I’ve been fishing the Bayfield Inlet for almost three decades, and I’ve had some great times there. A couple years ago, a group of buddies who have done their own guys weekend for years were in search of a new destination, so I suggested they check the area out and consider basing out of the lodge I’d been going to for years, Bayfield Lodge. After doing some research they decided to give it a try and things went well for them, with many of the guys catching their biggest fish. Fast forward to this past fall, and they were going back again, but due to some scheduling conflicts, they had an extra spot and were kind enough to invite me. I was pretty excited because I had only fished the area once that year, and was looking forward to having a few days to try out my old spots, and with a group of good guys to boot!
With each group of guys I’ve ever fished with, there is a certain routine that is unique to each. I’m normally one of the organizers, so I was looking forward to just being “one of the guys”, to show up, do my part and enjoy.
On a Thursday night I headed up to Bayfield Lodge, picking up one member of the group along the way. The rest of the team had been up there for the full day, so we were looking forward to getting a full report on the days activities once we arrived. It was 9:30pm when we pulled in, and full dark, but we knew where we were going and were greeted with warm hellos, and the smell of burgers on the grill. Our timing could not have been better as we settled our belongings before sitting down for some fresh cooked BBQ dinner. While we enjoyed the meal we heard about the day’s results, which were great. Some giant Bass, big Pike – couldn’t ask for a better report, and we were all excited to get out there and do it the next day.
We were up pretty early (I was second to bed the night before, fighting a nasty chest cold), and put some coffee and cereal into our bellies before heading out. We rotated partners the whole weekend so that we all had a chance to chat with different fellas.
Over the course of the weekend each guy had his time in the spotlight. For every time there was a report from a boat of a slow morning or afternoon, another boat was having a great time. One afternoon my partner and I were trolling towards a “hot spot” when his line ripped on him and he landed his personal best Pike, not a bad time to do it as well, as we were fishing in some pretty heavy rain, that would eventually drive us off the water. At least some of the guys had stories to tell while we waited the weather out! Normally, I don’t like to sit in the cabin, even in the worst weather, but my chest cold was winning the battle, and a few hours of sleep did me wonders. This group of guys fish until late morning, then take a few hours off for a big meal, some cards and chatting, before heading out mid afternoon for the rest of the day. This time of the year (mid – late September) you don’t stay out too late anyways because of low light and a sharp drop in the temperature). The one exception to the schedule was when the group joined up for a feast of a shore lunch. It was the biggest group I’d cooked for (8 guys), but a hot fire and some preparation had everyone full with fresh fish, fries, bread, beans, coffee and cookies. What a meal!
One afternoon I had a great time going on a bit of an adventure. My partner for the day enjoys trying new things, so we headed to some heavily weeded areas to see if we could drum up some big bass. While I did get one small bass, it seemed like the Northerns were more interested in what I was serving up. My co-angler had much better luck on the bass front, landing a nice large mouth bass using a top water frog. He had a solid hook set, as that bass buried himself in the weeds in seconds, and we had to chase him down and horse him out. The picture probably doesn’t show how fat this fish was, a real beauty.
While meandering along the weeded back bays, we came across a beaver dam, and decided to go on foot and see what was on the other side. While our efforts were not rewarded on the fishing front, we did get a look at some incredible scenery and were able to fish for about 30 minutes in some truly remote water. I can’t say that it was unvisited though, because the spent shot gun shells made it clear that it was a duck hunters prime spot! After 2.5 days of pretty good fishing, better than expected weather, and outstanding company, it was time to head home. I was really pleased to both fish familiar water and spend some time with some great guys. It was the positive memories from the weekend that kept me going while I drove towards Toronto in heavy cottage traffic.
If you fish the area of Pointe Au Baril, or the Bayfield Inlet, please drop me a line; I’d love to hear where / how you fish. And as always, don’t forget, to sign up and have my most recent post sent right to you!