You are not going to ask this question out loud. But if you are planning a guided fishing trip on Lake of the Woods, you might be thinking it.
You have spent the money. You have booked the trip. You have driven hours to reach Lake of the Woods in Ontario. And somewhere between the excitement and the anticipation,
a quiet worry settles in:
what if the fishing guide just drives the boat?
What if you spend the day watching someone else catch fish while you hold a rod you do not understand, casting lures you did not choose, into water you cannot read?
What if you leave your Lake of the Woods fishing trip knowing exactly as much as you knew when you arrived — minus a few hundred dollars and a sunburn?
That frustration is more common than most Lake of the Woods fishing resorts will admit. And it is exactly why we want to show you what really happens when you step onto the boat with Drew Cohen at Saarela’s Moonlite Bay.
The Fear Nobody Talks About When Booking a Fishing Guide on Lake of the Woods
We have hosted guests for enough seasons at our Lake of the Woods fishing resort to recognize the body language right away.
The slightly nervous smile at the dock.
The casual questions that are really checking whether they are going to feel out of place.
The hesitation to ask what the lure is called because they do not want to seem like they do not belong.
Fishing — especially on a trophy fishery like Lake of the Woods in Ontario — can feel intimidating.
The gear is unfamiliar.
The lures are specialized.
Other guests at the lodge are swapping stories about walleye, musky, and northern pike, and you may not have targeted any of them before.
And somewhere in the back of your mind, you are wondering if you made a mistake booking a guided fishing trip on Lake of the Woods before you “knew enough.”
Here’s the thing:
The fishing guide you choose on Lake of the Woods will determine whether that anxiety disappears in the first ten minutes — or follows you for the entire day.
A Fishing Guide Who Actually Teaches: Drew Cohen on Lake of the Woods
When we interviewed Drew Cohen for a Lake of the Woods fishing guide position at Saarela’s Moonlite Bay, we asked the question most guests are thinking — just without the polite filter:
Will you teach people, or will you just
put them on fish and expect them to figure it out?
His answer was immediate:
“100%. Yeah. I like my clients to go home with a headful of knowledge.”
That is not a marketing line. It is a philosophy that shapes every guided fishing trip on Lake of the Woods.
For someone who has never fished before — or someone experienced but new to Lake of the Woods fishing — Drew starts exactly where you are.
He walks through:
➤ the rod and reel setup for the species you are targeting
➤ the type of line and why it matters
➤ the techniques that actually work on this lake
He makes sure that when you leave Lake of the Woods in Ontario, you take home something more valuable than a cooler of fish: confidence and understanding.
And for anglers who already have experience?
Drew adapts.
The teaching does not disappear — it just goes deeper. He explains what makes Lake of the Woods different from other fisheries, why certain structure holds fish at certain times of year, and how to read the conditions the way a seasoned Lake of the Woods fishing guide does.
Are Fishing Guides Good With Kids and Beginners on Lake of the Woods?
This is the second question nobody asks directly — but almost every family is thinking about before booking a guided fishing trip on Lake of the Woods.
If I bring my twelve-year-old, will the guide be patient?
If my spouse has never held a fishing rod, will they feel comfortable?
Drew did not hesitate.
“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.”
At Saarela’s Moonlite Bay, we believe introducing new people to fishing — especially kids — is part of what keeps this tradition alive.
Drew shares that belief at a personal level.
He is not just okay with beginners — he genuinely enjoys teaching them. And that difference shows up in the experience your family has on the water during your Lake of the Woods fishing trip.
Whether it is your child’s first fish or your spouse’s first time holding a rod, the goal is the same: confidence, comfort, and a day they will actually enjoy.
What a Guided Fishing Trip on Lake of the Woods Includes
Beyond the teaching, Drew handles the day with the kind of quiet confidence you want in a Lake of the Woods fishing guide.
He takes care of:
✓ baiting hooks
✓ unhooking fish
✓ adjusting setups
✓ cleaning your catch
It is a full-service guided fishing experience on Lake of the Woods.
Once you plan the options, he manages the details so you can focus on fishing — and actually enjoying your time on the water.
And if you come with a specific goal?
Drew is clear about that too:
“It’s their money. Whatever they want to target — if that’s what they want to learn is just one species, then that’s what I teach.”
No pressure to change plans.
No steering you toward what is easier for the guide.
If you came to Lake of the Woods for walleye fishing, that is what your day is built around.
Your trip is your trip.
If you have been on the fence about booking a guide — this is where the experience changes completely
What Happens When the Fishing Is Tough on Lake of the Woods?
Here is another concern most people will not say out loud before booking a guided fishing trip on Lake of the Woods:
What happens if we do not catch anything?
Lake of the Woods in Ontario is one of the most productive fisheries in North America. But no lake produces on command every single day.
➢ Weather changes.
➢ Cold fronts move through.
➢ Fish shift locations.
It happens — even on the best Lake of the Woods fishing trips.
What matters is how your Lake of the Woods fishing guide responds.
Drew’s approach is simple and honest:
“You got to run and gun. You got to find them. You got to keep moving until you find some active fish.”
He does not sit on a dead spot and make excuses.
➢ He moves.
➢ He adapts.
➢ He covers water.
On a lake with thousands of miles of shoreline and endless structure, there is always productive water somewhere. The real question is whether your guide is willing to go find it.
Drew is.
And the work starts before you ever step into the boat.
Drew is constantly monitoring weather patterns near Morson Ontario, wind direction, and changing conditions — planning primary routes and backup spots based on how fish position on Lake of the Woods throughout the day.
That preparation comes from time on the water.
Before ever guiding a paying client, Drew spent years learning Lake of the Woods fishing patterns, structure, and seasonal movements — building the kind of knowledge that allows a guide to adjust quickly and confidently when conditions change.
Anyone can have a good day when the fish are biting. The difference is what your guide does when they are not.
Is a Fishing Guide on Lake of the Woods Worth It?
So — will your Lake of the Woods fishing guide actually teach you?
If your guide is Drew Cohen at Saarela’s Moonlite Bay, the answer is yes.
Not as an afterthought.
Not as a bonus if you ask.
➝ Teaching is built into every guided fishing trip on Lake of the Woods he runs — because he believes something simple:
A guest who leaves with knowledge and confidence got more value than a guest who just caught fish.
That is the experience we built Saarela’s Moonlite Bay around.
And it is the experience Drew delivers every day on Lake of the Woods in Ontario.
If you have been wondering whether hiring a Lake of the Woods fishing guide is worth it — this is the difference.
👉 Book your guided fishing trip at our Boat in Lodge on Lake of the Woods and experience what it feels like to leave the water knowing more than when you arrived.
Leave a Reply