July 31, 2025
STL - CHI
It’s an easy drive on I55 to Chicagoland. Traffic thickened near Joliet and continued to ebb and flow into Oak Park. The light dripped through the trees as I drove East Ave to Greg’s. I’d forgotten how beautiful the suburban streets were in the evening. Families were out walking post dinner, and kids were hanging on their bikes at the 7-11. I miss it.
The U-Haul trailer is packed. It didn’t take long. There is lots more room than using the car, carrier, and hitch basket. Whether there are 5 or not, it might be worth it in the future.
After dinner The Whetstone’s and I went for ice cream at Hole In The Wall.
August 1, 2025
CHI - Fort Francis, ON
We packed the coolers, locked the trailer, and left Oak Park just after 8a. The traffic was thick through the Dells, then thinned after lunch. I took the wheel for a few hours to Superior, WI, a few miles south of Duluth.
All the eggs broke! We stopped in International Falls to fill up and check the ice before crossing the border. It’s annoying more than anything.
We crossed the border without incident and went to dinner at the Flint House. Following dinner I bought 5 dozen eggs and cleaned the cooler in the hotel shower.
The Cooper River Inn changed ownership today, and is now the Quality Inn.
Crossing Lake Superior into Duluth, MN
August 2, 2025
Fort Francis, ON - Jim’s Caviar Camp Day 1
Four out of five ordered the Kodiak Breakfast at The Bears Den in Sioux Narrows. It’s 3 eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, potatoes, and toast. And Scott and I split a pancake. It’s our fuel for the day ahead.
Jordan met us at the landing and loaded the portage boat. He’s married now, spending the winters in Imo, and working the camp during the summer. With all five of us and gear, the boat never planed and we had to take it slow. So slow that Brady came screaming through the rapids to check on us. We hopped in his boat and Jordan continued onto camp.
We were all under the assumption that we had the same cabin as the previous 2 years. Not the case. We have been shoved into #9, a single room with a shower. It’s not ideal, and we’ve had to make it work with all our gear and food. Jordan has started guiding bear hunts, and all the bear food is in a shed next to us, which brings critters and BEARS. As I write this 2 people are sitting on the roof with rifles. This cabin is going to make a hard week harder.
Eventually we got out on the water. Jordan told us about a new spot for walleye so we headed there. I was skunked while everyone else had caught a fish. Eventually I caught a couple northern. What a relief. We had to catch dinner and we did. Unfortunately we returned too late for Jordan to filet the fish, so we had too. Dinner was great. Fresh caught fish can’t be beat.
It been a long day. I’m exhausted and a bit frustrated. I will make the best of it.
August 3, 2025
Jim’s Caviar Camp Day 2
We were the last cabin to leave camp. It was a little past 9a.
I spilled hot coffee on myself trying to open the door with my hands full. I thought my day was shot since it was off to a bad start but I turned it around when I made breakfast for the crew.
The skies were hazy, with very little cloud cover when we cleared the chute into flint lake and spotted Norby Island. We dropped our lures and the hunt was on. Nothing. Nada. No bites. It took some time for us to get a fish on. Our bags were almost empty when we returned for lunch.
After lunch we headed to Foam hoping for a more productive afternoon. It took a minute but I caught a few keepers and lost a large walleye. It kicked the lure free while in the net, and slipped right through a hole we hadn’t noticed until then. The fish I did land were great. The walleye was an over so we are having it for dinner and the two crappie I caught were a surprise. I think we found a bed and should have stuck around. I bet we could have caught more. Mark landed an enormous northern but it broke the line before we could get it in the boat. Unfortunately Cam had a rough day, but made up for it by getting a northern in our final pass. We celebrated with a pull from the flask of bourbon.
I grilled steaks and asparagus and we discussed moving cabins. We’ve been offered a larger cabin because we were supposed to have cabin 1 and they screwed up.
August 4, 2025
Jim’s Caviar Camp Day 3
I made biscuits and gravy in the smallest kitchen imaginable.
We moved cabins! And a new boat! The new cabin has 4 bedrooms and a galley kitchen with seating. There is so much more room. Totally worth the later start. And the boat is a flat bottom built for 3, so Mark, Scott, and I fished together.
Once on the water, it didn’t take long to land a fish. We went to the Steven’s portage landing bay. I hit on a walleye and bass in the same general area pretty quickly. We continued on, heading back to camp which brought us past Norby Island. We had no luck at Norby, but I hit another walleye near the rapids.
After lunch we trolled for northern in front of camp. I hit one within 10 minutes of dropping in. Even better was Cam getting his first 2 big northern. One over 28in and the other over 25in. As the evening wore on Scott wanted to try getting lakers so we cruised to a deeper spot and trolled and jigged. No luck. I find it very hard to get one. Maybe Jordan can help us in a couple days.
Dinner was a fish fry.
August 5, 2025
Jim’s Caviar Camp Day 4
Steven’s Portage: 2 bald eagles sighted en route.
The boat was stuck on a rock as Scott and I tried to launch. With some maneuvering it broke free. Once in the first bay we started trolling. Cam had already gotten his first walleye at this time. I hit a 15.5 inches. It was perfect for shore lunch. With little hitting after that we continued on around the point from Nappy Point and found a spot. With each pass I was landing a walleye. My dark flicker shad was attracting them. Most were keepers, either for lunch or home.
