The Second Inning: Weeks 3 & 4 In Review

The Second Inning: Weeks 3 & 4 In Review

by | Jul 5, 2018 | 2018 Season

THE SECOND INNING: THE TALE OF TWO TAPES

 

Keeping our baseball analogy as we document the season, we will make a diving catch to catch up on the fishing at Scott Lake Lodge. The first at bat in the top of the second (our third group in camp) featured some torrid hitting. It seemed like the fish had no answer for the 26 anglers and 13 guides who took to the waters of Scott and its fly out lakes starting on June 19th. These anglers pulled their rods off the rack and just started slugging. The guides measuring tapes were well used for five straight days as sunshine blessed the waters. They put their tapes on no less than 178 trophy fish, nearly all pike, an average of 6.8 trophies per angler. (Anglers and baseball fans love their stats.) There were some real scoring binges. On Day 2 there were 58 trophy fish announced at the after-dinner trophy pin ceremony, an average of 2.2 per angler. Day 4 had 47. Our trophy announcer, Mike Demyen (known here as Nuggets), could barely make it through the evening without taking a break for a drink.

Many of these trophies were not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill just over the line 40 inchers. We had some bruisers in the net this week. There were 18 pike of 45” or more, known around here as super-sized pike. Many of our players (14 in fact) played the supersized game. Pike of 45” were landed by John Sanderson, Jim MacDougal, David Thome, Steve Bandt, John Kroner, Rory Wright, Stan Gertzbein and Amy Blackstone. John, Jim and Rory added 46s to their hitting stats. Jeremy Maunus, Joe Novicki and Bill Calabresa also joined the 46 club. There was an elite group that pulled in 47s: Greg Larson, Steve Bandt and David Thome landed those fish of a lifetime. Then there was Jim MacDougal who had a Hall of Fame Fishing trip. He caught big fish wherever he went—on Scott, on the fly out lakes and probably in his sleep. On one memorable day—all on the fly rod—he brought to his guide’s net pike of 41, 42, 43, 45, 46 and yes, the biggest of the young season, a 49.5” beauty. We just don’t know how he missed getting a 44 for a Royal Flush. All of those fish were caught on a leech of his own design, making the experience even more memorable, if that’s possible. Rory Wright had a similar trip, landing three pike of 46” and many, many more of trophy size. He also became the first angler of the season to join the 100+Club, landing a trophy pike, trout and grayling whose total lengths exceeded 100 inches, not an easy task. What fueled this explosion of big fish? The secret was obvious to all. We just had to look up. We had five glorious days of sunshine. That’s all it takes. The water gets warm and the fishing gets hot.

That sunshine and warm water kept rolling into the top half of the second inning, the at bat for fourth group at the lodge. Life was good for the Mudville Nine on Day 1. With the sun on the backs of pike on Scott Lake and the 22 fly out destinations, our anglers drove their casts into fertile waters, filling up a thick stack of trophies slips for the evenings trophy announcements. There were 43 big fish announced, a great start to the inning. By the next morning though we were looking at a different world. A nasty nor’easter rolled in bringing vicious winds, rain and very cool temperatures. No, not cool—COLD. Our temps dropped about 30 degrees F in 24 hours, hitting a nighttime low of 44. Things were ugly. The big pike went into hiding, as they always do with a temperature drop of that magnitude. The trophy slip stack got pretty thin over the next four days—as low as six (that was a typical one boat total during the prior week). It brought to mind the old fishing doggerel:

“When the wind is from the west, fish bite the best.

When the wind is from the south, the fish open their mouth.

When the wind is from the north, the fish still go forth.

When the wind is from the east, the fish bite the least.”

That may not be true at all places, but it always plays out on this corner of the 60th parallel. Fishing up here is all about the wind and temperatures.

