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Gull Lake is
a special
lake to me,
I have
fished it
for about 30
years.
During the
last 20
years I have
spent
countless
hours ice
fishing and
open water
fishing. As
of late,
most of
these hours
have been
spent with
guiding
clients. In
the early
days of my
Gull Lake
fishing
career, the
days were
spent with
my family,
but as I
grew older
and
eventually
moved to the
area that
would
change. I
will never
forget one
of my first
Gull Lake
trips with
my dad and
brother. We
rented a
boat from a
resort in
the channels
and found
our way to
Dutchmans
Bluff, where
Marv Koep
had told us
to go with a
northwest
wind.
This trip
was one for
the memory
book and one
that I
recall quite
often. We
were fishing
during the
early summer
when both my
dad and I
hooked into
big fish. My
dad’s fish
seemed to
come to the
surface
pretty fast
and we all
were amazed
by the size
of the fish.
We landed it
as I was
still
fighting
mine. I was
tired and
recall
resting my
rod and reel
(Johnson
Century) on
the gunnell,
just as I
did that the
fish took
another run
and broke my
line. We did
get a good
look at the
walleye and
it was
bigger than
my dad’s
(his weighed
just under 9
pounds). I
cried. And
I’m pretty
sure my
brother made
fun of me.
But that was
also the day
I got
“hooked” on
fishing this
incredible
walleye
factory.
These days
things are
quite
different,
but it still
amazes me
that a lake
that sees
such great
fishing
pressure
continues to
flourish and
produce nice
fish year
after year.
My memories
of this lake
are many and
I am pretty
sure that I
could write
a book about
all of the
different
things I
have
encountered
and or
caught. In
my early
years of
guiding, I
spent a lot
of my time
fishing not
too far from
the
Quarterdeck
Resort which
is located
on the west
side of the
lake. I’ll
never forget
the 13 pound
eelpout that
I caught
through the
ice and that
would
eventually
end up on
the buffet
line at the
annual V.I.P
dinner in
April. The
Quarterdeck
staff placed
a card by
the pout and
cheese and
cracker
spread that
read
“Minnesota
Pig Pout”
caught by
Dan Eigen.
That was
pretty cool,
and I think
they put an
apple in
its’ mouth.
I caught
that one in
about 45
feet of
water and I
thought I
had the
walleye of
all
walleye’s.
Another ice
memory of
Gull Lake
was on
Christmas
Day when we
had a wicked
wind storm.
There was
only about 5
or 6 inches
of ice and
there was
absolutely
no snow on
the lake.
After
Christmas
dinner, I
told the
crew that I
had to go
out on the
ice and
check on my
fish houses
(I was
renting
houses). The
wind had to
be gusting
up to 45 mph
and I could
not stand
straight up
without
getting
blown over.
I more less
crawled
about a ½
mile out to
my houses so
I could
secure them.
As I was
walking/crawling
out to the
houses, I
had other
houses
whistling by
me and I
could hear
ice dippers
and buckets
blowing all
over. I was
able to
secure my
houses, and
the next day
most of the
houses were
blown over
to the east
side of the
lake. I
could go on
and on, but
I will have
to stop and
talk to you
about it
later on.
O.K., I’m
sure some of
you are
wondering
what my
biggest
walleye is
from Gull
lake. It was
a 33 ½ inch
bruiser that
I caught on
the Hayfield
back in
1997, it
weighed 12
pounds 1
ounce. I was
guiding a
guy by the
name of
Jerry from
Marietta,
Georgia and
I’m sure he
thought I
was a real
freak show
by the way I
reacted to
my biggest
walleye
ever!
Take care
and good
“skill”
fishing,
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