Splake up North

[Mr Special]

Hi, I'm new to the forum, but would appreciate any help I can get on how, where, what to use, and when. I'm planning a trip to my familes cabin in Hovland at the end of the month. Always heard of the great trout and splake fishing on the Arrowhead region but never tried. Thinking about trying finally.

[Mr Special]

By the way, if your wondering about my name. That's because I beleive it takes a very Special person to have a 1/8 hookset ratio like mine. Lets not talk about actually getting a fish on the ice.

[knoppers]

bearskin lake up towards the northern part of the gunflint, great splake. trout lake about halfway up the gunflint, some lakers and rainbows. clearwater up by bearskin, but can only fish the western part of lake, unless by foot on the other portions(BWCAW). good lawyers in clearwater.

[Mr Special]

Thanks for the reply.
But I don't think my family wants to make a trip form Hovland to the Gunflint. If so what type of lures, presentation , and dept would be best?

[chunkytrout]

Tofte Lake just outside Ely. I haven't ice fished much there but summer trolling has been pretty sweet.

[Renneberg]

I hear people do well fishing shallow and near points for splake.

Good luck.

[Mr Special]

Thanks Renneberg,
Would you happen to know what bait or lures might work.

[Xplorer]

Mr Special,
Try a small/medium swedish pimple tipped with a dead or salted crappie minnow. This has worked well on Musquash lake off the gunflint trail. Xplorer

[Mr Special]

Xplorer,
Thanks for the info.
Good Luck.

[Renneberg]

Try a salmon egg or a dead minnow.

[Guest]

What type of depths and structure do you fish splake in and does it pay to move around because I heard they just cruise the shoreline and you will get a bunch of bites and then it will go dead for a while. Any repsonses would be great. Thanks

[bry c]

It does seem like they move in packs, especially smaller, more competative ones. We look for areas where we can move from shallow to deep to deeper and back again throughout the course of the day without having to move too far, always staying along breaklines, usually on the deeper side.

[Renneberg]

Fish on and around major points. You can catch them in water as shallow as 2 feet. I like to start shallow then move deeper until I see fish swim by or mark them on the vex.

[Mr Special]

Thanks Everybody,
For the great tips, I'll be heading up there tonight after work. Now if I could ask for Good luck from you, cause I'll need it that would be great. I'll be back on Monday.

Good luck.

[Renneberg]

Good Luck!

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Study to be quite

[Mr Special]

Sorry for the delay on reporting. The fishing wasn't the greatest but still had lots of fun. No splakes but did catch a couple of brookies 4lbs and 1lbs, some rainbows 7"-11". Saw three mooses, two that ran accross the trail 20yds in front of my truck. One cow and two bulls which one had at least a 40+" rack still. That was one of the high lites of the trip. Lots of unplowed trails with a good 10" of snow, so if any sled dogs out there hurry up to the Arrowhead.

Thanks Again.