Monday, July 11, 2011
Omega Lake, Kiskadinna Lake, Muskeg Lake, Long Island Lake
Woke up at 6:30am ready to go for a day trip to Long Island Lake and try my hand at some deep lake trout fishing. It had rained for about 10 minutes during the night. I hit the water at 8:30am and like usual battled the wind all the way to Long Island Lake. Kiskidinna was especially tough in the wind. I tried trolling Long Island Lake for quite a while. The wind was really against me. It was certainly nice for trolling with the wind, but then to paddle back into it for another pass was another thing. I tried different lures different locations, but no luck. I was getting frusterated quickly. In good conditions, it is hard to orient the boat and fish by yourself, the wind only makes it so much worse. I kept going at it, paddling and drifting, paddling and drifting, paddling and drifting. I had brought some extra long anchor rope in hopes of anchoring and then vertical jigging, but it was just too windy for that. I was afraid to anchor in such wind and waves. There were times, where I was actually worried while I was trolling that I might actually get a fish on. If I had, there would be no way I could stop paddling and reach down and reel him in. [paragraph break]I stopped for lunch at an Island campsite. While I was eating lunch, I saw a group of two canoes pull up along one of the shores and do some cliff jumping into the water. Bright people!!! Did a little more trolling then headed back to Omega. This time, the 1st and only time, the wind was with me! Got back to Omega, had supper and trolled around a little bit with no luck. Into the tent by 8:00pm. I was very tired and sore from paddling the wind all day.
LESSON OF THE DAY: If it is windy, don't fight nature all day and get frustrated trying to fish... adapt and do something else. This is the Bounday Waters, you don't have to follow your original plan.