Spring is Here?

We have just started our last sport show left this winter, the Minneapolis Northwest Sport Show Thursday March 21 – Sunday March 24. It has been an excellent year for reservations. Of course there is usually a spot for you, just stop and see Tom and Joey Dougherty during the show, they were busy a beaver yesterday. You can’t play golf so you might as well come and check out summer fun!

The first day of spring was Wednesday March 20^th, as I look out over our bay there is absolutely no sign of that thing called spring, last year at this time it was 80 degrees and we were getting our fishing boats ready for an early, early spring. Not this year. I believe ice out will be around May 7^th.  May 7^th is not late more in line with normal ice out over the past 50 years.

Last year was the year of the drought. The drought has ended. During the middle of November we received a fair amount of rain that replenished our swamps, beaver dams, and lowlands. We have plenty of snow, now we need spring to show up and we will be on our way to another fabulous season on Rainy Lake. The Rainy Lake basin is a remarkable eco system. The four seasons of the year are extremely important to its health and vitality.  Consider Rainy Lake and it’s surroundings renewed.

Wednesday March 19, 2013

My predictions for the May fishing season are; Kettle River will be hotter than a pistol, Kempton Channel and Hitchcock Bay not far behind. The bays will hold there normal bevy of large pike and walleyes.  On the Ontario side Seine River will enjoy hey days once again.  There will be current and current draws walleyes!

June is going to be incredible. June historically provides the best shallow water fishing of the year. Walleyes, smallmouth bass, crappies, and northern will spend the whole month using the bays and current areas. Last year everything was accelerated, water warming up so fast that normal stages of the fishing season passed by in a few days rather than a couple weeks. This year Rainy Lake will go through much more normal progressions of pre spawn, spawn, post spawn, early summer, and peak summer fishing. 

Summer is coming!

We'll see you soon!

  

Fabulous Finish to our Fall Trip Part 3

While laying in bed waiting to fall asleep (you don’t have to wait long with all the fresh air) I though what can tomorrow possibly bring? We have had two spectacular days in a row what can…

I woke early thinking it might be another early morning of good camera light, coffee, and an excursion to a close bay for fall colors. Rick was up too and decided to join me. We drove a couple hundred yards and put my MinnKota trolling motor down and probed our way into a bay that had a couple different inlets, a creek with a beaver dam and just started admiring the beauty.  The rising soft sun was just turning the landscape into an absolute heaven.

  

Rick and I returned to the Lady of the Lake and breakfast was waiting; how sweet! We left the houseboat to do some more fishing, and the weather was still incredible. Low and behold the Vikings game came on the radio.  I was not long before we decided to go in and have a little Rainy Lake tailgate party.

More fun; the Vikings pulled off a 20-13 victory over the Detroit Lions. We hung out a while longer enjoying the beach and nature before we pulled out for a new location on our last night. A very tranquil frog showed up in the shallow water right next to the Lady of the Lake. He (or she) wanted to be a star! I don't know who was more relaxed Jon Hakala or the frog.

  

The lines were undone, the Lund Pro V’s were tied on and we were off for another cruise, this time back toward Rainy Lake Houseboat's base.  My thought was to cruise down Kempton Channel, back through Brule Narrows and find a nice spot to moor on our last night.

Kempton Channel

We found a perfect spot to spend our last night together. The location was absolutely perfect, we would have a sunset on the west side of the houseboat and a full moon rise on the east side of the boat and both of them occurring almost simultaneously. How often does that happen?

 Incredible sunsets on the west side of the houseboat!

Tremendous full moon rise for our last hight on Rainy Lake.

People decide to go on a houseboat trip for a wide variety of reasons, a family outing, a gathering of friends or family, a getaway with your loved one, a fishing trip, a bachelor or bachelorette party, and many others. We gathered to celebrate a lost friends life, Guy LaFrance.  We left port with an air of sadness, and loss. Gathering with friends and talking about Guy, laughing at many of the stories, and remembering what a great person Guy was has helped ease the pain.  We are grateful for the friendships and realize how important it is to keep friendships alive. Our friendships with Pat, Rick and Jon go back forty-five and fifty years. Cathie and I are very thankful and lucky to have those relationships. We miss you Guy!