Family Week.

[ANYFISH2]

For the first time, we took an entire week to go vacationing with the family.

So far a success.

We even enjoyed a couple good thunderstorms.

It has been a good time exploring the Puposky area.

 

[ANYFISH2]

Today was spent visiting the neighbors at the resort.  Made a scavenger hunt for all the kids, some happy kids at the end with a hefty bag of treats.  

Then it was off to play a game of backyard baseball.  Unfortunately my boy still hasn't figured out how to beat dad.

After a quick snack it was of to fish.  It was sloooww, to say the least.  One bite, one fish, however one special fish for my daughter.  Her personal best walleye 25" 5lbs.

Note: we are on shore, forgot cameras at cabin, that is why she isn't wearing a life jacket.

 

 

Edited July 24, 2015 by ANYFISH2

[ANYFISH2]

Well, here we are, back for 2016.  The DeZurik and Novak family vacationing at Pioneer Resort in the Bemidji/Puposky area.

Yesterday, we arrived and spent the afternoon setting up the cabin and getting settled in.  

The father-in-law and I got out for a couple hours of fishing, which was on slow side, picking up 4 northern and a half dozen respectable bluegill.

Then it was time for the opening ceremony of the camp fire and ghost stories.

This morning it was enjoy the dock and water before the gails blow in.

 

[ANYFISH2]

Well Sunday was as expected, windy!!

The kids had their resort friends and a couple friends whom were in the area over today and despite the weather, they had a blast playing in water all day.

My friend Chad convinced me to take a trip and explore a small forest lake to see what was there.  I really wasn't sure about the prospect of fishing from the little 12 ft in 40 mph winds.  Of course I fished.  

Fishing was good, considering, wind, rain, cold, and not being there before.  We ended up stumbling onto 20 mostly small Northern pike, 4  nice largmouth, and a good catch of bluegill and pumpkinseeds.  Biggest fish of the day where:  northern: 30"                       

Largemouth: 19" (smallest was 18)

Bluegill: 9 3/4"

 

 

[ANYFISH2]

Monday.  

Today was was a quiet day at the resort.  Mostly spent lounging looking at the lake and watching the kids play in water and fishing off the dock.  A few small bass and sunfish succumbed to the kids of the neighborhood.

We all also got to see one the biggest snapping turtles I have witnessed first hand easily 30-35", add head and tail it was nearly as long as my in-laws boat was wide.

Fishing on this day was good, we found good numbers of bluegill in the 8-9.5" on the deep weedlines, they were a bit finicky but the mother-in-law had them figured out.  In my boat we searched around and focused on finding the elusive walleyes that seem to Haunt the same weedlines.  We found some success on the main point of the lake catching 4 and missing 2 more boatside.  The son is all cocky now as he has the lead in the biggest walleye category, after catching a 18"er.  On his mother's rod no less as she was re-rigging his rod for him!

Another note, the M-I-L and I are up 6-1 in our week-long cribbage marathon vs the F-I-L and wife.

[ANYFISH2]

Tuesday has come and gone.  Something about being on vacation turns off my internal alarm clock, plans off getting up early and hitting the lake to fish have failed once again.

Decided to head to Bemidji to pick up some sucker minnows from Tabers, in hope to take the kids out and hit some northern pike during the day.  The plan worked out somewhat, except only the boy wanted to go, and he did not have success.  He didn't boat a northern during this attempt.  I did manage a 31" skinny pike along with 2 others and a 11" rock bass with a big appetite.

Then we all got together for meal of first half of the weeks catch.  Then a short rest and back out for the evening bite.  Tonight would be exclusively walleye fishing, other than my wife and son no one else has caught a walleye.  The in-laws could only find small pike.  The wife, son, and I did find some walleyes.  Of course I caught none!  Isaac managed 1 17" and Amanda caught a 14" and 19".  Now that 19" really ticked the boy off as his lead was only for a day!

For the group and the day we hooked,

8 pike, 3 walleye, 2 rock bass, 5 bluegill.

 

[ANYFISH2]

Wednesday 

Today was was a day for a good sunburn.  A lot of time spent hanging on the dock and watching the kids and neighbors play in the water.  Pretty much the entire neighborhood was at the beach soaking the nice day in.  A few folks went out fishing for Northern and bass during the day with some having luck.

The daughter has become the resort nanny, all the small girls here seem to just love her.  Today was a proud father day, as two families came to visit too tell us how wonderful our children are.  How Isaac and Abigail have helped to make Thier vacations even better with their help with the kids and picking up behind them (I wonder if they can do that at home?).  Later in the afternoon gifts were delivered for both kids as a thank you, even giving us some fresh maple syrup!  Abigail was even given $20 for "babysitting" while the parents went fishing, now that needed to be returned as it was just playing like normal.  Very proud of how the kids represent themselves.

Now for the fishing, only the father in law and went out yesterday.  Of course nether he nor I had caught a walleye yet this trip and are falling behind in the contest so they were our target.  Needless to say I am still walleye less.  However, my guiding abilities produced 2 walleye for the father in law, a 17.5" and a 18.5".

