Week of September 17th -23rd
September greetings from Jim and Julie’s Wabaskang Camp. Only one more week to go and our 17th season has come to an end. Week 18 was a week of mild weather and good fishing. Our walleye fishing continues to provide good action, some fish were deep some were shallow, just depends on where the bait fish are and the time of day the bite is on. The usual tactic used by our guests was a jig and minnow or a spinner rig and a minnow. We didn’t have a moose hunt this season but our moose hunters returned to camp and had a great week of fishing. Steve Irish, a pretty good archery hunter brought his grandson Johnny to camp this week and Johnny out fished everybody in the family. Johnny caught northern after northern but did especially well on eater walleyes, I am looking forward to seeing Steve and his family again next season, Johnny is looking forward to skipping a week of school again. Curt Sherman is a decent walleye fisherman and he landed a chunky 22 1/2” fish to start the week off, Mark Steinfeldt quickly jumped into first place after he landed a 23 1/2” walleye. All of our guests did well on walleyes this week but one fella in particular had an outstanding week, Corey Katzung was fishing with his father Gene when he latched onto a gigantic 29 3/4” walleye. Corey released his trophy after a few quick pictures. Gene wants partial credit for Corey’s fish since he was driving the boat but does he also want credit for all the times they didn’t catch any fish when he was driving? Our northern fishing was good as well this week, we had a few seasoned anglers in camp that know when and where to catch the big brutes. The northern are hanging around the last of the decent green cabbage weeds that are close to deep water. The best bait was a Sandcat or a Bulldog. Harlan Kruse returned to camp for a second trip this season——unfortunately—and he thought his 35” fish was a real “hat” winner, it didn’t take long before Rick Stephen’s 35 1/2” northern wiped the smirk off Harlan’s face. Curt Schurman released a 37 1/2” northern that he caught casting a Bulldog, the real hero in camp for northern fishing this week was the incredible Brett Langfritz, he not only smoked the competition with his 40” brute but did it one better by releasing a monster 42” northern as well, Brett’s buddy Harlan was speechless–finally! Brett caught his biggest fish casting deep cabbage weeds near Birch Island. The bass fishing is slowing down now simply because most of our guests are not fishing for them. Dale Turriff was new to camp but his 17 1/2” bass was good for second place this week, just like his Green Bay Packers. Once again fishing legend Brett Langfritz brought home the hardware when he released a beautiful 18 1/4” bass, not much room left on Brett’s hat with all the catch and release pins he has earned over the years here at camp. We did have a lake trout caught this week by one of favorite guests. Corey Katzung was more excited over his 21” trout than he was over his 29 3/4” walleye. Corey has never landed a trout here on Wabaskang and his father Gene was sure impressed, I am surprised he didn’t want partial credit for the trout as well! We have one more week of fishing here at camp then about a month of closing camp and working on some major projects here in camp. I will talk to everyone again next week; this is Jim from Wabaskang camp
Week of September 10th – 16th
Finally I’m getting around to updating everyone about the fishing here at Wabaskang Camp. Week 17 was a week of good northern fishing and a good week for walleye fishing. Our northern fishing is taking on a Fall pattern now with many big fish being caught on huge stick baits and spinner baits. The best fish are being caught in cabbage weeds that are close to deep water. The big brutes are putting on the feed bag and getting ready for the long winter ahead. Jim Medhurst, Bruce Kirk, and Gus Zender each released a chunky 34” northern, old timer Charley Zender released a 35 1/2” fish, Larry Jaske released a 35 3/4” fish, Mark Zender managed to land and release a nice 36” fish, Tyler Evers released a 37 1/2” and a gigantic 40 1/4” northern, Rick Zender made his week a memorable one when he released a 40” monster, the biggest northern of the week was caught by Steve Young, he released a 41” torpedo. Our walleye fishing was up and down this week but most of our guests caught many good fish. The walleyes seem to be in deeper water now in good numbers so many of our guests have been fishing the 24’ to 32’ depths. A jig and minnow was a top producer along with a Lindy Rig. Larry Pencook started things off this week with a chunky 22” walleye, Brian Pottebaum caught a 24” fish, Deb Giese caught a chunky 24” walleye, Rich Snodgrass landed a beautiful 27 1/4” walleye. The biggest walleye of the week goes to Larry Willms, he released a chunky 27 3/4” walleye to take top honors for the week. The bass fishing was decent last week with most bass being caught in deep water where the walleye and bass are both in decent numbers. Tyler Evers landed a chunky 18 1/4” bass, George Riggs released a nice 18” bass, the biggest bass of the week goes to Jim White, he landed a gigantic 19 1/4” brute good for top honors for the week, hey Jim I owe you a hat next season! Not very many anglers looking for perch last week but super star Steve Rathe brought a perch in that he said was a “solid” 8” trophy perch, not so fast Steve, seems Mike Mosbrooker knows a bit about perch fishing and brought in a decent 10” fish. Next week we are looking forward to dryer weather and mild temperatures, until next week this is Jim from Wabaskang.
