Rainy Lake Houseboats Fishing Report: Armstrong Family Vacation 2013 July 28

Gus and Sharon Armstrong arrived at Rainy Lake Houseboats on Saturday, The rest would arrive on Sunday morning. Doug and Tammy Bloss, their sons Ryan wife Jamie, Matt wife Melissa, and Troy, Patrick and Nicole Armstrong, their sons Brian, Brandon, and Cole would make the group up this year.

Bernie Lessard was the chef for the umpteenth year for the Armstrong’s and Bloss’s, Reese Renollet was Bernie’s assistant. Fishing guides would be Bill Dougherty, Jon Balaski, Kevin Erickson, Tony Snyder, Ryan Schmidt, and Cody Christensen. We look forward to the Armstrong’s trip every time they come. The children have been coming since Troy was about five years old.

Now we get to see them as young adults working in their family business.

Troy has a piece of driftwood he picked up on his first trip to Rainy Lake Houseboats. He has each guide carve his name on the stick, every guide for the past twenty years name is on the stick, pretty cool.

We left the dock a little after nine in the morning. We moor in different sites each year. This time we settled in at Blueberry Island East. We had Lady III and the Chairman II nestled in for the four-day stay. We unloaded the canoes from the top of the Lady, had lunch and were off fishing.

Troy and Gus

Matt

Fishing was excellent the first afternoon. The guides spread out north and east of Blueberry Island. Jigs and minnows or crawlers, Lindy Rigs with leeches, and slip bobbers were all going strong.

Matt and Gus

Tammy

Over time the group has progressed to casting for pike and bass along with walleye fishing. Ryan likes to take the canoe and cast the shorelines in the area the houseboats are moored at.

Ryan and Patrick

Campfires at night, card playing, island hikes, swimming, eating walleyes for lunch, eagle watching, and of course fishing keep everyone busy and occupied. I cannot think of a better place than Rainy Lake to come and enjoy family interaction.