A warm holiday greeting from Jim, Julie and Annie from Wabaskang Camp. We want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year.
We have owned and operated the camp for 10 years now and are looking forward to many more. The friends we have made over the years are near and dear to us and we enjoy seeing all of you every season. We know the tough economic times have affected many of you and we hope and pray that the upcoming year will be a happy and prosperous one.
The 2009 season was one of the coldest and wettest on record. We had to have a friend of ours use a bulldozer to open our road in early April just to give the road a chance to dry out and allow us into camp. I arrived at camp on April 24th to find the lake still froze and about six inches of snow still on the ground.
The first week was spent tinkering with motors and doing whatever I could that kept me inside and dry. Julie arrived in camp on May 2nd and she was disappointed we still had no running water but made the most of things by boiling water from the lake and even melting snow for cooking and cleaning. The days were quite cool, around 40 degrees and the nights saw temperatures fall well below freezing, I wasn½t able to prime and run the water pumps until the 7th day of May, we worked long and hard for the next week to have all the cabins clean and tidy before our guests arrived.
Just when things began to look better a Spring snow storm hit Ontario with heavy wet snow and strong winds, our guests had arrived in camp and I was forced to turn the water system off for more than a day because of the bitter cold temperatures. Our guests managed to survive by carrying water from the lake for cooking and for toilets. The first two weeks of the season were very cold and I had to deal with frozen water lines every morning. Buy the time June rolled around I was ready for some warm weather and normal activities.
We had a very busy summer at camp this year, the cabins were full most weeks which kept us very busy. Julie wanted all the cabins and buildings painted in camp this year so painting kept us busy all summer long. Dustin Murray, a friend of ours from Eagle River helped me scrape and paint every day when it wasn½t raining, we managed to get all but two cabins painted which was very good considering it seemed like it rained all the time.
Because of all the rain this past season we were forced to spread new gravel throughout the camp, it helped keep most of the mud outside the cabins and kept the driveway in great shape. July and August saw us installing new water lines and a new filtration system in our pump house. The water is pushed through carbon and sediment filters before passing through an ultraviolet sterilization system, the system still has some problems to be delt with which may include the addition of a chlorination system in the future.
When the season was over I was able to do some work on the dock as well as leveling the porch on cabin #9 and putting lattice around the cabin. I also built steps going down to the dock to give our guests an easier walk to their boats. We have done plenty of work at camp but it seems to never end, we know our guests appreciate all the improvements.
Fishing was outstanding on Wabaskang Lake again this year and many of our guests caught and released trophy fish on a regular basis.
Perch fishing was fantastic on warm spring days, the best fishing around June 1st to the 30th and many fish were caught in the 12½.
Smallmouth Bass fishing was superb this year as well, most fish were caught on twister tails and crankbaits along the weed lines and rocky points. Here are a few of the bigger fish that were released or mounted:
Chuck Nass 19 inch Bass released 5/19/2009
Dean Harlan 18 ½ inch Bass released 5/25/2009
Chris Tucker 20 inch Bass released 5/27/2009
Reid McCord 19 inch Bass released 5/30/2009
Wayne Gajewski 18 ½ inch Bass released 5/30/2009
Reid McCord 19 ½ inch Bass released 6/3/2009
Dale Wilson 19 inch Bass Released 6/7/2009
Les Jones 18 ½ inch Bass released 6/18/2009
Bryce Wentlandt 19 inch Bass released 6/21/2009
Tim Wuethrich Jr. 18 inch Bass released 6/28/2009
Mike Lammers 18 ½ inch Bass released 6/30/2009
Reid Lammers 19 inch Bass released 7/1/2009
John Dunkovich 19 ½ inch Bass Mounted 7/2/2009
Kenny Schroerder 19 ½ inch Bass Mounted 7/2/2209
Tom Ward 18 inch Bass released 7/12/2009
Terry Clancy 18 ½ inch Bass released 7/12/2009
Jim Carey 19 inch Bass released 7/17/2009
Jason Comer 19 inch Bass released 7/19/2009
Paul Strain 18 inch Bass released 7/25/2009
Susan Willer 19 inch Bass released 7/27/2009
Tom Gloviak 19 ½ inch Bass released 9/16/2009
Walleye Fishing was consistently good all season long and some of the bigger fish released or mounted are as follows:
Steve Taylor 28 ½ inch Walleye released 5/18/2009
Chris Tucker 29 inch Walleye released 5/27/2009
Mitch Weinberg 26 ½ inch Walleye released 5/30/2009
