Yuri 2011 trip report

Another year behind us and a whole year to wait.........oh the agony! Again my apologies for the lack of pics.......my bad. I only took pics of fish I caught and I thought were worthy and gave no thought of the trip report.......again.

Bait or lack thereof was the starting point for this years trip. Our usual contacts in the keys for gogs and speedos were silent or extremely expensive so most of us opted out. We did lay in a decent store of pinfish and grunts which were to prove a bit marginal. We did, however, pick up a decent supply of ballyhoo which were the best bait for the first nights mutton bite.

As per Yuris usual style we left a bit late pulling out about 2 p.m. and instead of trolling we rolled out west of ft. jefferson to spend the night and be one step closer to Pulley ridge. The weather had indeed co-operated and since Pulley ridge is a deep water reef of special concern there is no anchoring allowed and instead drifting the 200ft+ water is the only option. Perfect weather is mandatory. The first night the fellows from Tampa had a rather good time of it using ballyhoo plugs. Several nice muttons were brought aboard. True to form yours truly had his usual extra slow start refusing to use what was working and doing my own thing........mostly to no avail. Glenn's son Kevin landed 2 very nice muttons that night including big mutton honors which was to stand most of the way through the trip. Kevin, aged 11, was a real trooper and a pleasure to have on board. I hope to fish with him in the future.

The morning had us at a hump and Glenn and I broke out the jigging roods with butterfly jigs while the rest of our troop drifted dead bait. The jigs were the ticket and a limit of AJ was brought aboard in short order.

  We continued on to Pulley ridge where we commenced fishing for the rest of our second day. Glenn did wonderfully with the butterfly jigs while the rest of us paled in comparison. He did his best to educate us but mostly to no avail and we watched him put a whoopin on several fire truck red grouper and surprisingly he caught several muttons including one dandy. Again my apologies for a lack of pics. The reds were certainly worthy of inclusion.

I stayed up all 3 nights and most of the days so things start to get a little fuzzy from here but I will try my best to recant the rest of the trip.

That night found me alone in the stern with everyone else having turned in for the night. The bite started about 1 a.m. with smallish muttons firing about 20 minutes apart. Not great but I'll take it every time. The size of the fish gradually increased and culminated with the largest mutton of the trip which Glenn estimated at 16lbs. That fish ate a strip of bonita which Glenn had iced earlier in the trip. The bonita, in fact, accounted for the 8 or so muttons I caught that night. Glenn was up around 2 a.m. and commenced fishing. But as is often the case in this game misfortune frowned and he spent a good deal of his time dealing with sharks and re-rigging. Such is offshore fishing.

   A little bit of a late morning start but the deep dropping was on the agenda for day 3. I had to go down for an hour and when I awoke several golden tile and snowy groupers had already been brought up from 1050' depths via first class electric reels. Glen, Gary, Kyle and Rob manned the deep drop reels while I made breakfast and observed the action out the stern window. Kevin gave me rave reviews on breakfast which included sausage, potatoes/onions, waffles, eggs and OJ. It did hit the spot. Within 3 hours we had limited out on the golden tile and snowy groupers. These would add to our catch considerably. Very satisfying to see such delectable delights deposited into our fish boxes.

While we did not ask Yuri to demonstrate his culinary prowess, dinner was nontheless quite good with Glenns wife having made some barbecue pulled pork which proved excellent. The mutton bite that night did not materialize as per the previous night. Kyle and I stayed with it though and put in a good effort. Kyle did manage several decent mangrove snappers and a bunch of small yellowtails on his light outfit. He did pay the price a few times as fish a little to hefty for 10lb line broke him off. We also played tag with a nurse shark that went about 10 or 12ft long. I hooked it at least 3 times and I think Kyle hooked it twice. Fortunately each time it was a little easier to get in..........still exhausting though from 150ft down. I was rather pleased with myself after discovering a ledge off the starboard side and having had several grunts caught I suspected a black grouper could be caught at daybreak. I was correct.

This was to be our last day and all of us were very much looking forward to trolling. I think all of us had enough of handling a rod around the clock for 3 straight days and the thought of relaxing while the boat took us to the mystical dolphin grounds was a pleasurable thought indeed. We were abruptly brought low however by Yuri who informed us we would be unable to fish in water over 250' because of fish regulations concerning the snowy grouper we had boated. A huge bummer for us as I think we were all looking forward to the trolling. We all manned up though and fished a 1/2 day on some shallow reefs with a smattering to show for our efforts. After a shower I slept soundly the 3 hours it took to get to the dock.

