Most fishing guides take the job for a season.
Drew Cohen moved his entire life for it.
That matters if you are choosing a Lake of the Woods fishing guide and wondering whether the person running your boat genuinely knows this water or just showed up last Tuesday with a rod rack and a resume.
We had the same question when we started looking for someone to join the Saarela’s Moonlite Bay Lodge team.
We weren’t just looking for a guide—we were looking for someone we’d trust with our guests.
And what we found in Drew changed how we think about what a guide should be.
This is the story of how he got here and why it matters for your next trip.
The Long Road to the Lake
Drew Cohen did not stumble into guiding.
He chased it for years.
When we sat down with him to talk about joining Saarela’s, one of the first things he told us was that becoming a professional fishing guide on Lake of the Woods had been a goal of his “for many years.”
That kind of patience tells you something about a person.
Musky anglers understand it immediately. The species rewards people who commit over the long haul and punishes people who want shortcuts.
Drew approached his career the same way he approaches the water: with persistence, preparation, and a willingness to put in time before expecting results.
When he finally made the move north, he put in the time before he became our guide.
He spent two full years living on Lake of the Woods—running it daily, learning it season by season.
As he put it,
“I’ve spent most of my two years on the lake
Andrew Cohen
just kind of running around and learning.”
That is two years of studying shoreline, memorizing structure, watching seasonal patterns shift, and building the mental map that separates a competent guide from a great one.
Why Lake of the Woods Demands That Kind of Commitment
Lake of the Woods is not a lake you figure out quickly.
It’s one of the most complex and rewarding fisheries in Ontario, known for world-class walleye, musky, bass, and multi-species fishing.
Thousands of miles of shoreline. Countless islands. Rocks, reefs, weed beds, sand pockets, current seams, and shallow shelves that drop into deep water. Areas that look perfect for holding fish but produce nothing, and nondescript stretches that hold giants.
➤ Success on this lake comes from understanding what experienced anglers call “a spot on the spot” — the small irregularities within larger structures that actually hold fish.
➝ A saddle between islands.
➝ A sand patch growing cabbage weeds.
➝ A rock extension off a Buoy that nobody else noticed.
You cannot learn those details from a weekend visit.
You learn them by living on the water.
Drew described Lake of the Woods simply:
“It’s probably one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.”
Andrew Cohen
But beauty is not why he moved here.
He moved because this lake produces world-class fishing, and he wanted to know it at the level required to put guests on quality fish consistently.
What Drew Brings to the Boat
When we interviewed Drew for the Saarela’s Fishing guide team, we asked him the kinds of questions that guests actually care about.
Not hypotheticals — real concerns that people raise when they are spending their hard-earned vacation budget on a guided fishing trip.
We asked whether he teaches fishing techniques or just puts clients on fish.
His answer was immediate:
“100%. Yeah. I like my clients to go home with a headful of knowledge.”
That’s Drew in a sentence.
That philosophy is central to why we brought him on board.
A guided trip at Saarela’s is not a passive experience where you sit in the boat and watch someone else work.
Drew walks guests through his approach — the rod and reel combinations he prefers, the line choices he makes for specific species, and the techniques that produce results on Lake of the Woods. His goal is for guests to leave with skills they can apply anywhere, as well as memories of one great day!
For guests who are new to fishing or bringing kids, Drew is equally direct:
“100%. Yes, of course. Because I encourage that actually.
I like when people are into the sport. Especially the youth.
It’s important that the youth learns how to fish.”
That’s a big part of what we care about here too- families, kids, and creating those moments on the water.
That enthusiasm is not something you can coach.
It is either there or it is not.
With Drew, it is unmistakable.
The Details That Make the Difference
Beyond his knowledge of the lake, Drew handles the practical side of guiding with the kind of thoroughness that removes stress from your trip.
He takes care of baiting hooks, removing fish, and cleaning the catch — unless a guest tells him otherwise.
He customizes multi-species fishing based on what guests want to target.
As he told us plainly,
“It’s their trip. Whatever they want to target, if that’s what they want to learn
is just one species, then that’s what I teach.”
When the fishing slows down — and on any lake, there are days when it does — Drew does not sit and wait. His approach is to keep moving:
“You got to run and gun on Lake of the Woods. You got to find them. You got to keep moving until you find some active fish.”
That mentality matters on a lake this size.
A guide who is willing to cover water and adapt is the difference between a tough day and a memorable one.
Safety also gets serious attention.
Drew monitors Lake of The Woods weather conditions obsessively, planning each day around wind and conditions before the boat ever leaves the dock.
On a lake with open water stretches and thousands of islands channeling wind, that kind of preparation protects guests and keeps trips productive even when conditions are challenging.
What This Means for Your Trip
When you book a guided trip at Saarela’s Moonlite Bay Lodge and step onto the boat with Drew Cohen, you are fishing with someone who chose this lake, studied it for years, and built his career around knowing it deeply.
And chances are, by the end of the day, you’ll be asking for Drew by name the next time you come back.
He is not filling a seasonal position.
He is doing the work he set out to do a long time ago, in the place he believes is the best water in the country.
That is the kind of guide we wanted for Saarelas.
And that is the kind of guide you deserve on your Lake of the Woods fishing trip.
You can learn more about guided fishing or call us directly with any questions.
Drew Cohen is booking guided trips now for the upcoming Lake of the Woods season.
Drew Cohen is a professional fishing guide at Saarela’s Moonlite Bay Lodge on Lake of the Woods. He specializes in walleye, musky and multispecies guided fishing trips for guests of all experience levels, from first-time anglers to seasoned trophy hunters.
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