Once again, an opportunity for us fishermen & fisherwomen to look back on previous trips to the "Up-North" paradise that we know as the Boundary Waters and recall our favorite, most exciting memories...

Personally...
Portaging into Roy Lake off Lake Saganaga for a day trip and catching over 60 smallmouth bass in less than 3 hours (4 guys) on floating perch rapalas alone...
None were under 18 inches. What a day.

I don't think I have one that stands out more than the others. Some of my best ones would be catching a 45 inch northern that looked like the loch ness monster head coming straight up out of the water and inhaling my bullfrog lucky 13 and then submerging straight back down with hardly a ripple on the water. Thought I was seeing things until I tightened up my line and set the hook.
Then there was the 32 inch walleye that I caught while I was trolling for lake trout on the first day of a 13 day trip. That fish won the Ely Echo catch and release contest for the 2003 season.
Then there was the time I played tug of war with a 40 inch northern pike that hit the lucky 13 in the middle of a fast moving stream and we battled back and forth like a good tug of war. I was glad to be on land while that was taking place.
Then there was the first time I ever used a Zulu jerk bait and the fish couldn't leave this bait alone. It was at the bottom of the same stream I was just talking about catching that pike in. I also ended up catching my biggest smallie ever on that same trip on a Zulu. Only had 4 Zulus to start with on the trip. Came home with 2. Gave one to a guy I was fishing with and the other was lost to a pike.
Those are just some of my recent fondest memories, there are plenty more..........

Catching my very first lake trout within 5 minutes of being on my first lake trout lake was a very fond memory. Catching a 19" smallie on a plain bubblegum head jig when I lost the plastic body and was too far away from my tacklebox to get another one.

We were fishing right from our campsite on clear lake. I forgot the site #, but its on the north side and its elevated from the water.
It was just about dark, and I was casting out a gold rapala husky jerk. Hooked into something really nice….I fought the fish for a few minutes and passed the rod to my buddy so he could feel the size of the fish. After he continued to fight the fish, the line got hung up on something. In a panic, we quickly got into the canoe and paddled off to where the line was lodged. We realized that we entered the canoe backwards but tried to paddle to the line regardless. Never did get the fish, but still talk about the story.

On the Waiwag river in the Q, found a deep hole where a creek emptied into the river. Caught a walleye on every cast for 30 minutes. Must of hauled in 20+ fish, all fish were between 18" and 24". Just using a jig and pumpkinseed twister tail. Pitched it up river and let the current bring it back, BAM! What a riot.

I wouldn't say it was a trip where we had the best luck, but it certainly brings back the fondest of memories. Just my 2 sons,and myself, fishing and camping on Mountain Lake. We caught lakers right off shore of our campsite. There is nothing better than sharing the wilderness with your children.

I can still tell this "Fish Story" because my father-in-law is still alive to back me up. On Clearwater lake I was using a Rapala and it landed on a spruce branch next to shore. Instead of hooking the branch it flipped back into the water. A fish hit it and I reeled it in. When I got it in the boat I had one Smallmouth Bass on the front treble hook and one Smallmouth Bass on the rear treble hook. Both were 1 1/2 lb Bass.

It was a family affair, my wife took the picture, my son helped land the fish....we returned it unharmed....William Lake, Quetico 2005

Our first trip...about 10 minutes into Mudro on our way to Horse, my 11 year old son nails a very decent Northern. He was in the canoe with my brother, my oldest son and I paddled over, as we had the net, and my oldest son landed it for him. His first Northern. What a bunch of smiles...priceless. great way to start

Maybe not the fondest...but the most vivid. A monster smallie exploded on my new Super Spook. It felt like I set the hook on an anchor, but after a few seconds the line went limp. The snap was straightened out. Thirty seconds later the smallie surfaced again and I saw the Spook go flying. Paddled out to retrieve it, and discovered that the smallie had somehow ripped the front treble off. I fish that spot again every year, but have never hooked up with it again. Ah, memories!

