The ole bee man made a a trip to the north woods the second week of September. We were going on the back side of the full moon which usually means good weather and good fishing and we were not disappointed. After suffering 103 degree weather for the last 4-5 weeks it was nice to have 70’s and 40’s for the entire week we fished.
We had a group of eight head out to the drop off point which is a 15 mile boat ride, then we paddled 7 miles across the Canadian border to a small island where we camped and fished for a solid week.
It was one of the best fishing trips we have had in a long time and I ended up catching 63 bass between 2-3.5 lbs. I also caught a few Walleye and pike but mainly it was small mouth with a few nice large mouth sprinkled in. I basically threw two baits the whole week. One was the wacky worm rigged with a small hook and a split shot about 4 inches above the hook. It was deadly around trees and also Lilly pads. I also manage to catch some fish on drop offs with this set up in 6-12 feet of water. The second was the Ned rig which was bounced off the bottom on points and drop offs. I did throw some top water and tube jugs but once I got a pattern going with the wacky worm and Ned rig I stuck with it.
I am an early sleeper so I would go yo bed earlier than my buddies and get up early and get the fire going and the coffee made. I was also the fish cleaner which I would rather do than the dishes. They cooked every night so it worked out well. The island we were on was maybe a half acre in size so before the crew got up I would walk around the island and catch a few fish then head back to camp yo get them going. We would generally get on the water around 9-10 and fish til 4:30 or 5. We would all meet up for a shore lunch around noon then split up again. We always have a big bass contest and this years winners were a father daughter duo. They each caught a smallie weighing 4.3 lbs. His daughter did catch a bigger fish and had it in the stringer, but somehow her husband lost it so it was never weighed. Let’s just say she was a bit disappointed, but hey, stuff happens to the best of us. Overall the trip went well with only one over turned canoe on one of the fishing days but besides that everyone got home in one piece. I was very happy to get home as I’m usually traveling with my wife, but she couldn’t make it because of work, but now as I sit on the couch I’m really missing camp life. Sitting around the fire every night with good friends in the north woods is a magical thing. The stars are amazing as are the sunrises and sunsets. I know the fish were happy when we left as we set a lot of hooks that week. Enjoy the pics and if you ever get a chance you need to see the boundary waters as it will change your life.
We had a group of eight head out to the drop off point which is a 15 mile boat ride, then we paddled 7 miles across the Canadian border to a small island where we camped and fished for a solid week.
It was one of the best fishing trips we have had in a long time and I ended up catching 63 bass between 2-3.5 lbs. I also caught a few Walleye and pike but mainly it was small mouth with a few nice large mouth sprinkled in. I basically threw two baits the whole week. One was the wacky worm rigged with a small hook and a split shot about 4 inches above the hook. It was deadly around trees and also Lilly pads. I also manage to catch some fish on drop offs with this set up in 6-12 feet of water. The second was the Ned rig which was bounced off the bottom on points and drop offs. I did throw some top water and tube jugs but once I got a pattern going with the wacky worm and Ned rig I stuck with it.
I am an early sleeper so I would go yo bed earlier than my buddies and get up early and get the fire going and the coffee made. I was also the fish cleaner which I would rather do than the dishes. They cooked every night so it worked out well. The island we were on was maybe a half acre in size so before the crew got up I would walk around the island and catch a few fish then head back to camp yo get them going. We would generally get on the water around 9-10 and fish til 4:30 or 5. We would all meet up for a shore lunch around noon then split up again. We always have a big bass contest and this years winners were a father daughter duo. They each caught a smallie weighing 4.3 lbs. His daughter did catch a bigger fish and had it in the stringer, but somehow her husband lost it so it was never weighed. Let’s just say she was a bit disappointed, but hey, stuff happens to the best of us. Overall the trip went well with only one over turned canoe on one of the fishing days but besides that everyone got home in one piece. I was very happy to get home as I’m usually traveling with my wife, but she couldn’t make it because of work, but now as I sit on the couch I’m really missing camp life. Sitting around the fire every night with good friends in the north woods is a magical thing. The stars are amazing as are the sunrises and sunsets. I know the fish were happy when we left as we set a lot of hooks that week. Enjoy the pics and if you ever get a chance you need to see the boundary waters as it will change your life.
