heading up there on Friday for a week. plan is to fly into Saskatoon, pick up the boat and truck, head north till we hit the grid road, keep driving another 150 miles, meet up with native friends, set up base camp, and then fish…, cook up shore lunch/dinner, sleep, repeat until we have to leave
im going to take some random saltwater plugs and see if pike like them 
anyone been up there? recommend any cool places in Saskatoon to grab a hot meal?
ill post a report when I make it back
“mr keys”
Went up that way in 2004, actually further north just below the NW territory. We flew into Saskatoon, stayed the night and got on a smaller plane very early the next morning to head further north about 2 hours. So, didn’t have time to take much in at Saskatoon. The hotel we were in had a casino attached. One of the guys in our group had a recent DWI on his record and caused some issues for him with immigration (it’s a more serious offense in Canada). He got in but could have easily gone the other way. We fished Lake Athabasca (float plane in). Fishing was great. Some days we just pursued the big boys and landed 40"+ pike and one day we got our guide to put us on a “honey hole”. Much smaller pike but we landed one every cast for about 30 casts. I was amazed at how many would hit right by the boat, very cool to watch. Dardevel spoon in yellow/5 diamond was the ticket as well as some other colors - chartreuse, red/white, silver with 2 red beads. I don’t remember what size we were tossing but they were pretty large. Johnson Silver Minnow spoon weedless with a curly tail trailer worked in the grass. I’d focus on the pike, the lake trout is like catching a manhole cover - boring. Lots of bug spray required as well layers of clothing since the temperature swing throughout the day is significant (it’s pretty cold in the morning for a boat ride). We were there in late July and they told us that ice chunks were still in the lake in early July. Also, sunlight until 11p throws off your internal clock!
my buddy and his dad have gone up there twice a year for the past 5 or 6 years. they are friends with the natives up there and can camp/fish on their land. I seriously can’t wait, I’ve wanted to go on this trip since I was in 6th grade… absolute random luck that I met my friend and this trip is possible
trip of a lifetime… I plan to cherish every single moment
“mr keys”
Been on a similar trip about 15 yrs ago. Northern Quebec. You will love it! It’s incredible. Red/white daredevl spoons were the ticket for us. The best pike fishing is late June after ice out but this time of year is second best I’ve heard. Take lots of pics.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
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My father and I have run a trip like this every year for the last 19yrs. We started with backpacking/canoe/portage trips in Algonquin Provincial Park the first three or four years before branching out to the boundary waters and then the Manitoba area. As you move North from the border your fish species start to thin out. Smallmouth are the first to go, then walleye and you are usually left with Northerns, whitefish, perch, and big lake trout. The Lakers are extrememly challenging to catch in the summer. They do not like heat in any capacity and sit deep in the lakes and dont feed actively.
You can throw just about everything for a northern. The bigger and uglier the better. My nicest pike have all come on 3" jig heads with pumpkin/chartreuse powerbait curlytail gubs while walleye fishing. You will lose 10 jig heads for every fish you catch but the quality will be better. Last summer I took a roll of 80lb fluoro and crimped directly to some big topwater casting baits and outfished the camp. Not a single cut-off. A lot of your hits will be directly next to the boat so go ahead and master your figure 8 technique and be ready for hell.
Pike are a lot of fun but they smell like a barracuda and have a Y-Bone that makes them challenging to clean. If you take the time to learn how to fillet it out they are pretty good.
NOTHING, and I repeat, NOTHING will beat a fresh caught-fried walleye fillet after a day of fishing in Canada. Go catch you a northern or two and then pack it up, break out the jigs and load up on dinner…
Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.
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“Touche”
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