Big smallmouth bass and northern pike in fish parade

In the world of smallmouth bass fishing, at least in this neck of the woods a 20-incher is a very nice fish. Every year we have a select group that make the 20-inch club with a nice smallmouth.For Kim Quam of Rochester, MN she went all the way to the 22-inch level with a 5 lb. 7 oz. smallmouth caught in Basswood Lake on a Rapala. She brought the fish into Spirit of the Wilderness to enter the North Country Angler fishing contest.The funny thing about smallmouth bass is some make 20 inches at four pounds and others can be only 19 inches and closing in on five pounds.Ian Vandersee found this out with a 4 lb. 8 oz. smallie caught in Newton Lake on a minnow. His fish went 19 inches on the ruler. The entry came through Packsack Canoe Trips and Log Cabins. Mike Prochaska of Stewartville, MN had a 20-incher with a 4 lb. 4 oz. smallmouth bass caught on a leech in Basswood. He also registered an 18-incher that went 3 lbs. 8 oz. on the scale at Packsack Canoe Trips and Log Cabins. Bill Hext of Oconomowoc, WI made the club with a 4 lb. smallmouth taken out of Basswood using a jig and a leech. The 20-inch fish was entered at Spirit of the Wilderness. Busting out of the protected 24 to 36 inch slot on Basswood was a 15 lb. northern pike taken on a Rapala by Ron Rehbein of Rochester, MN. the 39.5 inch fish was registered at Spirit of the Wilderness. At 39 inches and 12 lb. 5 oz., Terry Rector of Colfax, IA had to be happy with the northern pike that hit a spinner bait in Wolf Lake. Voyageur North Outfitters was the registration station. Using a jig in Fall Lake, Bruce Frederick of Park Falls, WI reeled in a 10 lb. 14 oz. northern pike with a 37-inch length. Skube’s Bait and Tackle wrote up the information. Another double digit fish entered came out of Bear Island Lake. Chuck Mergenthal of Elk River, MN checked in a 10 lb. 3 oz. northern pike at Timber Wolf Lodge. In the walleye world, Ely’s very own Vicki Kondos had the top entry of the week, a nice 9 lb. 2 oz. walleye that measured 31 inches on the fish ruler. Taken out of Basswood with a nightcrawler for bait, the registration was written up by Voyageur North Outfitters. Rob Furnal entered an 8 lb. 13 oz. fish with a 28-inch length and 15-inch girth. Caught on a jig and a leech in White Iron Lake, the entry came from Spirit of the Wilderness.Ruth Cushman of West Lafayette, IN entered a 15 lb. lake trout caught on a Rapala in Snowbank Lake. The 33-inch fish had a massive 22-inch girth. Sending in the entry was Smitty’s on Snowbank. A number of very nice Catch and Release entries came in as well. Top walleye entry was a 30-incher let go in Basswood Lake. Harrison Metz of Knox, IN made the entry at Timber Trail Lodge. Wayne Farr of North Branch, IN had a leech on as bait when he hooked a 29-inch walleye in White Iron Lake. The fish was released and the entry was made at Silver Rapids Lodge. Another 29-inch release was entered, this one back into Basswood Lake by Mark Martin of Arlington, WI. A jig and a leech was the bait of choice. Spirit of the Wilderness took down the entry information. Let’s hope the 90-degree heat wave the Ely area has been broiling in breaks soon. One angler reported his crew would catch more fish if they spent more time in the boat and less time in the water swimming to cool down. Good luck!