Here we are again with another post from Rainy Lake Guide – Captain Jason Ellman! This year has been a fun year so far and I feel as if I am starting to understand the Rainy Lake Guide game a bit more and more as time has been progressing. The key aspect did not take long for me to establish and truly identify, which is making your experience the absolute best that it can be by providing you with they keys to be successful. I believe that is what separates an average guide from a quality Rainy Lake Guide. When I say that I want to provide you with the keys to be successful, I am not just referencing one topic. Your experience and what your looking to gain through the experience is exactly what I am going to cater too. For example it maybe understanding certain areas of the lake, understanding how to effectively and safely navigate Rainy Lake, locating multiple pods of fish, or maybe even relax and enjoy the opportunity to see some of the wildlife this beautiful area has.
Understanding certain area’s of the lake has been a primary key from most of my clients that I’ve spent time with. This key has still fluctuated on each trip in the aspects of what the client is trying to understand about the area. I have had some very avid fisherman come through that want to understand why the fish are in a certain location now, and not later. Others have just wanted to understand where the fish were in a given area so they could return the same evening or following days of their trip. Yet others didn’t seem to really care where they were as long as they could catch a few fish and enjoy the scenery and it’s contents. Most surprising to me was that I have had several clients this year that after catching a couple of fish decided they wanted to sit in the boat and just relax! Understanding what you are looking for out of a trip isn’t always easy to identify. I have encouraged everyone of my clients to let me know what they are looking for out of their experience prior to getting the boat on step, and almost every trip roughly half-way through I have followed up with my clients to ensure I am meeting those expectations in addition to asking if they had any additional desires.
Effectively navigating this vast terrain and system is what a Rainy Lake Guide specializes in the most. This lake has been known to “eat up and spit out” lower units on motors in addition to adding damage to the bottom of boats. Rainy Lake is a shield lake (Canadian Shield – Wikipedia) and has many rock reefs, islands, and hidden rock piles that notoriously ruin vacations. In addition to that, when the weather is rough/high winds you best be on your game and know where you can hide. There are hidden paths all throughout this lake and are not known by many that navigate this water. Luckily I have been through them all and thankfully have been taught them by another “well-seasoned” Rainy Lake Guide. That has allowed me to get my clients back to their resorts or vehicles safely and on-time.
One last note is the aspect of piloting another individual’s boat. What this means is that I have had several clients book me for a day and I have directed them on where to drive in order to navigate the lake safely. There are a few hidden benefits to this that some have figured out. I have helped some of my clients navigate to Kettle Falls through that rock infested river, and by doing so it allowed them to record the path on their GPS unit so they could return their in the future. The same for entering, navigating, and exiting the rock infested Brule Narrows.
Regardless of what you are looking for the most important thing is to be up front and honest. I will let you know if I believe I can meet your needs and it also allows me to mentally prepare. Perfect example was a couple from North Carolina who booked a 4 hour evening trip – “I want to catch Northern Pike, and I want to CATCH not fish!” I let them know the challenge that was ahead of us in order to meet that need, being we will catch a lot but will only have an opportunity at 1 or 2 bigger fish through this short adventure. They nailed it too and caught a ton of fish that evening which is always fun to watch! Give me a call or contact me at this link –> Northern Water Excursions LLC – Rainy Lake Guiding, Tours, or Training (northernexcursion.com) so we can talk about what your needs are. I would love the opportunity to work with you and help you enjoy the trip of a lifetime!
Tight Lines,
Captain Jason M. Ellman