We did have a group of determined anglers (many from Minnesota where cold is part of the culture) who fished everyday despite the conditions. They beat out some ground balls, got the bloop singles, stole a few bases and scrapped out a decent fishing trip. There were some bright spots. Mike Manship landed a 47” pike. Brad Finney and Noel Rush got 48s. Luci Defouw hooked into her first ever trophy pike a 41.5″er on the first day of fishing.  While the previous group had 18 pike over 45”, though this group had just those three. In this Tale of Two Tapes, the guides had their tapes in their pockets for four days. It’s wasn’t that our group lacked the skills; they just needed help from the elements. The cold weather did keep the lake trout on top though. And our guides put this group on some nice ones. Gene DeFouw, Steve Meyer and Randy Doerter caught 35” trout; Dakotah Herr got a 36 and a 38 incher; Mira Lechowicz, after a long battle, pulled in a 40.5” beauty; and, on the last day casting a small plastic pike for big pike, Mike Halloway tied into trout of 36 and 42 inches. Nearly all trout of that size are caught with deep trolling. Getting a monster like that 42 on spinning gear is a thrill of a fishing lifetime. But in summary, the story of the bottom of the second can be summarized with this paraphrasing of a famous baseball poem:

“Somewhere on favored waters, the sun is shining bright;

The loons are calling, and hearts are light;

And somewhere anglers are laughing and want to shout;

But there is no joy on Scott this week, our might Caseys struck out.”

One tough innings does not doom the game. That cold front dampened our seasonal stats but it’s still been an incredible season to date. Through four groups we have tallied 607 trophy fish with a record for this date of 50 pike hitting or exceeding the 45” mark. Of those 50, 14 were over 47 inches. Will we beat last year’s all time highest count of 141 pike over 45? With 80% of the game remaining, that’s a pretty good bet. It depends on two things—our anglers and the sun. We’ll just keep swinging.

The First Inning: Week 1 & 2 In Review

The First Inning: Week 1 & 2 In Review

by | Jun 21, 2018 | 2018 Season

 

THE FIRST INNING

It’s summer and it’s baseball season. So why not frame the recaps during the 2018 Scott Lake Lodge fishing season as a baseball game? It’s such a good fit. We have 18 groups (or 18 at-bats) during this summer, just like a regulation length baseball game. We have guys and gals who can really pitch out their casts and hit that hook-set like a pro. So, let’s give it try. Generally, you can’t predict the outcome of a game after the first inning UNLESS there was some heavy hitting. In this game of anglers vs big fish, the anglers made quite a statement in the early going.

We opened the season right on schedule on the evening of June 9th when the first three float planes with other than staff or many tons of supplies landed at the Scott Lake Lodge docks. It was picture perfect start, but our first group of hitters had to overcome some tough obstacles that the elements threw at them—cold temperatures, some stiff winds and more significantly an almost total absence of sunshine. Because our Weeks 1s have historically been sunny and hot, it was unusual. As we stated many times in these annual recaps of the fishing action, sun and pike fishing are joined at the hip; they just go together, especially in the early season. During Week 1 the fish, with the help of the weather, were playing some pretty solid defense. For our Scott Lake Guide Team this wasn’t their first season. In fact, the starting lineup of Scott guides has been on our field (or water) for an average of 15 seasons. They knew all the moves of our big fish. It didn’t take them long, in spite of the weather, to get their number. One number tells it all—140. That’s how many trophy pike were landed during Week 1. Plus a few trout including a massive 43” beauty landed by Tom Kehoe III and a just slightly massive laker landed by Harry Moulopoulos Jr. Another number was impressive—9. Not 9 innings, but 9 trophy pike over 45”, our benchmark for truly remarkable fish, what we call “supersized”. Pike of that 45 mark were taken by Jack Goebel, Peter Myhre, Tasha Stasiuk and Mike Sackash who tallied a pair that size. Mike was also on the winning side of a battle with a 46 incher. There were three pike of 47 or 47.5”, taken by Tom Kehoe III, Paul Hana and Peter Myrhe. A 47-inch pike for most people is a fish of a lifetime experience, but Peter has been up a lot and has caught many of that size. If we had a Mike Trout for the top half of the fist, it was Peter who landed an incredible total of 29 trophy pike on his trip and he even sat out one of the five days. That’s quite a slugging percentage. And that’s a trip of a lifetime. But as we talked to people taking off at the end of the trip, it was a trip of a lifetime for many.

