Could not have asked for nicer weather during our annual Outing to Rough Rock Lodge. A big cold front came through the week before we got there and the fish were already acclimated to the change when we arrived. This cooldown had our air and water temps in the upper 60F.

With this cooldown, we also boated a lot of big bonus pike while we were muskie fishing. In my boat alone we had 8 pike over 40".

Muskies were also active and we were boating 2-3 a day in my boat and everyone else was doing very well too. Big fish for the week were a 49"er by Jim Murphy (raised it on a pink Double Cowgirl and threw a Bull Dawg back at it and it ate it), another 49"er by lodge owner John Kugler (on a pink Double Cowgirl) on a spot not 200 yards away from where Murph got his, I got a fish just over 48" on a shad 8" Reef Hawg and my buddies dad Stan got his first muskie--a very hefty 46"er. Pink Double Cowgirls were DEFINITELY our most productive bait. Blue-silver-black/nickel and brown-orange/copper were also hot. After that 8" Vipers, 8" Reef Hawgs, regular Bull Dawgs and LOWRiders also caught fish.

Walleye fishing was also very good. Didn't seem to matter what you put down, a walleye was going to eat it. Gulp!Minnows, Gulp!Nightcrawlers, minnows, nightcrawlers, leeches, jigging, bottom bouncing--they all worked. One guy was even catching them bottom bouncing with a #3 Mepps! We had a very nice shorelunch back at the lodge on Wednesday and they were delicious!

Smallies were a little finicky with the weather and we had to fish a little deeper and slower with 3"Ugly Otters on 3/16oz Fin-Tech Title-Shot jigs and with Rapala DT04s. We also caught some smallies while we were walleye fishing. Them little buggers sure do put up a fight. It would be almost scary (but fun) to see what would happen if they got to be 30#ers!

This has become our most relaxing Outing as there are so many different kinds of fish to chase and so many different ways of catching them that if one thing isn't working, just try another and you'll have success. No need to get all worked up and pound your head against the wall!

To see photos of just some of the fish we caught and to see some of the things we saw, click on this link to our Fishing Photos section of the Message Board
http://thornebros.groupee.net/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3101045732/m/5861036472

I would like to thank everyone who attended and I would especially like to thank John & Sandy Kugler at Rough Rock Lodge and their staff (Roger, Christine, Bobby and Abby) for their service and hospitality and can't wait until next year's Rumble!
Brett Erickson