Back from a week at Baptiste Lake

[Joey]

Paul and I got back from a week at Baptiste Lake this afternoon. It was a wonderful week of holidays and we had fun discovering a new lake. This lake is the weirdest lake we have ever encountered. It is very deep in some spots and very shallow in others. There are also many, many stumps and sunken logs, which made trolling difficult at times and learning the lake a must before any speed was possible. I'm actually surprised we made it the whole week without hitting a stump just below surface. Each day we'd have near misses and say "I can't believe we didn't hit a stump today" to which we'd reply "day ain't over yet!" But we were careful and cautious and made out well in that department. We'd be trolling in 15 - 20 fow, which would quickly change to 35 - 45 fow, then immediately to 6 - 8 fow, very weird.

 

We rented a nice 4 bedroom cottage on an island in the NE part on Lavalley Bay. It was a nice little cottage and most of the week was quiet and peaceful as nobody was around. The weather was gorgeous and almost too hot for the whole week. Not the best of weather for Musky hunting, but great vacation weather.

 

Here's the cottage and view from it.

 

 

 

 

 

The day we arrived it rained off and on and I caught these rainbow shots. Note the colour of the trees in these first pics as compared to the one on the day we left. It was very cool to watch the trees change colour before our eyes.

 

 

 

This was the size of the moon when we arrived which made the evenings very, very dark. We had to head back before dark each evening due to our unfamiliarity with the lake and, as mentioned before, the stumps.

 

 

The first few evenings were quite cold and the mornings greeted us with a beautiful mist on the waters.

 

 

We did try for pickerel each night, but no matter what our tactics, either live bait or jigs at dusk, we only caught bass. Here is the first fish on board.

 

 

So during the days we trolled for musky and caught pike instead. I did get a musky follow, which looked to be in the 45 inch range, and believe me, we pounded that little cove every day after that, but she was elusive and gave us the slip. We took a few pike pics, but didn't bother with all as one pike looks pretty much the same as the next

 

 

 

 

 

We had a few visitors at our cottage, one every day and he was quite persistent, almost jonesing for peanuts, and got very upset if we didn't comply.

 

 

 

 

Mussels anyone???? Did you know that if you're on holidays and have nothing to do and sit on the dock soaking up the sun waiting for your bobber to go under you can actually see a mussel move in the sand

 

 

Con't.......

[Joey]

Part II

 

I finally put a half decent smallie on board the last night there on a minnow (fishing for pickerel of course)

 

 

Here's an example of some of the stumps

 

 

The boat houses on this lake were sometimes nicer than the cottages, they were unbelievable. Here's one example.

 

 

 

Here's some random scenery shots.

 

 

Blueberry Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WILSON............

 

 

 

Now here's the same trees the day we left as in the first pics with the rainbow.

 

 

So back to the grind Monday morning

 

Hope you enjoyed the report and pics.

 

Joey

Edited September 23, 2007 by Joey

[Crazyhook]

Glad you and Paul had a nice trip! awesome pics Joey!

[fatherof3]

great report and pics,sounds like you had a good time.The boat house is pretty cool

[mason05]

Great shots and nice pike. Looks like a great way to close out the summer.

 

Corn Nug

[darsky]

WICKED.....but your fingers are too close to the hooks in the second pike pic. Just one shake and......... well you know.

[mattyk]

great report, thanks for sharing it with us Joey.

[Rizzo]

some great photos, sounds like a good time. I've never been to Baptiste but sounds like an interesting spot to fish

[danw]

Great report with nice pictures.. What perfect timing to see the trees change color.

[Greencoachdog]

Excellent report and pics Joey!!!

 

Random scenery pics? Are you sure you weren't at Temagami???

 

That is a nice fat Pike in the first pic... for it's size! ... I'm also a big fan of the "You Can't Bite Me Now, You Little bugger" hold you demonstrate so well in pics 10 & 13!

 

Do I need to bring the Sabiki Rig up there and show y'all how to catch the Wall-ice?

Edited September 23, 2007 by Greencoachdog

[MuskyBill]

Those scenery shots could make up the 2008 Baptiste Lake calendar, Joey....

[Weeds]

Nice report! And, just for the record, you can never, ever, have too many pike pics!

[SlowPoke]

Wow, great report Joey!

Some fantasic photos and some with Paul too!

That sounds like a great lake for fishing - waterskiing, not so much. When you have a moment, could you PM me some info about the cottage rental?

Glad you both had a nice get away.

-Brian

 

BTW, my wife has the same engagement ring!

-Brian

[Joey]

Thanks all, and Brian, PM sent

 

Oh and Brian, as for the engagement ring, you have good taste then That's pretty cool.

 

Joey

Edited September 23, 2007 by Joey

[Roy]

Nice hands! For just ONE minute I wanted to be that chipmunk. Great report Joanne. OK OK What's his name did good too.

[Bly]

Awesome report Joey. The scenery shots are beautiful! Looks like a very nice place to spend a week, even with the stumps Even though the musky and walleye did not cooperate, you still managed some nice fish!!

[snag]

Great as usual.

 

You have a talent with the camera.

 

Definately calander worthy!

[ChrisK]

Joey,

Got to love the fall. One of the most beautiful times of the year hands down. Glad to see you and Paul had a good time up north and even got to catch some nice pike and bass. Its always a bonus getting a few fish.

 

Tight Lines !!

[canadian_copper]

GREAT REPORT AND PICS

[solopaddler]

Beautiful pic's Joey, sounds like a great vacation.

[b2kptbo]

Great report Joey, glad ya's had a good time, thanks for the pictures...

[Beans]

Geeeeze...glad you got time to do some fishing between photo takes...

 

Great report girl...!

[ccmtcanada]

Wow Joey! What an amazing report! I'm very happy to hear you and Paul had such a great time out there. Your pictures were incredible. My favs were the rainbow, early fog on the water, and there's that one shot of the fall colours...reflected in the water...you have a wonderful eye for photos. Maybe your should start a thread in the photography section about fall colours.

 

Great looking smallie and pike you got there....oh yeah...I guess Paul did good too...hehe. Trolling for muskie and got pike? Bly and I were out with fishnsled on Saturday (report later), trolling for muskie and all I got was Walleye....LOL.

 

Thanks for this report...must have taken forever to pick, resize and edit photos to post...it was a real treat to read.

[stasbrute]

Very nice report, the week turned out nice sadly I had to leave on Monday just when the weather was turning nice, no musky or wallies me either, just small pike and small bass, didnt see you out there on the lake (next time ) I was gonna make a report on my Baptiste weekend but you have raised the bar with this one (LOL)

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Excellant report! Some nice pics, nice scenery shots, nice fish and I too like the boat house pic. All you have to do now is work on your pike hold.lol