Day six dawned sunny and warm. My Dad and I were back on the water by daybreak and continued to have great success catching more than our fair share of Wallies and smallies. We returned to camp and decided on a day trip to Murdoch Lake. After a light breakfast, paddled out towards the main lake, me trolling all the way. After hooking fish after fish, my wife tells me we will never get there unless I leave my line out of the water. Sigh, but she is right of course so just paddling it is for now. We head down the bay leading to Murdoch and pull our canoes through the shallow creek connecting the two bodies of water. Temps are already in the high 80s, so getting in the water is very refreshing. Paddling halfway down Murdoch Lake, we break for lunch and look for moose. Still looking..... We figure we have gone far enough and turn back to head for camp. My wife starts trolling and reels in a couple of nice walleyes herself before getting back to the creek. We noticed plenty of smallies hanging about so we stayed there and caught a handful just for fun.

Heading back across Kawnipi now, Im trolling a Deep Tail Dancer and hook onto a monster. I can barely even budge the beast but after a long struggle I get it near the boat and get our first sighting. It is easily the biggest pike i have ever hooked, and Ive caught some big ones. The nearest shore is about 100 yards away and I decide we need to head there to land the fish. As I was getting ready to paddle, the monster did a crazy roll and broke the steel leader and off he went to the depths. The lure Ive been crushing fish on is forever gone. Bummer.

We make it back to camp and it's hot, a scorching day especially for Northwoods weather. Swimming is on the agenda and it is much needed and deserved. After dinner the two canoes head back out to fish and near dusk we notice something swimming in the distance. Just a head above the water, we figure its our much anticipated moose so we quietly paddle up behind it to get a few pictures. The women are obviously ecstatic, theyve been looking for days. Nearing the shore, we become aware that it certainly doesnt look like a moose and as it clammers out of the water much to our surprise it is a young bear. It turns around, shoots us a stare as if to say "what are you all doing in my house", shakes itself off and scampers into the woods. Not a moose, but it was even better. And, fyi in case you didnt know bears are pretty fast swimmers.

We fish our way back to camp and the woods become alive with the dreaded hum of hungry bugs. By the time we get back to camp, my wife counted 19 bites on my back but the worst one is on my eyelid, nearly swelling it shut. They were brutal this evening. It remained hot all night long, not a comfortable night sleep at all. Once again, we have yet to see another soul. Headed to bed wondering what the next day would bring.