Fishing red hot in Ely area

Pick a species and we’ve got some whoppers entered in the North Country Angler this week. Walleye, bass and pike are hitting at a rapid rate, with trout now heading for deeper water as summer finally arrives in the Ely area.Two 10 lb. walleyes, two 4 lb. smallmouth and two northerns over 20 pounds give you an idea of how the fishing has been the past week. Great!First, the walleyes. Chad Schmidt of Forest Lake, MN tops the list with a 10 lb. 2.5 oz., 31-inch walleye that took a leech from Skube’s Bait in Shagawa Lake.Ted Mitschulis of Champlin, MN was using a jig and a minnow when he landed a 10 lb. walleye, also 31 inches long, while fishing in Burntside Lake. He checked the fish in at Voyageur North Outfitters.Burntside was also the lucky lake for Jameel Ramon Zeno of Burnsville as a 9 lb. 8 oz. walleye, again 31 inches long, hit a leech. The fish was weighed in at Skube’s Bait. For 14-year-old John Kirkman of Orono, MN, a spinner and a leech was the ticket to catch a 7 lb. 4 oz. walleye in Burntside Lake. He entered the contest at VNO. Big pike like to eat and a sucker minnow is a delectable treat. David Muarum of Clontarf, MN used said sucker minnow to catch a 21 lb., 41-inch northern pike in Burntside Lake and brought it into Voyageur North Outfitters.Joe Eisenmenger of Forest Lake, MN had a Mepps spinner tied on his line when he landed a 20 lb., 41-inch northern in Basswood Lake. The contest entry came in to Spirit of the Wilderness. Eisenmenger also had the top bass of the week, a 4 lb. 8 oz. smallmouth taken out of Basswood Lake that went 20 inches on the ruler. Jim Daniels of Tower went to Vermilion Fuel and Food to weigh in a 4 lb. 1 oz. smallmouth caught in Lake Vermilion on a leech. A 3 lb. 8 oz., 19.5-inch largemouth bass caught in Eagles Nest #2 by Randall Williams of Sherwood, OH was registered at Skube’s. Another largemouth, this one weighed in at 3 lbs. and 18 inches on the ruler was nabbed in the same lake by Brad Bayliss of Sherwood, OH.There were some very nice Catch and Release entries as well, including a 29-inch walleye from Willie VanDeSteeg of Silver Lake, MN out of White Iron Lake. He entered the contest at Silver Rapids Lodge.A 28-inch walleye released by Jeff Kaiser of Cypress, TX back into White Iron was reported at Spirit of the Wilderness.A monster 43.5-inch pike chased a Daredevle reeled in by Chris Boling of Houston, TX was released back to Basswood Lake and entered at Skube’s Bait and Tackle.A 34-inch northern that tipped the scales at over 11 pounds is still swimming in White Iron thanks to Pat Nickrent of New Lenex, IL. Spirit of the Wilderness was the entry station.John Moore of Ingleside, IL caught and released an 18.5 inch smallmouth in Bear Island Lake, entered the contest at Timber Wolf Lodge.If this week’s entries are any indication, the fish are on the bite in Ely. If you’re interested in tearing into 20 lb. northerns, 10 lb. walleyes and 4 lb. smallmouth, then get to the North Country and get out on the water!