Hi Everyone,

My brother and I just got back from Canada fishing for northerns, smallies, and muskies in Lower Manitou Lake. The fishing was terrific! We caught smallies typically along rocky rubble shorelines and points that drop off gradually into deeper water. The smallies seemed to be everywhere along with northerns. Northerns were all very good size and we found them on main lake rock reefs with cabbage weeds. A few bays had some cabbage weeds and An caught his biggest pike in one of the bays. His big pike measured 38". We caught several pike between 32" to 34". The bite was best when we had slight wind. The calm, sunny day it was tougher to catch them.

CONGRATS on a beauty of a musky Nam! The lower and upper Manitou is a great fishery with many trophies to be had. We usually go to the Manitou for "ice-out" lake trout fishing the first week in May. Did you guys rent a cabin on the lake or stay in the camping area / boat launch? The trucks in the boat launch are usually 50/50 American/Canadian.

Thanks Wayne! We primarily stayed in the lower stretch of Manitou. I didn't know the lake was so big! I parked my car at the Esox Landing and we spent our week at Camp Manitou, about a 20 minute boat ride from the landing. Although I didn't catch any lakers we were told that jigging for them with white tubes at this time of year was the best option. Have you fished Esox Lake that's connected to Manitou? I didn't get a chance to fish it yet. I am a big fan of Manitou now!

Esox landing is where we put in on the Manitou also. It's about a 1-1/2 hr drive from our cottage on Rainy Lake. I haven't fish Esox Lake because we only target the Manitou for lake trout in the early spring. When the ice just goes out we long line with big spinners and cut bait. The trout will be shoot up to the warmer water and hit the spinners. Once you get into early June, then it's time to vertical jig for them with big white tube baits....or try your luck down rigging. Not many have much luck down rigging so they move on to northern and bass fishing. The lower and upper Manitou stretch about 70 miles (long and narrow lake) so there's no shortage of areas to fish for multi species. Lot's of boulders and high point on the lake (as you may have noticed going through the first narrows) so it's good to get some advice before heading out. Glad you enjoyed!

Hi Wayne,

I am going to reconnect with you early part of next year when I head back up there. It will be good to get some new spots to try if you're willing to share some of your hot spots. I will be returning to Camp Manitou for a week long trip and perhaps we may be able to fish on the lake on the same day. On the lower stretch of Manitou we did really well in Adams Bay on some nice northern and that big muskie. Hidden Bay was good, and a few smaller bays on the north end. We were fishing from June 19-24 and the water was still a bit cold. It didn't seem to bother the pike at all because they were snapping at everything we threw at them. I was really impressed with the numbers of smallies and pike in the lake. I think the size will improve eventually.

Nam

That sounds like a plan for next spring, Nam. I could also show you how we "beer can fish" for them off the islands (you must have seen a few guys fishing that way). What you do is go ashore, make a good sized fire, hook up your rod with a barrel sinker, a mid-sized three-prong, put on a good chunk of cut bait, position and stabilize the rod on shore, get in your boat and take the line with you, back out as far as your line will let you, drop the line, head back to shore, tape a beer can to your slack line on shore so that when the line is pulled out when you get a hit the can will clank around on the shore, then sit back in your lawn chair by the fire, have another beer so you have plenty of beer cans to set future lines....and wait for the action! Sometimes beer can fishing is much more productive than trolling.

Wayne, I must see this "beer can fish" method in action! This would be the most relaxing way to catch a fish. I would have a good giggle seeing the beer can clank around on shore when a laker pulls. Did you invent that technique? I think it will work.

I didn't invent it...but I support it! HAHAHAHA!

sounds good to me, Wayne!