Week of September 3rd – 9th
September greetings from Jim and Julie’s Wabaskang Camp. I know I am about a week late on week 16’s report but here it is. The weather has been generally cooler and quite damp, windy days and quiet evenings. Our northern fishing seems to be getting better and better each week since late August. The big brutes are still roaming the deep weed lines looking for an easy meal. Many of our guests are using a typical walleye bait like a jig and minnow to catch the big fellas. The more adventurous anglers are casting huge stick baits like a Suick or Sandcat to trigger a strike. Marlene Miller released not one but two 35” brutes this week, Joel Demro tries harder than most anglers and his reward was a nice 35” northern and a beautiful 38” fish. Tim Wuethrich has all the tackle to be a successful fisherman and he showed his skills when he released four 36” northern and two 37” northern all in the same day, he also released a fat 38” northern and a chunky 39” northern this week. The real hero of the week was Larry Dorenkamp, he landed and released a monster 40” fish he skillfully landed on his fly rod, great job Larry. Walleye fishing continues to be good with most fish being caught in the 25’ to 30’ depth. A jig and minnow or Lindy Rig and minnow was by far the best bait. Joan Jacobsen started things off when she shows husband Dave how it’s done by catching a 20” walleye. Randy Cook has been a regular her at camp forever and he was so proud of his 23 1/2” walleye until his wife crushed his dream of a free hat by skillfully landing a chunky 24 1/2” walleye. Michelle was probably thinking about which hat she would choose when old timer Larry Dorenkamp once again crushed her hopes when he landed and released an enormous 29 3/4” walleye, probably one of the biggest we have seen this season. Bass fishing was spotty this week but we always have a few decent fish caught. Tom Behl and Tim Wuethrich each had 17” bass, Vi Medhurst caught a feisty 18” bass as her husband Jim watched with a look of envy on his face. Camp regular Craig Mericle wins the free hat this week with his chunky 18” stinkin bass, he hates bass fishing but sure was quick to grab a free hat off the shelf! Next week is another week of seasoned regulars here at camp so we should have some impressive catches to talk about. Time for bed for me but we will chat again soon, this is Jim from Wabaskang
Week of August 27th – Sept 2nd
September greetings from Wabaskang Camp. Another great week here at camp with many impressive catches of both walleye and northern. We are beginning to see the lake temperature falling now and surface temperatures are ranging from 61 degrees to 64 degrees here on our end of the lake. Still seeing plenty of rain each week so the lake level continues to be above average. The weeds are beginning to get soft and are turning brown now so Fall is definitely here. The northern fishing picked up some last week and both big stick baits and small jigs caught fish. The best area seemed to be weedy bays close to deep water and deep water where there was plenty of bait fish and walleyes hanging around. Chris Davis released his best northern ever, a chunky 38” brute, Bill Scharnhorst always manages to catch a big northern and this week he caught four big brutes to brag about, he landed two 36” northern, a 35 1/2”, and a 37 1/2” “so” to keep the rest of his group in awe all week, he had the “secret” lure that only comes along once in a lifetime. Ed Traeger released a 38” northern so I know northern fishing was easy this week, Ryan Waterman landed a chunky 37” northern to make his day, Leon Luhring always tries so hard to catch a big northern but this week his best was only 36” —too bad so sad, Rich Luhring is the youngest of the Luhring clan but his two 38” northern tells me he is the one to beat next season if he gets permission to return to camp, it seems he is getting hitched in June, congratulations Rich. Mike Lammers made his last trip of the season to camp last week, he did report catching and releasing two 37” fish but for a guy that brags about knowing the lake so well and having the best tackle and equipment money can buy I’d say he wasted his money, maybe spend a day with Bill and Rich next season and learn something fella! The biggest northern of the week was caught and released by Kevin Reints, he was fishing with Mike and I’m sure his fish just rubbed salt into the wound, good job Kevin. Our walleye fishing was solid last week for medium sized fish. The walleyes are still moving from weed lines to deep water and are not bunched in tight schools yet. The best bait was by far a jig tipped with a minnow. Bait fish dictate where the fish will be and last week most walleyes were in 22’ to 29’ of water, smaller fish were still caught while trolling the weed edges. Old timer Larry Luhring started things off with a 22” walleye only to have brother Leon whoop up on him with his 24” walleye, George Roose caught and released a beautiful 24 1/2” walleye even though he was fishing out of his son Danny’s boat that we around camp call the “no-fish” boat. Mike Lammers struggled on walleye again this week just like he does most of the time and his best was only 25”, maybe he needs to spend more time listening and less time talking, good luck next season brother. Susan Langfritz was the super star in camp, she released a chunky 25 1/2” walleye to beat everyone else in camp, seems all of her husband Brett’s advice finally sunk in, only took nine years! Not a lot of bass action last week, most of the fish were caught while walleye fishing in deep water. Spencer Holm did manage to catch a nice 16 3/4” bass right from the dock but Barney Wiersma took home the hat when he landed a gigantic 19” brute. Next week we have another group of seasoned anglers so our fish catches should be impressive, still unsettled weather in the forecast so the bite may be hard to find at times. If anyone has been having a hard time contacting us by email just give me a call as our email provider is having issues again. Until next week this is Jim from Wabaskang
Week of August 20th – 26th
Hello from Jim and Julie’s Wabaskang Camp. Week 14 has come and gone and we have plenty to talk about. The walleye fishing was very good again this week. Most of our guests were using a jig and minnow combination or a spinner rig with a minnow. The fish seem to be transitioning from shallow weed infested water to deep water where many of the massive schools of bait fish have gone. Jay Miller started things off this week when he landed a 21” walleye. Kevin Holm, Terri Roose, Lenny Sonnek, and Quinn Edeker all landed 24” walleye. Chanae Kofrun was new to camp but she put Quin in his place when she landed and released a 25” walleye. Brett Langfritz is a regular here at Wabaskang Camp but his best was a lousy 26” walleye, he usually is the man to beat when he is in camp, maybe his luck is running out. Tim Schaeffer tries so hard each season to be the top dog when it comes to walleye fishing, he released a 27” walleye and a 27 ¼” walleye but he ended up no better than second place which means squat in my book, keep trying little fella. Jay Miller landed a 27” walleye throwing a bass bait in the weeds just before dark, he released his trophy after a quick picture. The champion in camp this week was Larry Pothast, he, under the watchful eye of Harlan Kruse skillfully landed a gigantic 30 ¼” walleye to easily smash the rest of the field, he released his monster after a Lori took a quick picture minus Larry’s head, the fish looked good though. Harlan Kruse mentioned he should get some credit for the big fish since he was driving the boat, Larry doesn’t agree! Our northern fishing was spotty this week but we did have some decent fish caught. The best bait was a Sandcat or a big Daredevil. The big brutes are both deep and shallow now and are tough to find. Larry Pothast started things off when he released a 30” torpedo and a then a 38” fish later in the week, Mike Smith released a 31” fish, Doyle Brocka threw his hat into the ring when he landed and released a 38” monster, not so fast Doyle, it seems Rob Lerum has what it takes because he released 39 ¾” monster northern to easily take home the free hat for the week. Bass fishing was slow this week as most of our guest’s fish walleye and northern but Kim Schaeffer released a 17 ¼” fish only to have Susan Mincks crush her dreams of a free hat by catching and releasing a 19” brute, great job Susan. Not much happening this week as far as trout fishing goes but Eugene Thomas did catch an impressive 28” trout, he was fishing a blue and silver spoon at about 45’, his buddy Lenny Sonnek also gets some of the credit as he is the trout specialist in the group. Next week looks like great weather and we have a camp full of seasoned anglers so I expect some impressive catch to report. For now, this is Jim from Wabaskang.
