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Walleye1
member (13)member
  
05/23/2020 06:10PM  
First time going to sag, using a 16ft Lund with 25 hp Johnson, unsure of how much fuel needed for a 7 day trip with goal to fish daily....any recommendations for camp sites or fishing spots would be helpful. My dad and uncle used to go here yearly, I never got the chance to with them before they passed and want to go now. Thank you!
 
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05/23/2020 07:16PM  
Is your permit to motor camp every night or just use day motor permits? There are a few outfitters at the end of the trail that might offer suggestions for campsites and fishing
05/23/2020 07:25PM  
Might be good to consult with a local outfitter about routes through the islands. I would have shear pins and probably a spare prop with the tools and knowledge to replace. While there are some wide open reaches on the lake that get mighty wild in the wind, getting into and out of campsites is often a slalom of rock hazards.

If I was going to motor there I would have a good, proper sized set of oars for emergency propulsion, but also for navigating dicey areas with the motor out of the water.

Saganaga is a stunningly beautiful lake and I enjoy every passage on it.
bruleman
distinguished member (190)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
05/24/2020 10:02AM  
My son, Scott, and friend Troy are on Sag this week. Using a Gunflint guide for a couple of days. Extended weather forecast is good. I have fished Sag, many times over the years. It is not as good as it used to be, based on my own experience and the reports of others. St James Bay and Red Rock Bay were good in the Spring. The guides mostly slow troll for Walleye, using a simple spinner rig, with the right weight to get the bait near the bottom. Light line, small hooks and live bait are the best. Also consider anchoring, using casting corks with minnows and leeches, when you find the school. I don't think that you will have a lot of competition, the next couple of weeks. You see that the fishing camps are not well booked, so far. If you run into Scott, I am sure that he will share his experience with you.
analyzer
distinguished member(2162)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
05/24/2020 09:35PM  
Walleye1. We cross sag almost every year. A few times the wind has been too strong to get around American point, and we've had to shelter in the islands. Once we decided to stay towards the eastern end. Find the map section on this website, look up sag, and find campsite 376. We really liked that one. It has a very large flat rock, adjacent to the waters edge. We set up chairs, and fished off the rock. It was decent smallie fishing, and caught a few eyes right from camp. It's sheltered from the wind, which can be good or bad. Good if there is inclement weather, bad if you're trying to get away from the bugs. But there's no standing water around there, so mosquitos shouldn't be too bad. Knock on wood. We really liked that campsite. It's deep right off shore. We had a female mallard duck fly in daily around noon. It would waddle up right into camp, and see if there was anything to eat. We had an otter come by too.

I ran into some guys that would fish sag in July by the full moon. They would gps their routes during the day, and then follow the routes after dark. They would located schools of bait fish, and pull crank baits below them. Working 6-12 fow. They would catch some nice walleyes.

Back in the day, some of the best fishing was up in the NE arm, on the Canadian side. I don't think you're going to be able to do that this year. Might be worth getting in touch with Mike Berg (seagul creek fishing camp---I think that's the name). You could pay them to guide you for a couple days, maybe learn some patterns. They've put an awful lot of people on 28" walleyes.

Is your 25hp a 4 stroke or 2 stroke? Makes a big difference in gas mileage. It depends alot on whether you are planning on trolling a bunch.

Ask around, I think some have portaged into Tenor, or Morris, and done well for eater walleyes. I'm not sure now, I think it was Tenor.

I think the state record Walleye was caught in the narrows, where the seagul river comes in. Back in the day, they used to catch some really big females early in the year, out of the rivers that feed sag. I think at some point they shut that down, as too many big girls were taken out of the lake.
Walleye1
member (13)member
  
05/28/2020 09:42PM  
We have a 2 stroke and a trolling motor. We weren’t sure if both are allowed or not. Thank you!
outsidej
senior member (83)senior membersenior member
  
07/02/2020 11:47PM  
You figure out what the proper amount of fuel to bring is? What is the general rule per day on Sag? Sedges, good suggestions on the shear pins and spare prop. Any other essentials that boat campers bring exclusive to boat camping?
thegildedgopher
distinguished member(1659)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/03/2020 08:18AM  
There really is no right amount of fuel. It will vary widely based on your motor and hull, not to mention how the boat is loaded and how you’re using the boat.

We were on sag in mid-June with a 14-footer and 6hp motor. We never used more than 3 gallons fishing from early am to 1pm or so, with the motor running the entire time. Made a few runs with wide open throttle but mostly trolling. You can save a lotta gas using an electric trolling motor but good luck with the batteries in a 7-day camping trip.

OP: 7 days with a 25hp motor, would love to hear how much you consumed.
outsidej
senior member (83)senior membersenior member
  
07/20/2020 02:03PM  
I used about 10 gallons of fuel on a three-night trip this past weekend.
 
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