For the second consecutive year, Mark Cunningham’s daughter Tana, her boyfriend Eric from Denver joined us as well as his son-in-law Ben Flemke and his father Tom. They joined my grandson Alex (18) and I; Mark Wanous, and Kendall Strawmatt, his oldest son Cade and his daughter Kylie (16). Fourth trip for the kids, they really stepped up to take care of things around camp!
Wednesday July 30, 2025
Grandson Alex fixed the trailer lights again. Got ice, bought groceries and gassed up the truck. We were ready to go! Alex spent the night with us.
Thursday July 31, 2025
The smoke and haze from the wildfires in western Canada turned the sunrise over our lake to a bright orange.
Alex and I were on the road at 7:45, right on schedule. Despite all the road construction, we arrived in Two Harbors MN a few minutes before the Owatonna contingent. Eric drove his tough looking Jeep all the way from Colorado.
Made it to The Grand Portage Casino without incident. Checked into the hotel. Enjoyed a fire at the beach.
Friday August 1, 2025
Nice breakfast at the casino. Alex just had two pancakes.
Stopped at Ryden’s for the duty-free store and stuff. No line at the border, very easy. Ken had to fill up his power steering fluid but caught up to us at the Silver Minnow bait shop before heading north.
75 and overcast with smoke in the air when we stopped to check everything out on the first gravel logging road. A police cruiser checked to see if we were OK. Recent heavy rain made us nervous about the washout at the beaver dam. Eric went first with his Jeep. Everyone made it through the washout without any problem.
Coming from the north, Eric went straight and led almost all of us down the road to the old moose hunter camp. Easy to miss that turn.
We were able to back out all the trucks and trailers. We setup camp and got the boats in the water fairly quickly.
Eric surprised Tana by dropping to a knee and asked her to marry him and presented her with a beautiful ring! After 50 years, this was the first wedding proposal – how exciting! I was honored that they asked me to perform their wedding ceremony next year. A very happy couple!
Ken cooked up brats and beans for dinner. Eric and Alex got a campfire going.
Saturday August 2, 2025
Nice morning with some wind. Biscuits and gravy were tasty and filling! Got the boat motors started at the landing. Ken’s normally reliable 9.9hp motor started, but would not keep going. I pulled my old 15hp Mercury out of the truck, jerry-rigged a hose to the gas tank and we were on our way.
Lots of weeds in the channel, needed to pull them out of the prop.
Alex and I had great action at Slip Bobber, 3 doubles, but no big fish. Alex missed a big Walleye that jumped off the hook near the boat. We watched two bald eagles circling above us before one eagle pick up an injured fish from the surface, very cool to watch!
We moved to Webber Point and landed four keeper 16-17″ Walleyes in 20 minutes!
We cleaned fish on the Island. Alex is very meticulous with a fillet knife.
Mark Wanous and Kylie pulled their boat up to Clear Jack Lake through 3 beaver dams. They saw a moose in the lily pads!
Kylie caught the first Walleye, an 18″ beauty. Mark W and Kylie caught lots of 18-20″ Walleyes – too big to keep but also came back with a nice stringer of fish.
Tana caught a 38″ Northern! Tough fight, but she played the fish well before Dad netted the monster.
Mark, Tana and Eric caught lots of big Walleyes around 20″ but could only keep 4 fish under 18″. Eric caught a perch. Tana caught a walleye that ran into the prop and got twisted up but kept the fish.
Ken and Cade caught 15 Walleyes over 16″, including Ken’s 20″. Cade hurt his knee pulling the boat over the beaver dams into Clear Jack Lake. He went back to camp. Ken fished with Mark and Kylie the rest of the day and had a triple!
Allegedly, Ben landed a 23″ Walleye early – no measurement – no picture. Tom and Ben caught lots of smaller fish and several over 18″
Fish fry, cheese curds and onion rings for dinner. Nice fire.
Sunday August 3, 2025
Nice morning, less smoke, no wind. A big snowshoe hare visited our camp. Mark W made pancakes. Ken covered the Blackstone with bacon.
Alex drove the boat and did a great job!
We joined Ben and Tom to drive up to the first lake going north. Put markers out on the Honey Hump. Alex did a good job trolling between the markers, watching the depth while fishing.
I caught a fat 36″ Northern. The big fish made several runs and jumped out of the water. Alex did a great job netting the big fish. The fish bent the hook on the jig and spit it out once he was in the boat.
Ben and Tom talked to Rod, the trapper. He brought his mother and 3 kids to the trapper’s cabin. Later, Alex and I talked to him while he was fishing alone. He is from Kakabeka Falls. Owns a gas station. Comes in on the Graham Road. Puts in at the High Bank and drives his truck down the steep bank. Leaves his boat and 35 HP motor at the landing. His wife’s uncle Peter built the cabin and trapped for many years. His wife trapped the area next. He also traps the logging roads north. Traps mostly in the fall and winter. Beaver, Martin and Fisher, anything else that get caught. Interesting guy.