Week of August 13th – 19th
Hello again from Jim and Julie’s Wabaskang Camp. Week 13 of our 2016 season has come and gone and we had some interesting fishing last week. Our walleye bite continues to be solid but our guests had to be diligent and keep working the deeper weed edges and rock piles to come up with their fish. Many walleyes are transitioning from shallow to deep now and the trick is to find the fish somewhere in between and also find them when they are actively feeding. Most of our guests were using spinner rigs tipped with a minnow or crawler, also shallow and deep running crank baits saw plenty of action, especially in the last hour before sunset. Lots of “old timers” in camp this week, namely Alan Orr. He always catches some good fish along with his wife Karen. Alan started things off this week with a chunky 24 3/4” walleye and a nice 25” walleye later in the week, he caught his fish by Lindy Rigging in about 25’ of water, he also released his trophies. Frank and Sue Cebelinski returned to camp this season and Frank released a pair of 26” beauties this week which quickly quieted his buddy Alan, the two couples did go berry picking together and Frank out-picked him as well, just a little bit of friendly rivalry there? Justin Morse landed a beautiful 25” walleye that his Grandpa Steve is going to take home and mount for him, new-comer Chad Schieler showed he has some Wuethrich blood in him as he caught many walleyes last week with his biggest being 24 1/2”, he released his fish as well. My brother Mike and his wife Kristy were in camp last week but his best was a measly 26” walleye and her best was a measly 25 1/2” walleye, pathetic in my world. Our superstar last week turned out to be Ross Bruns, he released a 28” walleye caught on a large stick bait just before dark while casting the deep cabbage weed edges, he also released a 27” walleye a few days later he caught while working a live bait rig in deep water right in front of camp. Our northern fishing continues to pick up steam with some nice fish being released this week. The best bait was a Sandcat or Bulldog but smaller cranks and spoons also produced fish. Karen Jutting released a feisty 31” northern to start our week off but her fish was quickly smashed by Logan Wuethrich, he had a great day of northern fishing early in the week in which he released a 36”, a 37”, and a 37 1/4” northern to quickly climb to the top of the leader board. Karen Orr crushed little Logan’s dream of a free hat when she landed and released a 37-1/2” brute, her fish was caught while walleye fishing with light tackle, great job Karen, — maybe show Alan how it’s done sometime, his best was a tiny 35 1/2” fish. Venita Bruns also had a nice northern this week, she released a 37” brute to take top honors in her cabin. Brad Morse landed a 34” northern which was the biggest in his group as well last week. Like I said earlier Mike and Kristy Lammers were here last week and she somehow managed to foul hook a 39” northern which ended up being the biggest in camp last week, she released her fish and proudly won the hat for the week, seems she has the same dumb luck her husband does. Our bass fishing slowed last week but father and son dynamic duo Tim and Logan Wuethrich came to play and their 18” and 19 1/4” bass were easily the biggest of the week, Logan proudly wore his hat for his big bass of the week. We saw one musky caught last week, Sue Cebelinski was walleye fishing when she tied into a beautiful 31” fish, with all the excitement she didn’t get a picture before the release but her fish is the fourth musky over 30” caught by our guests this season, chalk up another one for the Cebelinski’s in the Cebelinski’s vs Orr battle! Next week we have another group of seasoned anglers so I expect great things to talk about, we will chat again soon, this is Jim from Wabaskang.
Week of August 6th – August 12th
Greetings from Jim and Julie at Wabaskang Camp. Our 12th week of the season was a week of good fishing and unsettled weather. Our walleye bite was average at best this week, we saw both big and small fish being caught but not in the larger numbers we are accustom to seeing this time of year. The walleyes seem to be in transition between deep weeds and deep water depending on where the large schools of baitfish are spending their time. The best bait still seems to be a Lindy Rig and minnow or a spinner rig with a crawler harness. Ernie Traugh rolled into camp this week and right out of the shoot he bagged an 18” walleye, hold on Ernie, it seems wife Aimee immediately smashed your little offering by catching a beautiful 21” walleye. Gene Katzung threw his hat into the ring when he released a nice 25 1/4” walleye, he uses his own super-secret homemade spinner rigs, his wife Darlene also released a chunky 24 1/4” walleye caught of course on one of Gene’s super spinners. Stefan Labouvie was new to camp but Ken and Jason Hartling put him on a beautiful 25 1/2” walleye, his personal best which he released after a moment of admiration. Deane Fober celebrated his 80th birthday in camp last week, he celebrated by catching and releasing a chunky 26” walleye. Jim Medhurst released a 27” walleye, he uses a simple split shot and gold hook tipped with a minnow to catch his walleyes, simple rig but effective, Jim is threatening to come back and visit us again in September, can’t wait! Ken Hartling also released a 27” walleye this week, he caught many nice fish trolling deep weed edges as the sun began to set, he was always the last boat back to the dock every evening. Our northern fishing was decent this week, no real monsters but plenty of nice trophy fish. Many of the big brutes were caught on Hell Hounds or Sand Cats, some decent northern were also caught while trolling minnow rigs for walleyes. Ken Hartling released a 34” northern, Krystal Parker kept the ladies in camp on the board with her 34” fish, Jason Hartling duplicated his father Kenny’s fish with his chunky 34” northern. Ernie Traugh finally wins the hat for big fish of the week when he skillfully landed and released a beautiful 37” northern, great job Ernie, —-took you long enough! Our bass fishing was good for some and slow for others, it seemed Corey Katzung was the man to beat this week, he caught many nice fish with the largest being 17 1/4”, his technique was to fish for walleyes and catch bass, no skill needed, great job Corey. Next week we are looking forward to cooler temperatures and hopefully more stable weather patterns, the fish are moving to their late summer/ early fall patterns and we should begin to see some really big fish come to the boat. If anyone has had a problem emailing me about reservations or if you have tried to send pictures, please try again as we have been having some issues with our email account. We will all meet back here next week to see what my bumbling brother “Big Mike” did during week 13, I’m sure it will be worth reading about, talk again soon, this is Jim from Wabaskang.
