[twistertail]

52 days till I leave for my canoe trip to Minnesota and I'm already packing! Ive got it so bad last weekend I blew up my air bed and got out my new sleeping bag and took a nap in it. Ive got it so bad I'm already picking out which clothes I'm taking. I've made lists upon lists and even lists of what other lists I need to make. I got my tackle put together which is not easy, imagine your fishing for a week for smallies, walleye, lake trout and pike and you have to get everything you need into one small tackle box and once you are canoeing in there is no place to restock anything! I got everything into one of those small plano boxes that opens on both sides and my fishing vest. In the box i've got jigs, tube hooks, crankbaits, spoons, swivles, snaps, twistertails and sinkers and in my vest I have all the bags of plastic baits like tubes and more tails.
So lets hear about some of your trips you got planned for this summer.

 

[catking]

I hear that twistertail!!! I acted the same way every year before heading to the U.P. of Michigan to back pack into the wilderness for a week. Even though I head south now to carp and cat, I still hold the 15 years I did that type of fishing as some of the best of all my memories. There is just something about getting that close to nature It isn't for everybody, but the ones who do it, they act like you CATKING.

 

[catfishhunter1]

Hey king is that why the U.P. had reports of bigfoot running around

 

[twistertail]

Its just something you cant really explain, you just have to expierence it. Its awsome to be in the middle of 3 millions acers of woods and lakes. It does take a little work to get in and you dont have the comforts of a cabin or running water but there is just something about living in the woods that is great. There is just something about being that far into the woods and not hearing any manmade sounds, just the sounds of the north woods! I plan on making a 2 week trip sometime in the future but for now I can only get away for a week. I cant even begin to explain how good the fishing is up there

 

[catking]

I hear ya net boy I know what part of the experiance is, for my part anyways, that made me go back. There is nothing like sleeping in the forest, hearing the sounds at night, not being able to see your hand in front of your face, knowing there are bears around And absolutely no where to go LOL !!! It really gives you that pumped feeling. Throughout the 15 years I went fishing like this, and times cwcarper my son, was along, we have built many ,many stories that will be remembered throughout our lives. Some funny, some scarry, some just breathtaking. I truly believe this type of fishing goes a long way in building ones way of looking at life. I know one thing, after so long of doing this, I look at running water in a diffrent light Thanks alot twistertail, now ya got me wanting to return to the north LOL !!! But, them darn mosquitos.................... CATKING.

 

[twistertail]

Skeeters are no problem with a bug jacket, last time I never even put bug spray on. One of the great things is that my dad and 2 brothers are going and one other friend of ours that has been fishing with us for almost our whole lives. Another thing that is making this trip a little more special is my little bro is going into the Air Force in July so he may not have the chance to go again for a while.
What part of Michigan did you fish? I was born up there and used to fish up there 4 or 5 times a year but have not been back since we started going to Minnesota a few years ago. Never been to the U.P. but fished all over the northern part of the mit, some great fishing up there and mushroom hunting too.

 

[catking]

We fished the extreme western part. Over in Watersmeet by Ironwood. In the Ottawa National Forest . Lots of GREAT lakes to fish . Alot of them can be reached only by carrying the canoe . Found one lake that was maybe 90 acres. Caught 35 L.M bass in about 1 1/2 hours. Some were really big. H20 Mellon from this site, went up there from getting info from me. The great thing about this area, is you can really rough it, or get a motel in Watersmeet, and go to about 40 nice lakes that allow big boats and motors. Excellent musky, pike, smallie fishing. CATKING

 

[twistertail]

Sound like a great place. We are already talking about where to go next year. We are going to Minnesota every other year and trying new places every other year. My dad and little bro went to Ocean City last fall and did great catching bluefish from the beaches and piers and went on a headboat and caught a limit, 25 each, of black seabass. We might take a week long trip to the coast next year for strippers and bluefish.