Here we are headed into September, and our guests continue to enjoy great fishing. The weather has started to change, and the cooler temperatures are keeping the fish on the move. Bigger walleyes are going deeper now, and the smaller walleyes are still being caught by our guests in about 12′ of water. We see many trophy walleyes being released each week and plenty of the 16″ and 17″ fish being caught for a fish fry. A jig and minnow were the top bait this week along with large plastics and a spinner rig and crawler. Blue, white, and pink were all good color choices. Kevin Knudsen was new in camp, but he managed to release a beautiful 26 1/2″ walleye, Jeff Schmidt caught plenty of nice walleyes this week and he released a 26″ trophy, rumor has it he may have released a 27″ fish as well but he hates to brag. Tim Schaeffer had almost 12 days here at camp and he released a chunky 25″ walleye. The top walleye fisherman in camp this week was once again my little brother “Big Mike” , he used plastics almost exclusively all week and released a 24″, a 25″, a 26″, and a giant 27″ walleye to take top honors and select a free hat which he stubbornly gave to his wife Kristy.
Northern fishing kept our guests busy this week with lots of trophies being caught and released. Many big northern were caught by our guests while walleye fishing on light tackle which made for a great fight. Some of our seasoned anglers were throwing huge musky baits and they did particularly good as well. Mike Behnke released his 34 3/4″ northern but his son Ryan quickly beat him by releasing a chunky 35 1/2″ northern. Kristy Lammers took some time this week just to relax and enjoy herself but when she did go fishing, she always caught fish, her biggest northern released this week was a nice 36″ brute. Scot Heim returned to camp after more than a ten-year hiatus; he released a pair of 36 1/2″ trophies this week. Mike Kukral is always concerned about making sure his buddies are having a fun time, but he did manage to catch and release a chunky 36″ northern, his second biggest ever. Mike Lammers fished long hours this week and his persistence paid off, he released a 36″, a 39″, and a 41″ brute to end up in second place in camp. Chad Hoffman was here for the first time as our guest, but he caught on very fast, he released a beautiful 42″ trophy to win top honors for the week.
Bass fishing took a backseat to Walleye and Northern fishing this week, but we did see some nice fish being caught. Most were caught on crank baits or live bait in the deep weed edges. The biggest bass of the week was caught by Dave Acker, his 18 3/4″ trophy was a hat winner and put a giant grin on his face.
Crappie fishing hasn’t been as good as this same period last year, but we are starting to see some nice fish being caught. Most crappies are shallow in the mornings and evenings and deeper during the day. Tiny twister tails or a bobber and minnow or worm caught some decent fish. Scot Heim reported the biggest crappie of the week, a whopping 14 3/4″ slab, a hat winner for sure.
No trout to report the week.
Be sure to have clean boats when entering Ontario as the border agents are very concerned about invasive species. Poultry products are fine to bring into Ontario but must be store purchased and keep your receipts if asked to present them to prove where you made your purchase. Remember to try and bring us a copy of your fishing license when you arrive in camp so we can keep it on hand if the MNR stops in to check the fish freezers and need to know who the fish belong to and the type of license they have. You can purchase your license online or at Clark’s Bait and Tackle in Dryden or Vermilion Bay or run up the road a couple miles and grab it at Dutchies General Store. The Whiskey Jack Restaurant is open on Wednesday thru Sunday so stop in and let Laura and Graham prepare you a great meal.
That’s all for week 15, this is Jim from Wabaskang.
