Open Water Fishing 2011

2011 open water has been yet another success at Wekusko Falls Lodge. 

The season started with the ice leaving the lakes mid may, and by the 1st week of June, we were into the Tramping Lake walleye.  The walleye bite ran right through September this year on Tramping, with all  sizes present.  Those 16 & 17" inch little gaffers that were so bountiful 9n 2010, were now nice 20" and still all over the lake.  And again, we caught super high numbers of the 17" size again.  All this is proving that Tramping Lake is having great spawns, and the high quality management is definitely working.

 On to the big fish........ Pike fishing was close to the same as 2010, however, more master anglers were caught.  This year we had a total of 11 masters, the biggest being 46" (remembering that 98% of our anglers target walleye).  This year we had just over the 250 master angler walleye through camp, which is a lower than last year, which capped over the 350 mark.   Also, our biggest walleye sizes were down to 32 1/2".  We had multiples of this size, but no one could land a 33" + this year.  Why the difference we are not sure, personally I think it had to do with the cooler spring and a continual rising fluctuation of water.  Last year, the water reached warmer temperatures faster and stayed constant.  But who knows- that's what makes fishing,well, fishing!

 Last year I had stated that Wekusko Lake was a continued success story, but this year......not so much.  The Sauger were still catchable, but in less numbers than 2010.  As well, many of the hot spots for walleye weren't even luke warm.  The slot limit size was raised to the 22" mark (like the rest of lakes), and because of this many more fish were harvested that would have been released.  Only time will tell what will happen with this fishery.  For more information, you can read one of my later blogs headed Wekusko Lake Fishery.

  We hope to see all our anglers back at the lodge in the 2012 open water season, and continue to prove how blessed we are to have the fishery that we do!

 Bryan and Elissa Bogdan

Wekusko Falls Lodge