I look back on the trip and other than the AJ bite on the hump and the deep dropping there was no "hot bite". We stayed busy though and it was not a long wait until someone had a fish on. It was a very good thing we brought extra coolers on board. Had there been a hot bite we would of maxed out. As it was we were full up with only 1/2 left on the remaining fish box. I think I can safely say it was the most fish I have ever put up but only because of the deep dropping. That fills the boxes in a hurry.

As for the very remote and much anticipated Pulley ridge it was a bit anti-climactic. Fishing was good......but not as good as I had hoped. I had set my sights on large fish and plenty of them. Yuri is certainly not to blame as this was only his 2nd or 3rd time fishing "the Ridge". Given time I have no doubt he will figure it out.

The crew was a bit different than usual. Jerry had to opt out because of chronic injury. Rob, ever the steadfast gentlemen and regular was on board. Glenn, retired AF and all around good guy was on board along with his son, Kevin, and 2 fellows he works with at verizon, Kyle and Gary. Fun guys to fish with (Gary you should have your own HBO special) and I look forward to doing it again.

Isle Royale backpacking 6/28-7/7 2000

DAY 1
Four hour boat ride over was smooth and nice. My crack about throwing rocks at thieving camp foxes caused the meek woman ranger giving the backcountry orientation to give me a double take. My fears about my pack being to heavy are allayed. Did seven miles OK. Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. The shelters are an unexpected bonus. Slept like a log.
DAY 2
Did four miles and stopped at the long cement pier in Moskey Basin to get water. Seen a huge trout, a brookie (coaster brook trout) of about 4lbs and decided to stay. I got him to try and eat twice but he was half hearted. Shore lines extremely rough. Fished off the long cement pier from 1PM to 10pm with a little break for an extremely cold swim and some burnt dinner. At 9:30 PM "it" happened. A very stout northern hit my tiny rapala with 6 lb line. Has to rank as one of my all time best fish fights. He took 35 minutes to land and I estimate his weight to be at least 17lbs. Spectacular lightening show in the distance accompanied by a loon sound track. Slept very poorly due in part to war with a mouse. A rather portly specimen who delighted in going through my pack. May he R.I.P.
Day 3
Slept in rather badly. Gear functioning excellently with the notable and troubling exception of my left boot. The sole is starting to separate. EEEKS! Will apply first aid in the form of cable ties.Batteries low in flashlight.

Half way to Chippewa Harbor I stopped at Lake Rithchie. Shorelines very rough. My poor boots are now doing double time as waders. My feet will not be dry the rest of the trip. Caught 7 or 8 small pike and fried 2. Excellent! The rolling thunder and hordes of giant merciless mosquitos hurried me on my way and I made the last 2 miles in an hour. Spent 2 hours bushwacking around Chippewa Harbor and fished without a strike. But it didn't really matter........the harbor is rough and beautiful and I feel like I'm 20.
DAY 4
The oatmeal breakfast with coffee is my favorite meal. Today I bushwacked into lake Mason. Very rough go of it and I had to grit my teeth to make it. When I got to the lake it opened up and I let out a cry of joy and relief. My first application of bug spray since I have arrived. Moose sign is everywhere. They make me a little nervous since the mommas are with calf.

The fishing at Lake Mason was surprisingly poor. I could only manage about 6 small pike and had to turn back after about 3 hours. Getting a blister on my heel. Went back out after lunch and bushwacked around Chippewa harbor. Insanity! Got to where I thought the fish would be against all odds. Crossed a creek and climbed 3 rocky faces. Fished 6 hours without a strike. Got tired and fell while in the water. Left buttock should have a nice bruise.

Sole on boot now completely separated. Holding it together with cable ties and parachute cord. Macaroni  and cheese dinner super. Five days to go and only 2 dinners left. Do I see some trouble on the horizon? I must catch fish tomorrow!  
Day 5
Very cold night. Could see my breath. I will have to give Lori a big kiss for convincing me to upgrade my sleeping bag. Slept well except my right knee and elbow were hurting. Feel like I'm 80! I wish I would of brought some sandals for around camp. The devotional "My Utmost For His Highest" has proven to be an ideal traveling companion, thought provoking and challenging.