Ben and Tom saw and eagle and a kingfisher. They caught some big Walleyes – 19,22 and 24″. Tom caught the big 24″ Walleye.
Ben’s new locator has graphing capabilities which shows the mid lake structure very clearly.
Mark, Tana and Eric fished what is now called Tana Bay. Rocky and shallow in places, but access to deep water. Mark landed a 20″ Walleye. Eric caught a 20 and a 21″ Walleye.
Eric cleaned fish for the first time. Good work!
Mark Wanous and Cade had good fishing. Cade caught lots of 13-18″ Walleyes keeper Northerns on a Mepps Syclops.
Ken and Kylie had 3 doubles. Ken caught a nice 36″ Northern which jumped out of the water and made several runs before Kylie netted the big fish.
The smoke in the sky made for an interesting picture as we returned to camp through the channel.
Eric hauled Mark up to camp in the 6-wheeler.
Ken cut up some firewood.
Eric and Ben helped me make blackened walleye fish tacos for dinner. Very tasty! Nice campfire. Beautiful night with an orange glow around the sun.
Monday August 4, 2025
Mark and Ken made sausage and French toast for breakfast. Alex took Kylie fishing.
It was great to fish with Ken for the first time in many years. Kylie pulled our two boats up the creek to Clear Jack Lake. No wind, the lake was like glass. Fishing was slow.
Ken caught a 19.5″ Walleye.
Kylie and Alex hiked back along the creek coming into Clear Jack Lake. The beaver dam in not a big as it once was.
Kylie and Alex went back to the main lake. Ken also caught a 35″ Northern along with 4 keeper Northerns.
Mark and Cade joined us and caught 4 nice Walleyes 16.5-18″ and 4 keeper Northerns.
We heard the rumble of thunder in the distance, so we thought we should get back to the main lake. We made it to the island to clean fish. I blew out my sandal when getting out of the boat onto the island.
The skies opened up and rained on us for awhile, but we were still smiling.
The storm blew through quickly and the skies cleared.
Mark, Tana and Eric kept 4 keepers at Slip Bobber. Eric caught a 20 and a 21″ Walleye!
Eric and Mark also cleaned the one Walleye Kylie caught before sending them back to camp before the storm.
Fishing was slow for Tom and Ben, just 2 keepers but they had fun together.
Skies cleared to relax at camp.
Fried fish, cheese curds and onion rings for dinner. Eric dumped the oil on the campfire to make it visible from space!
Tuesday August 5, 2025
Beautiful blue sky – less smoke in the air after the storm. Alex and I were ready for our last day fishing together for the trip.
Alex and I quickly caught our 3 keeper Walleyes at Webber Point. Cleaned fish on the island.
We drove up to fish with Tom and Ben on the first big lake going north. We changed from jigs to Sclops to try to find a big northern and it worked! Alex hooked a fat 35″ Northern, fought it well as it made five runs before finding the net. His biggest fish ever!
Ben and Tom witnessed the battle. They caught a few big take home Walleyes. Kylie and Ken caught a few good sized Northerns. Cade and Mark W had good luck early, but tougher fishing later. Cade caught two 18″ blue Walleyes! The hood on Mark W’s motor came loose and he took it off – it was loud!
Mark, Tana and Eric caught a 15 big +20″ Walleyes! Maybe the best fishing ever!
Tana and her Dad had a wonderful time together.
It was strange that three of the five boats did not have electronics working at the end of the trip. We pulled the boats out of the water.
Ken and Alex helped me with the trailers.
Ben and Mark were being goofy!
Great to have Kylie and Tana – tremendous additions to the group!
Ken cooked the pork steaks and Kylie made the creamy diced potatoes.
With my doctor’s appointment on Thursday and flight trip to Colorado for Peter Cunningham’s bachelor party on Friday, Alex and I packed up everything except our tent, cots and sleeping bags.
Wednesday August 6, 2025
Alex and I got up early, packed up the wet tent and the rest of our gear. Ken made us fried egg, ham and cheese sandwiches. We left camp at 7:24 am. We made good time on the logging roads. We saw a black bear cross the road. Ran into a construction crew replacing a culvert, had to back up to find the detour. No trouble at the border. Stopped for lunch in Two Harbors. Alex drove from Superior to Eau Claire. Home at 6:30, unloaded the truck and trailer. A hot shower felt great after a fun trip!
The Owatonna group left a few hours later. Ken had a leak in his brake line, had to pitch it off and add brake fluid, but made it to the Grand Portage Casino.
Summary
Tana’s 38″ Northern was the biggest of her life and of the trip. Alex had a blast catching his biggest fish, a fat 35″. Ken and I caught 36″ Northerns.
Lots of big +20 Walleyes! Tom’s 24 was the biggest. Eric had a 23″. Allegedly, Ben caught a 23″. One of our best trips for big Walleyes.
Saw a moose and a bear. Other than Monday, the weather and the fishing action was excellent!
A wonderful trip!
Steve Pelton 