Conference wahoo::fishing

    Hey Bear,
    
    What does it take to make a trip like that? I'd love to do that sort of
    thing sometime.
    
    Ed
    

    
    
    
    Well Ed,
    
       First of all you have to be from heaven (Iowa).  Just kidding.
    The first time I took a trip into the boundary waters we went through
    an outfitter that flew us in in a float plane, very expensive.  For the
    last few years we've been using a different outfitter who motors us to
    our first portage in a power boat.  We cross land which is about 1/4
    mile with all our gear which consists of 2 canoes, 1 seabag for each
    person, additional seabags for tents, tarps, etc., 2 huge naval bags
    for food, misc., fuel for colemans, colemans, rods, reels, tackle
    boxes, and whatever else we'll need for 2 weeks.
       No cans or bottles are allowed, your campsite has to be left the way
    you found it, or better.  Even though you're 50-70 air miles from
    anywhere, you will get checked by game wardens.   
       Other than the portage there is simply not a better time fishing.
    Moose, bear, beaver, and loons are everyday sights.  As are northern,
    walleye, BIG smallmouth, and BIG crappie.  You smell pretty bad when
    you come out, but that's part of the experience.
    
    
    Bear
    
    

    
    
    
    Ed,
    
       I guess I didn't really answer your question did I.  I don't have
    the number right now, but our outfitters name is Anderson Outfitters
    in Crane Lake, Minnesota.  Look in the ads of any fishing magazine and
    you will see all kinds of ads for outfitters along the border.
       I'm a little prejudice I suppose, but Andersons have done a terrific
    job for us.  Super nice people.  The whole trip including freeze dried
    food, all our provisions, licenses, boat trip, and gas up and back,
    everything, costs us about $300 for a two week stay.  CHEAP!!!
    
    Bear
    
    

    Does that include rental of the equipment too, or do you bring your
    own?
    
    Ed
    

    
    
       We have all our own equipment.  We wait for sales on the freeze
    dried stuff, and use generic brands of stuff like powdered pudding
    mix, ricearoni(sp), etc.  We take in fresh potatoes and eggs, plus
    peanut butter and jelly.  We use the outfitters mainly for getting
    our licenses and the boat ride.
    
    Bear
    
    

    
    
    Just in case, That's $300 per person.
    
    B

    Yo bear sounds great!
    
    We leave in two weeks for Cass lake, Minn. Not exactly "boundary
    waters" but beautiful country just the same. Can here the loons calling
    now. People think I'm crazy for driving 26 hours from New Jersey just
    to go fishing, but you have to love it to do it. Been making the trip
    for five years now. Nothing tastes better than fresh caught walleye.
    
    Good fishin,
    
    John

    
    
    John,
    
       Where abouts is Cass Lake?  Is it mainly a walleye lake?  If you're
    going in 2 weeks you'll be real close to opening weekend, which is like 
    one of the biggest events in Minnesota.  We take a radio in with us to
    listen to the weather reports, and hear the hourly updates from
    different lakes concerning the walleye fishing.  There are alot of good
    things about a fishing trip, but a good shore lunch of walleye rates as
    one of the best.
    
    Bear
    
    

    Bear,
    
    Cass is just east of a town called Bemidji. They tell me it's 60 miles
    from the Canadian border.
    
    We go the same time every year which is one week after the walleye
    season opens. This year we arrive on may 19, which is three weeks away,
    I know I said two weeks in my previous reply but you will have to
    excuse my excitement. I've already rearanged both tackle boxes twice,
    and I'll have to do them again as the Cabellas back orders dribble in.
    
    Cass is mainly a walleye lake with plenty of pike,perch and musky. They
    did stock lakers a few years ago but we were told they didn't take as
    the lake doesn't have enough deep holes. Does this sound right to you
    lake trout fisherpersons?
    
    John

    
    
    John,
    
       I looked on my handy dandy Rand-Mcnally and found Cass.  Looks like
    a nice location.  I've heard alot about Leech Lake which is just south 
    of Cass also.  As far as you're excitement - I know exactly what you
    mean, we're just a little over a week from our departure, makes it real
    hard to keep my mind on work.  
       Over the weekend on got a weather report from the area we go to,
    5 inches of snow and 20 degree temps.  BRRRRRRRRR!!!  But I'm keeping
    the faith.
       You were probably told correctly about the lakers.  The shield lakes
    that we're on are not deep enough for the lakers either, at least
    that's what I've been told.  Maybe we heard it from the same guy.  Hope
    you hae great fishing.  Maybe we'll cross paths going home.
    
