A Bug Sighting in Winter

This past Sunday, Gunflint Lake was the place to be for the annual trout derby.  This event is hosted by the local snowmobile club, the Cook County Ridge Riders.  Fishermen and women descend on the lake, fanning out to favorite places in search of trout willing to take the bait.  The bigger the fish, the better, as you might win a prize.  Most of the activity is near the public access, but we often see people setting up near our point.  We also see plenty of traffic headed down towards the east end.  This year was no exception.   

Most folks travel by snowmobile, but given the warm weather of a few weeks ago, the ice conditions currently allow for car and truck travel as well.  When I headed out to clean one of the cabins, this is what I saw, just out from Cedar Point cabin.

This was a first for me to see.  A bug on the ice!  I looked closer, and realized that it was probably my nephew Cassidy out there, so I took a stroll out to say hello.  One of the fellows was busy working the jig on the end of his line, and I admired the trout that he already had on the ice.  He said that he had barely cleared the hole of ice and dropped down his line before that one bit.  It was a lucky day for him, as that fish ended up in second place and he took home a portable ice house!  Nice to know that our point still produces some good fish. 

Trout season is open until the end of the month. Recent reports tell me that there is at least eighteen inches of ice to drill through.  That means that there is still plenty of time to come up and wet a line.  You might win the prize of a tasty meal to bring home!