Productive trip for lakers in Canada

PHS senior-to-be Adam Freden-hagen shows one that didn’t get away during the PHS Sportsman’s Club fishing trip to Ontario. (Photo contributed)

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Safe and sound! Our annual fishing trip for the PHS Sportsman’s Club along with several of our Department of Natural Resources friends to Black Bear Lodge at Red Lake, Ontario, was in good hands with Green River Lines driver Don Luttrell and Princeton High School’s John Smith. Our trip was comfortable and scenic. While traveling, we saw a couple of bears and a moose.

Unloading the bus, finding cabins, getting the gear in them, boat assignment, and a safety lesson by Jim Slavik

occupied the next three hours. Our fishermen and women got their fishing gear in their boats and were then ready for supper.

After supper, they all headed out in the bay to try their luck. Several of our group found fish that evening.

Sunday found our fishermen heading in all directions. There was a light rain, but that didn’t dampen their spirits. Adam Fredenhagen and dad, Charlie, along with Ryan and Mary Jo Carrow and friend, Andy Duffield, tagged along with me to try our luck in Wolf Bay. We tried some spots that had been good to me in year’s past, but none were productive. Then we went back to Wolf Narrows to fish that area. We had been there only 10 minutes when I hooked onto a good one. I knew right away it wasn’t a walleye. Mary Jo grabbed the net and stood ready to boat the lake trout.

“You might as well sit down because he isn’t ready yet,” I told Mary. Many lakers have a mind of their own for the first 10 minutes. Finally, I got him up near the boat, and Mary reached out with the net.

“Oh, my gosh! He’s heavier than I thought!”, exclaimed Mary. I love her enthusiasm while she netted the fish. Our little group caught several walleyes and a northern during the next hour.

Then I took them over to an old trapper/miner’s cabin that had been abandoned for many years. It was quite interesting to see all the old stuff that he had just left there. An old iron stove, pots and pans, trapping gear, and a very old but tiny bulldozer caught our eyes.

The next day several of our group chose to go to Trout Bay. Kayla Griffin and her G-pa Vern, Sondgeroth, along with Forrest Steele, John Smith and his buddy, Ed Carroll, and the Carrows caught several walleyes, pike and one laker. Carl Lund and his little buddy, Jakob Leathers, did well at the falls also.

But everything didn’t go as planned at the falls in Trout Bay. As John Smith tells me, he was helping Forrest take a fish off of the line and sat his pole down in the back of the boat. There was some slack in John’s line, so his jig was dangling 4-6 down in the water. As John Smith tells me, a big pike came up and took his jig and fishing pole into the lake. Goodbye pike, goodbye pole.

Tyler Griffin and Ben Staton found a couple of spots where they boated some nice walleyes and pike at Trout Bay. They also had a good day at Suffel Lake, catching quite a few walleyes. They both caught several fish off the dock by their cabin.

One thing we always enjoy is taking our fresh caught walleyes and having a fish fry. We had several, and they were delicious.

Our DNR friends led by Dennis Michael, former PHS Sportsman’ Club member and DNR officer, was a great addition to our group. It is always great to have them along with us because they are good fishermen, help our students when they can, and always have great stories to tell about their days on the force.

Our students and relatives had a good time during their Canada week. I had a great deal of enjoyment watching their faces as they related their stories of their fishing prowess. Our biggest walleye was seven pounds, biggest pike 15 pounds, and biggest laker was 19 pounds.

I want to thank the Brothers Kirgan: Larry, Richard and John and cousin, Dean Fox, for all the help they gave during our week in Canada. Also, to my brother, Ron, for recording all the fish caught for the week.

Two more things I want to mention. I was so happy this year’s trip included Adam and Charlie Fredenhagen. Last year, they were signed to go on the trip and got to Duluth and had to turn around due to Adam’s attack of appendicitis. They returned to Princeton to have Adam’s ruptured appendix removed. He was quite a sick lad for 11 days, and we all were happy he recovered nicely. This year’s trip was especially nice for them.

Finally, I want to mention that our students received some financial help from some individuals who donated in the memory of a passed relative. I know that they seek no recognition, but I want to publicly acknowledge their memorial. Scott Stamerjohn, in memory of Glenn Stamerjohn; Fritz and Kurt Harms, in memory of their dad, Earl; the family of Lowell “Bodie” Smallwood; two others that asked their names not be published; and the Kiwanis Club of Princeton Golden K. Without this help, a couple of our students would not have been able to make the trip. Thank you very much!

Finally, I have been contacted by several dads who wanted to know when the next Hunters’ Safety course is being offered. I will get on this right away and publish it soon.