Boundary Waters - Angling in the Wild

[Music] hey everyone this is Pete Wagner and welcome to my 2023 Boundary Waters trip report this year we decided to head back to one of our favorites Alice Lake Alice is located deep within the central part of the bwca and like most of the lakes in the boundy waters it boasts incredible fishing and scenery our previous trip here was launched from the south through wish away Lake but this year we have opted to travel from the East through the number chain and insula join me for a remote fishing Adventure as we head into the Boundary Waters to go angling in the [Music] wild my canoe mate this year as it was last is my old buddy Casey we can be seen here meticulously prepping for our trip also joining we'll be be WCA veterans Troy and Morty we're picking up the last of our supplies in elely Minnesota a town on the edge of the Wilderness that has seen countless paddlers come through its City Limits The Crew will be launching out of Kish Lodge on Lake number one Kush Lodge is a historic Gem and an excellent launch Point Frank and his family will make you feel right at home this spring has been exceptionally dry and warm and there's currently a fire ban in place fires have been raging in Canada and you can see the gray in the sky so we'll be doing all of our fish frying over propane this year our yearly fishing contest has three categories largest walleye largest overall fish and most species but in the end We're Just Fishing for supper time to do the final check on the packs and Leave the World Behind [Music] morning everyone is lovely early June morning upper 50s no wind it's going to peek out in the low 80s today and we are making a move from lovely kshaway lodging Outfitters launching at Lake one going 1 2 3 4 Hudson insula Alice which is a fabulous fishing lake especially in the eye World we're hoping to get maybe up to Thomas and Frasier for some Lakers but right now the goal is just to get to Alice which should be about 8 to 10 hour trip so I'm grab my permits I'm going to get out of here you got a couple pounds of Fes there a couple I was like yeah these are the toils of going to Alice yes you're bait has to weigh more than your it's a new trip record you ready boys let do it battle these waves let's do it this it's an easy one long stretch ever at 50 you know and we made it to Alice it's right over there it's just right there yeah just walk over that Hill Jesus get seasick out here we're not even going to try and catch fish even though we're marking fish right below us right off the bottom if he wants to bite it while I'm just drinking then get yourself a deal Mister got to be a smallie you're fighting like one y even very big jeez he's got a full belly too yeah I think they're done they're just gnawing away at things it's a eye but he's just not that big he a little feisty to him though it's a start I guess this guy's got two white tips he's got it on the tail and the pectoral fed I don't know if I've ever seen that before yeah they call this a double white tip they're extremely rare and they count towards the species count there you go buddy look at he's got the same White Spot mhm yep weird that's crazy so you just caught me on the species count again oh look he's got it on the front fins too at least his left front F yeah his right one does too that's weird huh all right I mean am I too excited about this but that seems weird it is it's it's weird Pete it's fine can we go home now it's an eye oh boy oh that's a good eye we'd have ourselves a lovely little Stringer right now if we wanted but we're too lazy and we have pork chops tail dancer tail dancer indeed he angry you want to measure him nah it's all right he's probably 16 17 a good fish there's some home cooking right there all these guys are chunky I'll give them that I'm doing all right I think I'm actually wearing this jig out I have to replay them is it pink oh yep that's nice there you [Applause] go back to his old home it's just the perfect Stringer W oh there he is that's a good one it mhm oh son of a gun goly golly watch your language we're filming you said son of a gun what's see Andy Griffith the show all of a sudden there's one that's a good one land him ain't bad ain't bigger than yours Zoe that you caught over there okay just you could have just said no no it's pretty close what you got there Casey how long you been out there fishing not long McIntyre bber system from Shore God he's got a big old belly too 27 26 and a half oh my God it's 26 and2 is it yeah look at it again here we got to get him to 27 if we can oh that is 28 my boy woo remember you got a blank inch on the top of this hey you got to get a good picture we'll let him go here [Music] How deep did you say it was here um like 10 to 12 it's kind of swinging me back and forth you been a fine meal good fish yeah not bad nice one buddy go little action after kind of a slow morning huh all right your old news now CHS he's a nice one huh there you go well done it's a pike I think is it the i y he quit wiggling around 27 got 27 and can I do anything to help hey you just threw the jig out for me 29 oh Jimmy you said 29 isn't the fish gripper great though that would have been a Pike in the boat before all right you're free little snort to him same fish nice it's a nice eye though crazy average size yeah that's good he's pretty good he's standard H bab yeah yeah that's how they we at fishs too huh I don't think I've seen that though anywhere else I just maybe not paying attention but I think we were noticing remember my brother they all have some of them were super bright like the real little ones you know this one's