Playing Catch-Up

Sorry it has taken so long to write this but it has been an unusual year.  We have had to endure employee issues, as well as truck issues, as well as boat issues.  I believe we finally have finally found our rhythm (although it is 2 months later than I like).  This write up will cover several weeks and bring everyone up to date on weather water levels and most importantly the fishing.

Over the last month we have had many groups come to Wine Lake suffering from over work and the weight of life stresses on their shoulders.  However, when they have left they were fully relaxed and tired for work on Monday morning.  I have enjoyed seeing many people that have been coming here for years and years, as well as, meeting some new faces that have not been to Wine Lake or have not been here in many years.  All have been enjoying themselves and have been greeted with great weather.  We have missed most of the extreme heat that the states have been feeling as well as most of the rain you all have been enduring.  We are at the point where the water is dropping fairly quickly and see nothing changing in the near future.  At one point we did get a rain that dropped 1.5 inches overnight but that has been the extent of our rain.  As I write this we can still get into all the lakes and the water is high enough that we are not encountering to many problems but another couple weeks of no rain and that is going to change. The season so far can be summed up as the only thing that has been consistent is inconsistency. 

We had a very late spring which put us behind water temperature wise as well as weed wise by about 2 weeks.  Everything we typically would see the fish doing the last few years has not been what they did this year.  One day people are catching good numbers of walleye and the next day it takes great effort to just boat enough for dinner.  The people that have tried different techniques or tried places they had not usually fished in the past seemed to do better than those that fished in the places and the ways they usually do (I personally fall into the latter category).   I am a jig fisherman and you can call it lazy but I tend to continue jigging when I should be using worm harnesses or crank baits or even swim baits and top water instead.  We all have to remember it is called fishing and not catching for a reason.  I have grown accustom to dropping a jig and the fish biting.  Well it is not that easy this year.  I only have one reason I can come up with for the sporadic bite and it is the large quantities of bait fish.  In my 4 years here I have never seen so much bait in the water.  At times my depth finder shows nothing but clouds and clouds of bait fish.  The good news is that the fish we are catching are very fat and healthy.  The bad news is they have lots of food to choose from and not always wanting to bite what I am giving them.  The Trout fishing has been consistent as we pulled in another 30” plus last week.  We have had a good year on big trout as we have landed over 10 in the 32 to 36-inch range.  I look for the perch fishing to pick up over the next month as well as the bigger pike.  We have been catching many in the mid to upper 30’s but the over 40’s that we caught so many of in the spring have been eluding us.

In talking with the MNR they have informed me that the 2015 and 2016 hatches were not exceptionally strong for walleye s.  What this means to us is that we are a weak class of 16 to 18-inch fish right now.  I believe this is adding to the inconsistent fishing we are seeing.  They have assured me that this has occurred over the entire region not just here.  We have an exceptional amount of fish in the 20 to 26-inch range which will ensure many more year of great fishing.  I have seen this year that we have a lot of fish in the 10 to 14-inch range which will be great for next year. 

On a brighter note to those that have been up this year, the loons that have had a nest in the bay since May finally hatched an egg and the chick seems to be doing well.  The first eggs they laid did not make it, the second egg they laid hatched and within minutes had an eagle take the chick so this is the third go around for them.  I have to give them credit as the have endured a lot of struggles to get where they are.  It just shows perseverance always pays off.  I will have to say though after over 2 months of having them yelling in the middle of the night every night it will be nice to have the quiet back.

We have several bear hunters coming into camp at the beginning of September and the blueberries are about ripe so fall is not far away.   Please make sure if you are not booked for next year that you give us a shout soon as we only have a handful of cabins left outside of the month of September.  I look forward to seeing those of you who are still coming up.  Quick note RTE 502 is under heavy construction.  If you come through International Falls go west on 11 instead of east.  Take it to RTE 71 North.  Take that to 17 West.  Then go North on 105.  It is 10 minutes longer normally but with the construction will save you 30 to 40 minutes.  Safe Travels

Hold Your Tongue

Ninety percent of the art of living consists of getting along with people you cannot stand.

Samuel Goldwyn

Those of you who know me, know I can be a bit much sometimes. I am stubborn, and I like to be in charge more often than not. I am much like my dad in that aspect. Like him, I naturally like to place myself in leadership positions. My downfall is that when someone does not listen, I do not handle it well. This is not some feminist piece or anything, but the reality is as a young woman, I do not get the same respect a man my age would. I also do not get nearly the same amount of respect as my father. I get talked over, my ideas get passed up, and my opinion typically does not matter. While I don’t have this problem with my dad, I have had this issue with almost every employee he has hired. Typically, the help is around 10 years older than me. What 30-year-old wants to listen to a 22-year-old girl. Because of this, every year I have to fight to be respected. I have to fight for my opinion to matter. My dad is a brilliant man, and he notices my struggle. He offers words of wisdom, and each year I get better and better at how I handle this issue. 

So this year, I finally felt like I was getting somewhere and it all came crashing down. I mean at some point in your life you are going to have to work with someone you can not stand, right? Well unfortunately that point is right now. I am working with that person where no matter what we are doing, we don’t see eye to eye. Pair that with my stubbornness and you get a headache for dad.

In an attempt to quell the situation, and save dad some stress, this year I am practicing the art of holding my tongue. All I can say is baby-steps.

Otherwise this was a really great week. Dad had to go into town for two days to run some errands, but my friends in the Moose cabin took me in, and we played cards to pass the time. I came in a very close second place, but I put up a good fight. It was a much-needed distraction.

We also had a lot of kids in camp this week which brings a very relaxed atmosphere. I always enjoy hearing their fish stories and seeing the excitement on their faces when they talk about all the big fish they had caught during the week.

