Ryan Schmidt, Mike Williams, Tony Snyder and my self went on a three night winter trout fishing trip to Browns’ Clearwater West Lodge. We cancelled the first reserve date because of severely cold temperatures. We rescheduled for January 12,13,and 14th and hit the weather and fishing almost perfect!
The trout must not have fed for awhile, in all my years of fishing lakers through the ice I have never seen a bite like Sunday afternoon and Monday. We caught 70 plus lake trout, only one under five pounds before we quit fishing on Wednesday morning.
A trip like this is not with out a couple laughs here and there. I had drilled a hole and dropped my tube jig down to the bottom. I thought I might as well drill a hole for a second line with a ciscoe on it. I stuck the rod with the tube jig on it in the ice snowbank around the hole. I started to drill the second hole and looked over and there was no rod sticking up from where I had placed it. I thought I am not telling the rest of the guys and finished drilling the second hole, putting the ciscoe down and lowered it to the bottom. Mike williams yells to me do you have another line down? I said yes, he says I have a trout on but there is another line tangled with mine. Mike landed his trout then said it seems like there is a trout on the second line. Mike pulled that trout in and landed it. Still more line down the hole from the second trout, Mike pulled on it and said there is something on the other end! I could not believe it but up the hole came my rod and reel. I never thought I would see it again.
There is always a good story on every fishing trip. Sitting on the ice definitely makes you think about spring, summer, and fall, fishing on Rainy Lake. You can call Rainy Lake Houseboats at 1-800-554-9188 to get your dates during the nice time of the year!
