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Part II - 2013 trip

Ok - so I have tried to start a new blog for our 2013 trip and I'm having trouble.  So, I decided to just continue with last years.  We will be heading out early thirty 7/5.  Hope all of you have a safe 4th. 

Here it is  - our last full day at Manitou Weather Station.  And it is windy but not as bad as yesterday - wind gusts up to 35 mph (it's 13 with gusts to 25 now) - the lake looked like the beach with all of the waves.  We went out for a couple hours this morn - caught a few small mouths and pikes.  Back to cabin for lunch and Jerry is out fishing again.  We are having supper at the lodge tonight since by that time I will have the kitchen stuff packed up.  

It is hard to believe that it will be two weeks tomorrow that we arrived.  The first few days seemed never-ending (sunrise is around 5, sunset 9:30 but still light at 10:15) and now they are going by too fast.  I will admit that I was apprehensive - two weeks with no cell phone or tv but it hasn't been all that bad - I've managed to read 6 books.  And since we have the Internet, we kept up with the headlines and checked on family which gave us peace of mind.  So we weren't totally off the grid but close!

So tomorrow, we start the 1,100 mile journey home (as I'm typing this it is 105 in Conway and 78 here with 38% humidity - wonder if we can extend our stay?).  Thanks to all of you that have read and/or commented on the blog (btw - just found the caption key for the pictures!!).  I have enjoyed sharing our trip with you. Those of you that have not experienced a trip like this to Canada  -  you need to.  I am not going to say good-bye to MWS just "I'll see you next year".  Love to all

Self explanatory!

The waves from yesterday and it is looking like that now

Inukhuk at the lodge.  You see them along the shore and highways - trail markers

I haven't recorded the sound of the loon but here are a few youtube videos that you can watch.  Around 8:30 to 9 p.m. they really start up but you can hear the call off and on all day.  The shrill 4 to 5 note call is a warning by a male loon that you are in his territory.  The others you will recognize as the sound we all associate with the loon.  Hope you enjoy.  Also, the picture is from our dock looking down in about 4-5 feet of water.  Out on the lake you can see the bottom in 8-10 feet of water - really clear and cold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb5HjRe_oNY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpvTuMiJq1E&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=Hw1It3AlXmQ&NR=1

The day of the whoppers and I'm not talking Burger King!  It finally happened – we both caught big fish yesterday.  Started out a little cool, sunny and windy – have I said how much I dislike the wind?!  Anyway, we went to Olsen Bay - the one with the waterfall.  Jerry figured the bait fish would be pushed into the coves and bays (wind gust of 20 mph!).  And he was right.  We reeled in many 15 to 18" fish - some even made it easy for us and came off the spoon at the boat.  Jerry had one nice follow - the fish was huge.  Jerry did the mandatory figure 8 in the water but the giant turned tail and headed back to deeper water.  We moved back up to the top of the bay on the opposite side and started drifting - how could you not with gusts up to 20 mph!!  I got hung up in a grass bed, Jerry managed to get me out of there.  Then it happened and it wasn't a big hit.  In fact, I thought I had a smaller fish that had managed to pick up some grass but then we saw him.  He was not a happy fish as I got him to the boat - jumped and carried on like a madman (Dustin - I did rip some lip on this one!!).  We needed the net and did he hate the net - looked like a gator in a death roll and he made a mess.  Time was of the essence - we knew he was longer than 27.5 and needed to get back in the water.  He measured 31" - the largest fish I have ever caught.  Jerry managed to get him unhooked and time for pictures.  Since we were trying to get him back in the water, Jerry held the fish while I took a picture.  We went back to the top of the bay and started floating back into it.  Just a few fish, it was close to lunch time, so we headed back.

After lunch, Jerry decided to head back out to a bay across from the cabin.  It hadn't been more than an hour and he came motoring up.  When I got to the boat I noticed the live well divider was in the floor of the boat and I knew what that meant.  "Did you get a big one?"  He said - "Oh yes but I left the camera in the cabin."  So off I went, grabbed the camera and waited for him to pull out the fish.  It was a big fish for sure and it measured 31" too.  I don't know if we will catch one larger than that but we had a great day.  The first two pictures are Jerry holding his fish, the third is him letting it go (remember - we cannot keep fish between 27.5 and 36.5") and the last one is of Jerry holding my big fish.

 

Praying for all along Florida panhandle especially St. George Island.  Just saw there is a mandatory evacuation of the island.  They had closed the bridge from the mainland earlier but have opened it up before next onslaught of wind/rain so people can head north.  Hope all are safe and Debby does not destroy this beautiful place.

We had a great time fishing yesterday morn.  Went into a little bay and I stopped counting at 10 pike.  They were about 15-20" range but so much fun.  Made it back in time to join everyone at the lodge for a fish fry with the muskie "hunters".  They took a break from the tourney for lunch so we got to listen to the stories about "the one that got away".  Met a couple of guys that went to Cornell and get together up here every other year. Jerry went back out for several hours and got into the pike again.  We watched the sunset and called it a day.  Woke up this morn to temp of 56 and 57% humidity.  I know it is sweltering down there.  He has almost convinced me to live in northern MN June, July and August and I will probably agree after a couple days home.  Hope everyone has a great day and manage to stay cool.  1st pic - they did mine for gold up here so who knows what is at the end of that rainbow.  2nd pic - storm at sunset to the east of us yesterday.