For the bottom half of the first, we had some real heavy hitters in camp. Collectively our Week 2 group had been to Scott Lake Lodge a total of 260 trips, an average of ten trips each. That’s a depth of experience. The fish didn’t stand a chance: this group hit it out of the park. They did have some help though. That big ball of fire that was hiding during Week 1 was out strong and high. Big pike are defenseless when they are basking in sunshine. (It must soften their brains.) The stats for Week 2 were amazing led by the number of total trophies, an incredible 203!! The number of pike over 45 was also amazing—20. It’s what sun on the water will do. Big pike moved into the shallows on Scott Lake and all the fly out lakes (22 fly out destinations are in this lodge’s lineup). Some huge pike were literally sunning in inches of water. It is easier to catch big fish if you can see them. Some were hanging out in inches of water. Those are some easy pitches to hit. And hit our gang did. The 45” parade was led by Ross Purpura who captured two 45.5” tundra sharks on the same day, but they were not the same fish—they were miles apart. Judy Schmidt and Dick Emens also landed 45.5” fish. Joe Daugherty, Dan Meyer and Peggy Light got 45s as well. There were a bunch of 46s. Rory Wright got three of them all by himself. Mike Rogers, Dick Emens, Tim Rudd, Joel Tune, Chris Luke and Peggy Light filled in the 46 roster. In the 47” dugout, there were some familiar names—Dan Meyer, Mike Rogers and Joel Tune, all going 2 for 3 in the huge fish categories. But the guy who hit the grand slam was a rookie, and a 15-year-old. The honor of the biggest fish, a very heavy 48-inch pike, of the young season (we’ll see how long it lasts) went to Linus Maurer who tamed that beast with a fly rod. He is probably ruined for the balance of his fishing life. How can you top that?

I guess everyone who caught a ton of fish (possible), enjoyed a classic Canadian shorelunch, watched the thousands of geese flying north, heard the haunting cry of the common loon, witnessed the late evening sunsets, enjoyed the relaxed conversations in the boat or on the expansive deck at the lodge or just soaked in the full experience of spending time in a pristine wilderness setting did top that. What a first inning!

Lake Trout Fishing Saskatchewan

Pat’s Laker

Pat and Jordan teamed up to find this big lake trout shallow on opening day.

Northern Pike Lake Fishing Saskatchewan

Mike and Jan found a big pike

Mike and Jan with a beauty pike

Northern Pike Fly Fishing Saskatchewan

Paul with a giant pike

Paul and Curt with a jumbo pike. Sighting fishing big pike on the fly, what a deal!

Northern Pike Fishing Saskatchewan

Paul and Steve caught this between storms

Richard and Steve didn’t let rain, hail and wind dampen their spirits. They were rewarded.

Northern Pike Fishing Saskatchewan

Cold and rain? No Problem

A day 5 beauty for the boys.

Lake Trout Fishing Saskatchewan

Shore Lunch Trout

A dandy trout off shore while the shorelunch fire is on. Can’t beat this!

Northern Pike Lake Fishing Saskatchewan

Linus’ 48″ Giant

Linus picked up the flyrod and with some instruction from Tbag he found a 4 foot pike on his line!

Northern Pike Fishing Saskatchewan

The Luke Boys found some big ones

The Lukes all managed some fine pike this week.

The Art of the Fish Photo: Capturing the Memory

The Art of the Fish Photo: Capturing the Memory

by | Apr 12, 2018 | 2018 Season, Uncategorized

Darrel with a Grayling during his flyout trip.

