Casting for game fish on Lake Superior

I saw the rod tip start to flutter with the telltale sign of a strike. No one stepped up to set the hook, so I scampered over to the pole, pulled it from the holder, and set the hook. Not the heaviest fish I felt when setting a hook, but it felt respectable.

I worked the reel at a steady pace, at one point the fish stopped the progress of the reel, but just lacked the size to strip line off it. It took a minute to pull the fish to the surface from the 80 foot depth that it hit the bait at. I reeled the fish to the boat and Captain Tom Linderholm netted the fish and hauled the 26” lake trout into the boat. Captain Tom pulled double duty that day and worked the poles and net by himself, and made it look easy.

The weatherman predicted winds blowing at 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 20 the night prior. I half expected the trip to get scratched, but Captain Tom told us that he knew a spot that provided wind protection. I’m sure his 40 foot sport fisher “Y’Oar Nauti” would handle those winds easily, but our party of six might not.

Leaving the harbor at sunrise, sailing towards the rising sun, provided picturesque scenery of the Apostle Islands. The orange glow of the sun viewed through the rod holders across Lake Superior tinted everything from the water to the islands’ warm shades of orange. “This is going to be a beautiful day on the water,” Captain Tom said to me. The ride out felt smooth with very comfortable motion. Josh slept most of the 14 mile cruise to the fishing spot and for a bit of the fishing. Once there Captain Tom started setting the 12 lines we trolled with. It didn’t take long for the first strike and he handed the pole to Joe and he quickly reeled in his first open water gamefish. He wore a big smile. A couple other fish shook the hooks, just before getting netted, on a couple of us -but that’s why we call this fishing.

The next strike put a good bend on the rod as Tom handed the pole to my niece. She’s caught panfish, but never a gamefish. She hunkered down and reeled with all her strength. A good stretch into the fight she told the group that her arms started cramping.

She pulled the trout to the surface and continued reeling it to the net. I watched the fish headshake several times. Captain Tom netted the fish and into the boat came her first gamefish – a 28-inch lake trout.

A moment like that makes a fishing trip. Other fish were caught by others, but no one will forget that fish. I got a great video of Josh reeling in his first lake trout. He was pretty proud of that fish too, and I won’t forget watching that.

The wind died down and the water smoothed out to almost glass for the last hour of fishing. The ride back to the harbor stunned everyone with the vibrant blue water of Gitche Gumee accented by the dark summer greens of the Apostle Islands and the sun’s rays sparkling off the water. The cool breeze from the 20 knots that the big sport fisher cruises at, kept the warm sunlight just right. An epic boat ride back to the harbor.

Pretty much an epic fishing trip from the cruise out to the cruise in. We completed the day with a picnic lunch overlooking the Bayfield Harbor and toasted the trip and retold fishing stories under the awning at the Copper Crow Distillery in Red Cliff.

I grilled a fillet of lake trout – the boss’s favorite fish - the next day for our anniversary with a bourbon maple glaze after a light dusting of sea salt. She told me to book another trip or two for next summer. Who am I to argue with orders?

Which brings me to the part about heading out on a fishing charter trip of your own. I highly recommend Captain Tom, the owner operator of Superior Sport Fishing. They offer multiple packages for your group to enjoy a day on the water with high quality tackle and electronics. The experience they bring to bear stands out immediately and it makes a difference when it comes to catching fish. They can be contacted at superiorsportfishing.com or 218-349-2728.

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CHUCK K OLAR LOCAL OUTDOORSMAN