My son's first trip to the BW. On a hot afternoon while the rest of the party cooled off under the pines, he and I were still pounding the water. He hooked a big fish in a shady chunk of shoreline on Agnes and the fight was on. The fish pulled our canoe around inbetween me paddling back towards camp (where the witnesses were!) He was almost afraid of that fish....even in the picture. I never touched his fish pole once....I only landed the fish (by hand....nobody had a net). He was tired, but the picture turned out great to remind us of the memory. We took some quick pics along the shore and released it.

We had a group of 6 camping on Caribou lake. We all had bobber in the water while we were in camp. About dusk some says "hey a moose is crossing the lake". Everybody runs over to see it, I look back and at one time 3 of our bobbers go under. I go back to start real in the fish and I couldn't get anybody to come back. Just as soone as I got one fish in another bobber would go down. In the 3 minutes took the moose to cross the lake I caught 6 fish. When everyone came back their jaw about hit the grown when they saw a pile of fish sitting by the campfire.

We had just set up camp on Lake Agnes in the Quetico. I threw out my first cast off of camp and hooked into a 12 lb Laker.What he was doing hitting a shad rap in 10 ft of water in mid August is beyond me. Only laker of the trip.
we were fishing Jasper lake for smallies and I was using an old L&S minnow it tangled up and I was reeling it in bouncing it off of the water when a 5 lb smallie nailed it.

Summer 08. Camera got wet, so no proof, but my bud and I couldn't get our jig to the bottom w/o being hammered by walleye in our secret spot. We also landed 5 fish in the 26 inch range within an hour. If we wanted a 4-5 lb smallie, we just had to cast toward the shore from where we were anchored for walleye. It was some of the best fishing I have experienced anywhere.

We had taken an 11 mile haul to a lake we nailed walleyes on the year before right from camp. Turned out those dang eyes had moved. So the day before we left we decided to make our treck a bit shorter by going halfway on Sat and the other half on Sun. Turns out the walleyes (males anyway) were still spawning. 3 of us could not go a cast or a drift with the bobber without nailing a walleye. Our 4th guy couldn't seem to catch anything, he's not much of a fishermen but to this day we still have no idea what he was doing wrong. We caught our limits of wallyes within an hour and continued catching fish for fun. All the walleyes were males, as they were all spiting milk, we never hooked into a pig (we figured they must have been done spawning). We finally got sick of catching walleyes and went to the fire to cook up a midnight snack (thank goodness 1 of us didn't know how to fish and had the fire all ready to go!). To bad we had to leave the next day but it sure was a blast!

Southern end of Bald Eagle, throwing a black buzz bait (which I had thrown in my tackle box on a last-minute whim ...) and got into the pike like you wouldn't believe. There were weeds along the shoreline, and I'd cast onto the weeds and drag the bait off. The moment it it the water, look out. Nothing over 30 inches, but man were those guys ferocious. A couple of the fish hit 4-5 times before hooking up. My friend in the front of the canoe didn't have a buzz bait and tried everything in his tackle box trying to get into the pike, and never did, but he caught a monster smallmouth on a Senko. An unforgettable evening, that's for sure.

Sept on Basswood. We found a good submerged weedbed and were going to cast for Northerns. I switched lures and put on an orange and black spinner bait. I leaned my rod on the thwart with the lure hanging over the side of the canoe about a foot above the surface of the water. I was putting the lure I took off away in my tackle box when the water beside us erupted as a 5 pound or so Northern jumped out of the water at my lure. He missed, but I did catch him when I dropped the lure into the water and gave it a couple of subtle twitches. Went on to catch lots of Nordski's on that lure and also our biggest Walleye of that trip. Needless to say, an orange and black spinner bait went on my buddy's list for the next trip.

A remarkable and memorable evening fishing with my son on Disappointment. Non-stop top water small mouth, large mouth and pike action.