a little dollar but it's all there missing half a dorsal means there's a bigger one down there like someone took a Chomp right out of them huh yeah that's the plan get out of your way that was a big jig too wasn't it or a big leech yeah big jig big leech all right let me see looks like the same fish look at him pose man oh he's healthy Casey yeah healthy like the two of us let me see chocks got to cut away from McIntyre there we go nice fish all right back to the action another one of the same just a hog anywhere else oh yeah he's a junk isn't he [Music] close through there oh yeah all right nice fish mag all on a day's work uh-huh smile big let's eat supper boys get him in the air just so we able to Pro barly H all right mhm they're both in the shot nice mine is just a little bigger I don't know jeez this it's going on two great fish yeah get them in there almost almost bringing in [Applause] o there I go there's some biomass for [Music] you let me see him Mac look at my fish is eating your fish delicious [Music] all [Music] [Applause] looks familiar here [Applause] jeez standard trunk issue hey it's Bill remember him from yesterday that what look it the pike had him huh yes wow what's what's hanging out inside I think his gut is hanging out oh my God no well whatever that is it's not it like a tape worm or something it looked like but wow I was like that's a big fight hi I'm Casey McIntyre I've developed a system before in your boat thank you happy birthday Pete thank you man this is the greatest birthday ever birthday I got a slip bobber walleye I got wine got a little in my pants got a bugy [Laughter] shorty let's see him nice SC the devil oh no it's just a SMY again look at that pretty thing man oh he's got some scars on this side you Old Pike took a bite that's the second time we've had a pike attack our smalles but that's the biggest SMY I've got so far eh yeah mhm nice little football I was hoping to get that Pike just for the fun of it but that Pike didn't want to deal with my intense reeling it's familiar there he is again oh is your anchor rope in the way there Mac je I think he's on it yep he is that's stoy is a smoking and Jimmy's hauling a fish it's a scene as old as time what you got going on there no it's a nice fish oh Jesus Christ those rocks there's one oh I'm bringing them right up on short they were supposed to get bigger be a beaver dripping from the lodge all right I got mine in the same spot really mhm so I hopefully there's room for two Bobbers up there about to leave too yeah he's a solid one hey how about Dad e right on E jeez ma we were paddling way too far I know what the hell we going way down there adding exercise into the mix it's not normally our style oh I'm good oh got her sorry I'm already fishing back out there get out of here been a Rapids eye isn't he yeah got her there goes the rotator cuff yeah I just saw his fin that's not like what we were catching over there yeah boy yeah yeah yeah there boy Ma okay come on you want me to I got him he's just got a meaty ass football to him to hook did you leave the double bead on the new bobber sure did you're a genius or forgetful I think this is the biggest smallie though right let me see oh for sure yeah look at how cool that thing is I know bronze back baby I didn't get any size for a smallie on the last trip yeah he's got some meat on him too that's why you almost broke my pole didn't [Applause] you [Applause] well we have made it to Alice it's actually day uh our second full day I guess and the walleye fishing has been as expected just Relentless ironically the biggest fish so far on the trip is a 28 in wall that Casey got on the shore which is hard to believe and then he was on fire the whole day we got multiple 26s um some 24s some of it trolling some of it jigging Casey's been mastering the bobber situation but the big lake has been violently angry at us for the whole trip so we're finally just seeing a little bit of mellowness on the water out there um so we're going to be able to head north on the lake we have a campsite way on the South Side so we're going to do our first sort of Lake exploration we would like to do fish dance Tas for lake trout is still a possibility we just got to see how we feel we heard that Portage is terrible it's about a 230 on the north side of Alice so um we'll take it as it comes but man the fishing has been spectacular the weather has been great a little smoky at times we're hoping for some clear night so we can see some stars but you just take what you can get if the fishing's this good there's no complaining to be had so it's back out on the water just had me some chicken alfredo and I'm ready for action I love this place man seriously I mean come on look at this I think someone built it for me never going [Music] home [Music] oh my God okay it might be bigger than I thought why we leaving camp again bike what is it nor around all right on the right hand I'm a little more agile you got one I got for me but but in a minute he's going to land three more in there all right there it is that's like 42 get very they get very far didn't we that's a fish you got a fish like go and he's wrapped like four times around his mouth and then it's sideways below his mouth oh so you can't get the Grabber in him maybe that help no no it didn't okay Jimmy just caught a 29 [Applause] in [Applause] [Music] what I just had a battle with the northern and he left with my rapola what you got there sizable something sizable Pike I don't know it felt like it at first now we just being stingy I'd love to get a 30 in Pike right now or a 42 oh my God this Fell's not letting me get a look