trapshooter Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Over March break we did a little trip on the Ski-doo's into the Silver Water Wheel Lodge on Lac Seul. This is the place I guided at for the past 4 years and Mike (owner) let us use a cabin for some winter camping and fishing. We trailered as far as we could up the logging road out of Dryden, then switched to the snowmachines for the last 18k. We had a nice ride in breaking trail most of the way. Molly, our dog, tagged along for the ride too. Our cabin for the weekend. On to some fishing. Our real goal for the trip was to target late ice pike with tip-ups and dead bait. Our timing wasn't right though and the pike just weren't staging in or around the spawning bays. We were definitely too early. I landed one 30" pike that we didn't even take a picture of and other then that, we moved 2 lines with no hook-ups. We spent the rest of the time targeting walleye on some of the structure we know well from the summer months (reefs, sandbars etc). We fished from 10 FOW to 40 FOW and came up with a true multi-species effort. Pike, white fish, sauger, walleye and ling. All from the same spot, all mixed in together. Dinner time. Multi-species smorgasbord. Kelly with a ling. I was happy to see her catch it and hold it for a picture. Sunday we packed up and left but the fishing wasn't over yet. We had a trout day planned for Monday on Upper Manitou Lake with our friend Rob who lives in Dryden. Rob didn't disappoint, he showed us a great day of fishing despite all the RAIN. We set up about 40 yards off the point of an island facing a main lake basin. I was surprised when i turned on the flasher and it read 102 feet. I soaked a live minnow on a tiny jig about 5' off bottom and had 2 small trout on the ice in under 15 mins. I didn't even get pictures of them, they were small and we ate them for lunch on the ice. We moved shallower to 75' and started picking up some larger fish on tube jigs. Graham with a nice trout that he hand-lined up. Rob played the chase game with this trout on his vex for several minutes before getting it to commit. Turned out to be the big one for the day. Another for Graham on a hair jig that he tied himself. We ended up with a limit of trout and had a great day on a new lake. Next up, back to chasing specs on the ice before it goes.
irishfield Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Nice adventure Ben !! Life can be so nice with connections. Both on the accoms and with the fish. lol
DRIFTER_016 Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 MMMMMMMMMMM................Those ling looooooook tastey!!!!!! Nice bunch O fish.
pike slayer Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 that looks like a great weekend! those are some nice lakers!
limeyangler Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 As per usual....AWESOME! Nice looking ling, nice and fat! I recognise that Tulibee dead bait i think , I also think i recognise your buddy Rob....does he wear green jeans at his place of employment......kinda looks like someone i met at a road block....lol. Those trout are awesome too, cant believe i never got into Upper Manitou this year....what with it being 1/2 an hour from my door to the ice. It was my intended main target lake this season, but could not get anyone to show me in there, or to join me....everyone i fish with round here wants to target walleye...all the damn time!!!! drives me nuts.....lol. Great report Ben, jury still out on your new mooostachio
The Urban Fisherman Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 (edited) wow absolutely amazing! I love the Ling you's were slammin'...favorite part of the report for me! I don't even care for ice fishing so much - it just barely get's me through winter, and i"m jealous of that report! haha and I've got sofwater 15 minutes down the road from me right now! cheers, UF Edited March 25, 2009 by The Urban Fisherman
trapshooter Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Posted March 25, 2009 As per usual....AWESOME! Nice looking ling, nice and fat! I recognise that Tulibee dead bait i think , I also think i recognise your buddy Rob....does he wear green jeans at his place of employment......kinda looks like someone i met at a road block....lol. Those trout are awesome too, cant believe i never got into Upper Manitou this year....what with it being 1/2 an hour from my door to the ice. It was my intended main target lake this season, but could not get anyone to show me in there, or to join me....everyone i fish with round here wants to target walleye...all the damn time!!!! drives me nuts.....lol. Great report Ben, jury still out on your new mooostachio Mustache is purely for entertainment value and will be gone soon. Thanks for noticing though If I lived in Dryden I'd be on Upper Manitou all the time. Big lake with huge potential if you spent a season exploring it. I'll be back next year for sure. You definitely recognize my buddy there and he remembered you too.
limeyangler Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 If I lived in Dryden I'd be on Upper Manitou all the time. Big lake with huge potential if you spent a season exploring it. I'll be back next year for sure. You definitely recognize my buddy there and he remembered you too. YUP, like i said that was the plan, thanks to your report you confirmed what i already thought about that lake....this year was a bit messy in terms of a plan......with the snowmachine sagas and baby best laid plans went a bit off track....dont think i will even manage to get to Big Sandy again this year.....oh well ....always next year. Well, it feels a bit ominous to be well remembered by an employee of the enforcement establishment....lol....but i'm good at the regs so not gonna sweat too much....lol. And dont you dare drive past my house again on the way to Manitou without letting me know again...lol
WeedLine Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Great report! Make sure you go back for the late ice pike, I would love to see your results. Nice lakers there too.
Stern Rules Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Nice fish. I gotta catch me one of those lings one day. Dying to try 'em.
solopaddler Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Super clean looking ling Ben, very cool! Will you be guiding at SWW again this year?
TroutnMuskieHunter Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Great report Ben!!!...nice lookin trout!
Roy Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Really nice report Ben. Those fish are so clean...really good pics too! Thanks.
Leecher Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Great report and pics Ben Must of felt good to be back on familliar grounds!! Man that is so beautiful up there You guys sure got into a good mix bag of fish and some real fat ones!! Congratulations Thanks for taking the time in putting this one together and sharing it with us!! Great job!! Jacques
trapshooter Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Posted March 25, 2009 Thanks everyone. Mike - no, I won't be back at SWWL this year. I have accepted a guiding position at Moosehorn Lodge, which is only 15 mins drive from our house in Sioux Lookout. One of the major plus's to the move is having muskies at this end of Lac Seul and boat access to Minitaki, which holds lakers. Of course I'll still be guiding for walleye a lot too. I'll be busy come ice out learning all the new water on this end of the system.
MJL Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Those ling are nifty! Fantabulous report Ben. I wouldn't mind dropping one of those ling in a deep fryer and having a taste. They look meaty!
family guy Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Great report and some really nice lakers!
irishfield Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 (edited) Ben.. how did you prepare and cook them thar ling?? ... and don't tell me "Kelly did it" Edited March 25, 2009 by irishfield
Sinker Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Great report Ben. You gotta love it when you don't know what kinda fish is going to pop up thru your hole in the ice. Its alway good when they're huge and tasty Keep them coming man, we're running out of ice down here.......I'm gonna get the boat uncovered/ready today Sinker
trapshooter Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Posted March 25, 2009 Ben.. how did you prepare and cook them thar ling?? ... and don't tell me "Kelly did it" Fillet them and cut the meat into chunks. Boil chunks of meat for a few minutes in salted (pretty heavily) water. Dip boiled chunks of meat into melted butter. They don't call it poor mans lobster for nothing Heck, you can batter and deep fry them too.
smokin joe Posted March 25, 2009 Report Posted March 25, 2009 Great report Ben, I just have to ask as I've never caught a ling in fresh water, how do they fight? I've caught a lot of them in the ocean and it's like reeling in a tire after the initial fight.
trapshooter Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Posted March 25, 2009 Great report Ben, I just have to ask as I've never caught a ling in fresh water, how do they fight? I've caught a lot of them in the ocean and it's like reeling in a tire after the initial fight. The bigger ones are actually pretty fun. They don't run like a pike but feel heavy and pump the rod a bit. Overall they come in pretty easy.
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