My wife and stepdaughters were out in two canoes. THey wanted to bobber fish; it was mid-day, and I had never been on the lake before, but to placate them, I agreed. we tied the canoes together, threw out an anchor, and the girls began hauling in 18 inchers hand over fist. I didn't fish, I just ran the net and re-baited hooks. A cow moose walked by during the mayhem as well. We got 14 on the stringer (supper for a church group) in about 25 minutes. Pretty cool.

quote snakecharmer: "A remarkable and memorable evening fishing with my son on Disappointment. Non-stop top water small mouth, large mouth and pike action.
"

I'm headed up to Disappointment with a buddy in the middle of May this year. Let's hope we can tie into some of the same action! Awesome picture snakecharmer!

Being with my 13 year old daughter in 2003 the day she limited on walleyes. She was on new medication and her joints felt good for a change. Life was good.

Easy-
First trip to the Dub. Went in with 8 people. Ex-brother in law was 'group leader'.
He was actually group xxxhole. Thought he was Master Angler.Told everyone how to fish and also decided to hoard the snacks! (Guess he thought he was not going to get his share, he being 100 pounds overweight.)
Catching the 4 foot pike in front of his fishless self was perfect. He actually asked to pose with the fish! (Wonder what he's sayin' bout that catch?!!!)
Been back every year to this beautiful part of the world- not with him, though!

Heard what sounded like slurping on top of the water and found a feeding frenzy going on. Could not miss for about an hour. Tubs and poppers. It was a great time! Especially sharing it with a brother that does not get this kind of fishing.

That's a tuff one to answer.

First would be my son catching his first 20"+ smallmouth and biggest of the trip in 2008.

In 2009 it would be my son catching his first walleye and pike of the trip within 45 mins of each other. It was one of those moments kids talk about for hours and days after.


Dave

Too many to pick one :-)

I instantly knew my fondest BWCA fishin' memory. It has nothing to do with size or amount of fish. Just an amazing occurrence. I had hooked into a typical BWCA smallmouth (about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs). And somehow it broke my line (or possibly my knot had been bad and unraveled). I was pretty pissed because it was my favorite Rapala. A few minutes later a fish jumped within 15 feet of our canoe....and then jumped again.....and again. I realized it was the smallmouth that broke my line. It still had my Rapala in its mouth and was trying to "throw" it. A few more attempts and it successfully "thew" my lure within 6 feet of our canoe. Luckily my Rapala floated and I stuck my paddle out and retrieved it. So basically the fish borrowed my Rapala for 5 minutes or so and then gave it back to me!

I'm with basspro, how do you pick one? It's like asking my favorite food. So many great memories, what a special place.

Best fishing was a time when we were windblown on a campsite - too windy to fish so we fished from shore all day - caught about 20 lakers from shore that day. Not being able to go out and fish is tough to take - unless you can catch fish from camp.

Fondest memory - walleye fishing with my dad at night in September and having a big bull moose swim pretty close to us and watching it swim in the moonlight on the water.

Wow. This is tough. First the "runner up"s:

#1: First trip to the BW trolling a huskyjerk, caught a 39" pike.

#2: Memorial day trip to BW. Fishing was slow. Found a warm, wind-swept shore. Caught about 10 smallies in a row.

#3: Another Memorial day trip. Fishing was slow. Found a warm bay. Caught many smallies on topwater.

Now for the champions (again, too many to pick just one):
#1: Found a submerged island. Daughter #4 caught smallies nonstop for about an hour.

#2: Took daughter #2 back to the submerged island. She caught a nice 21" smallie.

#3: Found a nice spot on a small river. Daughter #1 caught a 15" smallie. A huge pike t-boned her smallie. It was quite a circus.

A couple of great memories for me. My first fish caught in the BWCA was a trophy five pound smallmouth bass. The other great moment was last year watching my son pull in a nice walleye (8-9 pound range). The smile on his face was priceless.

