On Saturday however, 3 of 'em dug in their tails, stood up on their front legs, and opened their claws at me. He he he,,,,,,immediately thought of Robert DeNiro in "Taxi Driver"...............you wanna piece of me, hanh, you wanna piece of me???
So, bully that I am, I kicked sand in their faces...............and 15 seconds later after the sand settled, they were still there posturing, lol
You little runts, I could squash you with my heel into the sand.
MONDAY, THE DAY OF INFAMY!!!
Ok, this day we decided to actually try to target bass, pike, or MUSKY!!!!!!!!!!!
Hit some likely looking spots for them(as far as we know).
In a bay known as 12 mile portage, its on Shamus Island, the winter road goes over this spot and there is a nice rock reef with a saddle, had a pike about 7 lbs. blow up on the Musky_Hawk I was tossing at the time. Was sure exciting until I realized it was a pike(trash fish to me, despite their size at times, sorry pike guys).
We hit a few other spots that should have yielded bass at least, they would have in my local territory, but, nuttin.
On the next island south of the one we were staying on, in view of the women watching us, we found a small little back bay, with wood.
First cast, nuttin, 2nd, big smally blows up on the Musky-Hawk, then my bud misses a fish he says is big as his thigh. He thinks it was a big pike. A few more casts later(I was tow-watering the Musky-Hawk, and decided to let it sink, then reel).
A silvery sided, pointy tailed, ESOX looking fish, slams the lure, but I missed the hook set. My bud saw it also, and commented "that did not look like a pike"!!
AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was not a big fish, but it could'a been my first.
We moved on, fishing structure, and wood in a few other spots, had a HUGE pike come for a sniff in one spot, then lazily went back down under a log.
We travelled on , saw a small back bay, bud is watching the sonar, up to 8 ft.............not likely...........oh wait.........it drops to 20 ft................then comes back up to 10 ft.
Its a fairly non-descript back bay, with a bit of weeds obviously in shallow water. What the heck, try a couple of casts.
First cast, screwed it up. Reeled in, reset, and tossed it exactly where I was aiming, engaged the reel, and within 2 turns of the handle, BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
T'wasn't a big fish, but..................it is my first ever Musky, about 22-24 inches long, caught on a 25 yr., old black bodied, silver bladed, Musky_Hawk.
Thats it, my mission is done. Still fished, but I achieved what I wanted to.
Went back to the island, showed the ladies the pictures on the camera, and headed off for brunch to Wiley Point Lodge, one of the 3 of Totem Resorts outposts. They operate Wiley Point, Crow Rock, and Yellowbird. I didn't get to see Yellowbird.
We could not get into Crow Rock, they were booked solid for supper. Wiley Point is one of the newest of Totem's outposts, and a drive-to location. Its only been around for 15 yrs., and obviously, the most modern.
On the way there, we had to negotiate the Loisa Regatta, a yearly sailboat event on LOTW's. Lots of waving to our fellow mariners this afternoon.
Wiley Poiint is modern for sure, and their boats are used, and abused, lol.
They operate Lunds, couldn't figger out what model, the paint was well worn off of them.
Should have gotten a better pic of the boat in behind that Lund..............THAT was a work boat, I don't think there was a stitch of fabric in it other than the seats and life preservers, lol.
On our way back to the island, my buds wife says..............whats that in the water........................I see ears.
A younger Bruin making good time between the island. He/she was really moving.............we kept a respectable distance, these pics were full 10X zoom.
Monday night, last day there. Same day as going for brunch, but the heavens opened up on us after getting back. 3-4 hrs. later, all is calm, what a way to end a trip.