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East or west? on rainy lake


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Hey guys...this is my first time posting on this board, but i have been reading a few months. awesome forum!

I am taking my 11 year old son to Rainy Lake, July 2008. i am considering two different resorts right now. one is way on the East Side (Stokes Bay Resort) and one is in the North Arm (Camp Narrows).

I am taking so son smallie and pike fishing..we might try walleyes once or twice, but 90% bass and pike fishing. My question is: "Is the fishing pretty consistant accross the whole lake? or does either side of the lake seem to be better for bass/pike than the other?".

I have read on this board about "camp ontario"? is that a resort, or just a camping website to location camping locations?

if anyone has any insite on either resorts or commendations on other resorts and you dont want to post here, please email me! [email protected]

I am an avid fisherman...my son loves the outdoors, i just want him hooked on fishing too!

Suggestions, Advise and commentary is great apprecaited and welcome.

By the way, i chose rainy so i could fly to International falls so my son doesnt have to sit in the truck for 15 hours, so i am not bringing my boat. we'll be using a camp boat.

Any experiences w/ Stokes? any other places you guys recommend? i already mailed in my RABC paperwork.

thanks

hulbert

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anyone else who can suggest a camp to me that would be great. i would like to fly to internationall falls and take a van service to where ever my son and I go to. so, really, anywhere within an hour or so of International falls.

I just want a place where my son can and will have a good time with smallies, pike (i am a die hard musky guy myself). that's why i wanted to post here, i heard rainy is great for smallies and pike..

anyone help? email me!! [email protected]

thanks

hulbert

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Hi Hulbert,

Probably don't have the answers to your questions, but just wanted to respond anyway. First off nice choice for coming to Rainy. I'm a licensed captain here, and can't seem to find time to fish all the US side. This is a massive lake filled with structure. For a good part of the summer I find fantastic fishing within a 1 mile radius of my home. Sorry I'm not any help for you inquiry on the resorts up there. Both the areas you mentioned are great fishing areas. Good Fishing!

RD

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I like the North Arm best for bass & pike. I think the fishing is better for those in Canada due to the restrictive harvest. In MN you can keep bass when they are spawning but not in Ontario. The bass tourneies purrty well shows big bass are tough to come by on US side.

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Quote:

I like the North Arm best for bass & pike. I think the fishing is better for those in Canada due to the restrictive harvest. In MN you can keep bass when they are spawning but not in Ontario. The bass tourneies purrty well shows big bass are tough to come by on US side.


I agree that the North Arm is the better fishing for smallies and pike, but for a different reason... not to get into a huge debate about it, but I believe the predator competition was less intense due to overharvest (commercial and other such scenarios... Canada was slower to react to the harvest than the US side...) of walleyes creating a smorgas board of high-protien bait fish (ciscoes)for the smallies. Which in turn allowed the smallie population get a huge foot hold in the North Arm, plus they were a less desirable species for a long time... The predator base in the east end is huge in comparison... just food for thoughts. smile.gif

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Camp narrows is a good location for what you desire. Tom will make sure you and your son catch many bass and pike.

I don't think you could go wrong choosing this camp and location for what you want.

You can also move your boat to the Despair chain and fish the inlet coming from Clearwater for muskie. smile.gif

R_D

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  • 1 month later...

Hey guys...thought i'd let you know what i decided to do.

i am NOT excited about the bass tourney at the end of July...but my son and I's schedule only had a few openings in it this summer.

July 19 thru the 26 at Amik Lodge. Right in the THICK of the bass tourney, but we only had a few openings this summer (boy plays baseball, and has other trips planned with the family and i have some musky trips planned out east).

Hopefully in this location, we won't see a bunch of prefishing for the tourney or deal w/ the tourney at the end of the week.

But..i am SUPER excited about this trip. I did a Youtube search on Rainy Lake, and there is a commericial on there. my son watched it and he thougt it was cool. i cannot wait. come on SMALLIES PIKE AND WALLEYES!!!!!!!!

thanks to EVERYONE who emailed me to and posted here to help me out. i means alot to me. thanks thanks thanks.

hulbert

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HI HULBERT,

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW IF YOUR WORRIED ABOUT ALL THE BASS TOURNEY FISHERMAN, WHY DON'T YOU STAY ON THE U.S. SIDE & FISH U.S. WATER & YOU CAN EVEN GET A REMOTE BORDER CROSSING PERMIT & FISH BOTH SIDES. OUR WALLEYE & CRAPPIE COUNTS ON THE U.S. SIDE ARE THE HIGHEST OUR D.N.R. HAS EVER RECORDED. BASS FISHING & NORTHERN FISHING IS EXCELLENT ON OUR SIDE ALSO & TRUST ME DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER & THE TIME OF THE YEAR ARE ALL HUGE VARIABLES ON THE FISHING, I DON'T CARE WHAT SIDE YOUR ON. RAINY IS ONE OF THE FINEST FISHERIES IN THE WORLD., FROM 2 LB. CRAPPIES, 2O LB.+ NORTHERNS, 10 LB.+ WALLEYES, AND 4 LB.+ SMALLIES ARE VERY COMMON ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER. THE 2ND LARGEST STRINGER OF BASS EVER CAUGHT ON RAINY LAKE IN A TOURNEY (CALLED DENNYS SUPER 30) WAS CAUGHT BY JOHN JANOUSEK & CHAD JOHNSON THAT WAS 22 LBS.+ OR 24 LBS.+(5 SMALLIES) WHICH KEVIN PETERSON & I WERE THE WEIGH MASTERS WERE ALL CAUGHT IN U.S. WATERS.

SINCERELY,

FISHMEISTER

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