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Posts: 270
Location: brooklyn park mn | Narrowing down my selection for next years trip. minaki Winnipeg river, gun lake- big north lodge, eagle lake south shore lodge, or bonnybay wabigoon. Leaning towards minaki. Love hate thing with eagle lol. Does anyone know if you get a wilderness feel over by bonnybay or town smell etc? Any input on gun lake and the other lakes connected? Pressure? Numbers vs chance at hawg? Any info on your opinions would be greatly appreciated. Looking for shot a pb 50 or better. |
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Posts: 296
| Always wanted to fish Eagle and Wabigoon but only so much time... Been doing trips to Minaki for about a decade now. The Winnipeg offers good wilderness feel around big north lodge. Near town it can be pretty busy depending on time of year but you don't have to travel far to feel like you are out in the wilderness. Quite a few cottagers around on Canada's holiday weekends in the Summer.
Personal thoughts is Big North looks like the most private peaceful resort on the system. I have only ever stayed at the various Paradise Cove Locations. But Gunn ranks at the bottom of my favorite sections of the water. There are certainly plenty of fish around but I haven't had the success per hour that I expect or have had in the other sections. Have seen some very large fish over the years and caught a few biggish ones. Pretty heavy fishing pressure by Canadian standards. That said my favorite fishing spots in Canada are on that river. I have been moving away from fishing the river and switching to LOTW out of Morson. Closer and more muskies. Pressure per acre even with all the guys running around Sab now is still less at LOTW.
Not sure you can go wrong with any of those 3 choices. 3 very different fisheries but all offer a shot at big fish with plenty of nice ones to be caught. Shoot me a PM if you have other questions. |
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Posts: 31
| Been fishing Minaki for the past 5 years and I love it. As Nick said, around town can be busy but you don't have to go far to be alone. Gun Lake I find to be very underrated actually, most people will head north to fish musky but I have had lots of success in Gun Lake. There are some big girls in that system, a definite chance at a 50 plus, I would say your average fish will be around 40 inch. |
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Posts: 133
| I would have to disagree with leck9. I have a cabin on pistol lake a lake of the river . The fishing pressure this year was very very high. Not to many spots if any that I feel alone at. I know thats probably the case for most lakes. But there were times in the summer seemed like someone was on every spot I wanted to fish. Bit maybe he is referring to gun lake as I wouldn't know cuz I don't fish it very often.
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Posts: 270
Location: brooklyn park mn | It would be aug 12 to 19 time frame. Not sure if that makes huge difference on pressure on any of the 3 lakes or not. Great info guys. Keep it coming I appreciate it |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Been to Bonny Bay on Goon, I wouldn't classify goon as a wilderness feel. Fishing can be good, but a good amount of traffic on the lake. The smell doesn't bug me, but it can be present. You can duck into some of the connected lakes for the wilderness feel, but not many muskies (if any) in them. I enjoy fishing the goon, but I won't be going back to Bonny Bay. If you decide on Goon, I'd choose another resort. If you choose goon, get some white spinnerbaits from Keith Worrall. |
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Posts: 49
Location: Minocqua, WI | I've stayed at Indian Point on the Goon which is the opposite side of Bonnie. Unless there's a North wind, the smell from the paper mill usually blows east and straight away so it's very minimal. We usually fished south to get away from the site of town and it's a much more wilderness feel. Not at the same level as LOTW's though. If you go north, not so much as town is right there and the mill. Some good fishing though. I would def return there. I got my personal best (54) there.
Edited by kmeyer 10/1/2016 2:12 PM
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | I'd put Wanigoon a distant 3rd in that trio. Eagle/Minaki is a coin flip for fishing success |
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Posts: 32813
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Musky Brian - 10/1/2016 8:39 PM
I'd put Wanigoon a distant 3rd in that trio. Eagle/Minaki is a coin flip for fishing success
I wouldn't. I have fished all three for over 35 years, and have done well on all three, but I'd still go to Wabigoon even if I also went to Eagle that week (have done that). And, I'd stay at Merkels. Great people, good location, protected docks, and a good atmosphere.
For a bucket list trip I'd fish out of Andy Myers Lodge in late October, all species, guided every day. I'd hire the Herbecks and the Pike Whisperer.
Eagle has some toads, and is very good, but is a different deal entirely than Minaki and the Goon. I fished Minaki before the road was paved, and fished it a LOT. Some trips I never saw another Muskie boat. Most of the places I stayed are gone, either torn down or burned down. There was some incredible hybrid muskie fishing up there, and the bass fishing was nuts.
All good water, but if going up on a personal vacation, it's the Goon with a visit or two to Eagle. |
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