Too many to choose a best fishing memory, so I will go with the one I have pics for - the fishing at the "secret" spot.... All any of us have ever caught there are large northerns, and have always caught one on the first cast. Just a lot of fun to catch.

quote Huselius: "Too many to choose a best fishing memory, so I will go with the one I have pics for - the fishing at the "secret" spot.... "

Nice fish.

I don't want to know where the secret spot is located. But, what defines the secret spot? What features do you think are attracting the big pike?

Hard to know for sure, but it has a few things going for it. It is sort of a dead end spot, so it doesn't have people just passing through it. As far as the spot itself, it has 1 main way to get to it (bog-like) and then opens into a channel where the fish are, and they tend to congregate at that spot - at least the ones that are biting. As far as bait fish and such, I honestly don't know.

We've just (jokingly) gone with "the fish go into the dead end, grow big, and can't fit out through the muck"

I am planning my first trip to the BWCA this June, so I don't have a "fondest" memory...yet! Stay tuned!

only been there 4 times and it happened my first night on my first trip. we were basecamping on alton and got out to fish for 2 hours before night. my dad told me not to expect to catch many fish, maybe 1 or 2 each. on his first cast he caught an 18" smallie, and we caught about 15 bass that night all around 16". a good introductory to the bwca for me :)

Hello ya'll... First time poster. My folks started taking my brother and I to the Boundary Waters when I was just a little guy. I think I was 7 or 8 my first year. I turned 30 this year and can't wait for our trip the end of May. I guess I can't really name my favorite time....There are so many. One of our first trips, fishing in the falls at Basswood catching smallmouths and northern's like they were going out of style. Catching my 6 lb. smallie. Dad slipping on the dock in front of 20 or 30 people.( Think I broke a rib I was laughing so hard.) Those were all great. I haven't been a lot of places in this world. But I can't imagine myself being anywhere else than the north country for my vacation. It is truly heaven on earth to me. I hope to someday call it home. Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, see ya next month!

I was out with a friend who daily earns himself the name "caveman". We were out one sunny afternoon doing pretty good on walleye. We had a few walleye on the stringer when a ~30" northern tries to take lunch off the stringer. Caveman decided it was unacceptable to lose any part of his supper, so he bare hand grabs the fish by the back of the head and pulls it half out of the water. I scoop under it with the net and he brings it in the canoe. He scolds the fish with a few choice words, and, after quickly debating the legality of keeping a fish taken by hand, we decide we'll have enough walleye for supper and he puts it back in the water.

My wife and I went to North Bay on Basswood Lake and caught and released over 500 smallies,the largest was 22 and 3/4". Of course the wife caught that one. That was her first canoe trip in the BWCA. I think she's hooked. Darn the luck.

AirBlair,Your in for a treat.

Bringing my brother to my favorite brook trout lake in the fall. He had never seen one before so when I caught a well fed 17 incher in full fall colors he was amazed a fish could be that purdy. He was upset that I kept letting them go though.

My best times in the BW seem to run hand in hand with the weather. A particular trip when the weather was not to cold but cold enough to keep away the bugs sticks out in my mind. The wind layed down the walleyes bit and my friend smoked his victory cig after the stringers were full.

bump

Fishing with my dad, move to new spot, anchor up, cast, wham, nice smallie for me. Dad changing lures, he casts, somehow the lock or attachment that holds your spool in an open face spinning reel to the reel is not engaged. Plunk!, over the side goes his spool of line, bait cast out, spool on bottom of lake. Choice new words I learned that day ensue. "well he says, I will pull all the line out, and get the spool back, because I have no spare spool" Ok, I will fish, good luck. I am catching them fast and furious, he is pulling line from lake. OOPS, spool stays on bottom, all line in the boat. New choice words come out, as I reel in another nice smallie. "Well, I will save the line, pull in by hand", and as he does, a big smallie hit the bait, and for next little while my dad has epic battle with no reel, with a 4 pound smallie. I am beyond laughing, quite the show. He eventually lands it, memories forever.

