Maurice Ruest was an abled and skilled carpenter before he ever came to Aikens… but he had never been called a “walleye specialist” before! On this fine evening, Maurice and the gang were fishing from the dock after another day of work. Devon came close to catching the first trophy of the year by landing a 69 cm walleye. However, that honor now goes to Maurice, who landed a 70 cm beauty. This is now his 5th trophy walleye, and he officially becomes a Manitoba Walleye Specialist! Congratulations Mo! Pictures will be added soon.

I (Pit) had the pleasure of riding in the new Walter Turbine Engine otter this past week. What a quick and quiet ride. You can actually speak to the person next to you on the plane! For a complete illustration of how Ed and the gang at Bluewater Aviation did the conversion, check out http://www.bluewateraviation.ca/walter.cfm ps - The new paintjob is great, too!

It has been over a week since we first arrived at Aikens, but we have already accomplished a ton! We have stripped down the inside of the lodge and are in the process of rebuilding it! The dining room and lounge now have beautiful pine board finishing on the walls. We are currently in the process of installing new birch hardwood floors as well. To top it all off, we have ordered brand new wooden chairs and tables from Pioneer Log Furniture (www.pioneerlogfurniture.com)! These changes maintain the rustic appeal of the lodge, but really freshen up the overall look! You are sure to be impressed when you set foot in the “new” lodge!

With limited time to do some fishing, we have only been able to go fishing for about an hour after supper. Luckily, we have not had to venture very far as big walleyes are roaming around our dock! The biggest so far has been 27″, but we have also caught some 25-26″ as well. This early success is a great indicator, as all signs point to another great summer of fishing at Aikens Lake!

We had a very successful staff party on Tuesday night where the returning staff got to meet the new staff! Everyone enjoyed the moose burgers that Gerry provided, and we were able to put together some bios and pictures of the staff. Just go to http://www.aikenslake.com/services/staff-bios.htm and you will get to see familiar faces and new ones.

We are now able to provide for you, our valued guest, an even more comfortable day on the lake with your guide! Starting this summer, our guides will be waiting for you in their brand new 16′ Lund Alaskans! The open-floor concept allows for easy mobility around the boat without having to step over benches. The new 40 hp Yamahas (the one pictured above was Gerry’s from last season… which is why you see a Merc on it) are sure to speed you to any location on the lake in no time! Electric motors will allow you to remain silently above those huge schools of walleyes. No more spooking those fish in shallow water or at the South Arm! We are thrilled to be able to provide this to you without having to raise the price of a guide day! So kick up your feet and enjoy your day of guided fishing in our luxurious fleet of Alaskan Boats!!!

This morning, at exactly 11:32am, we received a phone call from Gerry over our satellite connection. He had arrived at Aikens a mere two-hours prior. He flew in with a work crew of 6 to begin the renovations to the lodge before our first guests are to arrive at the end of May! Gerry reports virtually no winter damage to anything at Aikens. He also reports high water levels (something we’ve become accustomed to in recent years!). We will send in more reports as we get them!