Warm holiday greetings from Jim and Julie’s Wabaskang Camp. We want to wish all our guests a joyous and wonderful holiday season. Our 2024 season saw the return of our loyal guests and many new guests as well. We have been very fortunate to have such great guests that have also become great friends over the years. Julie and I are both back in Waverly now, working at Kay and L Draperies and enjoying time with our grandkids.
Our 25th season started April 29th when we arrived in camp. Very little snow during the winter made for an easy drive into camp with almost no snow on the road to worry about. I was very concerned about the low water levels but after a few weeks of spring rains the lake jumped up to above average levels and we were in good shape for the rest of the season. Of course, the lake was still frozen when we arrived in camp but by the end of the day on May 7th the lake was wide-open and we were off and running getting things ready for our guests. We started the arduous task of cleaning the cabins a few days after I was able to get our water system up and running. The dock took a few days to put together but overall, everything went very well, and I breathed a sigh of relief when that job was completed. Our first guests began arriving in camp on the 15th of May a few days ahead of the walleye opener on the 18th. The mild winter meant that most of the camp was in good shape with only a few cabin doors to adjust and a bit of cabin leveling to do. The rains continued through most of the season and no fire dangers to worry about for the first time in a long time. We had plans to level the lodge and shingle five buildings and paint a few cabins this season, but I had a bit of a mishap during the second week of the season that put all our plans on hold. On Tuesday the 28th of May Julie went to Dryden to run some errand’s and I was in camp working on a yard light that was not working properly. I had used a ladder to get to the light that was mounted on top of a pole when the pole broke off and I fell about 25′ to the ground. I was able to crawl back onto my ATV and get back to the lodge where I crawled inside and slid into my desk chair. Kevin Willoughby and his gang had not gone fishing yet and saw me crawl into the lodge and came up to check on me, I was very fortunate they were there as I knew I was hurt bad. The fellas helped me get into their truck and Mike Jenkins drove me to the hospital in Dryden where Julie met us. Long story short I had a broken back and fractured pelvis along with a messed-up knee, no surgery was needed so six days later Julie was able to bring me back to camp where over the next few months I slowly healed and was able to do most of my duties just not as fast. Julie had her hands full but with the help of family and friends we were able to keep camp open and accommodate most of our guests. Our focus was getting through the season, and we were able to do just that. The projects we had to postpone are scheduled to start early next season with the work on the lodge to be our first job. My back and pelvis have healed nicely and my knee is being checked out to see if I need any surgery. Julie needs to have her second knee replaced soon so between the two of us we will be seeing the inside of the hospital quite a bit in the coming months. All our guests were constantly asking to help with anything they could and went out of their way to make things easier for us, we want to thank you all.
Walleye fishing was a bit tough this season with plenty of large fish being caught but the smaller 16″ and 17″ “eater” fish were harder to find. We continue to promote catch and release of all trophy fish and hope our guests understand the importance of this practice. Many camps in the area are requiring their guests to release all walleyes over 18″ and any trophy sized northern. We are hopeful our guests are realizing the importance of releasing the walleyes over 18″ and trophy northern and are seeing very few fish being kept without making it an actual requirement to stay at camp.
We believe education is the key to convincing our guests to release the “spawners” and preserve the experiences our guests have had not only on Wabaskang Lake but wherever you fish. Walleye fishing this season saw plenty of big fish being released. our guests used a variety of methods such as jig and minnow combinations, Lindy Rigs, slip bobbers, and crank baits. The walleyes mentioned here were 29″ or greater and of course released. Tyler Mass, Tristen Kolb, and Dan Bjorklund all released 29″ beauties. Ron Peterson released a chunky 29 1/2″ walleye, Bently Behnke caught and released his 29 3/4″ trophy. The biggest walleye of the season was skillfully caught and released by Marty Neihouser; his massive 30″ walleye was a real monster.
Smallmouth bass are everywhere in the lake and our guests had great success catching the sporty fish. Tube baits and crank baits produced the best results this season. Top three fish released this season were caught by Lance Petrasek, a chunky 20″ beauty, Chad Peterson, a beautiful 20 1/4″ fish, and the biggest bass this season was skillfully caught by multi-talented Logan Heim, his 21″ brute was a true trophy.
Northern fishing made up for the slower walleye fishing this season. Some days big Muskie style baits worked well and other times a small tube bait or crank bait produced great results. Here are a few of the trophies caught and released by our guests that were 41″ or bigger. Vicki Zender landed a 41″ brute, Jackie Larson impressed her family with her 41 1/2″ monster, Doyle Brocka and Jeff Willenborg both managed to land 42″ trophies. Mike Lammers had a gigantic 43″ northern this season. Kristie Lammers caught a 41″ and 43″ northern this season to match her husband Mike for the biggest of the year.
Crappie fishing has become very popular on the lake and many limits of 13″ slabs were caught. Small tube baits and a slip bobber and minnow combined worked well for our guests. The schools of crappies are almost everywhere on the lake now and are a great tasting fish giving our guests an alternative to keeping and eating walleyes. Dave Schaller, Lynn Artz, and Tim Louck all caught 15″ crappies. Rich Luhring caught a chunky 15 1/4″ fish, and the biggest crappie this season was caught by Scott Dewey, a massive 15 1/2″ slab crappie.
The trout fishing this season was a bit slower than past years. Most of the fish were caught in deep water on spoons or heavy jigs. The biggest trout of the season was caught by camp legend Gene Katzung, his 28″ trophy put a huge smile on his face.
We had a few muskies caught this season. Most were caught on rock piles or weed lines. Giant spinner baits or stick baits produced the best action. Top three fish this season were caught by John Prohsk he excitedly released his 32″ beauty. Camp mascot Brandon Heuer caught and released a chunky 36 1/4″ fish right in front of camp. The biggest musky of the season was caught by my brother Mike Lammers, his 48″ monster was a real testament to his skill and perseverance.
Many of you are receiving your reservation form along with your Christmas letter, please return the yellow copy along with your cabin deposit to our Waverly address by December 15th. The new 2025 price list is also included with the reservation form, a 4% increase in cabin rates was necessary due to higher operating costs anticipated next season.
We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Jim and Julie