Taking a fish photo, it seems easy, doesn’t it? You’ve done the hard part already by travelling to a prime destination, finding the fish, tempting it to eat and getting the beast in your net . . . the photo is the easy part. Right? At Scott Lake Lodge, there are tens of thousands of fish brought to the boat every summer. Several thousand of those specimens pose for a quick photo. Over the years we’ve seen it all: a fish with half a thumb over it; a beautiful fish with the angler cut off; so much hat and sunglasses that the angler’s face looks like a mugshot, and on and on. We’ve also been lucky to see many spectacular photographs. We’ve had some of the top professional outdoor photographers in the business work at the lodge. They have done justice to the amazing beauty of northern Canada and the excitement of fishing for monster pike and lake trout. They taught our guides the drill. Now our guides know how to capture the full experience, honor the catch and create something worth sharing with fishing friends. With a little study and effort, you can do the same.

Big or small, good times are still to be had while on the lake!

Cory got this great shot of a bear on one of our flyout lakes.

Mark and Curt with a massive Pike!

Priscilla and Dave slept under the stars for one night on Smalltree Lake, while being guided by Steve.

First and foremost, the concern of the Catch Photo Release (CPR) process should be the fish. All fish should be handled gently and with great care to make sure it swims away to grow into a photo fish for another angler. Unless it is destined for a hot oil bath at a shore lunch, keep that fish healthy; make sure it’s not bleeding and keep in resting in a net or cradle until you are ready for the shot. Your fish should not be out of the water for more than 30 seconds. Secondly, don’t limit the photo process with just a “grip and grin” shot. Get some action of the fight, the release, your buddy napping after shore lunch, the “bird’s nest” line tangle, and all the small details that are part of a day on the water. Build a narrative of the trip; it is often what happens between fish catches that makes the memories. The key to do this is keep a camera handy . . . wildlife usually won’t stand around and wait until you’ve dug the camera out of your bag.

We asked some of our photographer friends to share their experience with us. We asked two questions of them: 1) What makes a good fish photograph and 2) Any suggestions for capturing the entire experience, not just the grip and grin fish picture. Below is the result of millions of photos taken capturing angling adventures around the world. For their time and expertise, we thank them. Here’s a short course from the best:

Manitoba’s Jay Siemens (https://www.jaysiemensmedia.com) a fisherman and guide, who’s talent for capturing moments on photo and video has led to worldwide travels documenting the outdoors shared this:

What makes a good fish photo? This may seem obvious, but the #1 attribute of a good fish picture is a healthy fish. It doesn’t matter if the fish is 50 inches long, if it’s bleeding from the tail or looking bone dry, it’s not attractive. I love to see a fish still dripping with water, and a perky dorsal fin (especially if it’s a walleye or a grayling). I know we all want a picture of our trophy fish, but the fish’s health is always number #1. Always have the camera ready before you even hook the fish. 

Our guest Warren hooked up with a trophy Grayling during a flyout trip.

How do you capture the entire experience? Take a lot of photos! Yes, we all want the photo of the big fish, but what about taking a photo of your buddy’s expression after he loses a fish right beside the boat, or what about a photo of your guide tossing some pan-fried fish at shore lunch. We all want to see the fish photos, but looking back you’ll never regret taking too many photos! Want to try doing some video? GoPro cameras are very simple to use and can capture some incredible footage, if that’s too intimidating, you can’t go wrong with a cellphone. They take amazing quality videos as well! Keep your whatever camera you’re using accessible… you don’t know the next time you might see a moose…or a moose nest!

Denver Bryan, bases from Bozeman, MT and travels the world to get the shot of fur, feather and fin in their natural environs. His images can be seen in his books and numerous magazines. Learn more at http://www.denverbryan.comc/index.php

Three primary elements usually come to bear when creating or capturing a good fish (or other) photograph…i.e. subject, light and composition. A beautifully-colored northern pike or lake trout photographed in great light (usually early or late in the day) with an interesting composition or great fisherman model come to mind. REALLY look at and study some of your favorite images, take note of these elements and then incorporate them in your own images. The fish and fisherman may be central to your fishing trip but there are so many nuances of fishing that add layers of depth to your photography…. i.e. the expression on a fisherman’s face, the trials and tribulations associated with fishing, the ‘tools of the trade,’ the camaraderie, the destination, etc. Taken all together and they give you a much fuller accounting and memory of your fishing experience. 

