Lake Michigan Bender Park

Benidji that is..

Venison thanks for the help

Was Just down there Saturday and road is open there are construction barricades But there off to the side it did say one lane traffic but was 2 lane when I was there about 10 trucks and trailers in the lot. The 2 things to watch for is once your on the downhill road there are potholes all over had to weave side to side to avoid but doable and the other is right at the beginning they put a elevated bike path that's like driving over a big speed bump but for us  we took it slow and didn't have a problem.

Is the road open to Bender Park?
Got a long drive, that info would be helpful
Thank You in advance

Got 2 this morning before the waves became to much for my little boat. 45 fow straight out from the launch. 35 loc on the dipsy rod. Mini orange spin doctor with a FULL size Howie fly, aqua got both. 1st one hit while I was letting out line. That woke me up quick!

You are correct Greybeard.  McKinley was tough.  Started in the water around 0530.  Went north, fished 65 to 105 fow.  Just 2 of us, tried to cover 15 feet to 45 feet down. Mix of Flys and spoons.  2 hits.  One was 3 color with yellow spatter/green spoon.  Decent brown.  Other was down rigger set at 38 feet with blue dolphin spoon.  Decent king.  Went through many combos of spoons and flasher/dodger Flys.  That was the only 2 hits.  Talked to a guy at the cleaning station with a nice bunch of coho and rainbows.  He did same depths,speeds, types of baits and fow of water.  He went south out of McKinley.   
Hopefully I can do better next time.
Shellfish 

What happened to Muskys reports? That guy could catch fish. I suppose negative comments stopped his reports 

Our friend Musky IL had been catching a few kings and finishing off with some nice coho off of Bender so I decided to head there. I left Mcfarland about two thirtyish and as bright as the sky was when  I launched I was at least 45 minutes late!I think we had 5 lines out and Irish Eyes with a pickled sunshine rigger down 28 fired and shortly thereafter Rigger down 38 with old Raider Green Tiger regular fired. Got both coho in. Not long after two bites on a 2C but both fell off on that favorite little peanut fly coho rig. Then dead city for over two hours! A little frustrating because Fellowship was just finishing his one man limit and Musky IL was on his way home with 5.

Turned north and started fishing a little shallower and six bites in a little over half an hour and 46 feet of water landing four. Three set 35 LOC peanut fly, Two set wire out 60 Irish eyes and pickled sunshine. Two color with a peanut fly rig and five color with regular RV agent orange.

My friend Josh was getting some nice fish bites down by the shipwreck and my spot dried up so I foolishly decided to go try and fish his fish because it was only a mile away. Didn't work very well did mark a few hooks and bait. Last conversation with Josh as he was one fish short of a three man limit and about to head home.

We trolled 2.8 to 3.1 mph most of the day 45-65fow. Again I had a couple of huge schools of Coho that I went through and one of the schools three times before I got one bite that fell off. Did manage one more bite clearing lines, rigger down 35 with regular RV blue jeans took a jumping fish. We thought it was a rainbow but it turned out to be a coho hooked under the chin.

We ended up with 7 coho and one rainbow, 3 missed hook ups and probably 2 to 3 drive-bys. 

The biggest hook up of the day was a big branch that took my five color and three color so I promptly started turning around withhelp from my crew.   We managed to get around going back 180 Degrees away from the big branch meanwhile it catches a Dipsy on one of the leadcore lines and then it hooked the flasher on the deep rigger. Have no idea how all that got caught up. 

The good news is once we got on the other side of the branch it all came loose!! I could not believe it!!! Turns out the only thing we lost in that whole mess was my hat got knocked off.
I heard from a friend that it was a really tough bite for those that fished out of McKinley today so even though we were hoping to get a few more fish we felt blessed to get what we did. Hope the chinook start showing up!

Grey Beard

I have to ask, what time do the gates open in the morning to be able to launch?  

I know the website says 6am, but this last Friday when we got there around 5:45 or so it was already open and there were 3 already launched. Of course im asking because I would like to get out before sun up, but don't want to make an early drive only to find a locked gate.

On Friday we went 4 for 5 Coho.

Thanks,

Dande