Ely MN. Ten pound walleye leads contest

[Lee Borgersen]

6/11/2010 3:09:00 PM    
  
TO BE RELEASED but not before the photo of Dylan Kienitz of Ely with his 18” smallmouth bass boated by his brother Cameron on Moose Lake and reported to Babe’s Bait & Tackle.
 
Ten pound walleye leads contest

by Nick Wognum Ely Echo

Somebody must have flipped a switch. Some monster fish were registered in this week's edition of the North Country Angler.

Leading the way was a whopper 10 lb. 12 oz. walleye caught on White Iron Lake by Angie Thurston, Woodbury, MN who entered the contest at Skube's Bait & Tackle.

The fastest growing lake for walleyes is Burntside and that worked out for Dan Bishop of Lodi, WI who reeled in a 9 lb. 1 oz. walleye and stopped in at Silver Rapids Lodge.

Known for its lake trout, Snowbank can also produce some big walleyes as well. Testifying to that with an 8 lb. 8 oz. walleye was John Watermeier, Carlinville, IL who entered right on the lake by stopping in at Smitty's on Snowbank.

In the lake trout entries, it was an 11 lb. 8 oz. Snowbank laker for Jack Mattilla, Eveleth, registered at Skube's Bait & Tackle.

And another Snowbank trout, this one 8 lb. 2 oz. was hooked by Jason Amell, Hopkins, MN and entered on the lake at Smitty's on Snowbank.

Two big northern pike were also entered, they both came out of Burtnside and were both caught by the same angler. The first one tipped the scales right at 15 lbs. and the second one went 10 lbs. for Thom White of West Chicago, IL. He registered the fish at Babe's Bait & Tackle.

Crappie have just as good a taste as walleye for many anglers, and you'd get some big fillets off a 3 lb. crappie that was caught in Fall Lake by Ann Rechterman, Marion, IA and registered on the lake at Packsack Canoe Trips.

Fishing in Basswood, Brian Hartman, New Prague, MN stringered a 2 lb. 12 oz. crappie and entered the contest through Basswood Trails.

A huge bass was caught in Basswood Lake, this one went 5 lb. 4 oz. for Paul Gregory, Lucasville, OH with the entry coming in from Packsack Canoe Trips.

In our Catch and Release division, paddler Dan Enger, Sun Prairie, WI put back a 30.25 inch walleye while in Boot Lake. The entry came from Voyageur North Outfitters.

And fishing Alice Lake and releasing a 30 inch walleye was Steve Zeiner, Appleton, WI, this release was also reported at Voyageur North Outfitters.

A nice 25-inch walleye is still swimming in Birch Lake thanks to Rod Meister, W Lafayette, IN who entered the contest at Skube's Bait & Tackle.

Another Boot Lake release, this one a 36-inch northern pike was reported at Voyageur North Outfitters by Larry Moen, Madison, WI.

Fishing in White Iron and putting back a 31-inch northern was Bruce Thordson, Stillwater, MN. Paperwork from Skube's Bait & Tackle.

Fishing in Knife Lake and unhooking a 30-inch pike was Shannon Sickler, Rockford, IL with the release reported to Babe's Bait & Tackle.

A string of nice bass releases were also reported, starting with a nice 22-incher put back in Needle Boy by Paul Seaton, Cottage Grove, MN, entry via Great Outdoors.

Two others made the 20-inch club and we believe them to be related.

A pair of 20.5 inch releases in Basswood were sent in from Basswood Trails, one by Jerry Hartman, Ely and the other by Brian Hartman, New Prague, IL.
 

[Lee Borgersen]

6/18/2010 2:30:00 PM  Email this article • Print this article 
 
LUCKY ANGLER Mike Turenne, St. Paul, MN fished Fall Lake and got a 4 lb. bass using a Spro BBZ Swim Bait and a 5 lb. bass on a crappie minnow. Registered at Spirit of the Wilderness.
 
Ten pound walleye is a section winner

by Nick Wognum

We have to give Len Katauskas of Ely credit. He entered the Walleye Whamma contest in Babbitt and fished Birch Lake for the first time in his life.

Thirty minutes after the event started, Katauskas landed a 4.24 lb. walleye that took first place, earning him a cool $1,200.

First time on Birch, first fish registered and he took first place. Not bad for the former owner of Hook, Line and Sinker!

We had some very nice entries in the last week of the first section of the North Country Angler fishing contest. Anglers have just needed to remember that rain gear is as important as bait these days.

Let's take a look at the entries.

Top walleye weighed in at 9 lb. 10 oz. out of Garden for Scott Matlage, Indianola, IA who entered through Basswood Trails.

Portaging into Disappointment was worth the effort for Joel Bartelt, Maple Grove, MN who registered a 7 lb. walleye at Spirit of the Wilderness.

We had one big northern pike come in this week, a 16 lb. 2 oz. Fall Lake denizen caught by Benjamin Myren, Eagan, MN who stopped in at Skube's Bait & Tackle.

Some real nice bass came in, including another Fall Lake product, this one tipping the scales at 5 lbs. even for Mike Turenne, St. Paul, MN with the paperwork from Spirit of the Wilderness.

The sister and brother team of Jenna & Gage Merhar of Ely reeled up a 4 lb. 12 oz. smallmouth on White Iron Lake so they stopped in to Skube's Bait & Tackle to get their picture taken and enter the contest.

In our Catch & Release entries, a 28.25" Basswood walleye was released by Ewald Leschkies, Chicago, IL, who reported it at Babe's Bait & Tackle.

Ely angler Burnie Stahl unhooked a 28-inch walleye in Shagawa Lake and entered the contest at Babe's Bait & Tackle.

Fishing White Iron and releasing a 33-inch northern was Ryan Sliwa, Huntley, IL. He filled out a slip at Timber Trail Resort.

Same chain, different lake, same size fish, a 33-inch northern was caught and put back in Farm Lake by Mary Portz, Maplewood, MN. The entry came in from Babe's Bait & Tackle.

And another Ely angler, Heidi Kreibach, also fishing Shagawa, released a 30-inch northern. She stopped in at Babe's Bait & Tackle.

Just missing out on the 20-inch club but happy to reel in and release an 18-inch smallmouth bass in Burntside was young Noah Berrini of Ely with the paperwork filled out at Great Outdoors.

Our First Section 2010 winners will each receive a check for $25.

Top walleye went 10 lb. 12 oz. out of White Iron for Angie Thurston, Woodbury, MN with the entry coming from Skube's Bait & Tackle.

Top pike was 18 lbs. even, caught in White Iron by Bill Constad, Chisholm, MN who entered at Silver Rapids Lodge

Largest lake trout entered weighed 14 lb. 8 oz. for Ely's Sharon Lassila, Ely who checked her fish in at the Great Outdoors.

Best bass of the first section went 5 lb. 4 oz. for Paul Gregory, Lucasville, OH who was fishing on Basswood Lake and had his catch weighed at Packsack Canoe Trips.

Walleyes seem to be feeding more often now but the Mayfly hatches have continued. We're heading into the middle of summer and you can bet some nice fish will be caught as we kick off the Second Section of the 2010 North Country Angler fishing report.

Good luck!