Putting my wife (to be at the time) on her very first laker.


Gillis lake

TB

Climbed the trail up to Eddy Lake with my three brothers, fishing pole and leech bucket in hand. As they were standing near the portage trail, I walked a brief way down the shore and found a downed tree in the water. Cast a slip bobber and leech next to the tree and in less than 3 seconds set the hook on a 3 pound smallie.
6 casts in a row, all similar and very quick results...6 smallies, none less than 2 1/2 pounds, in less than 15 minutes.

One of my students had gutted out the week with the flu. On our way out we camped on agnes. I convinced him sick as he was to go out drift/trolling deep divers with me across a submerged weed flat. He hooked into what we thought was a nice northern until I caught a glimpse of it and realized it was a 32" walleye. I landed it (two hands) measured it, and snapped a pic.

last may on knife lake, after already being down one pole, had a bobber off our camp site with guts from a filleted fish. During dinner we hear the rod slide down the rocks(the bail was open too). It is an immediate drop to over 6 feet from the rocks and I assume my 2nd pole is lost. My cousin eventually sees something shiny, instantly jumps in and dives down. The pole was lodged on a branch under water. He comes up, rod tip up and proceeds to reel in a 8 pound northern. The pic is priceless he is completely soaked. I'd post it,but I am currently sitting at work.

Never been fishing for pike specifically but last year we portaged up to Turtle Lake from Bald Eagle. It was, by far, the toughest portage to date in the BW for me. Caught my biggest pike fishing for... well, pike. Caught a buzz too!

It was pretty sweet!

walleye fishing through the ice in early april in the narrows heading to Sag. right at dusk the walleyes hit like crazy, two of had our limit within 1/2 hour! the biggest was 5 3/4 lbs, that's the biggest walleye I've ever caught. the ice was still about 8" so plenty safe.

Here's one:

Fishing with my novice fisherman son in the current area of Crooked. He's wondering what to throw. I suggest a classic red/white Daredevle. His quote:

What stupid fish will hit this thing?

He ties it on and the northern come out of nowhere and hammer that thing over and over. Fun for me suggesting the right lure, seeing the look on his face. Fun for him catching all the fish. Two pictures attached:

A fish.

If you look in the background of the other, you can see the Daredevle splashing in the water.

One of my best memories took place last summer on Iron Lake. I was fishing with my cousin and good friend Scott. We decided to anchor off and island in a strong wind. We caught walleye after walleye. Rob was in the middle of the MN III, fishing only a few feet away but he managed to out fish Scott and I together 3:1. We have never laughed so hard. Next time, I'm sitting in the middle.

Jigging for (and catching) Walleyes, Northern and big Crappies while floating in the Kawishiwi River and then watching this big boy swim right in front of our canoe.

Back in high school I caught my limit of walruses on lake 3 one afternoon. I was just jigging a leech off a rock face that I eventually just climbed up on to make it easier. It was the first time I caught a limit of walruses. I was by myself just giggling that I was the only one there to see what was happening. All those fish were eating size or larger and were caught in the middle of a bright sunny July day. Ever since then I have been "hooked" on the b-dub and fishing in general.

quote mbeyer: "Here's one:


Fishing with my novice fisherman son in the current area of Crooked. He's wondering what to throw. I suggest a classic red/white Daredevle. His quote:


What stupid fish will hit this thing?


He ties it on and the northern come out of nowhere and hammer that thing over and over. Fun for me suggesting the right lure, seeing the look on his face. Fun for him catching all the fish. Two pictures attached:


A fish.


If you look in the background of the other, you can see the Daredevle splashing in the water.


"

that's great! sounds like something my kid would say, haha "what kind of stupid fish ..." LOLOL!

