Hello again from Jim and Julie’s Wabaskang Camp. Week 9 of our season has come and gone so let’s find out what fishing was like. Our guests enjoyed another week of great weather, warm sunny days and cool nights made for a very enjoyable week. The smoke from fires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan is still in the air most days but hasn’t been nearly as bad as it was a few weeks ago. We have had some rain here but less than one-half inch total in the last two weeks. We continue to encourage our guests to use charcoal or better yet a propane camp stove when having a shore lunch and stay away from starting any open fires using wood.
The walleye bite was better this week with more ” eaters” in the 16″ to 18″ range being caught. The best bite was mornings and evenings in the thick cabbage weeds and along the rock piles. A jig and minnow or spinner rig and minnow worked best. Sue Mincks released her 26″ beauty after a quick picture. The top walleye angler in camp this week was undoubtedly Craig Mericle, he was usually the first boat out every morning and by weeks end he had released a pair of 26″ walleyes and a chunky 27″ fish to win the hat for the week.
Northern fishing was decent this week with many trophies being released. A big stick bait or crank bait caught many of the toothy critters along with a simple jig and minnow walleye rig. Weeds were the key for many of our guests but also trolling the deep open water produced fish. Jayce Mericle is a fishing fanatic and in spite of fishing with his father Jon, Jayce still managed to release a chunky 35″ northern. Bill Mincks loves to troll the open water close to camp with his wife Susan, Bill released a 35 1/2″, a 38″, and a 39″ brute while his wife just looked on with envy. The Codner family from my neck of the woods aren’t really known for anything special but maybe northern fishing is their calling. Stephanie Codner released a 35″ pike, her son Max released his 35″ fish, and Max’s dad Craig Codner stole the show in camp this week when he released a chunky 35″ northern and a giant 41 1/2″ brute to claim the top prize for northern fishing this week.
Bass fishing was good as well this week with plenty of fish being caught, many off the docks. Sophie Wolfe returned to camp with her father John and brother Nate and caught a beautiful 17″ fish. Max Howard caught his 17″ bass as soon as he got to camp right off the dock, good catch Max. Lonnie Knapp traveled all the way from California to enjoy a week at camp, his 19” bass was big enough to win him a hat for oldest angler with biggest bass hat award. The top bass angler this week was fishing machine Jayce Mericle, he released a pair of 19 1/2″ beauties to claim the coveted bass hat for the week.
No crappies to report as the fish have moved to a little deeper water and our guests never really found a reliable pattern to catch them.
Remember to have clean boats and live wells before crossing into Ontario to help prevent the spread of invasive species. We encourage our guests to release any trophy walleyes and northern so the lake continues to produce outstanding fishing opportunities for not only our current guests but for the kids and grandkids that will be fishing in the same water with the same excitement that you are now. Clark’s Bait and Tackle in Dryden or Vermillion Bay and Dutchies General Store in Perrault Falls both sell bait and licenses along with groceries and souvenirs so stop in and check them out. Remember to plan on a meal or two at The Whiskey Jack Restaurant just a few minutes from camp, if your ahead of schedule on Saturday they open at noon and you can enjoy a great meal before coming into camp, that gives us the extra time we need to have the cabins ready when you arrive.
That’s all for now, this is Jim from Wabaskang.