A big thanks to everyone for being so supportive this year. We want you to know that it is greatly appreciated!

You Should Write a Book

So, really, is anyone surprised that we are only on blog 3 and I am already behind? Yeah, me either. It has been a start to the season unlike any other. You would not believe me if I told you. With all the chaotic craziness that has been going on I just want to take a moment to thank all of you. Thank you for being supportive, thank you for being understanding, thank you for just being there for us when we need it. You all are amazing, and we would not be here if it were not for all of you, especially those from the past two weeks. You know what I am talking about.

I would also like to announce I will not be leaving like I thought I was, but I will in fact be here for most of the season. I am both excited and sad. While I was looking forward to being home, I really do love it here and will be quite happy.

Our second week of guests was a bit different than what we are used to here. Typically, each cabin is a separate group of people and no one really knows each other. Well this week, all but one cabin was together. Everyone was so friendly. Maybe a little two friendly as on Saturday afternoon I was treated to so much free booze and beer I was out of commission for all of Sunday…oops. Needless to say I did not have anything to drink for the rest of the week, and the running joke for the week was, “Maddie, want a beer?”

The week was also different for me, because this whole group was new to me. Last time I had stayed in camp, they had come in the day I left, and I missed all the fun. We were not short on fun this time though. Tuesday afternoon there was an impressive wrestling match that took place.

The main this I want to touch on this week were some really unique questions I was asked by the group. Questions that I had not really been asked before, which I think are important.

The first question was, “How do you feel about camp?” This is a question I have not had since we started up here. Anymore I am asked do you like it up here, or what do you think of you dad owning this place. When I asked how I felt about the camp, it was very refreshing. Quite honestly this camp has become an irreplaceable part of my life, part of my history, and part of what shaped me into the person I am today. I honestly do not know where I would be if dad had not bought this place, probably applying for vet schools. I really do not know. I feel this place is the best thing to happen to my life.

The next question, and my all-time favorite question ever, was, “Do you appreciate it?” What he meant by this was, do you appreciate being out here, the camp, and the opportunities you get from this? And the reason I like this question is because the answer may not be what you think. Honestly, no, I do not always appreciate this place like it deserves. You get busy, you get tired, you get frustrated and you forget what this place is all about. When the weather s bad, you get mad about the weather and forget to appreciate the place as a whole. When you are working and cleaning, it is very easy to forget. I have to remind myself more and more every year to appreciate what I have here. I have to remind myself to look out over the lake on a nice day and take it all in and really, truly see the beauty in nature. I have to remind myself that hey, good luck trying to find anyone in this world who has had the same opportunities and the same experiences you have had.

The second question ties into this final one. It was more of a statement. During the week I had someone say to me, “You must be ready to get back to normal life, this can’t be normal.” When he said that, I laughed and explained that this life, it becomes your normal. You don’t look at it like it is some crazy, adventurous thing you are doing. You look at it like wow it is another season already. Wow it is time for dad to leave again. So, thank you all for giving m something to really think about this week.

The fishing this week had just started to pick up due to the late ice out, but that didn’t stop them.

Finally, congrats to Jim Denor! Your name was picked to be entered into the drawing to win a free trip at the end of the season!

Cherish The Moment

“No use thinking of the past for its gone, don't think of the future because it has to come, think of the present because that’s where you are.”

Kazi Shams

When I write for you all, I try to think of or find a quote that sums up and puts into words my major feeling for the week. Well this week, I was stuck in the repetitive thought process loop of how we get to see each group for one week, and then we have to wait an entire year before we get to see them again. I had never really thought of it that way before. It has always been more of an I can’t wait to see the group next week, they are so great, type of feeling. Well this year I have had this mopey feeling all week thinking about how little time truly I have had to spend with you all. That was until I came across this quote.

I read it through a couple of times, and I thought, I have been going about this all wrong. This year, and at time in the years before, I had been too focused on past and the future instead of really living in the moment. I forgot, that even though I only see you for one week a year, the unbelievable relationships I have formed. The weeks may go fast, and sometimes they blend together, but I really truly cherish the time I get with all of you.

So, let this be your reminder to really enjoy the present. To hold and cherish the great moments and memories of the past, but not dwell on them. To look forward to the great things the future holds, but not to worry, or wish it upon you too quickly. Each moment is fleeting, time will never stand still, so don’t miss that moment, own it.

With that being said, I am going to cherish the moments of this past week. After about a week and a half, we have finally begun to settle down and get into the typical groove of camp life. You know, finally doing things like making dinner at a reasonable time, having everything open and ready, sticking to a consistent cleaning schedule, and re-learning that normal people change their clothes every day. Just the normal stuff everyone worries about, right?

All jokes aside it was the perfect first week. We had a small group, which was a great way to get everyone acclimated to what typical camp life would be like.

As usual though, it wouldn’t be right without some kind of a twist. On Saturday, dad’s friend Bruce decided to go to the WhiskeyJack for breakfast. Inside, he got to talking with some guys who, on a whim, decided to take a fishing trip and had not found a place to go. Long story short, I got a phone call from Bruce telling me he was sending to guys into Wine for a couple of days. The two stayed for three days and loved every moment of it. We were so glad to have them.

Also this week we made some improvements on the camp. We now have docks at the Trout, Loon, and Fish house!

The week brought with it some rain, which helped our water-level a bit. It is at the highest we have seen it in about two years which is great. The small week gave me a great opportunity to go fishing and I had some great catches (the biggest pike of my life included), but I was not the only one!

Disclaimer: all of my fish pictures are of Tyler and Pat because no one else has sent me any ( Thanks Tyler)

The winner for this week, for the final drawing at the end of the year is Bob Capp!