For the day we caught, 2 walleye, 4 pike, 8 sunfish, 1 largmouth, and 1 rockbass.  The wife Amanda, still holds the largest at 19".  With Isaac hold a narrow lead with 4 caught followed by Amanda with 3, Gordon with 2, with Elaine, Abigail, and I bringing up the rear with 0.

The cribbage marathon has slowed a bit for me as we are teaching my daughter the finer points like, play with grandma, NOT against and you have a chance at winning!  

Results so far are M-I-L/ME  9  VS  F-I-L/WIFE  2

As pic from Tuesday I forgot 

[ANYFISH2]

Thursday 

Today brought less than ideal conditions for enjoying the waters.  The windy, cool conditions left us playing some baseball and visiting some attractions in Bemidji.  We didn't see much of the neighbors either as I think they holed up near the cabins as well.  I also a got a much needed nap.

As far as the fishing, we only got a couple of hours in due to cold and wind.  We focused on a spot we found some nice sunfish on earlier.  These fish were relating to the deep edges and just in the large leaf pond weed of a "sunken" island.  Despite many females absolutely engorged with eggs we found most fish in 10-13ft of water.  The sunfish where of quality size, with most measuring near 8.5-9".  Our harvest consisted of only those that became deep hooked and unlikely to survive release.  We cleaned 9 sunfish for dinner.

We finished of night with our evening cribbage games, after the M-I-L and I whipped on the other to the tune of a 11-2 record, teams were switched up last to guys VS gals.  The guys now have a narrow lead at 3-2.

The largest walleye is still held by Amanda at 19", as no walleye were caught today.

[ANYFISH2]

Friday.

This is our last full day here at the lake. What a beautiful day it is clear, calm, and perfect temps.  Lots of water play today.

The in laws and I sat back and watched the high activity with a smile, this would be a great ending to the week.  

For lunch we finished off our catch.

Then the kids were off to what has become the 2nd annual kids pioneer scavenger hunt!  Our neighbneighbors put this on for the kids and it is just great.  Kids 3-15 participated,  and fun was had by all.  The prizes found are all split up later,  however, Isaac was proud he found the final treasure.

It was now time to shove off on our final fishing outing for the week.  Of course we target walleye again.  Isaac is bound and determined to beat mom for the biggest, the father in law prefers to fish walleye, and dang-it, I still haven't caught one!

The evening was a success as the we ended with 4 walleye caught between 12-18.5", 2 northern pike, and 1 rock bass.  Isaac came up just short of his mother's walleye.  The most important development was I finally caught a walleye!  It was the LAST and smallest keeper of the week.

Friday was a great day.

 

[ANYFISH2]

Saturday and review.

Sat was not at all eventful as we woke and got packing.  The in laws would leave at 7 am, and we hoped to be just behind so we could make it Brainerd to watch my brother in laws run Thier qualifying rounds at the show and go.  

All went well, and we left our weekly home at 8 am.

Now, making a trip like this is new to our family, just beginning let year.  But with a strike of luck, as we arrived a week ago, came when our kids friends they made last year were on the beach when we arrived.  This was such a great fortune for all of us, and what was the odds of our family and thiers picking the week, being different timing from last year.

The neighbors, really have started to feel like family.  We have been blessed to have got to know them.  I sure hope we meet again next July.

The fishing this year was certainly different from the past.

 The northern pike numbers were high and the fish, skinny.  We have known there are high numbers of small pike him here, but this was the first time we caught a bunch.

The walleye, cooperated in small amounts again this year.  We could usually count on 2-3 walleye every evening.  We needed to find a new location this year as our previous spots only produced 1 all week.  The are very nice looking and tasty fish in this lake.

The panfish,  for the first time seemed easy to find.  The sunfish in this lake are consistently of quality size.  Great numbers of 8-9" fish and plenty nearing 10" to make you wonder how big.  The crappies are just accidental catches for us, as we don't fish for them.

Our total catch for the week...(on our base lake at Pioneer Resort )

Northern pike...29 biggest 31"

Walleye...20 biggest 19"

Bluegill..100+ biggest 9 7/8"

Rock bass...9. Biggest 11"

Largmouth... 7. Biggest 17"

After leaving Pioneer, we headed home to quickly unpack and and drop the boat, then on to BIR.

Was a good afternoon watching our family and friends drag race at the track.  Amanda's family is big into motorsports and are really quite fun to see them run Thier vehicles.  Here is Thier line up.

The restore work. 10.9 sec 125 mph

 

13 sec 110's mph (68 Mustang)

13.5 sec 100-110 mph (3/4 ton pick-up)

And the new(er) Muscle. 8.5 sec 160's mph

Was a great way to end a great week.

[ANYFISH2]

The 65 Mustang is the 10.9 125 mph restored car, newest to the fleet.

Won't let me edit post.