Cass Lake, Northern Minnesota Sept. 2010 Greg’s first Pike!!! Part 1

[Greg Madrigal]

This is the first installment of my trip-I will add follow-up reports later on this week.

I took a break from wooden landing net making at Sierra Nets so this week, I could join a buddy, Jeff, and his twin Bro, Jim, for a great week of musky, northern, walleye, and perch fishing up at Birch Villa Resort in North Central Minnesota. Cass Lake is the 8th largest lake in a state with, literally, thousands of lakes. The gorgeous resort is right on the shore with a great sheltered marina with covered slips.

These guys grew up as dock boys working on their uncle’s summer resort for many years when growing up. They know this lake like the back of their hand and come back twice each year to put the hurt on the fish of Cass lake. Last fall, the bros netted a nice 42” musky right out front of the resort-CPR’d. They always manager to catch many fat DD pike each fall.

Jim and Jeff on Jeff’s sweet new Lowe 17’ aluminum boat with 115 Merc.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030671Small.jpg

We started out the week on Sunday at 6am after arriving at Birch Villa, some 4 hours north of the Twin Cities, at 3am. Hardcore to say the least! The Eastern shore greeted us with this great view.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030669Small.jpg

Layers is the name of the game up here.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030672Small.jpg

After arriving minutes later, we fished their spot and Jim quickly landed a beautiful northern on a sucker minnow that ran 12-13 lbs. I am not sure where, or rather, who took photos, of that fish. The weather was nice (in the 60’s, ) but very windy all of Sunday and Monday.

I boated my very first small northern and have only this crappy pic to show for it.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030673Small.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030674Small.jpg

We fished until after lunch, returning later that evening to throw large lures for muskies but to no avail. We did manage some nice perch though.

We CPR’d at least 4 northerns and missed many other hook sets. Pike like to hang onto their pray for minutes before swallowing. I managed to pull the fish right out of their mouths many times.


Eagles are almost always visible somewhere on the lake.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030729Medium.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030738Medium.jpg

The fall colors are in full swing too.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030737Medium.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030741Medium.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030707Medium.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030706Medium.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030715Medium.jpg

Day 2, we did it all over again.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030688Medium.jpg

This time, we got into more northerns. They are fun, cuz you never know how big they will be. This palce has many double digit fish though they have been strangely elusive this week.


Me with my first northern of the day in the first moments of daylight.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030690Medium.jpg


Jeff with a nice 6lber
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030699Medium.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030702Medium.jpg

We also fished for and found some perch. My first ever yellow perch taken on a mud minnow-not big, but the first one nonetheless.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030714Medium2.jpg

Day 2 clouds.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030703Medium.jpg

Day 3

Same old song and dance, but we couldn’t produce but about 5 pike for the day.
I got a nice 5 lber

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030732Medium.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030733Medium.jpg

We caught around 12 fat perch while “soaking suckers.”

Again, eagles everywhere.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030729Medium.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030739Small.jpg


A beautiful stretch called Normandy Beach.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030726Medium.jpg


We plugged and trolled for several hours for muskies to no avail. Total time on the water 11 hours!

The “twins”
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030752Small.jpg
Jeff in his birth control glasses! LOL!
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030742Medium.jpg

The Marina
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030746Small.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030745Small.jpg

Perch-O-licious!

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030755Small.jpg

We ended day 3 trolling muskies on u/w points wth no takers.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/Cass%20Lake/P1030754Small.jpg

To be continued….

GM<<><

[Troutman65]

cool fishing trip Greg. Them Northern Pike are narley looking . Looking forward to your part of the report . Thanks for sharing :Cool:

[TROUT MASTERS]

Great report,nice looking fish,
did you catch any trout ????

[Hog Caller]

Swweeeeet Angels cap dude!
Nice fish and great place to fish. We used to go up there every year when I was a kid.

Brent

[CL SmooV]

Wow.....Nice scenery. Nicer Fish.

[4_D_ HALIBUT]

Looks like some fun times. Did you guys try going deep for the pig Walleyes? Gotta love those jumbo perch, they're the tastiest thing going!

[DocSpotty]

Greg....nice fish and great scenery. I would love to have a batch of those perch....don't have them up here and they are one of my favorites for eating.

Continued good luck,
Brian

[rcfb73]

awesome trip greg! congrats on your first pike. hope to fish with you again this coming trout season.

see ya around

-Steve

[CPT. Kirk]

Great trip thanks for sharing your report and photos.