Denver provided this example of a photo that didn’t work as planned….even the best setups can be foiled by the fish.

RawFish Creative’s Jeff Andersen (http://rawfish-media.com) has spent days and weeks capturing fish photos for numerous company’s and magazines. Between guiding assignments, Jeff & his brother Joe came up and documented Scott Lake Lodge in a series of videos. Here is what he had to say.

The best photographers capture an image before even taking the photo. They can recognize the moment then use the tool, the camera, to capture it. While you travel look for those opportunities. They are everywhere. Take photos of things you find interesting, you are documenting your trip after all. Cell phones now days take amazing images and are most often closest to hand. They can be blurry in low light because of the Auto Shutter Speed. To help sharpen your picture use pressure with your fingers on both sides of the phone to keep it steady. Even better invest in a small bendable tripod to hold your phone steady in most any situation. 

Jeff and guide Matt share a moment with a big girl that ate boat side!

Another Montana based photographer, Brian Grossenbacher has been responsible for countless covers, photos essays and catalogues in the fishing and hunting world. See more of his work (http://www.grossenbacherphoto.com/About) Brain gave some technical advice on working with a DSLR camera.

My favorite fishing photos illustrate authentic, unscripted action that capture the grace and athleticism of the sport. Whether this is the angler loading the rod on a big cast or setting the hook on a monster pike, or even a tight shot of a jumping fish throwing water droplets throughout the frame. Depth of field plays a huge role in the creativity of each of these 3 scenarios and you control Depth of Field by adjusting the Aperture or F-stop in your camera. The easiest way to remember the relationship between Aperture (F-stop) and Depth of Field DOF is the lower your f-stop, the smaller your depth of field, and the larger the F-stop, the greater the depth of field.

 

To easily manage your depth of field try shooting in Aperture Priority Mode (A) so that you only have to worry about the depth of field you want and let the camera control the shutter speed according to ambient light. For a casting shot, the shallower depth of field (larger aperture 2.8-5.6) the angler will be the focal point and the background will be soft and out of focus. Also, the wider opening of the aperture allows for more light and subsequently faster shutter speeds to capture the fast action of the cast.

 

For a shot with the angler in the foreground and the fish jumping in the background, you will need a larger depth of field (larger f-stop f8-f11) to keep both the angler and the fish in focus. Because the aperture will be smaller, less light will enter the sensor, so keep an eye on shutter speed. If the camera drops it below 1/1000 second, then bump up the ISO a bit (400-640) to give the shutter speed a boost. You will need the faster shutter speed to keep the movement of the jumping fish in focus. To capture a tight shot of a jumping fish I like to keep the aperture at 5.6 and keep the shutter speed as fast as possible to freeze the dynamic action of the water spray, shaking head and pumping gills. Try to keep the shutter speed in the neighborhood of 1/1600 sec or faster by bumping ISO or you may want to shoot this in full Manual Mode (M) and purposely underexpose the image as the jumping fish will be the brightest spot in the frame. Take a few practice shots to make sure you are not too bright or too dark in the frame and then keep your head in the game so that you are ready when your buddy finally hooks one.

Brain captured friend Jimmy working a weed bed close to the beach at a flyout.

If you absorb some of these tips, you will take better photographs on your next fishing trip. Or if you just don’t want to bother just come to Scott Lake Lodge every summer. Our guides will provide professional assistance. We even send our guests home with a flash drive of photographs that distill the essence of your fishing adventure. At this point we are at 98% of full capacity. But we’ll bet you only need two or maybe four spots. Our Guide/Sales Manager, Jon Wimpney, can still sneak you in. Give him a call at 306-209-7150. Do it right now!