The Catch of the Day

Despite the cold and the wind, our dedicated fisher-men and women arrived on Gunflint Lake last weekend ready to hit the water. Every year seems to bring us the same weather forecast, so these folks always come prepared. Those who go for walleye often fish at night, which means even more layers of clothing to wear. Some folks used to bring snowmobile suits to go out there for the late night forays. Fortunately, the excellent fabrics we have available now mean that it is easier to stay warm and comfortable while pursuing our favorite pastimes.

I only heard a few boats go by at 10:30 p.m. before the midnight opener. The wind was strong, so that probably kept some boats at home. Sharlene used to tell me about what a sight it was to see, down in Little Gunflint Lake, with all of the lighted bobbers floating on the surface, each one waiting for the hungry walleye to come along and pop the bait into its mouth. I still haven't made it there to witness this, some twenty years later. But I have gone fishing at the Cross River at night, and seen the lighted bobbers there. I wonder what the fish think of those?

Early reports were spotty, but by the end of the weekend, we did have some stories to tell. The walleye were biting fairly well, and not just during the night. One couple went home with close to their limit, while others generally had at least some in their coolers. The trout were a bit slower, with reports of both 20 feet and 72 feet for their hang-outs. The water temp in the big lake started out at 41 degrees on Friday, but had warmed to 47 by Tuesday.

My favorite story is about our friend Remy, who is five years old. Remy went out fishing on Saturday night with her mom and her grandpa. She is the fourth generation in this family to fish on Gunflint Lake for opener. Some of my favorite stories about spring fishing are from her grandpa. They went out to try their luck, and sure enough, her mom caught a walleye big enough to be kept. Then Remy had her turn. She got a big bite, and started to reel in. It wasn't long before she was worn out and had to hand the rod over to mom. Her grandpa got the net ready, and then had a chance to see the fish. It was a nice one, and he quickly netted it, and brought it in to the boat. A six-pound walleye---definitely a keeper! Remy watched as her grandpa put the fish on the stringer. She hollered with dismay when he tossed it back overboard---"Papa, don't throw my fish back in to the water!" He explained that it was still there, just tied to the side of the boat to keep it cold. They started back for the cabin, and every few minutes she would give out a direction. "Papa, check that line, make sure my fish is still there!" When they pulled up on shore, Remy took the stringer and ran up to the cabin. She burst inside, dragging the fish behind her, to show her dad, her grandma, and her little sister Morgan. (They tell me that the floor needs washing after that! It's worth it, just for the picture of it in my mind.) It always makes my day when young kids catch nice fish like that. On Sunday morning, Remy let us weigh the fish and take some photos. Nice work, Remy!