Fishing With The Palmer Family

I parked the Chairman II fueled up and joined the Palmer family for a day of Rainy Lake walleye fishing. Boyer, Helen, and Amanda fished in my boat and Bruce ,Lola and Alex fished with Jon Balaski.

We traveled through the Brule Narrows and looked on area break lines for schools of walleyes. We found plenty in 38 feet of water. We would use the slow death technique. I had Boyer use my brand new fishing rod a St. Croix 6' 10" Legend Extreme spinning rod. Boyer could not believe the touch, sensitivity and hook setting power this rod has. You have to have one it is a life timer!

We had steady action in the morning and really good in the afternoon. Jon had the same kind of luck on different mudflats. We returned to the Palmers vacation home rental and cleaned there walleyes for them. Jon and I will be out with more of the family on Thursday.

Boyer and Amanda

Boyer with the weather getting warmer!

Helen

Carl Heltne Retires and fishes at Rainy Lake Houseboats

I first met Dr. Heltne when my father was having aortic valve troubles some number of years ago. Carl does wonderful work, my dad is alive and kicking today. Carl was joined by friends, Peter, Howard, Paul, Dan, and another Dan!

We traveled on the Chairman II with a Sand Bay Island destination. The wind was strong out of the northwest with 10-15 mph westerlies for Friday and Saturday.  We went up the Kettle River  and fished Hale Bay, we found good numbers of walleyes in 22-26 feet of water.  Dandy smallies were active in 6-12 feet of water.

On Friday we went back to Hale Bay for more walleye action and of course keep some for a tasty fish lunch. Our second Dan drove up for lunch and really enjoyed it, so much so that we said you have to fish with us after lunch to replace the ones consumed at lunch.

On Saturday we fished the main lake for walleyes (slow death in the morning) trolled for pike and jigged nice eyeballs in the afternoon.

We left Sand Bay Island at 5:00 AM for base arriving at 7:45 AM. Sunset is beautiful but I don't believe there is a prettier time than predawn and the next couple of hours. We said good by and John Balski drove to our vacation rental home to pick up the Palmer family for another day on wonderful Rainy Lake.

Al Kern Son, Son In-laws and Grandson's Visit Rainy Lake Houseboats

I started fishing with Al Kern many years ago with another old friend and client Al Didier. This year Al took out our Lady of the Lake 1 for  a three day fishing trip. We left port about three in the afternoon and for the Kempton Channel area. We moored the Lady of the Lake 1 at a houseboat mooring site called Kempton Entrance South.  I left the group and returned the next morning with another guide by the name of Scott Matthews.

We fished the edge of clay rubbly mudflats using the slow death technique. Fishing was excellent and we met at noon for a shore lunch at one of Rainy Lakes many campsites. After lunch it was back out for more walleyes action. Scott fished jigs and minnows using a snap jigging technique on a rock reef in 37 feet of water. Scotts boat had a good afternoon. during the morning they were jigging for walleyes with crawlers and had many strikes but not a lot of hook ups. After talking with Scott at lunch the boat was using whole crawlers. When jigging or using slow death you need to pinch the crawler off one to one and a half inches behind the hook otherwise the walleyes get free half crawler lunches!

On Wednesday morning August 15th fellow guides Matt Shermoen and Kevin Erickson joined the Kern's along with yours truly. Fishing was awesome, plenty to take home and lots for another great shorelunch. During the afternoon we could see weather moving in. I opted to leave Rainy Lake Houseboats port at 5:00 AM and drive the Lady of the Lake in to port. A strong northwest wind was forecasted and the houseboat was do in at 9:00 AM to be readied for the next party.

The Kern Family

Fish on!

Fish landed!

     

Break Line Walleyes

Gus Armstrong came back to fish after his family houseboat trip with Jeff Abernathy; President of Alma College located in Alma Michigan. Wednesday August 8th was a gorgeous day, maybe could have used a little wind.

We located school of walleyes off the northwest corner of Blueberry Island. We started with 1 1/2 oz. Bottom Bouncers and "Slow Death Hooks" with a night crawler threaded on the hook.  We caught quite a few which were either too large or to small. We kept two keepers and headed for greener pastures. 