there's new creatures out here huh is that on your braided yeah jeez I like that I think I need the net unless it's a pike and I might just try and prefer not to uh get him in there with all those hooks if I don't have to but it's an I I don't care Wye yeah Jesus yeah I'm going to lose my want me to he's barely hooked yeah yeah yeah yeah oh that's trouble that's trouble good save dude I was like that's a goner the reso stupid net oh my God I didn't get the the net on camera it would have been fabulous you might have just passed me with that one oh I don't think so I don't think that's 28 I had to be the the ret flop it's called yes with the cuz he was only hooked with one hook did you see that y Le it's not a pike wish I could help understood oh 27 Meg I think you got 27 let me see spin around oh Jesus ma that's so close I'm going to give it to you it's 27 and2 you see that I'm I'm not pinching the tail oh I don't know we we may be on a tie but no that's bigger than mine it's not even pinched and it's on 28 we I think we can call it a tie it the worst do you want to uh I'm filming so I screen capture it I can take some stove too I guess oh jeez this is not going to go well all right camera's in the way for me though I know sorry I got to go up real getting this one we need any more Stringer fish um we probably take a two pounder or three pounder I guess if we get [Applause] one just saw that thing sitting on top and came over and banged it huh all right nice work Mac why have some tug to him huh there you go it's 20 out here but get shallow quick that's a good fish oh my God I wasn't even watching I was looking at the map and I looked up and I'm like what's that it's that orand ain't bad jeez he look when he threw that head but we didn't see the whole thing that's what it looks like too when you have glass and then thrash you think that wasn't a good bike good enough yeah got some scars on him yeah Jesus work of art right there just Dave bring it back discontinued we'll advertise for you yeah for some reason it's good on fish and it doesn't make sense so Jimmy Jimmy just caught a 29 Y and a quarter 29 and a quarter I made sure I threw the quarter in there and I was traveling around with got pictures I was traveling around with a 28 thinking that I was tied for first that turned out that way I'm sure you are I'm sure you are thank you well I am I hope somebody catches one bigger than me look at the bear grabbing salmon out of the creek just got to do it multitasking that's no good all right back to the story yes so we got the 29 and a quarter mosquito Bit Me In The Boundary Waters God's give and take right but what do you mean Jim well if you want the good stuff you got to take some Calamity and Chaos sometimes with it oh no so continue to catch Walley and we're like all right let's head up this Shoreline maybe do another pass and we'll go back to Camp so we're coming up and I'm all like oh look at the geology of The Boundary Waters think about how those glaciers just pushed everything against that from the north and they piled all that up there that's so cool and I'm like oh fish on Fish on and you know it's like all that fun calling in wondering what you got I told Chu earlier today that jackfish are kind of the bane of our existence agreed so here's the northern and I don't want to bring it in the boat with the net I want to use the fish grips because I want to get better at the fish grips and the little bastard jumps up out of the water and lands in my lap what yes a little Northern no it's like it's no it's like three lbs yeah it's a 3B and it lands in my lap like whoa and I kind of push it out and then it's still there so there I am with the thing again and how did he land he just he launched over the side of the gun over the side of the canoe lands in my lap falls out with a r in his mouth this rler right here and he lands back in the canoe so he's out there again I'm trying to get him with fish Crips he jumps back up lands in my lap for a second time oh buries that shuttle hook right there oh my God in my lap in your leg or your pants leg in my pants no in my leg we had a lot of dangerous Northern moments but none were so yeah he jumped I mean he cleared the canoe twice and then the second time so I got this thing flopping around in my lap with a treble hook in me oh no and I'm just like so he's hooked he's hooked and you're hooked I'm hooked our Fates rest on each other I'm laughing there's nothing but funny funny for a minute wasn't funny I didn't think there was anything funny about it my teacher say that to me one time um so yeah so then I got to like chill out and be like oh my God I got to get this thing out the hook to do yeah so then focus on that and then I pray you know I pinch all my bars and I pray or you ped your barbs pinch I will be going through every Rapa in my taco box oh pinched somehow this one didn't get pinched so I go to chak I say this is bad and like he powers back to camp and just walking up here was just a paddle to walk is like a crutch so how but you got the fish off the ra got the fish off the wrap like 20 seconds we were kind and he wasn't like he didn't do any more thrashing while he squeezing yeah he was just squeezing the life out swam away he swam away for all you folks out there he swam away and then so we get back in the camp and I'm like CH cuz I had to pull that hook out of Chaka what 10 years not even 10 years ago like chak you got to do it so we had to cut a hole we had to cut a hole in my pants cut some fire line first cut some fire line off let moral the stories you got catch a 29 in W you might have a r hook how long after we