June 2011, taking my 9 year old son to BWCA for the first time. It will be memorable one way or another, good or bad :)

quote gsfisher13: "June 2011, taking my 9 year old son to BWCA for the first time. It will be memorable one way or another, good or bad :)"

Good for you gsfisher. Get 'em hooked early, and enjoy the trip.

This was years ago, maybe early 90's. We were on Gabbro, mid lake northern bay...sunset-ish. Shallow, I could barely see the bottom. I was casting a 4 bladed buzzbait. I had a washtub sized boil behind the bait...and another...another. I'll bet I cast ten times to the same spot, and every cast I got one or two huge boils behind the bait, but no hook-ups. Disgusted, I put the rod down, with the buzz hanging over the side. While contemplating the universe over a pull of Crown, I noticed a log laying on the bottom....except it was floating up...Holy @#$%%%$#%$$ it's a huge Pike,I mean like a 20-25lb monster, staring right at the buzzbait. It floats all the way to the surface, dorsal fin out of the water , looking right at the buzzer. My bow partner turns to say something...SPOOKS THE PIKE!!!...the water explodes, as the pike skeeedaddles out of this universe!!!!!I guess partner's movement spooked the fish...wwe are all wet from fish. Never got a hook in fish....will always remember that moment.

I am lucky enough to fish in the BWCA throughout the season and I can not possibly pick one story and say its the best...there have been fish that I have lost that are great moments. the BWCA is the only place where I can hook and lose a monster and it doesn't really bother me...because you'll have another monster on soon after.

Thanks for bumpin BP

Only trip to the BW with my daughter. Last night of 5 day trip after slow fishing, my daughter starts nailin em. I had more fun watching her get all excited.

Last day of the trip and 2 of us got up early in a very thick fog to portage back to a small lake lake we passed the day prior. The bottom was sandy with some mixed weeds and 6-10 foor deep. We could watch our lures flashing as we reeling them in and actually see the fish bite the lure. We caught a mix of Northerns, Walleye and Crappie. Never forget how clear the water was watching the flash and then see the fish just prior to the bite. Very Cool..

On a trip through the Man chain...front moving in...

My bow partner starts catching a lunker sized perch on EVERY CAST with his black rapala. I wished a had a Rapala then remembered the green one we found in the mouth of a very large northern skeleton.

EVERY CAST I made with the green Rapala brought in a nice small mouth.

My partner didn't like taking fish off the hook so I spent more time removing fish than I did reeling them in. STILL HAD A BLAST!

Most times catching large northerns they don't put up a huge fight, just a lot of pulling with deep runs. Then there was THIS encounter...

I was with my Dad in 2000 on Eddy Lake. I had my walleye rod rigged with a 3 inch crayfish colored crankbait and no leader. I threw it out to troll awhile when I saw the rod double over and a huge boil about 30 yards in back.

I knew it was big and got it closer to the boat when all of a sudden it flies completely out of the water like a tarpon. This was a very large northern and silver in color. As it got closer it swam across the surface with fins sticking out like a shark. The black eye seemed to be sizing us up.

It then made a powerful run to the bottom when my line went slack. I reeled in as fast as I could when I realized it was shooting straight up next to the boat. I was in the stern and turned around facing the back of the canoe when this monster of a pike came flying out of the water with mouth wide open and when I turned and ducked it slammed into the side of the stern with a bang.

I couldn't believe what had just happened. My Dad was laughing but all I can see is a mouth full of teeth coming right at my face!

I battled this fish trying to tire him out but having no net we couldn't land it. It's neck area was too broad to get a hand around and I didn't want to go under the jaw for fear of impaling myself with treble hook. The lure was nowhere to be seen. The line with no leader was coming out the side of his mouth.