It's 10 AM and I just finished breaking camp. As soon as I get water and wash up a bit it's time to hit the trail. I have 10 miles to cover before I can try and catch dinner. Weeeeee!

Despite my late start I make good time stopping only twice. Once to get water and once to repair a blowout on my boot. The Lord blessed me and I arrived only minutes ahead of some other hikers and got the premier camping site right on Lake Chickenbone. Camp is set up with clothes drying on the line. My boots are almost dry but now it's time to wade in the water again. I'm hungry for some pike. Two hours of flailing casts in the water has produced zip. I'm getting cold and my tummy is rumbly. When things are bleak a man should look up from where help comes. As I'm wading, grumbling as I go, I meet some people from Northville of all places. We get to talking and I mention that I'm fishing for dinner. "We're leaving tomorrow and would like very much to lighten our packs" they say. I was treated to an astonishingly good freeze dried lasagna dinner. Other goodies included more oatmeal and a nice bag of trail mix. The Lord takes care of his own!

The hot food has invigorated me and I get back into the water. Brrrrrrr! With darkness coming on I decide to go for the often sought and not always caught walleye. Bang- I catch a nice perch.......Bang- I pop a small but eatable pike. Then "it" happens. I land a walleye of about 3 lbs. A rather ordinary fish under most circumstances but not this time. There was no small stir about the camp and in fact I thought about initiating the "Pike Dance". This is an ancient event performed by men only in which a large fish, preferably a pike, is hoisted over the head while dancing around a fire all the while uttering strange noises. Rumor has it the dance fell out of favor because of the women (envy no doubt) but I suspect it was because of the slimy nature of the pike.

On a previous day I met a fellow on the trail. We exchanged pleasantries and he asked how the fishing was. I told him I had caught a decent pike in Moskey basin. "Oh you caught the big pike" he responded. Apparently news travels fast in these parts. I found out he had only 1 fish lure and no wire leaders so I gave him 2 lures and a leader. He then gave me some info about a canoe that was stashed somewhere on lake Chickenbone. The exact location remains a mystery but I have some hunches. We shall see what tomorrow brings.
Day 6
I slept very hard but was awakened about midnight with my knee hurting. Bummer. There's no swelling and it's not tender and I'm grateful for that. It probably doesn't like wading in the cold water. I will take it easy today. No bushwacking! The weather the past 2 days has been glorious. Sunny, light winds and no humidity. If the weather holds I intend to start back and do the longest leg of the trip a day earlier than planned and thus try and avoid doing thirteen miles in the rain. Good thinking old chap! That way I'll only be 6 miles from the ferry ride home.

My slow morning starts have some distinct advantages. By the time I'm ready to hike I'm stretched out a little plus it's a lot warmer. The trails have also had a chance to dry off a bit as well. Stuff mart has been a blessing. The stool has been a huge comfort and the walking staff has kept me from having a few awkward moments and doubles nicely as a monopod for my camera. The camel back hydration system was a wise choice, 70 ounces of water at the sip of a straw. Lastly, my hats off to Tim Cornelius who convinced me to bring salt and pepper. It perks up the fish nicely and aids in the removal of leeches that continually affix themselves to my legs.

I arrived at the first hunch to where I thought the canoe would be but there was no boat. No matter. I fished anyway and arrived at the secret to catching the northerns. A big plastic bait with no weight was murder. Several times I got to see the strike. Neat! Still fixated on the mystery boat I pulled out the map and tried to figure out where it would be stashed. I hiked to the other end of the lake and BEHOLD, the fishing ark. I looked around for some large trees as my informant had suggested and Ta-da......paddles! I made my way to an island which all intrepid explorers know is a good place to go. I parked in the reeds to ready my rod but before I could do so I heard some low grunting noises which could mean only one thing......Moose! I pushed off from the shore and sure enough out steps a big cow moose. I could of tossed a rock at her underhand to be sure. She did not appear to have hostile intent but I became concerned all the same when she began to wade out in the water. Soon she was swimming and what a sight to behold. All the way across the lake she was grunting and blowing water out of those huge nostrils. A sight I will never forget. Alas, not to have my camera for fear I would get it wet while wading. The fishing was very good for small fish but I could not get on the big ones try as I might. I returned the canoe about dark and had to make good time to get to my campsite. It stays light until almost 10:30.
Day 7
I arose at 6 A.M. and although the temptation was strong to stay another day because of the boat I decided not to press my luck. I took 3 hours to eat, fry fish and break camp. An oddity happened after cleaning the fish for that days lunch. When I went to dispose of the remains they were gone. They were to big for a mink which leaves a fox as the likely culprit.

