LAKE VERMILION: OCTOBER 2007 First let's talk fishin'...
Face facts... You can plan all year long and put every conceivable variable in your favor from moon phase to lure colors, but fishing still comes down to one thing after all is said and done: it's up to the fish to bite. If they don't, guess what? You are SOL. Period.
It just so happens that we hit a slow time on Lake Vermilion this year. We hit a very slow time. So slow in fact, that even the local guides who live on the lake weren't catching anything. The muskies had lockjaw and we didn't see a walleye all week. Thank God for the Pike bite though.
Northern Pike, like the one Spanky is holding, are very active in cold water and provide great action when other fish just won't bite. These toothy beasts are much like their cousin the muskie and can be caught when the water is warm in the middle of summer and in the dead of winter through a hole in the ice - every water temp in between too.
The activity saved our trip and gave us plenty to do, while waiting out the muskies. Eventually even the guides knew we were onto something, because they started following us and mirroring our tactics.
Let's face it, my group has put nearly forty muskies in the boat in 2007 (most of them 40-inches or more). With that kind of a record we must be doing something right and we're certainly not gonna let one slow week slow us down.
Maybe we are just in the wrong line of work?
Zilla
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Our cabin The Aspen was a 5-Star treat.
VERMILION DAM LODGE: THE ASPEN We had become quite accustomed to rough conditions up in Canada the past fifteen years - holes in the roof that let in the sunshine and the rain, mice that would run out and dance on our dinner table at meal time, bats living in our walls, and nothin' but the bare bones.
Our stay at VDL in 2006 was so relaxing that we had to come up again. This time we stayed in the "crown jewel" of all the VDL cabins: the newly remodeled Aspen.
The Aspen, complete with its hot tub, fireplace, dishwasher, microwave oven, automatic coffee maker, two full baths, and three cozy bedrooms, had everything - including the kitchen sink.
All we had to bring was the necessities of a good party.
Zilla
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Photos by Bob Chochola
DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT In the real world, Pat usually calls me every day at about 5:30am on his way to work. Now most folks would be pretty PO'd if they got a call that early, but I'm usually out walking my dogs by then and welcome the distraction. On Saturday Pat waits until about 7am to call. That's "sleeping in" for me these days anyway and if I have zip to do, I'll go back to sleep after the call. Heck, sometimes I am sleeping while I talk to him.
Naturally on vacation on Lake Vermilion we should have slept-in every day, but that old internal clock went off for Pat by his usual 4am and he'd wait until 5:30am before he'd come and get my skippy butt for coffee - as per usual - up and ready to go.
Of course, in October, first light isn't until after 6:30am and we were able to shoot some beautiful early morning sky while we were waiting for the rest of our posse to roll out of bed. My Dad and Spanky are going to want opposite sides of the forest next year.
Snooze it or not, the sunrise serenade on Big-V is an awesome sight. Here it is... Enjoy!
Zilla
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Photos by Bob Chochola
SUNSET GRILL Sunset is prime time, particularly with a full moon rise perfectly synchronized to the disappearing sun, and we are always on the water at this time of day. We got some nice setting sun photos to remember Big-V by.
Words cannot describe what a camera cannot even begin to capture fully.
Zilla
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Photos by Bob Chochola
SOMEONE'S ALWAYS WATCHING
We were trolling a point when I looked up and saw this eagle sitting on top of a dead tree. Bald Eagles are very common - there were at least six on this particular stretch of shoreline. But it is unusual to catch one sitting still long enough for photos.
I even had time to put on a telephoto lens.
Zilla
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Daddio gazing out at the River Rage.
BIG-V DAM BOILS OVER In September of 2006 we were able to walk across Vermilion Dam and fish the opposite bank for smallmouth bass. Not in 2007 however.
Lake levels were up this year by three to four feet and the dam that had but a trickle spilling over into the valley in 2006, had given way to a white water rafter's paradise. Needless to say, had we tried to walk across this year, they would have found our bodies floating in Lake Superior.
It was rugged, rough, roaring, and really cool.
Zilla
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Photos by Bob Chochola
CAMP LIFE: R & R BIG-V STYLE The most important thing we do when we head up north is rest. Taking time to chill is important and we do it with the best of 'em.
It'll be a long time with many hours of work logged before we return, so it's important to take advantage of the slow pace and serenity among the sights, sounds, and critters in The Superior National Forest.
Until Next Year!
Zilla
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Vermilion Dam Lodge Owner Ed Tausk says his son "is hooked!" Here he is holding the 45-incher that won him top honors in the Lake Vermilion Youth Tournament. Great Catch!!!
ANOTHER YEAR IN THE BOOKS... Our trip to Lake Vermilion may be over, but it's never too soon to start planning for 2008. Tentatively we're going up for the July full moon and then again around the first week of November - depending upon the full moon phase.
So, until we do it all over again, thanks to my Dad, Patrick, and Spanky Joe for an excellent adventure. Thanks also go out to Ed Tausk and his crew at Vermilion Dam Lodge (www.vdl.com) for providing us with incredible lodging and great service. You guys ROCK!
See you back on Big-V in 2008!
Zilla
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Large Muskie Skull Found on Lake Vermilion A guest of Vermilion Dam Lodge found the remains of a large muskie floating near the resort. The fish was being eaten by birds, but the skull and spine remained intact. From the size of the teeth and the width of the skull one can see it was a very large fish. Larry Ramsell, a muskie researcher and historian, wants to examine the remains and should be able to determine the muskie's exact age and size.
