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Posts: 106
Location: ITALY | hi guys, it's been a while since I wrote on the forum but I read it regularly... a few years ago my friend Danny "tiger tamer" came to visit me in Italy in search of the Italian pike... unfortunately Danny is no longer with us, illness took him away. I'm starting to think about taking the trip of a lifetime... I've been fishing for pike for years as the American school teaches, big and arrogant baits, addicted to videos especially of a particular lake where the kind of fishing that I love is done... St. Claire... I chose Spencer Berman as a guide and August as the period... my idea would be to spend 4 days with him and then if necessary move and go to a more "natural" lake landscape-wise, I'll have time to ask you for more information though... I would have chosen St. Claire for several reasons, the guide that I've been following for years, the type of fishing that is done, that is, open water and big rubbers... what do you think? | |
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Posts: 114
| I can't attest to the pike population on St. Clair, but some of the area waters that I've seen produce freak pike (I'm in Sioux Falls, SD)
1. Basswood Lake, MN - state record holder that produces massive pike to this day. Being partly in the BWCA has lightened traffic somewhat too. Kick ass pike lake.
2. Lake Oahe, SD - one of the best spring time pike lakes in the nation, imo. The smelt produce HUGE pike, with 45+ inchers being caught every year. Once the summer heats up they suspend out in Oahe's deep waters and can be a PITA to target, but spring time is IN-SANE.
3. Leech Lake, MN - it's Leech Lake. Not really sure what else I can say.
No matter what you end up choosing, I hope you crush it. I'm sorry about your friend. | |
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Location: Brighton CO. | Danny was a hell of a good fishermen and a lot of his fish came from fishing from shore or in waders. | |
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Posts: 106
Location: ITALY | bloatlord - 1/10/2025 3:27 PM
I can't attest to the pike population on St. Clair, but some of the area waters that I've seen produce freak pike (I'm in Sioux Falls, SD)
1. Basswood Lake, MN - state record holder that produces massive pike to this day. Being partly in the BWCA has lightened traffic somewhat too. Kick ass pike lake.
2. Lake Oahe, SD - one of the best spring time pike lakes in the nation, imo. The smelt produce HUGE pike, with 45+ inchers being caught every year. Once the summer heats up they suspend out in Oahe's deep waters and can be a PITA to target, but spring time is IN-SANE.
3. Leech Lake, MN - it's Leech Lake. Not really sure what else I can say.
No matter what you end up choosing, I hope you crush it. I'm sorry about your friend.
I would do this trip only and exclusively for the musky, sorry if I didn't express myself well 
Edited by Cicciospin 1/10/2025 12:29 PM
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Location: Chisholm, MN | I imagine you'll find everything you want on St. Clair but if you are looking to fish other waters and distance isn't an issue then Lake of the Woods would get my vote. | |
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| Spencer will take care of you. Is it your first trip to North America? Have fun and enjoy the trip. | |
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Location: Walker, MN | I agree with Kirby, everyone should fish L.O.T.W or a NW Ontario lake at least once just for the overall experience. | |
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Posts: 106
Location: ITALY | Brian Hoffies - 1/11/2025 2:52 AM
Spencer will take care of you. Is it your first trip to North America? Have fun and enjoy the trip.
this is my first trip ever to the USA... do you think it would be possible from Lsc to Lotw? | |
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Location: deephaven mn | 14 or 15 hour drive | |
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Posts: 359
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba | I have in-law anglers in Germany that if I where to give advice to regarding taking a musky trip and had the same thoughts as you about Lake St. Clair, I would say that the St. Clair trip is unlikely to meet their "trip of a lifetime" expectations. There are great musky anglers that are in close proximity to St. Clair that have no desire to fish for musky there. Lots of musky and high probability of multi-fish day, perhaps even some really big ones, but not a trip of a lifetime - perhaps a bucketlist trip for a musky angler. In my opinion.
NW Ontario lakes are where folks aspire to fish and as said above are where every musky angler wants to fish at least once (or every year if they can). LOTW is going to be the best bet as far as giving you the best probability of actually catching a musky; Eagle I would say best place for sort of more remote but more difficult fishing, bigger musky. Lac Seul and some of the lakes in area can give you a taste of numbers of fish (in clear water) and potential for giants (Lac Seul). Lots of other great destinations but I am biased towards big musky spots so it depends on what your goals are.
Some considerations in no particular order:
Note that a short duration booking in advance on a big open round lake like St. Clair can wind up being a no-go simply due to weather. Even on these other lakes mentioned above, you can be cabin-bound for a day or two.
Fishing euro big rubber lures (with external rig, small hooks, much lighter) is not equivalent to musky fishing or musky fishing lures. I suggest you order some pounder bulldawgs and a Cowgirl and then you will understand what throwing musky lures is. You need the gear and stamina to do it for hours. For someone not used to it, you will need to be able to protect your muscles and conserve energy - a guide will help you do this with lure selection, but it is not something you do all day and days in a row. 4 days is either too long if you are fishing all day, or is too short given you are limiting your chances for fishing a day where there is going to be a bite window that you can take advantage of, full of energy and knowledge gathered from previous encounters and mistakes made.
Fishing "open water" for muskies as you have been doing for pike is similar in the sense that you are not fishing structure - but then you are not getting the real musky fishing experience. Musky are not pike - they inhabit warm, shallow water much of the time and you will want to get this casting shallow structure experience to make it the trip that I think you envision a musky trip to be. Others can speak to the comparison.
To summarize, I recommend a one-destination trip, at least a week, more if you can to a lodge and get a guide for all the musky fishing. Mix musky fishing in with some other species (smallmouth, lake trout, even pike) so you can balance your mental and physical stamina - and fish the most optimal times and days for musky with energy.
Mid-July is you best bet for timing of a bite although also a popular time for tourist anglers (school and summer holiday time).
For lodges you will want to book very soon, for specific high demand guides probably a bit late for that now for this coming year as they book up with their regular clientele.
Winnipeg is point of departure for most of NW Ontario (via Toronto/Montreal) although can probably arrange a smaller flight from Toronto to Thunder Bay (largest centre in area) or Dryden (smaller, but has flights too) and closer. If you book a lodge they will sort out what this regional stuff is.
As far as if you are sticking with your original plan, but still want to split it, fly Detroit - Minneapolis - Winnipeg flights with stop in Minneapolis. I know there are some that are same plane on way down from Wpg, not sure about other way around given the Minn-Wpg leg is international. Could also just land cross at Windsor and fly out of Toronto and then direct to Wpg, T-Bay or Dryden. Might be the easiest flight-wise but cross border in a rental car perhaps adds extra complication.
Again, don't know you or where you've fished, what you want out of this trip, just some more information for you to consider.
Edited by Angling Oracle 1/12/2025 10:56 AM
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Trip of a lifetime