Rainy Lake Houseboats

I left Casa Loma’s dock with friend and long-time client Mark Tansey yesterday morning. We fished smaller-sized reefs with Vegas jigs tipped with medium golden shiners. Walleyes had been in 25-30 feet for the past few days in the area we were fishing. There were almost zero walleyes in these depths. We looked around and found small tables […]

Mike Pruett’s group arrived on Sunday evening August 26 and headed out on Monday morning August 27th. Jon Balaski, Ryan Schmidt, Matt Shermoen and Kevin Erickson were the guides for the trip. Jon, Matt, and Ryan took sandwiches with them and headed out for the day. Matt drove another party out who were friends of […]

Terry Fiero’s group has been coming with us on the Chairman for quite a few years. Terry is retiring later this fall and we hope he will still come on the trip with the guys. This year Jon Balaski, Ryan Schmidt, and Bill Dougherty were the guides. Terry and I drove the Chairman II up […]

Brett, Kristen, Isabella and Geneva, and Blake Palmer’s son Everett joined Bruce and Lola for the rest of their week at Casa Loma. Jon Balaski and I did the guiding. We were planning to meet for a noon shore lunch. We fished with the August hot presentation bottom bouncers with slow death hooks threaded with a […]

I parked the Chairman II fueled up and joined the Palmer family for a day of Rainy Lake walleye fishing. Boyer, Helen, and Amanda fished in my boat and Bruce, Lola and Alex fished with Jon Balaski. We traveled through the Brule Narrows and looked on area break lines for schools of walleyes. We found […]

I first met Dr. Heltne when my father was having aortic valve troubles some number of years ago. Carl does wonderful work, my dad is alive and kicking today. Carl was joined by friends, Peter, Howard, Paul, Dan, and another Dan! We traveled on the Chairman II with a Sand Bay Island destination. The wind […]

I started fishing with Al Kern many years ago with another old friend and client Al Didier. This year Al took out our Lady of the Lake 1 for  a three day fishing trip. We left port about three in the afternoon and for the Kempton Channel area. We moored the Lady of the Lake […]

Gus Armstrong came back to fish after his family houseboat trip with Jeff Abernathy; President of Alma College located in Alma Michigan. Wednesday August 8th was a gorgeous day, maybe could have used a little wind. We located school of walleyes off the northwest corner of Blueberry Island. We started with 1 1/2 oz. Bottom […]

Paul, David and Hunter, Jeff and Karen Schluter, John, Pam, and Johnathan Smiley arrived Saturday afternoon for a three-day excursion on the Chairman II.  The Schluter’s are proud owners of St. Croix Fishing Rod Company located in Park Falls Wisconsin. A weather system moved through on Friday evening bringing some rain and brisk west winds.  We […]

22 years ago I was fortunate to meet Gus Armstrong on the Chairman II.  Gus first came with Ron Davis, Jeff White and Al and Ron Lindner. Gus’s company owned a company called Computrol. They made Bottom Line Electronics and Cannon Down Riggers. After the trip with the Lindner brothers Gus brought his whole family […]