Anyone looking for fishing partner to fill open seats?

[GoggleEye]

I am located in the metro and I would like to make it up to the Rainy before it closes on the 14th. I am looking for anyone who may have an open seat in their boat. I have a boat, but it is too small for the rainy and all the big boats with their large wake. I would be willing to drive, I have a newer 3/4 ton chevy extended cab. I would share gas costs, bait, lodging etc. I can leave as early as Thursday night and leave as late as Sunday night. I am open to tenting it or staying in a motel. I am up for fishing nonstop all day or whatever, just want to get up there to the rainy for the first time. I have enough gear for two people if need be. You can email if you [email protected]

GoggleEye

[ozzie]

from what I have seen There is no such thing as too small of a boat for the rainy river....good luck on getting up there!!

[Jarnotski]

I wouldn't want to be in a tiny boat with some of the wakes that are thrown by big boats flying up or down river.

[GoggleEye]

Well, I have had my little 14 ft. boat on some pretty big lakes, but after last weekend at Rewing on the missi, I am done fishing rivers during the spawn in a small boat. There are just too many disrespectful people flying around in 20 ft. boats at full speed, it just isn't fun.

GoggleEye

[ozzie]

I hear ya!!! I only went up there once and a picture of 3 guys in a 12-14ft boat is etched in my mind....couldn't believe it but they looked to be doing fine a little slow but still floating....HAHA

[Milkdud]

The wake is a lot smaller if the big boats fly by rather than having them slow down right next to you! I would prefer that bigger boats keep flying buy if I had a little boat.

[GoggleEye]

I'd rather have them slow down to slow no wake.......

[Lunger]

I've done the spring Rainy trip a few times out of a 12 footer, once in a v hull style and once in a jon boat, just have to be carefull.

[Effie07]

The one good thing about small light boats is that if you have enough guys to help carry it to the truck, you don't have to spend 2-3 hours in line waiting to load up. A couple of years back, we came into Frontier at 7pm and didn't load until 10:30, and in that time I watched a half dozen guys carry their boats an load them in their pickups. I fish from a 16' and that is plenty small for me, but like I said, sometimes you have time to make a couple hundred new friends at the landing while waiting to load.

Spring fishing on the Rainy isn't for impatient people.

[GoggleEye]

Ya, there is no way you would be able to handload my boat. It is only 14 feet long, but it has decking and carpet....not to mention a 15 hp motor along with trolling motor and batteries and all the other stuff I have in my storage compartments. I have no doubts that my boat is big enough for the river, I just have had it with trying to fish comfortably with all the large boats flying by all day on the rivers.....not to mention it would be nice to find someone to go with to split costs. 12 hours round trip in a 3/4 ton truck pulling a boat is not cheap by yourself with today's gas prices!!

GoggleEye

[fishinator]

Your 14' boat is perfect for the river. The wakes from inconsiderate nincompoops seem to have the same effect on the bigger boats as well. People are excited to run the boat, and I can't blame them for that. I just wish they wouldn't keep going back and forth around the fishing groups. Oh well, fishing is still good.

[Royal Dutchman]

The boat wake thing is a touchy subject & I have found myself on both sides. True, big boats make a smaller wake on plane than at 10mph but come on fellas, when you fly by within 20' of another trying to fish? I know metro folks have a narrower "personal space" requirement, but that's just plain rude.

I don't think the tournament scene has done anything for common courtesy on the water. That should rile-up a few!

Be Nice!

[SM1]

Very true RD. I never really understood why some people figure its ok to fly by you within 20 ft or less. I mean come on, the river is wide enough in most spots where this doesnt need to happen. Its not a slaloming competition. I have always been in a 17 ft boat so the wake isnt so bad, but the guys in the 12 footers hold on for dear life.

I know it gets tight this time of year but its a coutesy thing. Some people have it and some do not.

[Silver Scale]

Was up there yesterday in a small boat and only had one BIG boat fly by what I thought was too close. Anglers at the landing were very friendly and helpful, offering assistance, rides, launching, etc. Things went smooth in my opion. Kudo's to all who helped out. Oh yea fishing was good and you don't need minnows if you have the right plastic. It works...

[PerchJrkr]

So what are the right plastics is you dont mind me asking? I picked up some sort of berkley minnows 4" that look pretty realistic, and some 4" gulp gobies. gonna give em a try if i cant get any bigger bait

[shamrock7]

I don't really think that it would have made much difference what type or color. We used Gulp in silver shad, lime green and white and caught fish on all. Saw another group that were using orange worms and still others that were just using regular twister tails. I and others were still tipping with minnows even with the gulp. made for an interesting presentation but the eyes sure loved it.

[PerchJrkr]

Interesting. well, you know what they say, big bait, big fish. piggy back em on there. giddy up

[PerchJrkr]

how long does it take to reel in an average sturgeon? never caught one before. Are you pretty much gauranteed to catch a couple a day?

[Silver Scale]

Shamrock7 is right. We used white or chartruse but I saw others with orange or pink doing well too. Didn't seem to matter if you tipped with a minnow or not. We did use some smaller fathead chubs and they worked well too.

[PerchJrkr]

hmm all the colors i got are pretty natural. maybe i should get some different ones

[shamrock7]

Average sturgeon, whats that? I saw one yesterday that they worked for 10 minutes then broke it off. I would expect hours would not be out of the question.

[PerchJrkr]

i have no idea- like i said - never got a sturgeon before. I just wanna catch one so i can say i did!

[HOT SPOT]

it can very two years ago we faught one for 35 min and landed a 56 in but last year we faught one for a 1.5 hr and finally just broke off but it seems like you have a good chance to get one on

[HOT SPOT]

oh ya if you are fighting one make sure to watch out with the border thing I had the dnr say something to use about it, even though i was just trying to get the fish away from the other angelers

[captainstevo]

so I am not sure but i think that the real point of this post was lost. Anyway, Google Eye, I am not an expert on the river, but do know some people that are and am able to keep current and catch some Eyes. Anyway I live in the Bemidji area and am headed to Rainy alone next weekend. I Possibly have one more, but he is a part time guide on the river and will be more than welcome in my boat.

Anyway the point I keep missing here is that I am going to Rainy and at this point have room in my boat and truck. I have a 16 ft lund is all, but it gets me to where I need to go. If you are still looking for a fishing partner next weekend, reply on here or shoot me an email. [email protected].

Thanks and keep the lines tight.

P.S. I hope you would like to try sturgeon for while I have been itching to try that.

[pharmdfd]

My buddy snagged one in the front fin Friday morning with his walleye rod and we had to fight it for about 30-40 minutes before landing it - thank god for fireline. It was 63 inches long and weighed around 65 pounds on the berkley scale.

[GoggleEye]

Captainstevo, you have email!

GE

[Northlander]

14' boat is great for spring Rainy River fishing. You can drag it off or on the ice. A 15-25 horse would work fine. You usually dont have to go too far.

Usually not a lot of speed freaks on the river. Not usually too many bigger boats but there are a few. Never had any problems in a 14' boat up there.

[Scott M]

Great to hear it if CaptainStevo and GoogleEye can get out. The power of the internet. I hope you guys slay em.

[GoggleEye]

Ya, I know my boat can handle the river no problem, but I am just sick of being thrown around in the large boat wakes. It seems like they follow me around. Plus, my trailer is not in good condition right now and the thought of trailering it 12 hours round trip scares me. It's on it's last leg.....which is why I am in the process of selling my boat. Plus I want to upgrade to a 16 or 17 foot.