left you you kept throwing just I mean right after that 10 minutes after 10 you were just trolling home oh my god I've never even thought of that that almost happens a lot there a little bitty eye how's yours feeling like that all right I mean mine looks stupid that was pretty cool that wasn't so cool you didn't need to do [Music] that [Music] n [Music] think I'm out of there we go Mike is it nice glass he was right on the shore that's a frog eggs oh there he is is that a walleye what hit him wrap at the boat and one foot huh that was pretty cool that's my f yeah you're saly old ass aren't you he's done he didn't really get a piece of that [Laughter] like I said you got a piece of that oh Jesus I set my rod down the rod one was like this when I grabbed it oh he hit it again look at this BL dude it's big I was showing you the angle of the rod and then he hit it again look at this thing what is happening right now this could be the biggest pike you going to want the net um no oh yeah I can net them I got a spinner bait on I can't believe that dude yeah that was uh that's the biggest pike for sure it was sitting like maybe like I had a one foot of line out and I had the rod just sitting sideways on the boat oh he's got a big old mouth on him so that means it's probably the biggest fish right yeah all right see how you want me I got him see how this net works okay let's all right just uh we're work we're figuring this out let me grab that all right want to try yep come on up here there you go big as fish look at that guy y p back water keep on rolling I can barely hear you where you at nice we're back in the hitting the smallies and Pike just got a 34 in Pike all right we'll probably be a while we're going to push it probably right till sunset it's getting crazy action out here so how's you feel yeah seems like the same deal is going on over here [Applause] huh especially me cuz I there yeah jigging um I was jigging right before I wasn't like I let the knot rest and then he hit it there he is oh he's better that's the right side of the boat man that don't take my leech thank you sorry but that's just the deal I we could go hit those same Rapids which you kind of been said you got a fish do I I'm going to catch this just reel them in see that's another benefit of bobber fishing your buddy can say hey [Laughter] dip yeah I he's the biggest one yet you missed enough of them took us a while to get warmed up better yep just another rock you know there's a big mama down there I know one of these poppers is just going to be like oh oh oh clear clear Let's test the net I got another I see you hooked another I got another one I don't know if we need the net but he's come on up let's see he might be the best of the bunch don't get him caught in my anchor rope I won't I might what's he doing down there he's just being stingy okay he's going away now I'm going to have to put on my sker sker coat too come on let's see him I might need the net here Casey all right I'll put her within reach of this just put her right up put the barrel up there I don't want that put the barrel got it'll put the what the usually you can see them by now well especially these on never fails when the skeers start biting you tag one come on up let's see you do you want to come up I want well I didn't even see him yet he a bad oh a bad there a bolt right there oh son of a he's bigger than I thought he was get in there there there you go it's like you're frying a skillet making some hash browns yeah I'm going to name this fish hash brown he's a nameer he's a nameer hash brown looks like you're frying a skillet there and your walleye and he's not over 29 I don't think no I don't think so but they surprise you sometimes sometimes ain't fat they're just long oh I take it back he wa dude he's 28 and a half so close so we needed 29 to take down Jimbo wait 29 and a quarter as he says right mhm all right get him back in you think we're going to get another one here another one I don't know oh there he goes I hope he's okay there goes that's that's how you release them like a jump shot bird that was a good call in the closer you're just like nope let's just take that one call her a night don't get much better than [Music] that [Music] a [Music] you got to grab a meal Chucks yeah I gotta grab once you grab it and then we'll pull it up there gear man I figured out how to break a sweat on that one yeah you're looking a little wilty I'm feeling it got her paid the fish tax though see that red on the W there there [Music] can't remember what that one means you [Applause] going epic yeah that's a f the d d the Beast all right but thanks for the memories oh wait that's a f fish it's a big fish he's on the other side now what yeah he's big he took it over there yeah there's a fish on too there he is what is it what the hell is that it's it's hung up on something though oh is he off yes still going for it yes one little F oh it's how's he feel Mac holy sh what just happened there did you see him y what does that mean I saw him green and white beetle stand this is love that big one a big something it is it's got to be a pipe right y it is I saw it good pipe look like a good bike anyway think that's a good bike here's this if you want it I don't think you seen me yet all right who's buying tickets to the let me see you I don't know if it's bigger than the one you caught yesterday but it's big enough oh it's a bass it is yeah jeez freaking hog that is Holy Smokes I mean that first run he had he was just all shoulders Jee you go I can't believe there's nobody fishing on this Lake and all sudden Wham got the same size but he's got more beef to