Another great week fishing at Manotak Lodge and another MANOTAK MASTER ANGLER WINNER. This week we are congratulating Chris Alberts for reaching the pinnacle of the fishing world: "Manotak Master Angler Winner July 9-16". We might be laying it on alittle thick but none the less a great achievement. Chris caught some nice fish and also benefited from our unique handicapping system. We might change it up this next week. Any suggestions are appreciated. The intent is to make it fun and at the same time allow everyone to at least have a shot at the big prize.
It is also worthy to note that Chris's wife Jean has been coming to Manotak Lodge since 1959. It is extremely fascinating talking with them both to hear all of the stories such as the guides who fished for Manotak Lodge, or the boats and motors used at that time. And even the first private owners, King & Marge Johnson. Times have sure changed (a GPS unit in those days was an anchor dropped over the side of a boat to a certain depth until it hit something. An underwater camera was the guide telling the youngest in the boat to dive down and see what is underwater for fish). We might be spoiled in that regard but we still cannot make the fish bite on command.
We hope all of you have found our new WEBCAM on our website and have found it to be a fun thing to use. All of our current guests have found it to be a great thing just to call home and have relation or friends see them live at our lodge. Kinda strange to see people standing in the yard talking on a cell phone waving in mid-air.
Fishing this week was very good and also interesting. Walleyes have been very big almost to a fault. Guests are trying to catch shorelunch size Walleyes and are catching alot of "Eyes" well over 20 inches consistently. This is a great problem to have and we are not complaining. Manotak's policy about releasing all Walleyes over 18 inches is really paying off big time. Our guests have really become great stewards of promoting the release of big fish and they are reaping the benefits. We hope this is happening at all lodges.
The reefs are producing the most Walleyes at the moment and the best bait has been Leeches and Nightcrawlers. Dragging a Bait Walker, Crawler Harness, or Spinner rig is the best option.
Pike are being caught in good numbers but the size is down slightly this week. Mid-30 inchers were caught but the 40 inch plus Pike were elusive. Rattle Traps, Spinners and Spoons are still working best. Why change when they are working, right?
Bass are really on a roll at this time. Leeches are working great but Rattle Traps, Tubes & Flukes are still a good choice. Deeper reefs are now starting to kick in for Bass and we know that Walleyes are always right behind.
Jumbo Perch are being elusive at the moment. We are cathing Perch but fewer larger ones. This has been the pattern for the past two weeks. We think they are going slightly deeper and we have been fishing too shallow. Will let you know.
Our remote Musky Lake has been up and down for success. One day we will catch 5-10 Muskies and the next day 1 or 2. This is fishing and there is no predicting what will happen on any given day but the fisherman who hit the lower count day are being worked over pretty hard by the larger count fisherman. Fisherman don't have egos do they?
On a side note: we will be selling some older 20hp Yamaha 2 stroke engines. They range in the 1995-1998 vintage. They run great but we just do not use them any more as we have mostly all 4 stroke. If you are interested let me know and we can discuss via phone or email.
Keep watching the WEBCAM and we hope it keeps you excited to fish Manotak Lodge. Tune in on Wednesday evenings around 9:00-9:30pm and see our latest Master Angler be crowned).
Until next week: Hooks Sharp, Lines tight, Net ready, Camera focused!
You mentioned something in your blog that strongly resonates with me – your policy of returning walleyes over 18 inches to the lake unless they are to be mounted. The same policy is in place for northern pike over 35 inches. These policies are practiced at the Lodge, not just a mere sign in the fish house that is widely ignored. I freely admit that your policies pained me when you introduced them as it hurt to return nice fish to the lake. After all, it took a lot of hard work and luck to catch such nice fish!
ReplyDeleteI applaud your implementation of such policies as the quality of the fishery in Perrault Lake has dramatically improved during my years of fishing at the Lodge. “Over Size” fish are now more commonplace. It’s now a pleasure for Shannon and me to return “over size” fish to the lake as we know that “big” fish are in the lake and we are talented enough to catch them. Instead of thinking “wow, it’s a 19 inch walleye”, it’s “wow, it’s another 19 inch walleye”.
I’ve said many times that you and Linda are true stewards of a fabulous natural resource.
MKMelius
Thanks for the comments Mark. We hope someday that we can look back and truly believe we left Perrault Lake better than we started. It is a common theme that our guests are finding the ratio of large Eyes vs. eater fish to be quite even. I have said many times that this is a great problem and we believe that the guests are reaping the benefits of releasing these larger Walleyes. Whoever invented Replica mounts should be shrined in the Fish Hall of Fame if they are not already. What do you think of the live Webcam feed? So far the guests are enjoying it and it gives them a chance for family and friends to see them here at the lodge live. Stay tuned and keep sending your comments. We are always open for new ideas as to how to make your Canadian fishing experience the best it can be.
ReplyDelete