I'm hearing tales of horror from my Minnesota relatives concerning the bugs. So trying to talk myself into staying the course (heading in for 13 days starting this Sunday through PP).

Can someone tell me how's the fishing been so far? Anyone think the early warm weather impacted the fishing?

Our group had excellent fishing...exited on 6/2. Walleye especially good.

Honestly, When can a guy go fishing in June in Quetico and come back with a report of poor fishing?! lol.

It wouldn't be the fish, it would be the fisherman.

clrdoguy68: "I'm hearing tales of horror from my Minnesota relatives concerning the bugs. So trying to talk myself into staying the course (heading in for 13 days starting this Sunday through PP). "

You make it sound like the stories about mosquitoes are causing you to consider cancelling your trip. Are you?

Don't let bugs stop you! Treat clothing with Permethrin, and use DEET or Picardin as needed on clothing or exposed skin. Bring your head nets ALWAYS, and possibly a screen enclosure. Choose campsites with some breeze and not around running water or low lying brushy areas. Elevated islands or points can be great, and you may have to go to bed early if mosquitos are really horrible. Remember, bugs can show up out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly a day or two later. The only bug I have not found a solution to when they are in extreme numbers are stable flies, aka ankle biters. Usually they are not in high numbers, but when there are thousands, they are difficult to deal with as they ignore most chemicals, bite through most clothing and bite HARD! Black flies pretty much stick to the head area, go to bed at night and hate any breeze, so a head net on calm days solves the problem. Mosquitos are easily controlled with chemicals and are fairly nocturnal, also hating a breeze. Deer flies are usually not in high numbers and are slow to bite and fairly easy to kill with a slap, usually buzzing around your head or landing on your head before committing. Horse flies are never in high numbers and only get you when you are really not paying attention as they are large, loud and tentative to bite, but bite very hard. Noseeums are a minor irritant, some people hardly noticing them. Again, BRING A HEAD NET! Make sure it is black so you can see clearly through it, and is large enough to go over your hat, which is a must to keep net off your face and keep bugs from biting your head. Don't be a woosie! :)

My wife and I went up for a quick Friday-Sunday trip last weekend and didn’t think the bugs were that bad. We picked a campsite on a point that had the wind blowing into it. The bugs are much worse in NE Minnesota.
We did well trolling rapalas for lake trout even though the water is warming fast.

Don't think I was seriously consider changing my plans but having some native north Minnesotans trying to talk us out of going because of bugs does give me pause. They don't scare easy.

And I am bringing a few newbies, one has been on similar trips, the other is my 15 year old nephew and he has never done anything like this before.

I have all the bug gear imaginable and a screen shelter and am always prepared for bugs no matter.

Really just wanted some affirmation that fishing would make it worth enduring the bugs.

Just purchased a Savage River Deep Creek tandem and this will be it's maiden voyage, so pretty tough to stand down on this one....

Thanks for info and encouragement!

I hope you have a great trip, and if not a great trip, then at least some good hardship stories! ;)

sns: "Our group had excellent fishing...exited on 6/2. Walleye especially good."

What did you catch your walleye using? How deep were they?

Thanks!

I read we had a near record floodwater mosquito hatch this year. These are eggs that can survive like 5+ years. They won’t hatch during droughts like we’ve had he last couple years, then if we get a wet spring it’s a crazy hatch. Then every time there’s a major rainfall event, we get another hatch. So we get to choose between drought and fire or rain and skeeters. Fun!

This may be wishful thinking but I’m wondering if the next week or so will show a mild taming up north. Here in St. Paul, two weeks ago we had mosquitoes like I’ve never seen them, and now it’s slowed to a more normal experience.

The walleye fishing on Sagangons this past week was beyond phenomenal in quantity and quality! The bugs were too!

kj: "

sns: "Our group had excellent fishing...exited on 6/2. Walleye especially good."

What did you catch your walleye using? How deep were they?


Thanks!"

We caught Walleye on Saganagons and Kawnipi at all depths from 2 feet to 15+, at all times of day and with virtually every lure we threw at them with the exception maybe of spoons. Was pretty incredible.

We were on Agnes, Woodside, Kahshahpiwi for the last week. Exited yesterday. Similar fishing report to others here. Best walleye fishing we’ve ever had, all times of day. Paddletails and 1/8 oz jigs in 5-12’ of water or so.

Smallies were mostly off their beds except in colder lakes like Agnes.

Lakers we didn’t fully figure out. Caught maybe 10 over the course of the trip trolling lures going 15-20’ down. Might have been trolling too deep.

Just got out last Wednesday, the bugs were as bad as I've ever seen them. However, if you cover every inch of skin it was no big deal at all. Wind blown points really helped for camp sites. Out on the water was bug free.

Fishing was excellent. Bass were on their beds(northern Q). Averaged a LT per hour trolling. Had a slam every day on every lake. Well worth the bug inconvenience.

Came out on the 25th. Agnes, S-Chain, North Bay. Bugs were about normal. Mosquitos were a pain at times, but not out of the ordinary. Black flies were nonexistent. Only saw three ticks all trip.

Fishing was outstanding, especially for quality. Nice lakers and walleye on Agnes. Good smallies and walleye on North Bay.

MichiganMan: "Came out on the 25th. Agnes, S-Chain, North Bay. Bugs were about normal. Mosquitos were a pain at times, but not out of the ordinary. Black flies were nonexistent. Only saw three ticks all trip.


Fishing was outstanding, especially for quality. Nice lakers and walleye on Agnes. Good smallies and walleye on North Bay."

MichiganMan: you got lucky! We had biting flies, horse flies, and skeeters the whole time, unless out in the wind. I am not sure they are any worse than previous years - my last trip was back in 2016 - but everyone I talked with said the bugs were really bad this year. We entered at Beaverhouse, then on to Jean, and back out Beaverhouse. 5 nights, 6 days. Good time!

I guess it's good to be lucky!

How was the fishing on Jean? Love that lake.