Niel Miller 29 ½ inch Walleye released 6/4/2009
Ron Phippen 27 inch Walleye released 6/6/2009
Dave Schaller 28 inch Walleye released 6/10/2009
Monty Green 2-27 inch Walleye½s released 6/18/2009
Ryan Nihoris 29 ½ inch Walleye released 6/22/2009
John Dunkovich 28 ½ inch Walleye mounted 6/27/2009
Mike Bowers 29 inch Walleye released 6/30/2009
Drew Bowers 29 inch Walleye released 6/30/2009
Tim Wuethrich Jr 29 ½ inch Walleye released 7/1/2009
Scott Compton 27 inch Walleye released 7/5/2009
Mike Lammers 28 inch Walleye released 7/5/2009
Chance Comer 28 ½ inch Walleye mounted 7/20/2009
Ron Peterson 26 ½ inch Walleye released 7/27/2009
Kristy Lammers 26 inch Walleye released 8/15/2009
Mike Lammers 26 inch Walleye released 8/15/2009
Gene Thomas 26 ½ inch Walleye released 8/16/2009
Mike Luhring 27 inch Walleye released 8/19/2009
Leon Luhring 27 ½ inch Walleye released 8/19/2009
Larry Luhring 26 ½ inch Walleye released 8/27/2009
Don Gutknecht 27 inch Walleye released 9/6/2009
Larry Dufel 27 ½ inch Walleye released 9/7/2009
Harm Harms 30 ½ inch Walleye mounted 9/7/2009
Jim Moran 28 ½ inch Walleye mounted 9/14/1009
Leroy Hennen 27 ½ inch Walleye released 9/22/2009
Our Northern Pike Fishing was the best I have ever seen. We had more fish over 40 inches than any other season, here are just a few:
Blake Johnson 43 ½ inch Northern released 5/17/2009
Ken Scheidt 40 inch Northern mounted 5/27/3009
Mike Lammers 41 inch Northern released 6/8/2009
Mike Lammers 43 inch Northern released 6/9/2009
Mike Lammers 43 ½ inch Northern released 6/13/2009
Les Jones 43 ½ inch Northern mounted 6/13/2009
Ryan Little 40 ½ inch Northern released 6/22/2009
Leo Fortenberry 40 ½ inch Northern released 6/23/2009
Christy Butcher 40 inch Northern released 6/29/2009
Logan Wuethrich 40 inch Northern released 6/29/2009
Max Wuethrich 41 ½ inch Northern released 6/29/2009
Chad Miller 42 ½ inch Northern released 6/29/2009
Kristy Lammers 43 inch Northern released 7/1/2009
Reid Lammers 40 inch Northern released 7/21/2009
Brian Boevers 41 inch Northern 7/21/2009
Mike Lammers 43 inch Northern released 7/22/2009
Sue Minks 44 inch Northern released 7/25/2009
Chad Peterson 40 inch Northern released 7/27/2009
Chad Peterson 42 inch Northern released 7/27/2009
Todd Peterson 45 inch Northern released 7/29/2009
Tony Opperman 42 inch Northern released 8/10/2009
Kristy Lammers 40 ½ inch Northern released 8/16/2009
Mike Kuethe 41 ½ inch Northern released 8/16/2009
Matt Heuer 42 inch Northern released 8/16/2009
Brett Langfritz 40 inch Northern released 8/23/2009
Mike Lammers 40 ½ inch Northern released 8/23/2009
Ruth Rowe 43 inch Northern released 8/23/2009
Randy Drumtra 41 ½ inch Northern released 9/9/2009
Curt Lerum 40 inch Northern released 9/13/2009
Vern Hanus 41 inch Northern released 9/14/2009
Ivan Flock 41 inch Northern released 9/16/2009
Lake Trout were very shallow early in the season. We saw many Trout caught this season and here are just a few:
Tyler Harlan 28 ½ inch Trout released 5/31/2009
Jim Loger 27 inch Trout released 5/31/2009
Mike Lammers 25 inch Trout released 6/8/2009
Chris Jutting 36 inch Trout released 6/10/2009
Rob Roose 25 ½ inch Trout released 6/10/2009
Steve Taylor 25 inch Trout released 6/23/2009
Ryan Little 34 ½ inch Trout released 6/24/2009
Mark Lewandoski 29 ½ inch Trout released 7/10/2009
Julie and I are both back to work at Kay & L Draperies now. We took a week-long vacation to Branson MO during Thanksgiving for a little rest and relaxation. Every evening has kept us busy answering emails and returning calls from people inquiring about camp for next year. All indications are we will be very busy all season long.
I want to take a moment to thank a few folks who helped make our 10th season a successful one, Arnold and Lynn, Greg and Peggy Lynn, Donna, Dustin and Don. We want to say a special ½Thank You½ to all of you for your help and friendship.
All citizens crossing the US/Canada border will be required to show a passport as proof of citizenship. This applies to Canadians crossing into the US and US citizens entering Canada.
If you purchased your fishing license from us this season and still have not received your Ontario Fishing Outdoors Card please call the 800 number on your pink temporary Outdoors Car and inquire about its whereabouts, you will need to purchase a new outdoors card if you don½t bring up your old one which is good for 3 years.
If you haven½t returned your reservation form and deposit to us yet please contact us as soon as possible to avoid a mis-up and possibly losing your spot in camp. We have very limited openings for the 2010 season and will not be attending the 2010 Eastern Iowa Sports Show in March.
You can check us out on our website at www.wabaskangcamp.com . If you have any questions you can call us at 319.352.5559 or email us at stay@wabaskangcamp.com .
Everyone have a wonderful Holiday Season and God Bless you all.
Thanks so much,