We stopped on an extensive mud flat with a few rubble piles scattered about. We found lots of walleyes at 37 feet. I set the depth highlight feature on the Hummingbird 1197 C to 37 feet +/- 1ft. The whole break line was highlighted in green from 36-38 feet. We trolled around the break at 0.7 mph and walleyes were everywhere in that depth range. We were still using the bottom bouncer presentation. 

The green depth highlight is on the right and walleyes at 36 feet on the left.

Gus and Jeff caught a boatload of walleyes on dead flat calm water.  The way the night crawler spins on a slow death hook triggers walleyes even in calm water.

The St. Croix Rod Family joins us at Rainy Lake Houseboats

Paul, David and Hunter, Jeff and Karen Schluter, John, Pam, and Johnathan Smiley arrived Saturday afternoon for a three-day excursion on the Chairman II.  The Schluter’s are proud owners of St. Croix Fishing Rod Company located in Park Falls Wisconsin. A weather system moved through on Friday evening bringing some rain and brisk west winds.  We opted to travel to an area on the east end of Rainy Lake, winds were forecasted that made that end of the lake more comfortable to fish.  We moored the Chairman II on Sand Bay Island. We arrived about 5:45 PM and decided to get an hour of fishing in before chef Jim served a chicken and rib dinner.

Guides Jon Balaski and Kevin Erickson fished a reef out of the wind. Tomorrow’s walleye lunch is well in hand. I fished with Paul and Dave.  I knew they have an interest in our smallmouth bass. We stopped and fished a spot in the current. We caught five smallies and a walleye. Two of the bass were dandies, stout and fat! I was amazed at the sensitivity the rods Dave and Paul were fishing with.  They were using St. Croix spinning rods with 8 lbs. test mono.  The models were the Rage series. In current feel is dampened or softened for a better term. You often feel weight rather than the peck or strike.

I was watching the rod tips which I had asked them to keep quite high while working the jigs. I first noticed Paul’s tip and I could see the pecks. I said Dave I think you have a strike, lift your tip and feel for weight.  Paul felt the peck first and set the hook on a nice three pound plus smallmouth. Next it was Dave’s turn.( later in the trip I was able to feel the unbelievable sensitivity and set the hook super quick, and strong) . The Rage has unreal castability, the distance you can cast is amazing.

Jim’s dinner was fantastic. Jim worked a couple trips with our long time chef Bernie Lessard. He did not miss any of Bernie’s secrets. Our schedule has been very busy, and it we really appreciated Jim giving Bernie a break before the next trip.

Sunday morning the wind was blowing briskly out of the west. We opted to go down to Hale Bay a favorite area of mine while growing up at the Kettle Falls Hotel. Jon found walleyes in 22 feet off of an island, I found walleyes on rubble piles on a flat. The walleyes wanted jigs and ½ a night crawler, the best color was a red orange jig.

Back to the Chairman for a walleye shorelunch.

During the afternoon I went back to Hale and had more good action on walleyes and big smallmouth bass.  We fished the current the last hour and had non stop action on smallmouth. Jon and Kevin went on the north side of the lake to try wind blown weed lines for walleyes. The fish were not there. 

Monday we went back to Hale, the fish had changed locations, they moved to points and islands they had not been before. We had a nice catch between the boats and another shorelunch was served.

Kevin was going to take Jeff and Karen smallmouth fishing, Pam, John and Johathan were going to do the “slow death method for walleyes, Jon, Dave and Hunter did like wise.

Jeff and Karen really hit the snmallmouth bass with Kevin. They used a white colored spinner bait and Jack All shaky worms in pumpkin green color. The Shaky worms are cast towards the structure and lifted on the fall you shake the worm on the way down, this is when the strike occurs. The worms are rigged Wacky style. Hook through the worm body exactly 1/2 way down the worm body.

Jon fished a flat close to the Chairman II; I was a little farther away, maybe a mile. Walleyes were stacked in 37 feet of water. We used the slow death method with 1 ½ oz. bottom Bouncers and the walleyes were going crazy.  Jonathon was using a St. Croix Rage in 6”10” length, medium power, 6-12 lbs. test line, 1/8- 3/16 oz. lures. Pam was using a Legend Extreme LXC70MF.

