Catch and release catching on

Catch and Release fishing is catching on nicely in the Ely area and some real big fish were released in this week’s entries.Leading the way was a nine year-old girl from Grafton, WI. Hailee Makela was fishing with her dad at the mouth of the Dead River on Burntside when she hooked into a 5 lb. 8 oz. largemouth bass. The 21-inch long bucket mouth had a 16 inch girth and hit a leech on a bare hook. The entry was made at Voyageur North and the fish was released safely back into Burntside Lake.We had four smallmouth bass over 20 inches registered under Catch and Release.A 21-incher was registered by Wesley Daniel Goodin of Martinsville, IN at Timber Wolf Lodge. The bass was caught on a Shad Rap crankbait in Basswood Lake.Jeffrey Hirschey of Utica, MN released a 21-inch smallie back into White Iron Lake , with the entry made at Voyageur North. Steve Vesall of Andover, MN was using leeches on White Iron and caught a 20.5-inch smallmouth that had a 15-inch girth. He noted the entry at Skube’s Bait and Tackle and released the fish. Basswood Lake is still the home of a 20-inch smallmouth that was caught and released by Katie Schroepfer of New Ulm, MN and registered at Timber Trail Resort. There were five other smallmouth between 17 and 20 inches entered under Catch and Release as well.A 30-inch walleye caught in Basswood Lake on a leech by Volker Schray of Cottage Grove, MN was released with the entry made at Timber Trail Lodge. Renate (Mookie) Crone of Medina, IN caught and released a 30-inch walleye in White Iron Lake and entered the catch at Timber Trail Lodge. A 28-inch walleye was caught on a minnow by Greg Helget of Ely in Basswood Lake and released. He entered the release at Packsack Canoe Trips. His sister Nicole did the same with a 26-inch walleye. In the northern pike category of Catch and Release, a 40-inch pike was caught on a nightcrawler and released in Pipestone Bay of Basswood Lake by Mike Zimmer of Wykoff, MN with the entry made at Spirit of the Wilderness. Gene Gipson of Festus, MO was fishing with minnows in Farm Lake and caught a pike in the protected 24 to 36 inch slot. He let the fish go and entered the release at Timber Trail Lodge. A twin to that fish was caught and released by Ronald Boyer of Hillsboro, MO. Leading off our keeper category was a mess of lake trout entries brought in by Jackpine Lodge.Kathy Pickart of Fairplay, CO had the top two, a 6 lb. 12 oz and a 6 lb. 2 oz., both caught on ciscoes in Snowbank Lake.Tim Hinson of Zeeland, MI had the next largest laker, a 6 lb. trout taken on a cisco and checked in at Jackpine Lodge. We had a 2 lb. 2 oz. rainbow trout entered by Alec Matschiner, 11, of Ely. Alec was fishing in Miners Lake with nightcrawlers and brought his catch to Wilderness Outfitters. A 4 lb. 8 oz. largemouth bass was caught on the other end of the Dead River, in East Twin Lake by Dale Krukow of Eyota, MN and checked in at Voyageur North Outfitters. Amanda Feuk of Burnsville, MN was fishing with leeches in Snowbank, MN and got a largemouth that weighed 4 lbs. and was entered at Jackpine Lodge. A 4 lb. 6 oz. smallmouth was caught by Dave Nelson of Twin Lakes, WI in Basswood Lake and registered at Packsack Canoe Trips and Log Cabins. James Hostrawser of Hugo, MN registered a 4 lb. bass at Vermilion Fuel and Food, caught in Lake Vermilion on a leech.Judy Heinowski had her hands full with a 19 lb. 3 oz. northern pike taken from Lake Vermilion. The 43-inch fish was registered at Vermilion Fuel and Food. Top walleye of the week went to Tom Wathier of Crete, IL. He used a jig and a leech in Basswood Lake to land a 7 lb. 15 oz. walleye, entered the fish at Skube’s Bait and Tackle. Sharon Hartshorn of Babbitt, MN caught a 7 lb. 3 oz., 28.5-inch walleye in Basswood Lake and entered the contest at Skube’s Bait.Basswood was also the hot spot for Ramona O’Donnell of Sandstone, MN as she reeled in a 6 lb. 14 oz. walleye and entered the fish at Skube’s Bait and Tackle.Lots of entries and nice weather means it’s a great time to get out on the water and dip a line. Bring along some worms, leeches and minnows if you like and try your luck!