LOTW Northwest Angle Part 1

[Gregoire]

As some of you know last week Cowanjo and I attended the University of Esox at Sandy's Blackhawk Lodge in the Northwest Angle in the lake of the Woods. This school is run but The Musky Hunter Magazine and was a great learning experience. Some incredibly experienced musky anglers where instructors at the camp, and everyday seminars were given that were both informative and interesting. However my favourite part of the school was that at the end of the evening when everyone came in for the night we were able to talk with Jim Saric, Steve Heiting, Spence Petros, Bill Sandy, and Kevin Schmidt. The knowledge that we gained from having personal conversations with these guys was priceless. If any of you ever get a chance to attend this school I would highly recommend it.

 

I was excited when John called me on Wednesday evening and told me we could head up a bit early. This meant that we could get in some fishing on Friday before the camp started. I met John at 5:30 Thursday morning and we were on our way a little after 6. We ended up driving 20+ hours on Thursday and made it to International Falls at 2 am that night. That meant that we had a short drive on Friday and would get to fish LOTW.

 

It turned out that we would have been better off just launching the boat on Friday, as the fishing was slow. We stayed on the southern part Canadian water, and they were very stained. We sat through a Lightning storm that was circling us, but never got to us. and the water was so stained that we had trouble seeing our lures. In addition these were the hottest conditions I have ever fished in in my life. At one point it was so hot and humid that my body was covered in sweat that would not evaporate. The only positive was that John ended up choosing a back bay for us to fish, where we churned up a few giants during the week. We went back to chase these beasts all week, but did not get any of them in the boat.

 

That night we could not get a room in or around Young's point, so we had to head back in to Warroad Mn to stay the night. It turned out this was a good thing, as John was able to contact his work and let them know that he would not have service. This was the first time in 10 years that he would be offline. Something that I think he enjoyed, even though he would not admit it.

 

On Saturday we got to the lake early and decided to run up to a spot of the angle where there was structure surrounded by deep water. We had been a little discouraged from the day before so we were happy to move 10+ fish in the day.

 

We checked in a little before 3 and were happy to receive a few lures, a note book and a camp guide. A few seminars later, and a nice ham dinner and we were off to fish the evening. We went back to the bay where we say the giant, and raised another large fish, but were not stressful. That night at the camp we found that a few fish were raised, and the first 50 of the week was landed.

 

The Next day was Sunday, and it was our second best day, and my best day for numbers and size. We went back to the first spot we went to on Saturday and raised another big fish. We continued the drift, and I decided to mix things up and hook on a HoseJerk bait, this is a rise and dive jerk bait, similar to a suick, but with better action in my opinion. It does not require the added weight that a suick does to stay submerged, and will dart from side to side occasionally, and sometimes on the rise will turn on to its back as it reaches the surface, much like a dying perch would. Sean Maher makes these baits, and I think the are available at Le Baron in Markham. I started off by hooking a small musky in a small cut bay with weeds. A quick fight and she was shaken off boatside. We continued the drift and reached an island complex. I made a cast to the island a after the first jerk fish on! I was really excited. We got the fish to the boat and it was in the bag. A new PB for me at 45.5".

 

 

High fives all around and back to fishing. I made a cast on the other side of the island and retrieved. I made another cast, and struck up a conversation with John. If you do not know me, one thing that I am more than capable of doing is talking. It must have been a minute or so after I was done making a point when I began my retrieve. On the first movement of the bait I had hooked my first deadstick musky. A huge topwater strike and a nice fight later and I had hooked a nice 43.5" ski, matching my previous PB.

 

 

When we went in for dinner I was happy to discover that I had landed the most fish for the day. I do not think another boat had landed more than 1 musky. John and I thought we had LOTW figured out, and that we would put tons of fish in the boat. I was feeling really confident, almost cocky, and Karma came back to get me.

 

Our outing that evening did not yield any more musky, but the fishing was slow all around.