I have used St. Croix Rods for a long time. There selection of rods are second to none. There is a model and price range for all. Go to St. Croix's website to view all of their rods. They also one both the best freshwater and saltwater rods at the 2012 I Cast show in Orlando Florida this summer. 

Sunday morning breakfast.

First walleye of the morning 

Paul's smallie caught on St. Croix Rage 

RC76MHMF 7' 6" Med heavy power

Moderate fast action

Pam with 4 1/4 lbs. Smallie on Legend Extreme

 

Armstrong/Bloss Annual Family Vacation

22 years ago I was fortunate to meet Gus Armstrong on the Chairman II.  Gus first came with Ron Davis, Jeff White and Al and Ron Lindner. Gus’s company owned a company called Computrol. They made Bottom Line Electronics and Cannon Down Riggers.

After the trip with the Lindner brothers Gus brought his whole family to Rainy Lake Houseboats for what turned out to be annual family vacations that included sons, son in laws, daughter, daughter in-laws, and of course grandchildren. We have been fortunate enough to see the grandchildren grow into fine young adults.

This year Gus, Sharon, Tammi, Doug, Matt ad Melissa, Ryan and fiancée Jamie, Troy, Brandon, Brian, and Cole attended the Chairman II fishing trip.  Patrick and Nicole missed as Nicole broke her elbow right before the trip.

We left Rainy Lake Houseboats Monday morning and traveled east on Rainy Lake. We found a nice mooring site on Duck Foot Island and quickly secured the Chairman II and Lady of the Lake 1.  Lunch was served and the guide boats were loaded. The guides this year were Bill Dougherty, Jon Balaski, Kevin Erickson, Matt Shermoen, Ryan Schmidt and Bruce Jean.

We all headed to different areas from one to four miles from the Chairman.  There was not much boat movement; all the spots were holding large numbers of walleyes. The Armstrong’s always form teams, this year there would be four teams with three people on each team. Teams started coming back a little before 6:00 PM.  The banter was awesome, the walleyes bit really good. The four teams had a 155 walleyes between them. It would be game on Tuesday through Friday.

The teams never fish together as a whole team. Each team member keeps track of the fish they catch and report their tallies after each session. While they have a fun fishing contest the trip is about family interaction, bonding and a vacation!

I won’t go into detail about each days fishing as it has been similar to recent trips, very good fishing with many of the same techniques. There was a change during the trip. We ran into walleyes that did not want to bite. We switched to a 1 1/2 oz. bottom bouncer and used the slow death technique. We used purchased slow death hooks, a 36-48” mono leader in 8 lbs. test. We push a night crawler up the hook and through the bends, pushing the crawler just past the hook eye and above the knot. We pinch off all but a 1 ½” of crawler letting it trail behind the hook. The hooks spins crazily when trolled from .4 -.7 mph. Walleyes cannot resist this presentation. When you troll the bouncers they should be as closed to vertical as possible alongside the boat ( a narrow angle versus a wide angle.) The sharp angle allows you to fee the bottom and the strike! 

The last night of the trip is the annual Fishbie awards. Sharon was a double winner, first place for most and most fish by a team. Tammy Bloss won largest northern pike, and Cole Armstrong won the largest smallmouth bass. The Rainy Lakers one the most fish portion 223 fish! 

The trip is much more than a fishing trip. It is a time where family is truly nurtured. I have been fortunate to watch the young people grow from childhood into young adults. They are remarkable people, fun, kind and loving.  We are blessed at Rainy Lake Houseboats to have so many wonderful customers.

Patrick and Nicole we missed you. Hopefully we will see you next summer with Nicole’s elbow all healed up.

  

Fishbie winner!

Fishbie winner!

Fishbie winner!

I was taking the hook out of the walleye and the bass popped out of the walleye's stomach when I was holding it. We released the walleye, the walleye had it's mouth open when I set it in the water and the bass swam out of the walleye's mouth in a very quick getaway!

Matt bet guide Jon Balaski that the guest would not catch a northern over thirty four inches. The loser would where the helmet for the rest of the day.

Sharon's 35 1/2" northern. Matt where's the helmet! 

Turkey dinner on the last night.

Annual Fishbie awards

Sharon's award for most fish.

Cole's award for biggest bass.

Tammy's award for biggest northern.