him I think cuz oh I got the N right here that makes sense give it to the guy that's reeling on something yep right beautiful they're beautiful oh my God we got another one here I feel a double header photo coming on they can be friends I'm trying not to get it too low cuz other guy's going to escape when it rains at fors buddy apparently we knew where to fish yesterday cuz we didn't get to this exact spot till got out of control so two things just happened here oh we had oh my god oh get this guy first not bad right pretty good it's a beautiful fish then we got oh this guy jez look at that yeah we've been waiting for those buddy they're well fed all right jeez he was a foot off of shore you have him yeah jeez I mean I hit the I landed on the rocks and then the first 12 in he hit it look at he knocked that REO to recut it with my braid no way yeah look at that it's falling like Timber can you back us up a bit oh yeah oh there he's out [Applause] now big boys are out today I guess jeez man that is fun that is fun thank you sir you mowed down half here he just slapped my [Music] hand [Music] n good fish [Applause] standard oh now I got him just can't sink up oh well played my today is Friday huh I think so yeah just W five white [Applause] tips small big one that is crazy much juice he has he's just fat now I got that wrap in there oh yeah I've sealed my fate look at the belly got my pole in the water yeah jeez Louise he's an old school Backwater looking bass I mean how can he be eating like that and nobody else is eating yeah he's 20 he's all of 20 I think he's 21 yeah we had to fight hard for that guy that might be the biggest SMY I've ever caught honestly if not it's a tie nice that Nets in a big of bit of a mess but I'm assuming we're not netting with all those hooks [Music] huh [Music] jeez that was a lot of battle and looked like the whole place was just dead and then all of a sudden your world lights up with action Y [Applause] it's a daring take on a Cabernet s pretty daring I think we got to make a run Y what you to do ready J nort I'm getting out the wrap we got to move boys stay frosty you leaving blue on there yep holy what's going on that was almost tragic I actually have dropped both rods in the water today so it wouldn't have been a big deal over here head and N picking up another fish hike should have known from the he came back twice to get it yeah he's long got pretty markings too oh look at that do them where your hand is the oh wow this guy's a bugger man I'm not in The Reeling part of this yet nice I even than that maybe let me see here let me see what I got oh it's a pike what's up with the pike tonight huh yeah I mean I like catching Pike but I thought you were walleye for a long time captain pike what's up boy you clear oh it's a pike o the big pipe no it's not it's a solid pipe just to be clear we're keeping some eyes right I just caught one lost them at the boat but we want to put them all in the Stringer we suppos have the one but let's get out maybe three around the 20 in range ah you got that one on the Stringer already he's a good one we're good for fish then right Jimmy mhm all right W nicer ey giant sounded like a pretty solid tail back [Music] there yeah good fish it's great fish let me turn this this way you're refering to the B I take that old piss Hat's kind of burning up right now not afraid to say it there he is again bigger this is a good eye but not what I was thinking if you shake him get that fin up make for a pretty photo sing in a exact Circle he had the upper hand oh B right there look at that Ma now that all right this feels solid oh I don't know how many fish that is now but we're assembling a count come on Max might drag a little bit come on find me a 30 here I don't think that's the case but there you go hold them up we're not going out lightly we're going out golden that was nice nice little doing what he wants here including go towards the anchor rope yeah another good one pulse car look at that guy perfect jeez nice jeez all of a sudden that's the school size huh oh double header yeah multispecies double header pretty Lively evening out here last night at Alice he buddy we're saying we're saying goodbye morning everyone I'm uh currently hiding in my tent it is um departure day because we're leaving a day early just because of of the Winds we battled on the way over through insula so it's going to be a sad day to leave Alice the fishing was absolutely spectacular we got four fish over 28 I believe one of them from Camp um yeah it was just one of those trips where the walleye were just cooperating the whole time just on Alice we went over to fish dance there was nothing so it goes um plenty of big Pike I think the biggest pike so far is 34 um the big Walley Jimmy Scott with a 28 no 29 and a quarter I believe that quarter is a big deal so um we're going to be staying at a camp somewhere one of the lakes on the way up maybe one of the number lakes or Hudson weather's been perfect um northern light show was spectacular but uh there's going to be 20 to 30 m hour winds this afternoon and we don't want to risk it on the big lake so we're going to sneak through and set up somewhere else so um we're going to get on the move hopefully the wind Gods give us a break not bloody likely [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Laughter] [Music]

Channel: Angling Uploaded

Views: 6,204

Keywords: fishing, minnesota, bwca, boundary waters canoe area, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, canoe, adventure, camping

Id: gy4JZQpUxNQ

Length: 76min 35sec (4595 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 07 2024