Catch and release fishing alive and well in Ely, Minn.
Temperatures in the 90-plus degree range may have baked a few fishermen, but the entries keep rolling in for the 2005 North Country Angler fishing contest.The biggest fish registered this week are still in the water. Anglers can enter their Catch and Release entries at any registration station. Just look for a star in the ads of this week’s issue. Plus, every entry is included in the end of the year drawing for a free fishing trip for two. Hitting 31 inches on the ruler and 11 lbs. on the scale was a Basswood Lake walleye released by Phillip Lindberg of Island Lake, IL and entered at Packsack Canoe Trips and Log Cabins. Using a Rapala deep runner at the end of his line, Bob Abrajano of Chicago, IL caught a 30-inch walleye in Basswood Lake on his birthday. The Great Outdoors was the registration station.Larry Blood of Mitchellville, IA was using a crank bait when he hooked a 29.5-inch walleye in White Iron Lake. The fish was released and the entry taken down by Voyageur North Outfitters. A leech and a bobber was enough to entice a 5 lb. 8 oz. smallmouth bass that went 21-inches on the ruler before being released by Steve Vesall of Andover, MN. Spirit of the Wilderness was the entry station. We also had a northern pike catch and release entered by Gerrit Davis of Ely. The 14-year-old entered the 23-inch release at Skube’s Bait and Tackle. Now let’s take a look at the entries that stayed on the stringer or in the live well.Joining the 20-inch club with a smallmouth that went 4 lb. 10 oz. was Jack Steffet of Geneva, IL. The Garden Lake fish was 20 inches long with a 15-inch girth. Voyageur North Outfitters was the weigh-in spot.Using a top-water bait to hook a 3 lb. 13 oz. smallmouth bass in Lake Vermilion was Virginia Hajek of Tower, MN. Vermilion Fuel and Food took down the info.Mike Brytowski of Princeton, MN was fishing Fall Lake with a jig and a crawler when he landed a 3 lb. 7 oz. smallmouth bass. He entered the fish at Voyageur North Outfitters.Wyatt Johnson of Minnetonka, MN found leeches to a smallmouth’s liking when he brought in a 3 lb. 2 oz. smallmouth bass caught in Burntside Lake to the Great Outdoors. Burntside Lake also gave up a 3 lb. 9 oz. largemouth bass to Paul Makela of Grafton, WI who was fishing with a hook and a leech. The entry came in at Voyageur North Outfitters. A real nice lake trout came in through the Great Outdoors. Using a Rattlin’ Rapala, Edward Kangas of Ely landed a 16 lb. 8 oz. laker out of Snowbank Lake. It must have been a skinny walleye for Joe Coppola III as he entered a 28.5 incher that weighed 6 lb. 13 oz. Leeches were the bait of choice and Voyageur North Outfitters was the registration station. Celia Domich of St. Paul knows how to fish Burntside Lake and she showed it with a 5 lb. 8 oz. walleye caught on a jig and a leech. The Great Outdoors took down the fish info. Also on Burntside Lake was Minnetonka angler Wyatt Johnson. He hooked a 5 lb. 5 oz. walleye using leeches. That entry came from the Great Outdoors as well. It’s getting to be the time of the year to go out and get some crappies. Robin Hanninen of Hibbing got a nice panfish, weighing in at 1 lb. 7 oz. at Vermilion Fuel and Food out of Lake Vermilion. Check out the photos and other entries inside this week’s North Country Angler.