Got started at 9A.M. with a heavy pack due to all the water I garnered. I was to be hiking a ridge today and one does not usually find water on a ridge. I was blessed with a cooler day with nice breezes which made for good hiking. I was hiking the high country of the island now and the views which it afforded me were superb. Several times I had to stop and pull my pack off just to marvel at the beauty. The Lord is truly the master artist. I arrived at the trail to lane cove about 3:30. Eleven miles behind me and two rugged miles to go. The trail to lane cove was just as described in the guide book.....difficult. But without question the 2 nicest miles I have done (if only my feet weren't hurting so!). Upon arriving at the campground my biggest concern was getting an unoccupied shelter because a storm was brewing. Well I didn't have to worry about that because there were no shelters and furthermore there was no nice long dock jutting out into Lake Superior to fish from. I took comfort in the nice trail and hurriedly set up camp and ate dinner just as the rains began. I was in bed promptly at 6 P.M.
Day 8
I slept 13 hours last night. Wow! I must of been whupped. A bit perplexed about where to fish today. Have I come all this way to a place of little or no options? Time to consult the topo map. After pouring over the map I spied it........Lake Ahmik! Back on day 2 I met a Ranger I had met a ranger who had told me that lake Ahmik had come up very well on a survey...........but he also flatly stated that it was impossible to get to. I made some more coffee and stared intently at a possible route. The key to the whole trek was a canoe portage off the bay that I was currently on that led to another Lake Superior bay in which the lake lay parallel to about 1/4 mile inland. After sizing everything up I finished my cup of courage and gathered up my gear. Space blanket, waterproof matches, raingear and the all important compass.

The trip around Lane cove was way to easy and I reached the canoe portage in less than an hour. My hopes were high for similar terrain in Stockly Bay but where quickly dashed upon reaching it. Although not sheer cliffs which would of turned me back in short order it was non the less rather steep. After another look at the topo I determined the lake was on the other side of a rocky forested ridge which was plainly visible about a mile down. Trouble was I had to go around the bay before I could climb the ridge. Although I generally bushwack rather slowly anyway this was extra tough with many large trees down which slowed my progress. Although the forest was very dense I still came across 3 moose kills.....definite wolf country. I amused myself with how I must smell to them and pictured them crinkling  up their noses and heading toward the high country tail between their legs.

I could only average about 1/2 mile per hour but I finally reached the top of the ridge and took a compass bearing. Only 15 minutes of walking put me on the lake..........And what a lake! I fished the greater part of the day and caught numerous toothy pikes including 3 over 30", easily my best fishing day. My best memory was standing on a beaver lodge and busting two of the bigger ones on consecutive casts all while a moose eyed me suspiciously from a nearby cove. What a day!

I left at 5 P.M. giving myself some extra time in case I got turned around. I mad my way back to Stockly bay where a loon made my hear skip a beat by eating my curly tailed grub. My hook bent out straight when I set up on what I thought would be a trophy fish and then suddenly up pops a loon. I slowly put 2+2 together. I got back alright despite minor protest from my knee. I ate my last dinner and started early preparations to break camp and catch the boat home tomorrow.
Day 9
My worries about getting up late were completely unfounded. I was out of the bag and making coffee and oatmeal at 5:30......There was no way I was missing that boat. I broke camp in record time and was on my way at 7 A.M. Five hours later I had covered the 7 miles and pulled into Rock Harbor on a bad ankle. It was to remain sore for the next week. I took a shower and went to the visitors center to chow down.

With an hour to burn waiting for the ferry I decided to string my rod and give casting demonstrations to the 30 or so bystanders on the big dock. Something clicked in the remote part of my fisherman brain when on about the 100th cast I noticed my spinner wasn't sinking. Without thinking I set up hard and my rod made a perfect 9' arc. "Hung" I mumbled but soon the bystanders became cheerleaders as I battled a 6 lb lake trout. Between playing dead and making long runs it finally submitted. Finally I had managed to catch one nice trout on the trip. How appropriate I had one picture left in the camera!

I could not have wrote a better script for this trip and am grateful I was able to go.