Week of July 30th – August 5th
August greetings from Jim and Julie’s Wabaskang Camp. We just finished week number 11 of our 17th season and there is plenty to talk about. The northern fishing was solid this week with a number of fish being released in the mid to upper 30” range. The top bait if you were casting for the big brutes was a Sandcat or a Suick, also spinner baits and crank baits worked well. Many of our guests also hooked up with a nice northern while fishing a spinner rig and minnow or jig and minnow. Matt Jennings started things off when he released a chunky 32” fish, Mike Willer caught and released his 32” northern while trolling deep open water. Keith Christenson released a nice 34” northern, Mike Lepak did his best to beat his son-in-law Chad when he landed and released his 38” fish but once again camp legend Chad Peterson landed and released a beautiful 38 1/2” northern to take top honors for the week. Our walleye fishing was slow early in the week but did seem to pick up by mid-week. Once again a spinner rig and minnow or crawler worked best, Trolling weed edges in about 12’ of water was the ticket for a limit of walleyes. Ann Peterson always makes the board and this week she started things off with a chunky 23” walleye she released, her husband could only watch and dream he could catch such a nice fish, Ron never did make the board this week but he still managed to try to take credit for Ann’s fish since he was driving the boat at the time. Newcomer Hunter Hood had a great week in camp, he is just a young fella but fished like a pro. Hunter released many nice walleyes this week with his biggest being 23 1/2”, Darlene Katzung managed to catch and release a chunky 24 1/4” walleye even though she was stuck fishing with her husband Gene. Karson Oliver impressed his grandma when he landed a 24” walleye, his biggest ever, he was definitely excited, the biggest walleye of the week was caught by Kristie Peterson, she caught and released a 25” walleye, great job Kristie. Bass fishing was decent this week but most of the fish were caught by our guests while walleye fishing. Chad Peterson actually left the dock early each morning to cast the rocky shorelines and he did catch a feisty 17” bass to start things off, Jason Klaus released a 17 1/2” bass, Jeremy Halla landed a chunky 17 3/4” bass. The biggest bass of the week goes to my buddy Mike Pease, he released a beautiful 18” bass to fight another day, Mike comes early in the season and this was his first time fishing in August and he impressed me by easily adapting to different fishing conditions, I think he is hooked on two trips each year now! We had two nice muskies caught this week, Mike Lepak finally got a jab in on Chad Peterson when he landed and released a beautiful 34” musky, his musky was edged out by Joshua Hood who landed and released a 35 1/2” musky, both fish were beautiful specimens, great job fellas. To all our past guests who have lots of fish pictures please email them to us so we can get your memories on site. Next week looks like better weather and we should have plenty to talk about once again, take care and we will chat again soon, this is Jim from Wabaskang.
Week of July 23rd – July 29th
August greetings from Jim and Julies Wabaskang Camp. Week 10 has come and gone and we have plenty to talk about. The walleye fishing has really picked up compared to the last few weeks. Our guests were concentrating on some of the mid depth areas of the lake, 20’ to 30’ was the ticket for some big “eyes” and plenty of action. A simple jig and minnow was hot along with just a hook and slip sinker coupled with a fat minnow or juicy worm. Kevin Harvey started things off this week with a chunky 21” fish, Mike Lammers and his son Reid struggled to land 25” walleyes, like father like son I guess, Larry Luhring caught and released not one but two 25” walleyes this week, Stephanie Harris landed a fat 24” walleye, old timer Sid Hancock released a 26” and a 28 1/4” walleye, Mark Kline and his father Jack both argued about whose 27 1/4” walleye was biggest but in the end it was decided a draw, the real story this week was Christine Dowd, she caught and released a trophy 29 3/4” monster walleye to claim top honors for the week, her guides Rich and Larry do deserve some credit but don’t tell them that. Many of these fish were caught from deep water but almost half came from the weed beds in about 12’ of water. Our northern fishing has taken off finally and we had numerous fish caught and released over 30” this week. Once again Christine Dowd showed her talent by releasing a chunky 33” northern, Mike “I wish I had fishing talent” Lammers wandered into a 37” fish early in the week only to see his son Reid “I wish I was more like my uncle” Lammers release a nice 39 1/2” northern. Stephanie kept the ladies on the board with her 32” northern, her personal best here at Wabaskang. Jaret Wunch unfortunately was back in camp this week and his 38” northern was barely mentionable at best. Kurt Behnke released a beautiful 39” northern that ended up being the second best fish this week, Mike DeBerg managed to catch lots of “eaters” this week and maybe a few fish over 30” but who cares. Well as luck would have it “Big Mike” Lammers stumbled onto a 40” brute that must have been desperate for a meal, Mike released his prize after a quick picture, his fish was good enough for a free hat at the end of the week—-oh boy, you would think Ranger or Eveirude would spring for a “free” hat after they figured out how much that 40” northern really cost! Most of the big brutes were caught on Sand Cats and Suicks along with Bulldogs and large spinner baits. Not a lot of bass fishermen in camp this week but we did see Jack Kline catch a 17 1/2” brute and finally Rich Luhring takes home a hat after skillfully catching and releasing a beautiful 18” bass. Jan Turner also landed an 18” bas but Riches was first so he wins the hat, too bad so sad. Our water levels are still above normal but dryer weather is predicted next week so the lake should begin to slowly go down. That’s all for tonight, lets chat again next week, this has been Jim from Wabaskang.
