Wabatong Trip July 13-20

[Jaskonie]

Spent last week on Wabatongushi, had 20 guys including 8 lil guys below 10 fishing out of Loch Island, Camp Lochalsh and Otter Island. The mayflies were still emerging and schools of fry and bait fish were everywhere. We managed to catch a lot of walleye fishing below the bait fish and emerging mayflies. Overall numbers were off the hook but most were small walleyes 14 inches and under. By most I mean between 50 to 100 small fish a day between our boats. The medium walleyes were mid lake in the bait fish schools, these fish were 16-21 inches and were spitting bait as we netted them. We managed just a handful of this class fish per day untill the final 2 days of the trip when it seemed like every fish was 16-18 inches, and a few 20-22 inchers mixed in. The largest fish 22 to 29.5 were caught mixed in off wind swept points. We released a 29.5, 29.0 and a 28 incher back to spawn another day. The lake has a lot of pike in the general population. We release all pike including a 37.5 incher caught by one of the guys casting off the dock at Otter Island behind the big cabin.

Mainly fished the south end of the lake but did ride through the narrows and got into a school of Walleyes chasing bait on thursday and filled 4 limits in 2 hours. The fishery seems real healthy with plenty of small fish, and a decent amount of mid sized with trophys as well. Looking forward to September to chase a 30 plus incher.