Week 9 Recap: Let the Good Times Roll, Big Pike

“Let The Good Times Roll”, Big Pike

Right now at Scott Lake we have some good mojo going. The momentum of our record-setting prior week rolled right into Week 9. As if we didn’t know it already, it was confirmed: hot weather means hot fishing. The first three days of the group featured the same wonderful sunshine and warm temperatures of Week 8, with the same results—lots of big fish. Of the 24 pike over 44-inches landed by this group, 21 were taken over those first three days when the temps were still in the high 70s and low 80s. Pike just love hanging around in shallow warm water, some literally sunbathing with their backs almost exposed.

The continuation of the heat wave helped all of our fishing. It pushed the big pike up of course but it also pushed the big lake trout down which makes them much easier to target. There are only so many deep holes (100-200’) in our lakes and that’s where they end up, escaping the warmer temperatures near the top. Trout are a cold-water fish, feeling best in water temperature around 50 degrees. With their sophisticated electronics our guides can find the fish and even watch them hit. Like a video game except this is real. Big trout know how to give anglers a workout. Jim Hambright found that out when he successfully battled a monstrous 44.5” laker at Wignes Lake, an adjacent and connected lake, just a 45-minute boat ride from our dock. He barely made it to the end of the fight and then needed a massage which fortunately was readily available at the lodge. His is the biggest trout of the season. Very nice 39-incher were taken by Grant Bowditch and Brad Sailbury. We had an even dozen trophy trout this week, a start to the serious trout season here which is just getting started. The heat also put our Arctic grayling in a fighting mood. The warm water triggers insect hatches that get these beautiful fish moving. We had two dozen grayling trophies from area rivers taken. Jarrett Peters led the pack with a big one, almost 20-inches, about as big as they get around here.

The big story though was again the pike fishing. They are still shallow and still in a feisty mood. Of our 149 trophy fish, 112 were the long and mean water wolves that are always looking for their next meal. The big ones have around 700 individual teeth. Most of those are in the top half of their cavernous mouths and all of those slant inward. It’s no place for your fingers. And no place for prey: it’s a one-way street. Sixteen of our anglers landed a pike of 44-inches or more. That’s a new record for the lodge. Of that group six guests caught a 45-incher (Chuck Dannewitz, Brian Wolf, Brad Sailsbury, Mike Minado, Gratz Peters and Bog Nettune who got a pair. Three lucky anglers bested 46-inchers (Mike Rogers, Grant Moering and Garek Peters who also got a pair). If your last name was Peters you had a particularly good trip. Between Garek, Gary, Gratz and Jarrett Peters 36 trophy pike slid into their guide’s nets, about a third of our trophy pike. But the trophy fish were well spread around. In a great display of fishing democracy every guest at Scott had their names announced at least twice during our nightly trophy announcements.

It was simply a great week. Trophy Triple hats were taken home by Mason Bowditch, Jarrett Peters, Grant Bowditch and Jim Hambright. Grant earned the 100+Club jacket clocking in at exactly 100 inches, but on the strength of his massive lake trout Jim Hambright got his 100+Club jacket on order and now leads the season with 105.5 total inches.

It was also another week of exciting wildlife sightings. Muskox and Moose pins (yes, we give out pins for wildlife sightings as well as for landing big fish) were flying around the tables at dinner. A giant bull moose was spotted at Wignes and a old friend musk ox was seen at Smalltree with another at Burslem lake. Muskox sightings are getting more common every season. For some of our guests these experiences rival or exceed the thrill of landing big fish. It’s all part of the Scott Lake Lodge package, along with great food and world class customer service. There is nothing quite like summer on the 60th parallel. It’s the best, especially when the good times roll like they did this week.