Trip to Lake Dumoine

[Jig and drift]

Little behind since getting back the evening of July 5 but here is our Dumoine experience for the year. We always drive up on a Sunday to avoid any northboard traffic and the plan worked again. Left Ohio about 9 AM and one of the easiest drives ever. Angola the duty free and then the border. Traffic girl in green shirt at the bridge waved us way to the left and 3 cars later we were in. Very smooth drive to North Bay. Stopped at Wacky Wings and it was ok but not great. Quick ride to Temiscaming and the 102 stop for license and a few extra beverages. Always stay at Bercail and breakfast at the corner place by the Canadian. Hit the logging road at 8:02 AM and off we went. Maniwalki was ok but had not been graded and was a little rough in spots but no big deal. The new red pine is really a bonus and then 40 miles on the Bearn road. The usual ride not bad at first but rougher as you go. The hills are just rock and a couple wash outs but we made it in with no isssues. Pit stopped along the way and we were swamped by black flies, it was unreal how bad they were. Just a hair over 2 hours as usual. Boated across the lake to cabin 5 this year. We stayed there about 15 years ago regularly but then moved to cabin 3 in the south. We decided to go back to 5 for variety.
  The fishing was very good the first 3 days. Everyplace we went we picked up fish. The overall size was a little down this year but the numbers were up. Everything was 14 - 17 inches. Little down on the 20 ish size but a few. Biggest of the week was 24.5 inches and 4.13 lbs. jigged  with worms the most but did do some trolling as well. Picked up walleye and northern in equal numbers. A couple really nice northern which are always fun. Fished the north end mostly but did go over to honey island one morning and again caught a lot of fish off the south end.  Same size range but numbers were there, 40 + in an hour or so. That was the bulk of the trip. My brother in law and wife did go south down by 3 but didn't have great luck down there that day. Day 4 got pretty hot and things slowed a bit but we had great weather and hit the limit and ate great. The bugs were bad but the dragon flies came out in mass and the black flies seemed to improve.
   The cabin was great, only one that is heavily shaded which kept it cooler. The ice house is full and the boats and motors worked great. No mice this year which is always part of the sport. Just a couple on the porch. Saw a vey large bear on the road in at about 34 miles and an eagle but that was it this year. Eric and family always take care of us and are willing to help if needed.
   Hit the road at 7 AM and home by 6:30PM another smooth ride. No wait at the border which was a first ! Great memories and already planning for next next year. I have been going to Dumoine for 26 years and love it. Got into all this through my brother in law who has been doing this since he was a kid. This is our go to place just like everyone has their special location. It's a great week and there is nothing like it, we are very fortunate.

[Hodgey1]

Great report and sounded like a tremendous week. I've got a trolling question that I'll ask at @T-Bone 's trolling thread.

14 days, 14 hours left.

[limacharley]

Thanks for this report Jig and Drift. It's nice to have a special place like that.
Are you sure that fish only weighed 4 pounds @ 24 and a half inches??
That's awfully skinny.

[Jay Thomas]

Very much enjoyed your trip report. Thanks for sharing. It's really amazing how bad the black flies are this year so far into the season.

Jay

[Jig and drift]

The fish weight was based on a battery scale I keep in my tackle box. Batteries are old so could be off. We thought it was bigger also. I caught it and it was a lot of fun.

[Kill Switch]

Hi J n D.
Do you stay at 10 Mile Lodge?

[T-Bone]

Nice report...thanks. I'm startled at "caught walleye and northern in equal numbers". Our ratio is about 100/1. Crazy.

Have you ever traveled over to the abandoned logging camp down at the southern end of the lake? Saw it on a video many years ago...looked like a cool old relic of a time gone by.

Thanks again!

[Jig and drift]

T Bone. I am aware of an abandoned settlement at the south end. I have never been up in there but friends did several years ago. Rock foundations and a lot of metal stuff ? Ment to talk to Eric about that this year and totally forgot .  Yes the one day trolling it was strange walleye and northern almost equal. Never experienced that before?