Once again I am writing my column from our cabin in Northern Minnesota, which is where I get a lot of the inspiration for my columns. I did a little fishing out in front of our cabin the other day; however, nothing showed interest in my bait. That’s okay though, I spent the time casting, while watching a pair of trumpeter swans playing out in the middle of our little lake. They definitely have a sound all their own and nobody who has ever heard one of them will ever forget it. We also have a pair of nesting loons on our lake with a pair of bald eagles nesting nearby.
I hadn’t checked my trail camera for a couple of days, so I decided to see if any critters had made a visit while I have been here. There were the deer that visit almost nightly and the first non-deer critter on the camera was also at night and this time it was a coyote which wasn’t all that far from the cabin. As I scrolled down to the next morning I couldn’t believe what I was seeing; it was a bobcat that looked like it was stalking something. I was amazed that it was that close to our cabin in broad daylight. According to the camera’s timeline it was at 10:30 in the morning. I hadn’t left the place since I arrived here on Saturday, so I had to have been either down at the lake or in the cabin when this magnificent animal made a visit. This is what is so intriguing about nature; you just never know what lurks in the nearby woods.
While looking out our cabin’s deck doors, I have before me what I consider my own personal version of a wildlife sanctuary. So far this week I have spotted visitors to the feeders that include red breasted grosbeaks, purple finches, gold finches, nuthatches, black capped chickadees, hummingbirds, blue jays, a red-winged blackbird and a raven. There are also a few non-feathered critters like red squirrels and chipmunks that seem to be there just for my viewing pleasure. I like watching them as long as they aren’t making any plans to get into the cabin.
I am only slightly disappointed in the fact that I didn’t get to do much fishing. Having a cabin is totally different than going north for a week and staying at a resort. I guess a person’s priorities change when you have a place of your own and you can find so many things that you can do, other than fishing. It wasn’t that many years ago that I would be wetting a line every chance that I got. In the days when I was taking weekly vacations “up north” there would be no time wasted once I arrived at the campsite. When spending the money to stay at a resort, whether it was in a cabin or at a campsite, I considered it time wasted if I sat in camp while I could be fishing. I always enjoyed sitting by the campfire at night. I wanted to be the first one on the lake every morning. This was usually my alone time. I fished while the family was still asleep, except for Brian, my oldest; he would go with me every morning until about Wednesday. Then sleeping in seemed to be the better option for him. I always enjoyed the early morning fishing with him and I would usually bring Little Debbie Nutty Bars for a morning treat to tide us over until breakfast. It was only a few years ago that he finally told me that he never did like those nutty bars.
Launching my boat and taking it out by myself doesn’t have the appeal that it once had. I have to attribute this to age rather than loss of interest. I guess I am at the point where my friends and family have started playing the age card for me. In my mind I still feel that I can go anywhere and fish any lake that I want whether I am alone or not. I know that the next time that I am up here alone I will take my little 12-ft. Lund fishing boat out for a little fishing and try out the bigger motor that I have put on it but haven’t tested yet. I really do enjoy fishing out of that boat. Maybe it just feels like it makes me feel more connected with nature. Whatever the reason, I do like to fish simple, no frills, just old school fishing. I have to look back and wonder why I quit using some of the old techniques that worked for me back when I was younger. On that note, a thought just occurred to me: do they still make “little Joe” spinner rigs? That used to be the “go to” bait rig along with the Lindy Rig, which has withstood the test of time. In early June I would look for pockets in the weeds and troll over the weeds into the pockets and the walleye would bite when coming into or leaving the pocket of weeds. I would use a Little Joe spinner with one split shot for weight and a fathead minnow hooked through the lips. The lake that proved the best for this method was Sand Lake, which is located just north of Bowstring Lake in Itasca County.
I believe that the next time that I am on the water I will try some of those old methods, but I am not going totally old school; I will use my locator whenever I am in my big boat. I have from time to time in recent years used some of my old methods and I usually still have pretty good results.
Until next time, it’s a good time to grab the fishing pole and sit on a bank somewhere for a little relaxation. There is nothing like sitting on a lake in the early morning when the sun first makes its appearance as it peaks over the horizon. Nothing is more exhilarating than breathing in some fresh morning air. Stay safe!
Please take a few moments also to honor those who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms that we enjoy today. Also take a little extra time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who have served and those troops that are serving today.