Scott and I pulled up to Norby first, unloaded, and guided the other boat in. We had plenty for lunch and home between both boats by this time. While preparing lunch, everything we left slowly revealed itself; condiments, extra utensils, napkins, etc. In the end it didn’t matter. Lunch was great and more fishing soon awaited us.
We all went to where Scott and I were hitting, but it wasn’t as great so we moved more into the bay. I switched to a lighter flicker shad then I couldn’t miss. We had found another hole. Before long we had our weekly limit, and I landed a fat walleye. It was a struggle getting it into the boat, but when safely in it was over 23in. A great catch.
We welcomed the return to camp. It was a long, exhausting day on the water.
August 6, 2025
Jim’s Caviar Camp Day 5
Skunked! I had one hit all morning. It was rough and discouraging.
Jordan was our guide today. Scott and I followed in the morning then we were with him in the afternoon with Cam. We searched for lakers and northern. Without a guide telling you what, when, and where to fish it’s near impossible to catch a laker. I should have been able to catch anything else, but nothing was working for me.
I regrouped after lunch. But it still took time for me to land anything, and it still wasn’t substantial until the very end. Our final stop was for lakers. Cam hooked into one, then I did. It was a good size. Big enough for dinner.
While the day wasn’t like guided days in the past, it was still fun. If you’re not with the guide it’s just another day on the lake.
August 7, 2025
Jim’s Caviar Camp Day 6
The sky was bright pink as the rain began to cease. It was something to behold. From my bedroom window I could see light from the west as I watched the rain splash on the lake. The wind died. The rain stopped. The sun rises. It’s gonna be hot.
We took our time getting out on the water. Once again, last out.
There were two dozen fish to catch, and we had two days to do it. We figured we could get a few northern in the regular spots, then try a few new places. After a couple hours two fish had been caught and neither were keepers. By lunch we had one in the bag.
Scott and Cam hung back after lunch, so Greg, Mark, and I went to Norby island to troll. We got another immediately and thought we hit the spot. From then on we caught more walleye, I lost a bass, and then we finally got 2 more northerns.
It was a rough day of fishing. Mark snapped a rod in two places; how?, two of crew sat out the afternoon, and it was hot. Not much was going our way. That being said, I had more fun not catching fish on my own than not catching fish with a guide.
August 8, 2025
Jim’s Caviar Camp Day 7
Last day!
We have lots of work to hit our northern and bass limits. The plan is to get out early and do what we can. Storms are predicted for this afternoon.
Camp shutdown close to 8a due to the incoming storm. The sky darkened and the wind stilled. Silence before the onslaught of thunder, lightning, and rain. We are holed up in our cabin. The wind howled out of the east once the storm passed. We waited it out then loaded the boats; Greg and I in the double.
We trolled Camy Point and came away with a couple good sized bass. Once we crossed through Hole In The Wall the wind kicked up. Jordan gave us a few spots to try and we actually found them. I landed my first large mouth bass. A bass is always a good fight, and this one did not disappoint. By lunch time, our bags weren’t full but we had cut into our bass and northern limits.
After lunch we went to Foam. Trolling back to gull island I had a big hit and reeled in a 25.5in walleye. The biggest of the trip. On our final troll I had another big hit and landed a 26+in northern. The final fish of the day and trip.
While we didn’t limit the bass and northern, we had a great time on the water. Seeing Cam catch some big ones was the highlight.
We dropped the checks off to Jordan, not Brad, then sat around the dining room table with his wife Danni, sister Chelsea, and mother in law. Jordan sat at the head. The new patriarch of Jim’s Caviar Camp.
August 9, 2025
Jim’s Caviar Camp - Chicago
Toss and turn all night. First up just after 4:30a. Turn on coffee on my way to the outhouse and sinks. Blurry eyed. The moon hangs low, but is still the only light.
Finish packing. Wake Mark, and the rest of the crew begins to rise. Start moving things outside. The air is thick. Not the cool morning of past departures. Pour a cup of coffee. It cools while I continue to move things. Before long we are all up and about, moving every which way. I finally stop, grab my coffee, and drink it watching the sunrise one final time from the dock.
Jordan pulls the camp boat up. We move everything to the dock while he and Scott fill the coolers. The boat is packed and we depart. Jim’s fades away as we leave Hole In The Wall. At the landing we say our goodbyes to Jordan and load the trailer. On the road before 7a.
It’s a 13-14hr drive. Every few hours we change drivers. Lunch at Chick Filet in Duluth. Press on. The miles and minutes pass by. A giant storm with lightning is seen to the south. We outrun it and the next thing we know, traffic thickens, and we are exiting. We pull up to Mark’s just after 8p.
It was another successful fishing week in Canada. My third. I’m exhausted and looking forward to getting home.
August 10, 2025
CHI - STL
I hit the road close to 6:30a, making stops for ice, my cooler at Greg’s, and coffee. Since coffee was next to the gym, I stopped in and said hello to Dave and a few others.
The drive home was uneventful, with the signature stop at Wally’s.
Once home I threw the fish in the freezer, unpacked, and started laundry. I felt like I was going going going for hours. By dusk all the clothes were folded.
A storm rolled through. Not sure the last time it rained. Everything is crisp. Any water helps, but we need a slow steady rain for an extended period of time.
St. Louis, MO