Savant Lake

[MuntzAngling]

I will be visiting Wildewood resort on Savant Lake in early August to make a web video for them with my friend. We are only there 3 days to do our filming. We are going to showcase lake trout, but we must show some northerns and walleyes too.

Any lake specific tips you may have for me to catch any of these species would help prepare us greatly. I will have dipseys and planers with electronics at my disposal.

-Minner

[MuntzAngling]

Nobody has been there, really?

[thatoneguy]

I will also be fishing on Savant Lake for the first time this year, July 27-Aug 2 (not with SSMinner, unless we happen to run into each other!).

Any tips on which bays etc to target for big pike would be muy appreciated.

Minner - we'll have to compare notes before and after our trips. We can maybe help each other out!

[thatoneguy]

Also any tips on lures (sizes, colors etc) would be awesome. This might be my only chance to take a trip like this until my little boys are old enough to go with me, so I want to make it count!

[MuntzAngling]

Thatoneguy, Are you staying at Wildewood? We will be there Friday July 31 - Wed Aug 5. If you are there, we take others from the resort in groups to get more camera fish on film. Are you there for the lake trout or other species?

It wouls be nice to count on another group to have deep/wide water tackle along with them.

[thatoneguy]

We'll be at Cliff & Roma's, fishing for whatever's biting best. I'd like to go after big pike and lakers, but I know the rest of my group are more interested in walleye fishing. We'll see how it pans out.

[thatoneguy]

Tips on lures, anyone? Sizes? Colors? Styles?

[MuntzAngling]

Well, as long as no one else is helping us, I can give input on lures we used at Allanwater Bridge Resort last year in August. It's only 30 minutes east of there by train. We mostly fished Lake Kawaweogama, McEwen Lake and the Allanwater River.

Walleyes liked 1/4 oz jigs with twisters and 3" Gulp Shad. The Gulp worked better than preserved minnows. Also Reef Runner cranks and Wally Divers worked well for trolling.

For northerns, we did well with Bomber 7-8" Long A's casting shorelines/river areas.

We caught no lakers, but only tried for a couple hours on Lake Seseganaga. As always with those, bring a variety of lures and equipment to fish them as different depths or distances. Spoons and stickbaits are trollable favorites. Color is always unpredictable. Bring a depth finder for sure!

I'll be guessing, but I'm sure they will eat something in my tackle box. It still would be nice to know the "lake bait" though.

[thatoneguy]

Less than three weeks left til the Savant Lake trip! Anyone have any tips? Lures? Locations? Ideas? Smart remarks?

[MuntzAngling]

Well, I did my homework a bit here.

The Wildewood Resort HSOforum says Sutton or Savant spoons are good. They are slender and large in silver or gold, hammered and smooth styles. Also shad raps and large rapalas were mentioned as good lures. Seems like natural colors are the ticket.

They also mention a 3 way rig which is the ball weight attached to a 3 way swivel. Then add a length of line to a dodger and another length to your bait. You can jig these while drifting or trolling. Needs a large spool of heavy line or wire.

I am also investing in a trolling setup for a Luhr Jensen Double Deep 6. I guess 30-50 lb superbraid line on a counter reel and a couple divers, 120 and 180 ft models, should do well. Need to add bungees and mono/fluoro leaders of 4-6 feet. May also take a dodger too.

Those 2 options will get me deep. I also have dipseys and planers to add in to the mix.

[thatoneguy]

Thanks for the update - I had ordered a few Savant Spoons for when we're chasing pike, and I already have several other Daredevles in 5 of diamonds and red & white that I'll bring. We'll mostly be after walleye, and I haven't heard anything other than 1/8 to 1/2 oz jigs in chartreuse and white with twister tails or gulp. Guess I'll go with that unless we get some local knowledge dropped in the near future!

[MuntzAngling]

Via my friend, the resort owner at Wildewood said water temps are down a bit and the fishing has yet to pickup. Apparently some lake trout are still being caught in shallow water of 10-20 feet only. Should change a bit over the next couple weeks though.

[thatoneguy]

I was kinda wondering about water temps. That probably actually works in our favor - hopefully there will be some warm sun and get the temps rising when we get there, and the fishies will be active and hongry!

[Dan Anderson]

SSMINNER. I will be just down the road at Sturgeon Lake Lodge starting 8/2 till 8/5. We mainly fish lakers and do very well. We use very stout rods 4 1/2 ft long with 20 lb fire line. At the 3 way spliter we tie on about 7 ft of mono to the lure. we tie on 15lb mono to our weight which is a 1 lb ball. When trolling we try to keep the weight about 1 ft off the bottom.We use white rapalas with rattles in them or a silver storm(simular to a rapala) again with rattles in it. WE also have good luck with spoons, white is very good.We generaly try to mimic a smelt (silver). We will fish anywhere from 50 to 100 ft deep.n Hope this helps. I know it is cheating but you are welcome come down for a 1/2 day and we will get you some great footage of lakers.

[MuntzAngling]

Thanks Dan,

So how often do the 1 lb weights break off? I'm thinking a may need a couple. I will load up on white and smelt look alikes too. I can't wait to reel 'em in!

-Minner

[thatoneguy]

Any idea where I could get a contour map of Lake Savant? It would be nice to study up a little so we're not going in completely blind

[Dan Anderson]

we very seldom have them break, however we did lose quite a few when we first started years ago. Most of the time you will be fishing in areas where the bottom is mud and will very seldom snag. you will be able to tell because when you drop your line back to make contact with the bottom ot will actually get stuck in the mud for a second. While trolling you will be able to tell by the feel when you get into rocks, that is when you need to be careful. Good luck.

[thatoneguy]

5 more days til departure! I picked up a few different big pike lures in addition to the walleye gear. Two large Daredevles (red & white; 5 of diamonds); a big buzzbait, a big tandem spinner, a big swimbait and a giant rapala type thing. I;ve heard good things about the new Clackin' Raps, and I'll prolly pick a couple of those up also just to see what they do. Can't wait!

[kkahmann]

A conture map of Savant Lake? Surely you jest!

Years ago I used to Jig with one-ounce white bucktails and a piece of sucker meat. Vertical Jig under the powerline on North Arm of Sturgeon Lake. Lakers are small but numerous.

[thatoneguy]

I'm not at all sure why I would be jesting about that. Maybe I'll laugh when I get to the lake.

[kkahmann]

There are no contour maps of Savant Lake or Sturgeon Lake or of Lake Nipigon either.

[MuntzAngling]

I'm not sure how accurate the maps are from Wildewood Resort's HSOforum but they do show some contours in color. I had one laminated for the trip. Seems like it will help.

I'd love to see pictures from your trips here guys. I leave for Duluth in 2 days then depart for Canada Friday morning! THATONEGUY, do you have a marine radio? I plan to have mine out there. Maybe I'll catch you on the call channel? Good luck, weather looks wet!

[thatoneguy]

The weather for the trip was awful (with the positive side effect that there were no bugs!), but the fishing was good.

TONS of walleyes off Vertical Coast and in Loretta's Bay (among other spots), and many 30"-37" pike. I had one 40"+ fish clamp onto a walleye I hooked, and got it boatside but we weren't able to net it before it let go of its prey.

We only went deep one day (Friday) and did very well for both lake trout and big walleye. I'll make sure to do more of that next trip.

Good times!

[thatoneguy]

Btw, the contour map from Wildewood is pretty accurate - I printed one out before I went up. Not as precise as a GPS-mapped job, but plenty good to use as a guide. kkahmann - I can email you one if you would like.

[thatoneguy]

SSMinner - how was your trip to Savant?