Well it wasn't too much longer when the line suddenly popped and the lunker swam slowly away. Me and Dad just shook our heads in amazement at the ferociousness of this brute. I'll never forget those teeth and the way it came out of the water not once but twice. The silvery, almost translucent color was different too. If I had to guess I'd say it was 45 inches long. What a monster.

Catching my first walleye, while on a solo trip, allowed me to cross it off my bucket list of "fish to catch." I remember pumping my fist in the air.
Bigger memories, however, are of fish that got away. There was what would have been my first laker, one of exceptional size too, that I mishandled at the shoreline. I ended up not catching one on that trip.
My very biggest memories are reserved for fish of which I may not have even gotten a glimpse. On my last solo trip, I had caught several walleye and smallmouth in the 18 to 23 inch range when "something" very large grabbed the bait and took off. I remember saying "whoa," out loud, even though I am not one to talk to myself. I was unable to even slow him down and the hook, which was probably too small for a monster, tore out of his mouth.

I find myself reflecting on those fish that got away more than the ones that I caught, probably because my imagination can entertain all kinds of possibilities.

Four of us were on a trip to Quetico and BWCA. We were in Little Roland coming in about mid-afternoon. Between the four of us we caught 200 smallmouth. Almost every cast we hooked something. In the evening we switched to Jitterbugs and we couldn't miss. Everything was in the 3-4 pound range.

Too many to list... One would be fishing from the shore of a local lake with my late Grandfather for panfish when I was around 6 or so. That and other such excursions are what made me the fisherman I am today.

As for a more recent memory I'd have to say fly fishing on the Escanaba river in Michigan's UP with my best friend. We caught dozens of Brown trout and a few Rainbows and stayed well after dark... nothing like fresh trout on the grill in the middle of the night.

5 year old daughter's first walleye. Perent Lake in July 2010.

Her first Smallmouth. Kawishiwi River in June 2010

#1 Caught 11 lake trout from 2 to 8 pounds in 1 hour.

#2 My youngest son caught three very nice lake trout in 10 minutes before I could get a line
in the water. This was three years ago when he was 8 years old.

#3 My oldest son's first walleye, caught on Brule Lake when he was almost 6 years old.

#4 Watching a 45-inch pike grab a 26-inch lake trout and bring both to the canoe before
the pike lets go.

I was musky fishing with my dad on a lake north of the BWCA. I put him in the bow the first evening. We had a system where the stern person would paddle and control the boat and only the bow person would cast. Well, the muskies were really hitting that evening. He caught eight and rode me hard all week about being ahead even though I gave him that gift of the bow.

Anyway, a week later, as the float plane circled to fetch us, I finally tied him in the most spectacular fashion. I had hooked and lost a musky on a surface lure. I was wondering where to cast, realizing that if I could catch that fish, I'd tie him. Then I saw the musky angled under the water like a missile, wondering how to reach my lure again. I released the spool and the water exploded and we ended up tied.

I think the fish that hook us are the ones that got away. I had a friend cast to the shore and the water erupted. Then his F-13 original Rapala came whistling back to us. Hooks were straightened, the sides scarred, and even the wire backbone was partially yanked out of the body. I still have that lure and treasure it. We paddled over to where the eruption occurred and it was a foot deep. I couldn't understand why a huge fish would park in such shallow water, but then a friend hooked a 56-inch musky in a foot of water and so nowadays, there's no water too shallow for a cast.

I've got so many favorites that are just UNBELIEVABLE! I'll just list a few from last years trip. Some of the most memorable were fish that I didn't catch but witnessed.