    Bear
    
    

    
    
    	Bear and John...man you really got me going....when I was a
    	young Gitzit' growing up....My family had a trailer in the
    	Leech Lake area.  Many a day were spent trolling red and white
    	daredevils [sp] for Pike on Leech.  Unlike bass fishing with
    	the 5,000 or so lures to choose from....the big question was
    	what color to choose for the back of the Daredevil..silver,
    	copper or bronze.
    
    	Good luck in the Mid Wests God's Country.
    
    	Gitzit'
    

    
    
    Well folks,
    
       Not to boast but,  at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon the truck pulls
    out headed for the boundary waters.  We're strapping on the canoes
    tonight, as well as packing my sea bag.  The last two nights have been
    spent taking care of bills, mowing the lawn, sending out mothers day
    cards, and of course cleaning, greasing, and respooling the reels.
    All the equipment and tackle should be all set to catch that 7 lb.
    smallmouth and 20 lb. northern (I wish!!!).  Of course I'll be thinking
    of you all...   for about 5 minutes, then anything associated with DEC
    leaves my mind until memorial day.
       Seriously though, I hope you all have good and safe fishing.  I'll
    let you know how the trip went when I get back.  Take care all!!!
    
    
    Bear

    One minor question: Do you, (could you, would you, should you) carry
    firearms with you on this trip?
    
    Ed
    

    re .13
    
    out here in washington state hand guns are a BIG NO NO going into
    canada.
    
    
    jerry
    

    I wasn't necessarily limiting the question to handguns. In fact I
    seem to recall that handguns are a big no-no in Canada, period.
    
    Ed
    

    
    
    
    Ed,
    
       Firearms of any sort aren't a good idea unless you stay on the U.S.
    side.  Over the two weeks we just spent there I couldn't begin to count
    the number of shotgun shells we seen.  They are simply everywhere. 
    Plus a few hundred beer cans.  They do so much to keep an eye on the 
    fishermen to make sure they don't litter and such, but seem to pretty
    much leave the hunters alone.  We brought this up to the Ranger that
    paddled into our camp and he said that it's going to change real soon!!
    I hope so, it's such beautiful country.
       Will write more on the trip as soon as I get caught up.
    
    Later  
    
    
    Bear
    
    

    Bear cans??? Is there no way to escape the slime balls who think the 
    great outdoors is their own personal trash can? What is it about beer 
    drinking and fishing/hunting that inspires such deviant, antisocial 
    behavior?
    
    Ed
    

    
    
    Well,
    
       Finally got a minute to write some of the highlights from our trip
    to the boundary waters.
    
       Pulled out at around 14:30 on the 10th.  A few miles into Wisconsin
    the pickup developed a horrible miss.  We pulled into a gas station to
    fill up and check it out.  Smoke rolled out from under the hood, and
    oil covered the whole engine compartment.  Going to be a bad trip...
    
       Added some gas and filled up on oil and hit the road.  The same
    scenario all the way to Crane Lake, Minn., fill up with oil and gas
    every 100 or so miles.  But with luck we made it to the outfitters at
    about 3:30 in the morning.  Slept as well as I could in the cab of the 
    pickup for about an hour.
    
       The outfitter opened up at 5:30 as promised, (due to a favor I did
    for them), loaded us up and we headed out.  Made it to the portage and
    across in good time and paddled for our island.  Got camp set up around
    5:00 pm and decided to hit the water for the rest of the daylight. 
    Well... my very first cast produced a nice 51/2 lb. norhtern, going to
    be an okay trip....  within an hour my canoe buddy and myself had
    landed 9 smallmouth all about 3 to 4 lbs., going to be a good trip...
    1/2 hour before sunset I landed a beautiful 5 1/2 lb. walleye, going to
    be a great trip....  We had released all the fish I just mentioned,
    with high hopes of good fishing, and I had left my camera in camp, no
    problem.
    
