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September 2007
Fins and Gills: the area's biggest celebrities
Every hometown seems to claim at least one celebrity, a pop star, novelist or politician who put the town on the map. Although Koochiching County boasts its fair share of notable residents, the true stars of the area are the fish of Rainy Lake and Rainy River. These local celebrities bring in tourists by the thousands, keep the locals talking and spawn countless gossipy tales that always seem to lack substantial proof.
Like the tour guides of Beverly Hills, Matt Shermoen takes anglers from all over the country on a tour of the spectacular waters that these celebrities call home. As a fishing guide in the beautiful waters of Voyageur Country, he leads them to the elusive homes of walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, muskie, and crappie. For Shermoen and many other anglers, the summer of 2007 proved to be a great year to stalk these local superstars.
"Fishing was really good this year on both the east and west sides of the Brule Narrows," says Shermoen, who confesses to a personal preference for the waters on the east side of Rainy Lake. "We were able to consistently find nice fish on mud and sand flats this summer."
But the great fishing doesn't end with the summer. According to Shermoen, "fall offers some of the best fishing on the sand and mud flats as well as the major break lines. A simple jig and minnow will do the trick this time of year."
And Shermoen's most impressive sighting this year? A 53 inch muskie. And she was a beauty.
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