Week of July 16th – 22nd
Summer greetings from Jim and Julie’s Wabaskang Camp. Week #9 here at camp turned out to be very tough fishing for the rookies in camp and marginal fishing at best for our regular guests. The heat and high winds made tough fishing for walleyes, many of the eater sized fish were taken on a spinner rig and minnow or jig and minnow. The best bite was early in the morning and late in the evening just before dark. It seems the fish just haven’t moved into a summer pattern yet and our guests struggled to catch fish in the traditional areas like weed lines and rock piles. The best bite was along steep drop-offs into deep water, a depth of 18’ was about where you would begin to catch fish. Crazy Craig Mericle graced us with his presence in camp and he started things off with a chunky 22” fish, seems he was the star in camp last week because he also released a 23” walleye and ended up winning top honors for the week when he released a beautiful 25” walleye, the free hat goes to Craig even though his son Jon came so close to beating him when he landed and released a 24 1/4” walleye, oh well as I always say, too bad so sad! Northern fishing was better than walleye fishing even though the average size of the northern caught was down from previous weeks. A spoon or spinner bait worked well along with crank baits and stick baits. Once again “Old Timer” Craig Mericle started things off when he released a 26” northern, little fella Jon Mericle was all excited to report his 33 1/2” northern to me, he was almost out of breath as he explained his epic battle with the great toothy monster, oh well too bad so sad because Phil Turnquist threw his hat into the ring with a chunky 35 3/4” fish only to have his dreams crushed by Diane Howard, she skillfully maneuvered a 40 1/2” torpedo of a fish into the landing net only using her light tackle while fishing for walleyes, she released her trophy after a few quick pictures. Bass fishing made up for the slow walleye fishing as many of our guests caught the bronze beauties. Fishing the rocky shorelines early and late provided plenty of action for our guests. Tom and Jason both took credit for a chunky 15 1/2” bass, Phil Turnquist landed a 17” bass but the star of the week was Larry Dorenkamp, he released a gigantic 19” bass to take top honors for the week, Larry is a man with few words but lets his fishing skills do the talking, great job Larry. Next week we have a camp loaded with seasoned veterans and the walleye and northern fishing should pick up again. Looks like better weather ahead with less rain and fewer stormy days in the forecast, lets chat again next week, for now this is Jim from Wabaskang.
Week of July 9th – 15th
Summer greetings from Wabaskang Camp. Week number 8 was a tough week for the walleye fishermen in camp but the bass and northern fishing helped pick up the slack. We have had plenty of rain this season and the lake is running a little bit high which in turn has caused the weed beds to be harder to find and are generally smaller in size this season. The walleye were busy gorging themselves on the lingering mayfly hatch and the best way to catch a limit of the golden beauties was to use a jig that looked similar to a mayfly and then tip it with a small bit of worm. We did have some trophy sized walleye caught this week as well on big northern baits casted into the thick cabbage weeds early in the mornings and later in the evenings. Dave Marshall has been a regular around camp for way too long but he did start things off when he landed a chunky 22” walleye, he is a spinner rig fisherman and was working weed lines and rock piles for his best action. Randy Adams somehow managed to catch a 23” walleye, he is a true believer in casting spinner baits and plugs. Matt Bruss landed a 24 1/4” walleye, Brandon Schroeder is taking a beautiful 28 1/2” walleye home to hang on the wall, Kenny almost matched his son Brandon’s walleye when he landed a 27” walleye he is mounting as well. The biggest walleye of the week goes to Jim Bruss, he was trolling and drifting the thick cabbage weeds when he tied into a chunky 29 1/4” fish, his biggest ever and it is going home to hang on the wall as well. Bass fishing continues to improve the last few weeks and we saw some impressive catches this week. The bass are feeding along the shallow weed lines and rocky shore lines early mornings and late evenings and will take almost anything that is tossed their way. New to camp, Jacob Noordhoek taught everybody a lesson this week when he landed the big bass of the week, a chunky 18 1/2” brute, great job Jake. Jake also caught the only trout this week, he fished in about 40” of water and pulled in a 17 1/2” trout, not big but good enough for the free hat. Our northern fishing is really picking up steam, most of the cabbage weeds are showing up now and the big brutes are roaming the weed edges looking for a quick meal. Big baits like a Suick or Sand Cat worked well along with spinner baits and large crank baits. Jenny, also known as “Miss Minnow” released a 34” northern to once again show dad Randy that he still has a lot to learn about fishing, keep trying Randy dandy, Blake Marshall impressed dad Dave when he landed and released a chunky 36” northern on his walleye rig, great skill involved there, don’t know where he learned that, certainly not from Dave. Linda Riggs also caught her 35” northern on light tackle, seems husband George always is just along for the ride. The biggest northern of the week goes to Brandon Schroeder, he released a 39” monster to take home top honors for the week. Next week looks unsettled weather wise so we will have to see how our new guests adapt to the changing weather patterns and to the unpredictable feeding habits of the fish. Until next week this has been Jim from Wabaskang.
