The began with a sense of urgency. With Meredith and I just getting back home from the B-Dub one day prior to Bill ( father n law), Adam ( Brother n law) and myself leaving for the LOW I had to be packed for both trips before leaving for the first. We left after work on Wednesday for the boarder town of Baudette MN Staying at the Walleye Inn. The next morning we crossed into Canada with a full mini van of fishing gear, food for the 3 of us, our clothing, my boat in tow, and a legal limit of beers which is 24 per person minus the 6 or 8 we had the night before. After an always intimidating encounter with the boarder mounties we were given the green light to make the final leg to the marina called Ontario Wilderness Houseboats in Morson about 60 miles north from the crossing. We took a look at the map and it seemed to us like the best wrought north was to go east and take the road with the straighter shot bringing us right to the town to pick up any last minute essentials and our Canadian fishing licenses. This was a BAD idea for about a mile down the road of choice we hit gravel slowing us down to about 45 mpr at times. I couldn't help but to think we should turn around but that would have killed to much time. After the gravel road came to our first westerly turn off we took that and found the correct wrought north. Talk about "The Road Not Taken." Once at the Canadian equivalent to a Wal-Mart condensed into about 5000 sqr ft to get the licenses and some impulse buys(one more case of beer) we were on our way out the door. Just then a man was walking in and asked "You guys got a blue van?" I quickly reply NO. GUOOoo we do have a blue van. Knowing that the question meant you have a problem I quickly scan the 2 tires on the boat trailer, ok good there. Now I give the 4 on the van a glance. Shit.... The rear drivers side had sprung a leak. After changing the tire out and tossing it in the boat for transit we were down the road on a doughnut complements of Diamler Chysler.
Once arriving we quickly loaded our home for the next 3 nights which we called luck #7. The bait(10 dozen) was bagged, Florida Bound (my fishing boat) was tied on for the tow and the destination was chosen we disembarked form the bay of Morson.
The chosen was a beach on the supple waters in Miles Bay where the walleye are hanging after spawn. Arriving in a calm large bay facing east we secured the houseboat and readied our gear for our first outing. I had asked the Marina owner Terry what was the favored color for jigs? He replied "5/8oz all white or john deere green." I thought to myself that it sounds like the last minute trip to Cabela's would pay off. Oddly enough those were two colors out of 4 that I purchased a 25 packs of. The boat fully loaded with gear and personnel we set out for our first hole trolling in 11ft. This brought us poor results. Most of the fish to small were to get their mouths around the bait so after giving this spot a good while we decided if we want to make the bait last we should move out of this spot. Later Bill had landed 1 of the smallies about 15 inches. By this time Adam had caught one of his first walleyes and seeing him ponder on how to get the toothy muscle off his line was a bit of humor. I could only think how I was once there a long time ago. With a how to glance from him. I said "you just do it, quick. Grabbing him at the gills so the dorsal fin can't get up and stick you... Oh and watch out for the gill plates." After a few womanly freak outs and a number of seconds go by he grabs hold. I say "see Bill a boy becomes a man." Fishing the last half of the day until dusk we had a stinger for dinner caught by Bill and Adam of walleye, sauger, last years tenderloins of venison and a dinner salad. The meal was of restaurant quality. Early that morning I was awoken by my bladder(2:00 or 3:00AM). I opened the sliding glass door only to hear a death cry sound from something in the dark woods out from our landing. I stood there for a while wishing I could see the event only to confirm the may lay of a racket. This was no bird, no beaver, no overly anxious and well hated red squirrel nor a Miller induced illusion. Something was dieing out there. I thought of waking the others but that would have given them less sleep so I crawled into my sleeping bag and went fast asleep.
Day 2 we set out past the group of islands for the open waters of Miles bay. I kept marking fish stacked in 40 to 50 feet. The bottom was like large moguls rippling out into the open water. I shut the motor off and the jigs went over board. After fishing until about 12:00 we had another stringer of walleyes, sauger and a fat belly perch all caught by Bill that morning. I made comment on Bills skills by saying " All you needed was a theme song and this could be called the The Bill Fuchs Show." Nice work Bill, thanks for lunch. A mid day break in the action with a map deliberation and we set out between the 2:00 to 5:00 hours. This turned out to be a not so good time for fishing. The youngster in the boat was getting a little cranky. We all were a bit beat so Florida Bound and its fearless crew made way for the houseboat. Adam slept until 8:00pm. Bill and I had drank Bloody's, some beers and made a pyramid. The fish had been steady all week for what I understood. Awakening the anchor boy with some loud music and foot pounding the last hour of day light was ours. I laid into a couple of eaters and once again dinner was on a rope.
Day 3 the last day of fishing, crunch time. I rallied the troops that morning again with some very loud music all the while explaining that "we were going to battle that day. Many must fall victims to our lines. This is crunch time. We need like 10 fish. 8 of which are our take home that day and some for lunch." I had kept 1 fish the day before so I was sure to make my total of 4 to bring home. The crew gathered what would be our weapons and ammo that early morning of beers, snacks, fishing gear. Then we here an Oh No! This was from Bill who was grabbing the bait before we set out. Bill had found our final 3 dozen minnows belly up. The odds for our take home had just gotten worse. I said "Well bring'em, they're biting so well I don't think that it's going to matter. Lets get in the boat." Fishing could not have been better that day. By noon we had lunch in our stomachs and the take home in the freezer. later that evening we went out for some catch and release and we did catch and did release. I was being pressured into going up the spot where we had caught the take home fish which was not far away but we were LOW on gas. With some reluctance I made the call to go. We motored the 20 horse up there. We fished until the skeets became unbearable and I called it a night. Brrrrrrrrr........Brrrrr......Brrr....B. It was over. We had run out of gas. Hoping for a boat to come by for a tow. We began trolling back about a mile to the houseboat. The boat never came. I can say that I was not happy about not trusting my instincts but after a while I found that it was a quiet, peaceful end to the weekend.
The next morning it was time to make way for the Marina. Once we arrived we found that in a effort to patch our leak the side wall of the tire had blown out. With it being Sunday there was nowhere for us to pick up a replacement. Bill had to catch a flight out that evening of business so time became a factor as well. The van had to make the entire 350 mile journey home on the doughnut. We all made it and Bill did make his flight out that evening.
The fishing this trip was top notch. We caught all walleye,sauger that weekend 2 smallies and 1 monster perch. The weather could not have been better with 70-80 degree days and light winds. I would not have changed a thing other than going up the gravel road and picking up a chain link in the tire. I'm looking forward to enjoy the lake of the Woods by houseboat again soon.
lucky #7
This one's a 20"
One of only 2 smallies caught the whole weekend by Bill.
Our take home stringer.
The last night under a beautiful cloud covered evening sky.
What a view to end our trip.
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