 

After a good nights sleep we were sitting down for breakfast when The Musky Hunter, Mr. Jim Saric himself sat down beside John and me and asked us if we wanted to fish with him. We were giddy and obviously agreed. We had decided that I would start off up front of the boat casting a bucktail and John would be in back. I was a little nervous and on the first spot Jim set us up on the spot, and i made my first cast...backlash. Jim was a gentleman and held us on the spot until I managed to undo the backlash we were ready again. My highlight of the day was standing next to Jim as he had a follow.

 

Jim: There's one

(In my head I hear the musky hunter music start)

Jim: Talk to me

Me: She's still on it. She's hot on it.

Jim: She's on.

(John get's the net and bags it for Jim.

Jim: She's bigger than I thought.

 

Turns out that she was 49.5. Both John and I got our pictures taken with Jim. I am waiting for these pics and when I get them will edit this post.

 

John also landed a 40 incher on the figure 8. I grabbed the net and kept fishing. Jim took one look at us, said "looks like you guys have that under control" and kept fishing. That was a nice feeling. The pic of that fish will follow as well.

 

That night John and I were eager to go off on our own and apply the lessons we had learned from Jim to the water. I was fishing a top raider and John was fishing a handlebarz bucktail. I highly recommend handlebraz lures. Mike P, and member of this site, will make them custom for you, and they are the only bucktails that put fish in the boat for John and I.

 

We went back to a spot that Jim brought is to in the day and started fishing. Pretty early in the evening as I was beginning my figure 8 I got a boatside strike. I was excited but quickly pissed as I saw it was a northern. Normally I love catching pike, but when you are in the Northwest Angle musky hunting a pike pisses you off. Anyway she was a healthy 37" here's a pic

 

 

We moved on from that spot, as I read an article by Steve Heiting that said were there's pike in LOTW there is no musky. About 300 yards from that spot John hooked a nice fish. It had been about a month or so since I had the opportunity to net a fish for John, and I forgot how to open the net. John had a nice fish on, but after I finally got the net open, it managed to get 3 lures tangled in the net. Finally I said screw it, and put the fish in the bag, with the bag backwards. Despite the fact that I tried to screw it up, we had a nice 47.5 fish in the bboat.

 

 

 

Let me just interject that we were eating dinner that night, and every night with some pretty committed musky anglers. Mark and Dave both had 20 ft boats with HDS 10's and loved to fish. We had some great talks with them over meals about musky hunting. The next day Mark and Dave were out with Spence Petros. They had drifted through an area that John and I had been the day earlier and Dave caught a 49.5" ski. I was pissed as I really liked the spot, but it was so windy we couldn't dissect the spot. Dave was very excited and as he motored out of the spot he blew his lower unit out on an isolated rock. He was pissed, but not too much as March had a great boat as well, and he had just landed his PB. The other guy at the table was Tim. He was fishing alone as his partner cancelled last minute due to a family emergency. As a result we all decided to head out together, something that would be both good and bad. The good and bad will have to wait as I have errands to run. I'll come back with part 2 later tonight.

Edited July 27, 2012 by fishgreg

[asdve23rveavwa]

Great stuff!!!!!! Truly would be a great experience, and, I'm looking forward to part 2.

 

Hopefully one of those muskies has a OFC tourney sign in a pic somewhere

[bigbuck]

NICE!!!!! Getting to share a boat with a guy like Saric is pretty cool. Nice 'skis you guys caught there. Good to see you guys now have the LOTW bug. I'd love to get back up there but it ain't happenin' this year.

[Handlebarz]

Dang greg I've been on pins and needles waiting what a great start I know the ending but can't wait to read it here. Thanks for taking such time in posting all this info this is the best read in a long time on here for a report.

[Christopheraaron]

nice face in the third pic!

Edited July 29, 2012 by Christopher k

[Handlebarz]

Lol never noticed that Chris

[backbay]

That is one great report. What an all-star bunch MH put together for you, and congrats on your PB!

[adempsey]

Very cool!