Lake trout trip

[Hard_H2O]

Finally I am headed back up to Sioux Narrows, Ontario for the lake trout opener. It has been a few years. The opener is January 1st. We will be heading up on December 29th and chasing the walleye, perch, and crappies for a few days before the trout opener.

I was planning on replacing my non-waterproof bibs and parka this year. They are getting old and the wind cutting through them combined with them soaking up moisture was getting to be a pain.

I just scored a good deal on new bibs and parka. Gander Mountain had the Columbia Omni bibs and Omni Quad parka on sale. I got the bibs at Gander for $129. The parka would have cost me $219 at Gander if they had had my size.

I check Cabelas and they had it on clearance. Combined with a shipping deal, points, and a gift card it will be delivered for just shy of $90. Good thing Gander didn't have my size.

On previous laker trips the temps have been around the -30°F range. Add that to winds and snowmobiles and the new bibs and parka should make for a more enjoyable trip.

[yarndt52]

good luck up there sounds like a great time.. that is besides the freezing cold temperatures...

[Haywood]

I thought this was going to be an invite thread   

[Skipper]

I was tossing around the idea of fishing the gunflint lake area (guided) this winter for lakers.

[Hard_H2O]

I thought this was going to be an invite thread   

Sorry, I am not in charge of the trip. You are welcome to make the trip. My B-I-L and his buddies knows the ropes and the spots and I basically listen and learn from them. They would kill me if I gave up any spots.

Call up Crystal Harbour Resort and talk to them. They might have a room open. It is not terribly far North of the Twin Cities.

For the trout it is artificial bait only, one barbless hook.

Here is a list of resorts in the area:
http://siouxnarrowsontario.50webs.com/resorts/index.htm

It is a great trip.

[Hard_H2O]

Boy, you can't beat Cabelas shipping. Ordered on Monday afternoon and received the package Thursday morning. The truck from Prairie Du Chien must have hit all green lights on the way to Oakdale.

[Hard_H2O]

Got back yesterday. What a tremendous trip. The fishing was good, the snowmobiles ran great, the food was great, the weather cooperated, and the bed was warm.

We had two meals of fish. If you have never had fish fresh out of a hole in the ice you are missing out on a great meal. The owner of Crystal Harbour Resort in Sioux Narrows cooke one meal that we breaded for her when the cook was off for the New Years holiday and the cook made another meal when she returned. The first one was just Shore Lunch breading and it was fantastic. The cook did her magic with a wash of canned milk and egg followed by a breading of simply cornflake crumbs with no other seasoning added. It was buttery, flaky and crisp.

We brought back limits of lake trout, walleyes, perch, and crappies. We also got a couple of bonus whitefish.

I caught 7 species. Lake trout, walleye, sauger, perch, crappie, eelpout, and whitefish.

For a while it was a bit snowy:
 

B-I-L with a nice trout:
 

Me with a stunted tail trout:
 

Me with a couple of buckets of Nestor Falls crappies:
 

Me on the Panther 700 with a walleye:
 

Friend fighting a trout:
 

[Haywood]

Thanks for rubbing it in 

It makes me never want to risk going on house arrest again!!!

[Hard_H2O]

Thanks for rubbing it in 

It makes me never want to risk going on house arrest again!!!

I never would have made it without the b-i-l and friends. They have the sleds. I just bring up my gear, money, snacks and beverages. Everyone chips in for bait and other stuff.

They know there way around that lake. It would be very easy to get lost.

The fish cooperated nicely. On Wednesday we fished trout for about half a day and then headed up to Yellowgirl Bay. The perch and walleyes were jumping out of the holes. I was using a Gapen's Flicker with a minnow head or tail. I was in my b-i-l's Otter shack so I wasn't running the Vexilar. He was running his FL-18. I didn't need it. Just had to drop down to the bottom and wait for the perch or walleye bite and reel them up. We were in about 40 feet so releasing them was a bit of a problem. We just tried to bring them in slow so we could keep the eaters and the others would swim back down the hole.

[Haywood]

Now you are just pouring salt in my wounds...

[BottomDweller]

looks like some nice lakers by the snowmobiles, too.  what was your guys' biggest laker(s)?  thanks for posting

[Hard_H2O]

looks like some nice lakers by the snowmobiles, too.  what was your guys' biggest laker(s)?  thanks for posting

I don't think we measured or weighed any. You can keep one per day with two for a posession limit. Only one can be over something like 25.5"

We had a few over the upper size limit.

[Skipper]

Looks like you guys had quite a trip! Thanks for posting pics! I liked the stunted tail trout, how weird is that.

From the looks of that snow, the temps must have cooperated too. I love puffy snow. If you are standing in the middle of a deserted lake and that puffy stuff starts falling, man that is a great place to be!

Congratulations on a successful trip!

[fishuhalik]

Man, what an awesome trip!  I'm definitely jealous.  Some of those northern lakes are unbelieveable.  There isn't a ton of places in the world where you can catch several limits of different species and all of them be big

[Cold-Foot]

I ony dream of a trip like that but it will never happen. Thank God for people who really do it and share the adventure. Man, I got to win the lottery !!!!!!

[Hard_H2O]

I ony dream of a trip like that but it will never happen. Thank God for people who really do it and share the adventure. Man, I got to win the lottery !!!!!!

It really isn't all that expensive. My meals and lodging for 5 nights was around $250. I chipped in around $75 for gas. I think it took us three tanks in my friends Avalanche to get there and back. I filled the snowmobile tank once. My b-i-l and the other guys no what to do and were to go so no guide was needed. There are other incidentals but all together not too expensive for a trip like that.

[amortec]

That area has some great fishing .... we try to make at least two trips a year, we cross the border at Baudette and it takes about one an a half hours to get to Nestor Falls from there. Check out this web site http://www.halversonsoncrowlake.com/IceFishing.html  Its beautiful area, but be sure to take a GPS when you go!

[BigGunMN]

looks like a great trip... forgot how much I miss nester falls. Never fished there in the winter.

awesome lakers!!! I am coveting.