Hey Jigginfin, Where did you launch your boat to hit the Rock? How many miles to get there?
Were all your fish lakers? We have caught the occassional steelhead out there.
Lloyd
Google Earth maps show it as 43 miles from Marquette, or 34 miles from Big Bay. It would be a whale of a ride on a bumpy day. I've heard of veteran fishermen kissing the dock when they got home.
Two years ago I made the trip from Munising. 60 miles on flat water was a two hour ten minute ride going out. The return trip was 12 hours and I felt like I had been beaten up by pros. Took two weeks to get over it. I have been back to the Rock but via Big Bay.
We took off from MQT. it was about 50 miles to where we fished. Our buddy has a 32 ft gas eating Marinette. Mainly a cabin boat but enough deck to wet a few lines off of.
It was a very bumpy ride out yesterday morning. But the way home was a little smother.
Depending on the speed you can cruise it will take from 1.5 hrs to 3 hrs to get there.
Here is a pic from last year. Took about an hour going out of big bay. We caught 87 lakers by 5pm then left to get back and fillet the 15 we kept. I hope the guy that took me out has a free spot on his boat again this year.
No offense, but I find this all to be completely insane. Yes, I understand a lot of good, level-headed people do it...but. Wow. That's a long haul and a lot of risk just for a fish.
Wow those look like some real good fish, but i was wondering whats with the dis-colored spots on them? I dont do any salmon fishing so is that just a normal thing?
Its just from them sitting in the cooler all day on ice. Its not that far of a haul from big bay and little risk if you have half a brain and watch the weather. It was flat calm and 70 degrees the day we went out. Great fishing and only 1 boat out by us and he didn't come within 500 yrds of us.
Pikeman, my apologies for a poor choice of words. I have no doubt people like you are careful and skilled and know what you're doing. It's impressive and certainly not something I'm capable of doing.
I think there is certainly some risk going to the Rock and my maiden voyage there from Munising was a foolish move more suited to a 20 year old than 60 year old me. I have done lots of what would be termed risky things in the outdoors by many people however without the foolish part.30-60 day trips in the Far North by canoe in the Summer and Dog Team in the Winter. Big wind is the thing that will stop you cold in a canoe, behind a dog team or a trip to the Rock. If you are planning a trip to the Rock watch the weather forecasts and don't go if it looks bad. Before you go make sure your equipment is in good shape. Have a plan for what to do if something blows up suddenly.
I remember filling two canoes with Moose meat until we had maybe 3 inches of freeboard and traveling a river and 7 small lakes and their connecting portages only to arrive on the West shore of a big lake to look at whitecaps that made further travel too risky. Just 4 miles, 2 lakes and one portage from our destination we sat for two days and contemplated life. I remember a winter trip in the Nortwest Territories where we stayed in our tent for 3 days feeling it blow big time. We did out bathroom business inside the tent and ran a rope out to the dogs just twenty yards away so that we could find out way back to the tent with visibility literally nil.
We didn't feel at rik during these times, we did feel in awe. Converstion turned to "what is risk?" I think the riskiest thing I do is drive on the highways. Think about traveling 55-75 mph and meeting another vehicle head on. There are often just a few feet separating the vehicles. It's risky, but it's familiar. I think the relative perception of risk in outdoor activities is often related to how familiar you are with it.
I know when I am at the Rock I feel very alive but I also feel very alive standing in a remote stream pitching something to a Brook Trout. Lots and lots of opportunity to feel alive here in the UP.
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stannard rock
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