       Started raining about 1:00 in the morning, the rain stopped eight
    days later, going to be a bad trip...!  Within the 8 days of rain
    there was one day we couldn't go out in the canoes due to the high
    winds, the overnight lows were anywhere from 27 to 35 degrees, and
    daytime highs between 40 and 50.  The fish went to the bottom and
    closed their mouths.  We had to work our tails off to come back with 
    fish.
    
       The rain finally stopped but it remained cloudy for a couple of
    days.  When the sun finally came out we decided to fish early in the
    morning then hit camp to wash our reeking bodies and hair.  With a
    cleaner fresher outlook we hit the water.  Smallmouth were starting to
    move in and up along with the northern.  Would come across a walleye
    by chance every now and then.  I had 2 reels break as did my canoe
    partner in the last few days, so we spent a whole evening doing
    repairs.
    
       After all the rain and cold weather the three guys I was with got 
    pretty bad colds.  I was taking penicillin for a cold I had before we
    left so I didn't catch one.  So that along with wondering about the
    pickup making it home, we decided to leave a couple of days early.  So,
    at 6 in the morning, me and another guy headed out to a U.S. ranger
    station.  After an hour of paddling and a 320 rod portage with the
    canoe we arrive at the rangers only to find a note that said the
    station is only a stay over place, if there's an emergency leave a note
    and we should get it in a couple of days.  If there's an emergency I'm
    not going to wait a couple of days!!!  So we had to paddle to Canada to
    a Canadian station where we radioed Crane Lake and relayed a message to
    our outfitter to pick us up the next day.  We got back to camp about 
    4:00 pm.  Decided to head back to the falls and fish our way back or
    until dark then break camp.  Fishing the foot of the falls in the
    rapids we caught 2 northern, 10 & 12 lbs., lost due to breakage another
    nice fish species unknown.  If you've never fought a fish (smallmouth
    or northern) in a rapids, you don't know what you're missing.  In the
    next 4 and a half hours we caught 10 smallies, 6 northern, and four
    walleye.  The fish had finally come out of their stupor and were
    feeding heavily, and we were leaving at 5:00 am the next morning.
       All in all it was an okay trip.  In take home fish we limited in
    smallies, were 2 short in northern, and only 12 walleye.  We made it
    back in the pickup, after 9 quarts of oil, found out it had blown a
    hole in the cylinder.  But through it all we did catch fish, were away
    from civilization, and seen quite a few wild critters.
    
    Looking forward to next year.
    
    
    Bear
    
    

    Bear, I think you win the perseverance award.  I thiink alot of folks
    may have given up sooner.  Still sounded like fun to me though!  
    Good luck next year!  donmac

    
    
       Well it was a bit frustrating, but none the less it was still great.
     The scenery is beautiful which kind of lulls you to daydream when the
     fishing is a bit slow, but then there's the jolt back to reality when
     a nice smallie or northern hits.  Despite all the hardships this year
     we still brought home our share of fish, and released alot more while
     we were there.  Plus it taught all of us some early season lessons
     that we had forgot over the winter but will keep all summer.
    
    
     Bear
    
    

    Bear,
    
    Sorry to hear about your car trouble, but it does sound like you
    salvaged a good trip anyway.
    
    Our trip to Cass lake went great. The weather really affected the fish 
    this year. It was crazy, one day we would wake up and it would be
    cloudy and windy and we would go out and just kill the walleye. Then by
    lunch time the sun would be out, the wind gone, and so were the fish.
    We could find them with sonar between 30 and 40 feet but there were
    clouds of baitfish all around and they were not interested in anything
    we had to offer. This is how it was all week! When the sun was shining
    we couldn't even find perch.
    
    Isn't funny that you spend all winter ordering lures and gizmos
    preparing for a trip and then catch all your fish with a lead head jig
    and shiner? Well the lures look good in the tackle box!
    
    Well I don't want to get carried away. We had a great trip, caught
    plenty of walleye and stayed sober.
    
    John

    
    
    John,
    
       I know how you feel about the lure situation.  I decided this year
    that I wouldn't go overboard buying all kinds of stuff before the trip,
    since it usually boils down to the same lures every year, blue/white
    raps, spinnerbaits, and leadheads with yellow bodies.  Of course
    there's the occasional fish caught on a mouse, a buzzbait, a crawdad,
    a jig, etc., etc.  So naturally had to have a few of all these, plus
    you never know when their going to hit a ...........
    
    Bear