4. Leeches under slip bobbers as we set up camp. I hear something and look over just in time to see my friends rod shoot into the water. I yell, "Kevin, you just lost your pole!" He says, "Its not mine, I left my bail open and wedged my rod in a tree. So I look over the edge and can see the pole cruisin' parallel to shore. He's bummed about losing his pole and takes a walk down the shoreline casting a big daredevil hoping to snag into his line. After ten minutes, he casts out and is letting the spoonsink to the bottom. WHAMMO! A fish hammers it. After a long battle he brings in a 36" pike with a leech hooked into the corner of his mouth, and a daredevil in his throat. We canoe out following the line and pull up his fishing pole. No $#!T I have it on video!
pike stole pole

3. After my friend got skunked on a whole day fishing, he joined me the next day. He caught a 28" walleye, his biggest. He caught 2 smallies at once on a Berkeley frenzy(17" & 18.5"). And he caught a northern with a wally diver stuck in the side of his face. The same lure he borrowed the day before and lost! He returned the lure.
lure back pic

2. Me, I caught my 2 biggest walleyes to date. 28.5 and 28" The 28"er we got on video while fishing from shore. I thought it was much bigger in that clear water. It really magnifies those fish!
28" Walleye video

1. On my first trip I caught a 24.5" Smallie = HUGE, I guarded and carried that fish 2 days to get it out of the bdub and mounted. I also caught a 12" bluegill on a shadrap on day 1. I ate it as I couldn't have it mounted. 12 yrs old at the time.
huge smallie

I believe it was when I caught my first, ever, walleye. It didn't happen until my third trip. Though I was solo, I pumped my fist into the air, shouting "Yes!" I did catch more of them in short order, though.

"Its just a snag!" - is what Smalls said when I asked him if he had a bite. We were fishing at the bottom of the falls from Fishdance into Alice in May of 2006. Well that "snag" had some movement and began taking some line as my buddy began the fight with a large slime rocket. He horses this monster up to the surface as I ready the net to land this monster and throw it into the canoe - NOT! About a 1/3 of the fish would go in the net and then what. We decided to head to shore and land her there. Mr Lipid pulled our canoe to shore on his own power as I steered to a nice sandy strech. Then as its belly touch the sandy bottom it rolled once and was gone back to the depths from which it came. Bet she is still sitting in that hole picking and choosing what and when it wants to eat......priceless.

Jeriatric,
A fitting name I must say. You posted the same thing a few posts up the page. All joking aside, I love the adrenaline when fishing and something different comes out of the water. Different species, or big fish, or in my case last year, someones collapsable frabill net below Lower Basswood Falls.

That net came in handy on many occasions last year. It will be returning this year. Thanks to whomever dropped this in the water. My buddies appreciated it too!

The one that got away..... Hooked a BIG pike on a top water, no leader, big hit, big splash with promise of lots of fun. My first timer buddy, eyes wide open Asks-- "What do you want me to do??"

I said full of confidence to the new guy-- "Just watch Me."

Two minutes later the pike cut the line and swam off with my lure.

Turns out the big fun was at my expense at camp that evening. :)

Catching my very first walleye ever. This was on Crooked Lake when I was about 14 years old. Now,with my Dad, a walleye was almost a sacred fish, storied for it's elusiveness (up to that time) and it's great eating.

This also happened to be my very first BWCA-Quetico trip ever. We had a group of 7 in 3 canoes. The whole group, scattered around the bay heard me when I shouted out, "IT'S A WALLEYE!"

That was over 40 years ago. Geez, I remember it like yesterday.

In 2007 the family decided to give up on some nasty weather and end our BWCA trip one day early. We killed time in Ely the next day and my step-son and I went out for an evening fishing at a BWCA lake the next evening. Fishing was terrific, some big walleyes included, a beautiful sunset and wolves howling. Overall, a perfect evening.

Watching my buddy's kid catch fish. It is always a nice feeling when they strruggle to turn the handle and the drag keeps zipping away.




Getting to the take out was pretty fond that year> We were toast:

i guess mine would have to be that one time i caught that fish. dont remember which or where?

On my first trip I would have to say all the people telling me its the best fishing in north america and the biggest fish I caught was proboly no bigger than a 4 inch perch. But my girlfriend did catch a huge smallie. And to all the men out there with women in there life know how much that hurt. lol (as long as there happy right??)