Week of July 2nd – July 8th
Hello again from Jim and Julie’s Wabaskang Camp. Week seven has come and gone, we were left with plenty of fish stories and tales to tell. The walleye fishing has stumbled a bit the last two weeks and we saw only modest improvement this week. The fish seem to be feeding primarily mornings and evenings on the huge mayfly hatch happening almost everywhere on the lake. A decent day’s catch was about a dozen walleyes. Most of our guests were using minnows or crawlers with only modest results at best. A spinner rig with a night crawler worked well along with the simple jig and minnow combo, best colors were orange and brown for the spinner and brown or green if you were using a jig. We also saw some of the bigger walleyes being caught on large stick baits and crank baits. Little guy Brandon Heuer was new to camp, he tried so hard all week and was so excited to run up the hill from the dock and tell me about his 23” walleye he caught, a nice fish but it basically came in last place this week, too bad so sad. Annie Lammers quickly crushed little Brandon’s dream of winning the free hat when she caught a chunky 24” walleye, nothing new for her to beat Brandon. Big Mike was in camp again this week but the biggest walleye he could come up with was a measly 25” fish, he is headed back to the minor league until he slumbers out of his five-year slump, maybe I will take a little time and give him a few pointers that obviously he has forgotten over the years. Jeannie Snyder released a beautiful 26” walleye but her husband showed no mercy when he landed and released his hat winning 27” trophy walleye, good thing Jeannie is a good sport or it could have been a long ride back to Iowa. Jessica and Garret Stensland were in camp as well this week, they caught a few walleyes but most of their catch simply escaped down the live well drain before Garret could grab them, pretty small keepers I’m thinking. Northern fishing actually picked up quite a bit from the previous week. Big stick baits were working along with huge rubber bodied baits like a Bull Dog. Best colors were sucker color, black, orange, and of course a blue and silver combination. Small northern were caught on jerk baits, spoons, spinners, and tube jigs. Marty Neihouser released a chunky 37” northern, small by his and everyone else’s standards. Mark Scott released a 35” northern, Rhett Lammers released a 38” brute, not really worth mentioning but I will since he is my nephew and loves to see his name in lights just like his dad. Adam Allen landed a 38 1/2” northern he is taking home for the wall, Seth Neihouser caught and released a chunky 38” northern and his brother Ryan released a nice 35” northern, Ryan also managed to land a 9” northern that seemed to make him even more excited than the bigger fish. Simon Wuethrich was new to camp this week but under the expert guidance and care of uncle Tim he released a massive 40” northern, good job Simon maybe you should give your brother Henry “Snake Man” Wuethrich a few pointers on catching big fish. Mike Lammers did actually take credit for a 41 1/2” northern he released, I don’t think it is too hard to catch a big fish if you have every lure known to man at your disposal, still using your “spend to catch” theory I see! bass fishing was good this week with a few superstars making most of the noise. Jessica Stensland boated a chunky 17 1/2” bass in spite of having her husband Garret as her guide. Tim Wuethrich and Marty Neihouser faithfully left the dock every morning just after sunrise and boated numerous fish between 17 1/2” and 19”, just ask them. The biggest bass of the week goes to a well deserving fella considering the thousands of dollars he spends on all his high-end gear, hope the free hat was worth it Mike Lammers, he released a chunky 19 3/4” bass that looked huge even with him holding it. Next week looks like more rain and cool weather, fishing seems to be stuck in a pattern of “no Pattern” right now but things should get back too normal once the weather straightens out, lets chat again next week, this is Jim from Wabaskang.
Week of June 25th – July 1st
Hello again from Jim and Julie’s Wabaskang Camp, sorry it’s been so long since our last update but we had issues with our internet and we were not able to send or receive any mail for the last week or so. The good news is I’m back to enlighten all our loyal viewers about the great fishing we had during week six of our season. The bass fishing was very good for most of our guests, top water baits worked well as did tube jigs and even a dry fly if you had one. Many of our guests even ventured to fish from the docks using a bobber and worm. Cade Sandager is quite the young fisherman and he released a monster 19 1/4” brute to give the camp competition a heads up on who is the guy to beat this week. Ralph Pickle released a chunky 17 1/4” fish, his best ever here at camp, this was also his first trip. Dan Howard released a 17 1/2” bass, old timer Sam Ulrich scratched out a 171/2” bass this week, Tee Teegarden was in great form as he released a chunky 17 3/4” bass, Bryce Wendtlandt raised the bar when he released a monster 19 1/2” bass, his dad Dave could only look on with admiration. although we had many experienced anglers in camp many of which considered themselves “almost professional” the best angler and the youngest by far was little Zayden Inselman. He caught many of his fish right from the dock using a bobber and worm. Grandpa Chuck Zender was kept busy baiting and helping Zayden release his trophy fish, Zayden caught an 18”, a 19”, and a 19 1/2” bass this week to win second place in the bass competition. Walleye fishing slowed some tis week because of the mayfly hatch but a jig which looked like a mayfly would catch plenty of walleye if it was tipped with a worm or minnow, also a stick bait or crank bait worked well mornings and evenings in many of the good cabbage weed beds. Once again Tee Teegarden started things off when he landed a chunky 19” walleye, Bob Howard caught a 22 1/2” beauty that he was proud of but father Dan’s 26 1/2” walleye pretty much crushed any thoughts Bob had of winning the hat for the week, The biggest walleye of the week goes to Cade Sandager, he caught and released a gigantic 29” brute to easily crush the rest of the camp and he proudly wore his white hat as he left the office on Friday, great job to both cade and Zayden for showing the old fellas a thing or two or three or four or five! Northern fishing was decent this week, once again stick baits were the ticket and a clown color or silver and blue color combination worked the best. Dan Howard started the week off with a nice 31 1/2” brute he released, Ryan Inselman released a 32” northern he caught on a fly rod, Ron Mathes released his best ever, a nice 31” fish, Sam Ulrich scratched the surface but his 36 1/4” fish was no better than second place this week, too bad so sad. Jason Deber released a 35” northern and a 34” musky this week, not bad for a rookie. The biggest northern of the week was released by Bob Howard, he landed a beautiful 36 1/2” fish to finally take home the free hat and have bragging rights for this season over his dad Dan. Next week looks like another week of storms and very unsettled weather so our guests will find it hard to see any particular patterns in the fish behavior but don’t think they won’t catch fish because we will have plenty to talk about again soon, that’s all for now, this is Jim from Wabaskang.
