Walleyes are worth the night search

Walleyes are worth the night search

Shelf ice glistened beneath the lights at the boat landing; the air temperature hovered around freezing.By appearance, we trended to extraterrestrial.
Bundled like astronauts, we rode the black, bumpy waters of Lake Michigan, searching for other life forms. We found them in the relative warmth of Little Bay de Noc.

"That's why they call this the 'banana belt,'" said Steve Miljat of Milwaukee, piloting his 19-foot boat into the darkness.
The description tests even hardy Upper Midwestern sensibilities.
But comfort is a matter of perspective: As lakes hardened and the mercury dipped into the teens across northern Wisconsin and the inland Upper Peninsula, the water near the mouth of the Escanaba River was about 40 degrees, the air about 30.

And to our delight, 'bananas' were present in abundance: Hook-shaped marks covered the sonar screen.
"Better than Christmas," Miljat said. Of course, there remained the not-so-simple matter of delivering the gifts from the depths. I'd joined Miljat and Brian Banach for a late-November fishing outing on Little Bay de Noc.
At a time many turn their attention to 10-point bucks, avid anglers such as Miljat and Banach focus on 10s of another variety -- walleye. Miljat said late fall was prime time for trophy fish, even if it wasn't suited to every angler.

"You have to have a lot of desire to do this," Miljat said as the boat dropped off plane at the edge of the bay's shipping lane. "But the chance for big fish is never better."

The time was 9 p.m. A waning moon highlighted breaks in a low, dark cloud bank. The vapors from a nearby smokestack were laid flat by a northwest wind.
The bay, though, provided some protection from the elements; the boat bobbed in 1- to 2-foot waves.
Miljat slowed the boat to 2 mph, a preferred trolling speed, and we set out a total of six lines, each equipped with a lighted planer board.

The reels were spooled with lead core line and fluorocarbon leaders; a long stick bait was attached to the business end. We let out enough line to take the lures about 20 feet down in 30 to 35 feet of water.
From the first minutes, fish showed on the electronics.
We settled in to watch the glowing lights of the planer boards against the dark seas; an unusual pause or dip signaled a bite.

After five minutes, Miljat detected a hit on the inside starboard line.
Banach grabbed the rod and began a steady, slow retrieve. The planer board was then clipped off the line and he worked the fish toward the boat.
As the fish neared the transom, our headlamps revealed a long, sleek shape with a white-tipped tail -- walleye.
A minute later, Miljat scooped the 26-inch fish aboard. The fish had hit a 7-inch stick bait with a brown trout color scheme.

Within seconds, the fish was released.
We landed three more walleyes, none smaller than 18 inches, on the same pass.
Miljat, 52, is a full-time fishing guide who works much of the year in southeastern Wisconsin. But he has guided clients on Big and Little Bay de Noc since 2003.

He typically sets up camp in Escanaba from mid-November until ice-up and fishes the big water each night.
The area has been known as a premier walleye destination for decades. Little Bay de Noc alone spans 30,000 acres and is often called a "fish factory."

The Michigan DNR has estimated the walleye population of Little Bay at 400,000 fish.

The fish spawn in the Escanaba River, Rapid River, Tacoosh River and Whitefish River in April. In fall and winter, fish congregate in the bays.
The conditions are often severe.
"It's on the edge of sanity," Miljat said, his voice muffled by a balaclava.
It's a threshold not unknown to avid outdoors folk of all stripes.

For anglers, the critical margin of safety is provided by fishing with experienced partners and staying within limitations of gear and ability.
Miljat holds a U.S. Coast Guard captain's license and is constantly monitoring the weather.

"You feel like you're on the moon, with all this clothing," Miljat said. "But I only come out when the wind and other conditions are right for safety."
About 10:30 p.m., a 300-foot freighter slipped past in the channel. The walleyes must be accustomed to such passage.
The bites kept coming with at least two on every trolling pass. In one memorable 10-minute sequence, Banach and I each landed an 11-pounder. The fish stretched the tape to 31 inches. Both were released.

One of the fish hit after an S-turn to follow the 30-foot contour. Miljat had predicted a strike.
"I say a lot of things," Miljat said. "I just like to remember the ones that prove to be correct."
Over the course of six hours, we landed 28 walleyes, including three over 10 pounds. We each kept a few of the smaller fish to eat.
When we started the night, three boat trailers were at the landing. When we returned early the next morning, ours was alone.
"Is it worth it?" Banach mused. "Oh yeah."

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