Just curious as to why the reports have been so far and few between ?

[hock]

I have always enjoyed the reports ! They help me stay connected to LOTW while I am not there and keep me looking forward to coming up. Is there a reason the reports have been so lacking this year and is it going to change in the future ? Thanks for your time. God Bless, Hock

[brian1785]

Maybe because the reports are for people that actually come to the camp? Just a thought...

[hock]

Sorry, I did not realize the reports were for camp quests only. I have always enjoyed reading the reports and staying close to lake of the woods while I'm not there. If this is the case I would suggest that the board not be a public forum and only allow camp guests to register. Although I have not spent a week at witch bay I have stayed there due to the kindness of Steve and Gail.One of the guides that used to be there ( Marv ) came out to assist us when we had boat trouble in the middle of a storm. He took us back to witch bay,they fed us,gave us a place to lay our heads for the night, and then helped us get on our way in the morning. I will always be grateful for the help. I'm not looking to steal your SECRET spot as I have been coming to lake of the woods for years and have plenty of fishing holes. As I said I just enjoy keeping in touch and hearing about the general conditons. In years past there have been many excellent and open posts. I was just wondering why the change.....maybe you answered it. Thanks and God Bless, Hock !!

[EyeBallHunter]

In the past there was a lot of participation from the Camp "Pros", mainly Wayne Pap. Since he is no longer a part of Witch Bay and the other pros are pretty busy its difficult for many reports to get out unless its from "guests".

If you do go to Witch Bay Camp you will be given a huge amount of information on where the fish are biting and what the suggested bait/lure is. Also sharing time with not only the Pro's but with the other experienced guests will put you on the fish. Many if not most of the guests are very well seasoned and above average in skill level and are very good at going out and locating and catching fish and you can get so much information if you just ask when in camp.

Lastly- I would like to say that the Camp is a "drive to" camp, but is still very remote. The driveway is 7 MILES long. They are self sufficient as far as electricity, water, etc and if you like some hint of isolation then you will love Witch Bay Camp. Internet at times is very marginal and when it is working its very very slow. This can also be a reason why you are not getting many reports from inside Witch Bay. I've been to Witch Bay many times and its one of my favorite places to spend a week... not just for the world class fishing, but for the over all stay you receive from Steve and Gail. This place is truly first rate!

[Dave B]

Here are a few of my thoughts on this topic. The answer to this question probably has a lot of different nuances to it. It might be that due to the down economy, WBC is trying to make do with few staff, which means the staff have more on their plates. Or it might be due to the fact with the changing staff, different people have different interests and therefore, the volume and types of messages getting posted changes over time and from year to year. It might be part something else. I'm one of those guys that checks out a number of message boards for a number of camps, including some on other lakes. I believe I can pick up bits and pieces from all of them that gives me a pretty good idea of where LOTW is in the seasonal progressions, and therefore where the fish I want to target are likely to be. I noticed that this summer, most of the boards I "monitor" had a significant decrease in posts by those running the camps -- not necessarily by the guests. I'm not sure the cause, but it did seem a "trend" of sorts. I would say that for me, the most important things I'm looking for in fishing reports are as follows (and not necessarily in this order): water temps, weed growth/development, water levels, weather trends, water clarity/algae development, and walleye patterns presentations. I'm probably like most, I'm not looking for information on specific spots and not even lures. Having fished LOTW for a number of years now, I think I can get a pretty good idea of where I want to start the process of putting together my patterns for my week in camp if I'm able to see that basic information progression over the weeks/months before my trip. So, when Dick or Russ, or any of the guests provides some of the basic information, its all good, and greatly appreciated.