Things I’ll Do Differently My Next Time at Ballard’s Black Island
No matter how many questions you ask before going to a new place, there’s a simple fact -- you don’t know what you don’t know.
I did some homework prior to our recent first visit to Ballard’s Black Island Lodge on Lake of the Woods. As the group leader I wanted everyone to have some expectations of what they would experience: travel, food, lodging, cost and of course fishing. I emailed and called the lodge to get all the information we needed in order to guarantee a smooth sailing experience.
The trip was terrific: The food was homemade and abundant; the accommodations were clean, more than sufficient size and the beds were comfortable. They did their job, but a traveling angler can always be better prepared. Here are a few things I will do differently next time so there are not hitches and you won’t get a stitch in your britches.
Bring Different Snacks
The morning starts with 6am coffee at the lodge, starts your morning. There’s even time to take that cup of Joe out to watch the sunrise. There is ample food to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner but if you are a snack type of person you need to bring your own.
On the way from the airport make sure you ask your driver to stop to allow you to get alcohol and snacks. Each person is allowed one 24 case of beer or 750 ml (a fifth) of alcohol so calculate wisely. Complimentary juice, soda (“pop”) and bottled water are provided during your stay.
On the last day, depending on the time of your flight out of International Falls, your breakfast is covered but you are on your own for vittles thereafter. This is where you will want to bring something a little more substantial that will last the length of your stay and still be good for lunch on your departure day. There is no convenient place to stop on the two hour van ride back to the airport – at least until you cross the border. There are mini refrigerators in each room that will help you keep these items fresh.
Don’t Pack so Much
I always feel like I need to bring more clothes than eventually prove to be necessary. One more cute outfit for good pictures. What if what I brought doesn’t fit right when I am there? Will I be upset if I don’t bring that other outfit? I have room, so I just bring more, more, more.
I have been travelling for years and I still can’t get this right. Even when we visit lodges that have laundry service (Ballard’s does not provide such service) I STILL bring too. Knowing that I have a 50-pound limit means I get to bring 50 pounds of “stuff.” I need to play a game with myself and see how much under 50 pounds I can get. If I didn’t have so much clothing and tackle, I could have taken home fish… bummer.
So, if you see me in the same outfit throughout the trip, NO, the pictures weren’t taken all in the same day and YES, the clothes are clean. Even if they aren’t you’ll never know.
Bring More Fishing Tackle
I have NEVER have I said these words before, so mark this date: Next time we need to bring more tackle.
The lodge has all the tackle, rods and reels you need, included in the package, but we are snobbish and like our own stuff. We brought travel rods, our own reels and a limited but varied amount of lures and terminal tackle to target smallmouth bass. Pete brought two lures he purchased in the 80s for musky (they weren’t used and came back home to the garage for the next three to four decades). The toothy fish seemed to eat what the smallmouth were eating.
In last week’s blog, I thanked Jennifer Combs for getting on a pattern with Chatterbaits. We didn’t bring many of and of course it was THE lure of choice for the smallies.
Perhaps the fish had never seen a Chatterbait before? Maybe they were put off by other baits at this point in the season? Whatever the case, we didn’t have enough and I was changing out skirts and retying constantly to make sure I didn’t lose the bait.
So next time, a few more Chatterbaits will be packed (and we will probably go home with every one that we bring, but if we don’t bring more, we for sure will be SOL again). More lures of more types never hurts. Now that we have been there and seen the water’s topography and the variety of species o be caught, I think we have a little better idea of what and how much tackle we will bring next time.
THIS MEANS I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PACK EVEN LESS CLOTHING. (see above)
Stop for Shore Lunch
Every night at dinner we are asked whether we wanted shore lunch or the sandwich/chip/cookie option (mmmmm, the oatmeal raisin cookies were the best) for lunch the following day.
Since we were only fishing for three days, Jennifer, Pete and I didn’t want to take the time to do a shore lunch. The second and third days we targeted smallmouths and we only took about 15 minutes to do bathroom break and eat a sandwich and a bag of chips. We saved the cookie for an afternoon snack. It was then time get back out on the water.
We’ve decided that next time we’ll catch a few walleyes first thing in the morning for a shore lunch to get the full experience. Fried fish, potatoes and onions, beans and bread are on the menu.
Bring Home Fish
Prior to the trip I neglected to ask if we could bring home fish. The answer was YES but we weren’t prepared (once again, remember the 50-pound suitcase full of clothes). Also, we would have had to purchase a different fishing license.
Make sure you purchase your license online as one of the in-person locations at the marina happened to be closed until the spring of 2023 and who knows if they will be open or even re-open when you are there. You can also purchase from Gill’s Marine in Morson, ONT from 8:30 to 4:30 pm but don’t count on this option either. PURCHASE ONLINE PRIOR TO GOING AND PRINT THEM OUT.
All anglers must purchase an Outdoors Card, 2022 fee $8.57, and if you want to bring fish home, or if there are thoughts about doing so, you can even put it in your suitcase, you must purchase the sport fishing license NOT the conservation fishing license.
Secure a Guide
You are more than welcome to take one of the lodge’s 18-foot boats with a 50 hp four stroke motors on your own. They are equipped with seats, life jackets, cooler, nets, trolling motors and Humminbird sonar/GPS systems. Off you go and good luck. We will see you at 5 pm.
I suggest you secure a guide for many, if not all, the days you are there. They know the lake, where all the boulders are, and where the fish live.
The lake is enormous and even being on the lake for three days of fishing I wasn’t quite sure where we were most of the time. Everything looks alike and there aren’t many significant dwellings or attractions that were noticeable in order to figure out your whereabouts, GPS or no GPS. Both the motor and the trolling motor are hand operated so that can take away from the fishing aspect for some people.
Just ask for a guide!!! The rate is a ridiculously low $250 per day (suggested tips are $120 to $150 per boat per day) and if you want a second group (we suggest two per boat) to follow, that “chase boat” is $60 (plus tip).
Stay Longer
The last morning, on the day of departure, after breakfast, Jennifer, Pete and I went fishing on our own. We stayed close enough so that we knew exactly how to get back to Black Island Lodge.
It was fun taking out the boat for the few hours but I’m glad we decided to have a guide for all three full days.
I always tell people that if they can afford to stay longer at Anglers Inn than the standard 4 night/3+ days of fishing, they really should. The first three days is what gets you in the groove and figuring out the pattern and then it’s time to leave.
I would say that it is the same for Ballard’s, if you can afford to stay a week (the price is pretty reasonable overall compared to many other lodges we go to), then stay a week. Since there are so many species to target you will get more chances to do so.
I am going back to catch a perch! That’s the only one of the “Double Grand Slam” that I failed to catch.
In case you forget how to contact me for more information on any of our destination trip, feel free to email us at fishmore@halfpastfirstcast.com or call me 703-932-6299.