Week of June 18th – 24th
Hello again from Jim and Julie’s Wabaskang Camp. Week number five has come and gone and we had decent fishing and stormy weather. The walleye fishing has slowed somewhat because of an abundance of mayflies, the hatch continues to hinder our anglers but with a little perseverance everyone managed to catch plenty of eaters and also a few trophy sized fish. Chuck Jarvis was new to camp but he started things off with a beautiful 26” walleye, his biggest fresh water fish ever. Terry Howard released a chunky 26 1/2” walleye but wife Diane proved who wears the pants in the family when she released a beautiful 27” walleye. Glenn Grooters makes the trip every season with his sister Ann and her husband Ron Peterson, Glenn does his best considering Ron is his guide and this season rumor has it Glenn beat up on Ron and Ann by catching and releasing a trophy sized walleye rumored to be over 27” inches, Ann did have her day though, she released two 22” walleyes and a 24” walleye the same day to once again show Ron who really knows about fishing in the family. Ron never made the board this week but he keeps trying bless his forgetful heart, yes Ron you did leave your back scratcher in the cabin even though you assured me this time you checked the cabin three times before you left, we have a lost and found box for camp and a lost and found box for Ron as well. Anyway the walleyes are biting better on worms than minnows right now in our area of the lake, spinners or Lindy Rigs tipped with a worm trolled or drifted in about 10’ of water was the ticket, tube baits and crank baits also produced some good fish but live bait seemed to be the top producer. Our northern fishing continues to improve with many fish near or into the slot this week, we still haven’t seen a complete turn-on with the big brutes but any day now things will happen. The best bait was a jig and minnow or a crank bait worked along the deeper edges of the emerging weed lines. Michael Jones runs a big crew here in camp but he turned out to be top dog when he landed and released a chunky 32” fish. Little Davey Stankewicz made the trip to camp again this season, he gets really excited every time he catches a decent fish and you should have seen the spark in his little eyes when he was telling us about the gigantic 29” northern he released, guests like little Davey make this business so special! Oh by the way did I mention little Davey is over 40 years old! Bass fishing took a step back this week with most of the big females recuperating after a vigorous spawning season, many smaller males were still in the shallow water guarding the fresh hatch of bass fry and were eager to take a twister tail, beetle spin, or crank bait. Best color was brown or orange. Jack Jones started things off this week with a chunky 16 1/2” fish, his fish didn’t stay on top long though as we had plenty of 17” plus fish caught by our guests, Ann Peterson even had her name on the board for an 18” Plus fish, Ann on the board, Glenn on the board, but no old timer Ron on the board, too bad so sad! The water level also continues to creep up and we are in great shape for the early summer, lots of wind, rain, and hail last week also contributed to an off week for some of our guests but overall no complaints.
Week of June 11th – June 17th
Greetings from Jim and Julie s Wabaskang Camp. Week four of the 2016 season has come to an end and the fishing seems to be getting better and better each week. No words can describe the walleye fishing we have seen so far this season. Many fish over 27 this season and week four was no exception. The camp was filled with seasoned anglers and expert fishermen and women and also my brother. The best bite was found along weed lines in about 10 of water, a soft bottom was key and most walleyes were biting on minnows, worms, crank baits, and tube jigs. Live bait worked well with many eater sized fish being taken on a spinner rig and minnow or jig and minnow. Jess Wilson started things off this week when she landed a chunky 22 walleye, Mackenzie Petrasek jumped ahead of Jess with her 23 beauty only to see old timer Mike Williams catch and release a 26 3/4 beauty. Mike s fish held up for only a day when Dan Edeker crushed him by releasing a 27 monster. Well like I said earlier regretfully my brother Big Mike was in camp and he managed to use his lack of skills but plenty of big money tackle and equipment to weasel out a victory when he snagged a 27 1/2 walleye that was released after a quick picture. Nice fish Mike but we both know I would have done better in my fishing days. Our northern fishing is beginning to take shape and we saw plenty of slot fish this week being caught and released. Many of our guests were throwing big Bulldogs and stick baits this week and it paid off. The northern are roaming the shallow weed lines and are beginning to be aggressive towards anything that resembles an easy meal. Sam Wilson probably casted over a thousand times this week and he was throwing a huge Bulldog type bait that would wear anybody s arm out. He had many slot fish with his biggest being around 34 , Sam s mom Carolyn released a 37 brute, Sam s sister Jess released a 35 gator, and Sam s dad Dale released a 36 northern and two 38 monsters, not a bad week for the Wilsons. Jordan Hansen released a 37 1/2 fish which was his personal best, that s so sad. My new best buddy and our dog Winnie s best friend Dylan Edeker made his first trip to camp and he was an instant super star, he fished with my brother Big Mike but didn t let that keep him from catching and releasing a gigantic 40 trophy northern. His fish earned him top honors for the week and won him the free hat, wear it with pride and be sure to show it to Brandon Heuer. The bass fishing was decent this week with lots of fish still hanging around the spawning beds or feasting on minnows and insects next to the weed lines. We had many bass over 18 this week with some over 19 . Carolyn Wilson once again proved there is something about a contest between the boys and the girls that brings out her best because she released a chunky 19 bass which earned her a catch and release pin, by the way the Wilson ladies spanked the Wilson men in the contest and the fellas bought the girls ice treats for their winning efforts, great job girls! Clint Seehusen was very proud of his 19 bass but little Robby Roose stole the show this week when he released a monster 19 3/4 bass, pretty good catch considering he was stuck in the boat with Craig Codner all week, talk about a handicap! Oh one more shout out to Jess Wilson, she won a hat for her 13 perch which was the biggest caught by our guests this week. Next week looks exciting with a camp full of experienced anglers. We should see warmer water next week and that will finally get the weeds growing and the weed beds will come alive with gigantic northern and walleyes, I will update everyone soon, more pictures are on the way so for now this is Jim from Wabaskang saying good night and we will chat again next week.
