This past week I spent a few days up north with plans to do mostly work on the cabin with a little fishing thrown in. There is always a certain amount of self-gratification when it comes to working on the cabin. This time was no exception. I accomplished what I had in mind and still had time for a little relaxation.

I had plans to take our 12-foot fishing boat and hit a few smaller area lakes after I had finished with my task at hand. Unfortunately the first couple of days saw the cold temperatures and strong northerly winds put a damper on my plans. This wasn’t all bad because I was able to finish the work I had planned.

The weather was cool and for the most part the sun shone for most of every day. It rained only one morning and that only lasted for a short time. The strong northerly winds were brisk but tolerable and being in the woods without the hint of an insect was pretty darned nice. The only critters I encountered were our resident chipmunks and our neighbor the red squirrel who, as I witnessed this spring, survived an encounter with a hungry hawk.

The best part of being there this time of year is the colors. I believe that the fall colors had almost peaked by the end of the week. It was just a great time to be there and spend time enjoying the outdoors. One afternoon I headed to town for some supplies and decided to go for a drive just to check out a few area lakes. Driving down some of these roads can be breathtaking because there are places where the trees hang over the road from both sides and with the leaves at their peak and the sun shining above it seems as if you are driving through a multi-colored tunnel.

Each evening just before sunset the wind would subside and I would enjoy sitting on the bench in front of the cabin and relaxing. It was great just sitting there taking in the beauty of the fall colors that decorated the shoreline of our small lake. One evening our resident loons started calling excitedly as if they were in some sort of danger and then I saw the reason why. In an instant a bald eagle swooped down right in front of me and plucked something from the water just out from our dock.

This is what it’s all about for me. Just being able to watch nature at work and feeling that although man has taken over a lot of the land there is still plenty of woods and wilderness that is there for our wildlife. The lake we are on is classified as an E-1 lake or an environmental lake which means that we are not only limited to the amount of trees that can be cut down but the DNR does not stock or maintain our lake. It is intended to be as natural as possible and that’s just fine with me.

Now it seemed like everything was going along pretty smooth until I decided to go fishing and my 10-horse Evinrude decided not to start. After much verbal coaxing and the threat of a worn out arm looming I decided to put the boat back in our lake. This is no easy task, as I first had to pull it up the driveway and maneuver around the cabin before taking it off the trailer and dragging it down the hill. I was able to get it to the cabin take off the stubborn motor and then as I made the last turn around the cabin I tripped over a log and ended up on my backside.

After a small conversation with myself I continued the task of dragging the boat down the hill. I finally got the boat into the water and all was set a quiet evening of fishing. After donning a life jacket and getting my fishing gear I commenced to row around our small lake. I rowed the entire shoreline of the lake and only had two bites. As I approached our dock I thought I’d try out in front of our cabin where my grandson Trevor always seems to catch fish. I had tried a few different colored twisters with no luck and then I remembered reading a comment by Al Linder some years ago. He was asked if he was given the choice of only one bait, what would it be? He said a jig with a white twister tail, so I thought it was worth a try. I began casting a small jig with a white twister tail, which soon produced some dandy crappies and a few sunnies. Life was good!

Or was it?

As I rowed to the dock and proceeded to depart from the vessel it decided to move about the same time my stiff-jointed leg was setting foot on the dock. The next thing I knew I was straddling the gunnel with one leg in the water and face down with my nose resting in the bow of the boat. After more conversation I was able to extract myself from the bottom of the boat and maneuver onto the dock and finally end up in an upright position. I can attest to the fact that the water at this time of year is indeed “cold”. Even with the events of this one day it was indeed a good week and I can’t wait for the next time.

A reminder to duck hunters: always be sure to wear your lifejacket, it is not only the law that you need one in the boat but if you fall into the cold water hypothermia can set in quickly.

Following are a few outdoors reports:

GRAND RAPIDS — Crappie action is strong on Splithand Lake and Lake Pokegama in 20 feet and on Jay Gould Lake in 10 to 15 feet. Look for crappies and sunfish in 18 to 22 feet at Big and Little Cutfoot. Walleyes are hitting a jig and minnow on Bowstring Lake in nine feet, Trout Lake in 14 to 18 feet, Sugar Lake and Pokegama in 12 to 15 feet, and on Big Cutfoot in 12 feet. The duck season started strong with a good supply of ring necks providing plenty of shooting, but grouse are tough to find.

LEECH LAKE — The “trench” in Steamboat Bay, Bear Island, and Walker Narrows are all kicking out good-sized perch. A jig and minnow combination is producing walleyes in 12 to 14 feet near Star Island, Little Hardwoods, Big Hardwoods, and First Duck Point. There’s an evening walleye bite with Shad Raps on the West Goose Flats as well. The duck season started strong with good numbers of teal, mallards, and wood ducks in the area. Grouse hunters continue to struggle.

LAKE MILLE LACS, east — A jig and minnow is producing perch in Isle Bay and Wahkon Bay in nine to 14 feet. There’s some evening walleye action with shallow-running crankbaits on the three- to five-foot rocks. Muskie and smallmouth bass reports have been limited.

West — Walleye reports remain limited to a few fish being caught on the mud flats or shoreline breaks at night. There was a better perch bite this week off the rock points in nine to 12 feet with minnows. Northern pike action remains strong in St. Alban’s Bay with minnows in 10 to 12 feet. Muskie anglers continue to struggle throughout the lake.

LAKE KABETOGAMA — Anglers are hooking walleyes with minnows in 25 to 35 feet along the wind-driven shorelines. Sucker minnows are triggering northern pike over 15 to 25 feet in Daily Bay, Nebraska Bay, and Lost Bay. A few crappies have been caught, but there isn’t much consistency in the bite. Grouse hunting is improving now that the foliage is getting knocked down and the occasional bear and deer are registered.

Until next time, play safe, good hunting and enjoy the outdoors.

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