As one might expect...

The second half of summer has been unfolding as it should. The walleye are moving deeper, the pike are carving out their turf among the weed beds, and some BIG fish are taking a brief break from their underwater world to make friends with some hospitable fishermen.

The past week has showcased what summer up here is all about: some days warm enough to warrant a swim, some mornings cool enough to tempt a fire, some thunderclouds that made a good excuse to fall asleep with a book, and some fishing so good you didn't even realize it was raining. 

Guests from all 6 lakes have reported great catches and many sent photos to prove it (THANK YOU!) The biggest pike last week (42") was caught at Burnt on a 1/16th oz. jig (perch fishing, I presume) and no doubt made for an exciting fight on light gear. Several other upper 30" and lower 40" pike were boated around the park. Silver spoons like a Johnson's Silver Minnow with a twister tail (white) seemed to "net" the most consistent results. 

While the pike are stacked amongst the weed beds, a lot of longtime guests are noting that the weeds have developed differently than in years past due to the low, low water. Some spots that are usually meccas have not matured as one might expect, meanwhile other areas that are often weed free are now matted up. 

Lot's of big walleyes have been caught too. South lake remained the hot-spot for big marble eyes with 8 fish measuring between 25-29". Several in that trophy class were also raised at Burnt, West, Cocos, and Central.

Most fish are now in about 10-15' of water. The adage of bright colored jigs on sunny days, darker colored jigs on cloudy ones seems to be holding true. Crawler harnesses have been deployed with great success too. 

We were thankful to get a moderate amount of rain through the week. The fire/smoke situation up here has improved immensely, although there was a new fire reported just east of The Park today. 

With the rain came all the bugs early season guests noted as peculiarly absent. We all knew it was just a matter of time, but bug spray has become a required piece of equipment. I imagine their reign will be fairly short lived, however, as the days are getting noticeably shorter already. 

As the season continues to mature, the berries are really starting to pop. Wild mountain strawberries have been a great addition to morning cereal and the raspberries are on the cusp of surrounding outhouses everywhere (they love the additional "nutrients" left by our guests). Blueberries won't be far behind either. It is definitely fun being able to enjoy such a diverse bounty up here. 

We'll try to keep you up to speed on all things Big Hook. Thanks so much for taking the time to follow us. 

Happy fishing, 

Ryan

Mid-summer, oh my!

29" (Jack in background for scale)

It's hard to believe we are already halfway through summer. Seems like it was just a week ago we were fighting snow on our first changeover day. Time sure can fly. 

Beyond the calendar, there are several other markers of the season's maturation. The mayfly hatch has now come and gone, lake weed beds are fully developed, trees and shrubs are starting to bear fruit, days are noticeably shorter, and the fish are beginning to descend in the water column as surface temps. flirt with 70. 

Fishing reports from the outposts have been good. Some of the lakes did see a dip in action last week as the walleyes feasted on the abundant mayflies. Others reported no slow down at all, but did note that gullets and stomachs were often full of Hex's. 

The most recent reports have all described fast walleye action and voracious pike. 

South Lake monster

We have not had much in the way of wind or waves as of late (although this may change by this afternoon with a severe batch of storms that are trending this direction). As such, there is a fairly steep thermocline between the surface and waters another few feet down. Walleyes at Central seem to be relating to this. Many being caught in 4-5'. Lighter presentations for these depths (and for fish through the mayfly hatch) have been favored. 1/4 oz jigs and slightly small twister tails (2") have proven deadly. It has also been possible to sight fish  - casting to individual shapes readily visible on sunny days. Other fisher-folk have had success trolling (relatively) shallow water crankbaits. Again, smaller sizes seemed to be preferred as the fish get over their mayfly glut.  

Color coordinated!

It won't be long till the walleye start diving down, however, and a step up in jig size will help get bait down too. I like 3/8 oz. through most of the second half of summer, sometimes it's worth throwing in a few 1/2 oz. jigs the tackle box just in case. 

The hot northern lure at Central has been a 6" red and black streamer pattern presented via fly-rod. We are starting to see a lot more fly-fishing converts up here. If nothing else, it offers a whole new set of challenges (and occasional frustrations). 

Groups at the outposts were all out fishing during our round of camp checks the past two days. Hopefully we'll have some updates to relay when we stop in again mid-week. 

We were fortunate to get a decent rainfall last week, but the fire activity and water levels remain extremely high and low respectively. The biggest fire in the area is on the south shore of Sandy Lake near the community of Keewaywin. It is currently about a quarter million acres in size and has forced the total evacuation of that town. It is also the fire responsible for a good deal of the smoke some of you may be seeing south of the border. "Sorry," as we say here in Canada. 

As stated, there is a strong batch of thunderstorms moving in now. We could certainly use the rain, but would just as soon it not come with the lightning for fear of sparking more fires. 

Hoping for a good drenching rain and some tight lines before and after. 

Ps. Huge thanks to the Batten Bunch for submitting your photos!

Sunrise at South Lake

They're H E R E ....

Hard to believe that we are staring down mid-summer already! Besides Canada Day (today!) and the 4th of July, the biggest marker thereto is the oft dreaded Mayfly. They began their hatch sporadically late last week and are now in full blossom throughout the park. 

The Hexagenia limbata (or Hex) is the second largest species of mayfly in North America. They are said to be indicators of a healthy ecosystem and provide an important source of sustenance for fish, birds, and animals alike. It is thought that the Hex hatch is synchronized in order to improve the chances that each individual finds a mate. In that case, job well done. The shear amount of bio-mass these insects create is quite remarkable. 

Hexagenia limbata
Photo Credit: Lynette Elliott

While it will inevitably change the fishing some as the hatch evolves, so far the bite has not slowed down. Outgoing guests report great catches of all game fish - although they did note the perch action seemed to taper as the mayflies became more prevalent. 

Last week's guests at South Lake boated 17 walleyes in the mid to upper 20's, including a dandy 29".  All of these came on simple jig and twister tail combos while slow trolling. 

Guests at Central reported aggressive walleyes too, some chasing top water baits like Zara Spooks and others attacking fish alongside the boat!

Guests at Central and Burnt chased the perch hard and both had good numbers right up until the mayfly activity began. 

A first-time guest at Southwest said something to the effect of "I never thought I'd be tired of catching fish, but I might be tired of catching fish... I can barely hold my arms up." #BigHookSouthwestProblems. 

That's how you hold a fish!

The biggest pike reported came from West, who boated a 39" and 41" if memory serves. Several others in the mid-30's were raised around The Park. Weed beds are developing rapidly and anticipation of summer top-water season is high. 

Dry weather persists and fire danger is listed as "extreme" in all of our region. Several new fires popped up near Red Lake due to a lightning storm yesterday. The airport closure will make fighting these extra difficult.

Similarly, water levels throughout The Park remain at historic lows. Many guests who have been visiting our lakes for decades cannot recall ever seeing the water as low as it is now. 

There is a small amount of rain in the forecast tomorrow, at this point, we'll take whatever we can get. Hoping more will materialize soon and the lighting stays away in the mean time. 

A happy Canada Day to all and have a happy and safe 4th of July too!

R

Maybe the most "Canadian" pic of the week in celebration of Canada Day