Week 3 June 4th – June 10th
Friendly greetings from Jim and Julie at Wabaskang Camp. Another great week of fishing here on Wabaskang Lake. Most of our guests had great fun catching walleyes and perch along with some huge bass and a handful of decent northern. The walleye fishing is as good as it gets. Most fish are still in shallow water and eager to bite. The best bait continues to be a tiny jig with a small minnow or worm. Our guests were able to catch many fish simply by drifting or slowly back trolling along shallow weed lines. We had plenty of eater fish this week but also had four fish that I consider real trophies. Marty VanPatten released a gigantic 29 walleye his first evening in camp, Jack Phippen always bests his father Scott and this week he caught and released a chunky 29 walleye, Rick Spindler was new in camp but that didn t keep him from releasing a beautiful 28 walleye. Mitch Weinberg was the man on a mission this week and he crushed his fellow fishing buddies when he caught and released a 29 3/4 trophy walleye, his fish was a wakeup call to his buddy Pete that there is a new sheriff in town, beginner s luck only takes you so far Pete. Our northern fishing is finally starting to pick up, more fish in the mid-size range this week than last week and also some big fish toward the end of the week. The main bait was a jig and minnow or spinner rig and minnow, not much action on big stick baits or tube baits but as soon as the weeds begin to creep to the surface we will see more and more of the big gators roaming the thick weed lines looking for an easy meal. Bonnie McCord finally left camp with her pride intact and a free hat for the 34 1/4 northern she released, her best northern ever. Bonnie left camp a few days early and her northern was quickly clobbered by Mitch Weinberg s 36 1/2 brute he released and Ron McFadden then landed a gigantic 38 1/4 northern that ended up winning him the free hat for the biggest northern of the week. Bonnie stills deserved her hat though because she manages to catch good fish even though she is fishing with her husband Doug. Bass fishing is as hot as ever, big bass are locked on their beds and seem to be everywhere. A tube jig or beetle spin was the hot lure and green or brown was a good color. Kevin Johnson released dozens of 18 fish while his son Blake stayed back at the cabin and caught up on his beauty sleep. Blake did manage to release an18 bass between naps. Alex Shaw was a rookie in camp but his 19 brute won him the free hat for the week, he is a quick learner so Kevin and Blake better watch out next season. Larry Dufel showed up in camp this week and did make the board with his gigantic 13 1/4 crappie caught down in Keynote lake. Another exciting week coming up so check us out again soon and find out how Big Mike did in camp. Talk soon, Jim from Wabaskang.
Week 2 May 28th – June 3rd
Greetings to all our friends of Wabaskang Camp. Week number two of our seventeenth season has come and gone and we have lots to talk about. Our dry weather has changed drastically this week and we have seen almost three inches of rain in the last 10 days. Cooler weather has also caused the bass and perch to put a halt on their spawning efforts. The water level in the lake now is slightly higher than last week and in great shape for all the boaters out there. Walleye fishing continues to be superb, most fish are being caught in less than 12 of water with many of the eater fish coming from less than 6 of water. The best bait seems to be a 1/8th or 1/4 ounce jig tipped with a tiny minnow or worm, just flick your offering up into the shallow soft bottom and slowly drag it back to the boat, time of day doesn’t seem to matter much but a very slow retrieve seemed the best. Old timer Gene Katzung spent one of his four weeks with us this week, he managed to catch a chunky 23 walleye on his special super secret spinner rig, Rick Pease landed a 24 walleye this week only to see Jim Reynolds impress his whole gang by catching a chunky 26 walleye, Jim was so proud of his fish and we could almost see a tear in his eye when buddy Gill Nack came along and crushed Jims bucket list dream of winning the free hat in camp by catching a gigantic 27 1/2 walleye, Gill is taking his trophy home to put on the wall, better luck next time Jim! Northern fishing continues to be slow for many of our guests, the big brutes are beginning to roam the shallow soft bottom areas of the lake but they are still a little sluggish after a long winter a strenuous spawning season. Most of the big brutes prefer a live bait this time of year or a very small lure or spinner slowly pulled across the bottom. Although our guests caught hundreds of smaller fish this week only two fish managed to make headlines, Chris Tucker did his best to become a camp star by catching and releasing a chunky 35 northern fishing shallow warm water on the south end of the lake but Matt Kinzy and dad Brian and grandpa Bob went over near the reservation and fished the shallow slop which produced a gigantic 43 3/4 monster northern that was released after a few quick pictures. Great to see a real trophy fish like that released to possibly give another sportsman a thrill of a lifetime. Our bass fishing did slow early in the week with most of the big females moving off the beds and back to deeper water to wait for warmer weather. The male did stay shallow guarding the beds and were eager to please any angler who tossed a twister tail or small crank bait their way. Blake Johnson tries every year to beat his dad Kevin for the biggest bass of the week and this week he came so close but his 18 1/2 brute fell just short of Kevin s 19 monster. Maybe less time playing video games in the cabin with buddy Alex and more time on the water will make a difference some day, keep trying Blake. Lots of decent crappie coming from Keynote Lake this Spring, most fish were caught while fishing for perch and walleye in shallow water. Chris Tucker had a 12 crappie, Blake Johnson also brought in a 12 crappie but second year patron Linda out-fished everyone in camp this week when it comes to crappie when she landed a 14 crappie, one of the biggest we have seen so far. Next week looks wet and cool as well but fishing will continue to improve as the weeds emerge and the water warms a few degrees. We also had a few trout caught this week. Most fish were in 45 of water and were suspended at about the 25 depth. A blue and silver spoon worker the best for our anglers. Gary Wilkinson takes home top trout honors this week when he landed a 31 beauty, a few smaller fish were caught by Gary as well so he definitely has bragging rights in his group until next season. That’s it for now, back to mowing for me, can t keep up with the yard with all the rain we have been seeing, talk again soon, this is Jim from Wabaskang.
Week 1 May 21st- May 27th
