open water

[fishing-g]

just saw on clementson site that there is open water to marker 174. boy does that get me excited! Tired of looking at the boat just sitting there in the shed. It seems like last year the river was open further than i had ever seen it the first week of april and Gail thinks it is opening at a pace of two weeks ahead of last year.

[JimBuck]

I saw that too. Absolutely pumped to get the boat out on Rainy in April. Did the northern part of the state experience above average snowfall like the southern half? I'm curious if flooding is of/if any concern up north?

[evntam]

The northern part of the state is having a fairly normal year, but definitely NOT above normal snow - in fact, probably just a bit below normal precip.

We got hammered pretty good in Duluth this year, but North of here, much less snow on the ground.

Many folks down South have it worse than it is up North.

Check out the website for the MN Climatology office to get snow depth reports.

I think the cities and the Red River area are going to be prime for flooding, but not the Rainy River area.

[musky796]

From my understanding is that the river as a foot less ice this year and it is two weeks ahead of what it was last year as far as ice going off. I know last year we did really good towards the last week of the season but those bonus big females were not really showing up like they had in the past. It should be a great season and I cant wait!!!

[LipRipper!!]

Rippin Lips on the river soooon! Yeah!!

[Royal Dutchman]

Definitely not enough snow to cause a problem, YET!? Temps forecast up to 40 for the W/E will do a lot of good to settle it a bunch. We will hit 32 for an average high temp next week and things can start happening then but hope it doesn't go too fast.

The weather over the next 3 weeks will over-ride the snow and or ice conditions we have today so just try to breath slowly and deeply, respool your reels, and sort your tackle one more time.

[LipRipper!!]

dutchman,

Do you happen to know jim folmuth from iowa?

[Royal Dutchman]

Hey Ripper,

Too many names in too many towns! Especially with us doing all the sportshows to promote the Canadian Island operation. Can really relate to the rock star who says "we love you Ohio!" when he's in Illinois. Just got home from Des Moines yesterday and heading out thursday for Fargo, I think.....

The name does sound familiar though, possibly a distributor of tasty adult beverages or maybe a teacher/coach type? You gotta give me more to go on, and please don't say "red boat"!

See you on the river!

[LipRipper!!]

He is an onsite inspector for Bolton & Menk engineering out of Ames Ia.

[Royal Dutchman]

Oh Yeah!!! I am not too embarrassed to not recall a guy from 15 years ago but I actually typed "someone in water treatment" and then deleted it. Jim was the inspector for a little $4 million upgrade to a 2 MGD industrial wastewater plant I managed in Nebraska.

Neither of us were having any fun but the results were better because Jim was there! Would really appreciate if you could get him to our website & email. We were a bit too busy with "change orders" to develope much of a relationship but I respected his ethics at a time of severe shortage & would like to holler at him. THANKS!

[LipRipper!!]

Dutch,

I will get him the info. Jim is a very sharp guy. I was working with him on a job for Wells Blue Bunny this time last year. I told him I was going upto the river and he mentioned he worked with a guy that bought a resort up there and the name had Dutchman in it. Small World.. I will stop in and say hi in a couple weeks. P.S. Have the eyes headed into the river yet?

Thanks,

Ripper!!

[Royal Dutchman]

Should have the boat in by noon so will let you know this evening.

[BigWhopper]

Dutchman,

What triggers the eyes to move into/up the river? Is it water temp in the lake or just some sort of built in instinct? Would the larger eyes be in the river up to Frontier by the May 18th weekend? Thanks!

[gizmoguy]

BW, by May 18th the bulk of the fish will be long gone and back in the lake. It takes a very late spring and iceout to hold the post spawn walleyes in 4 mile bay for opener. They have usually dispersed back into the lake by opener.

[BigWhopper]

Whoops - I meant MARCH 18th weekend sorry and please respond now that I think I typed it right.

[Royal Dutchman]

You're making more sense now Whopper, although 2 years ago the river was still full of pigs for May opener. No way they will be up & out before 3/18.

I'm no fishery biologist so can't say if it's temp, moon phase, hours of sunlight, internal callendar, or what that makes them come up, I'm just thrilled they do!

We have caught them on the first day that ice breaks and other years it seams to take them a while. Haven't really documented each years data so would just be a guess for me.

No pigs for us today. Conditions were as near perfect as could be. Pushed over 50' of shore ice. Clarity excellent, stain low, as is current & level. The big rock upstream of landing is 3-4' out of water. Last year saw boats going over it.

Open water to mm 152/153 but was jammed above island by wayside park. Just above where we wanted to fish of course. Worked on it for a while (twice actually) but couldn't get through. Holes opening up several miles down with the entire river looking soft.

Saw fellas on the ice above Silver Creek on the way home though.

We broke up ice at the ramp before coming in and it is within ~20' of shore now. appears to be a foot or so thick on the ramp but clear to about halfway down the slope.

Great fishing but poor catching today but we find that about 1/2 the time on our first trip. Carl and I were 1st boat out for the 3rd year running. We usually catch on our 2nd day & would be back out tomorrow but have to head to Iowa. M & I will be at Bass Pro Shop in Council Bluffs if anyone is in the neighborhood.

Absolutely no sigh of dirt or trash. Had to remove 3 blades of grass in 5 hours. Should be good soon & expect river to open several miles each day.

[fisherguy09]

so what do you guys think? Lets say the weather is exactly what the 10 day says. How long will she stay clean? 1 week, 2 weeks the whole season??

[minimite]

thanks for the updates doug, i am sure carl will catch plenty for ya while you are busy acquiring new customers so he can keep his job . it's opening too early for us this year and when i told the wife we wanted to be fishing on the morning of the 15th she had many choice words for me and none of them included "i love you honey", or "have fun and good luck fishin". so then i let her know that i booked the room with carl when we left last year for the same weekend that we usually come up, (which this year is easter weekend) and i got to listen to ALOT more choice words, and what a jerk i am and how our lives revolve around my fishing trips. so i told her to solve the problem i would just change the dates and come up right away next week. anyway that went over like a lead balloon!! so enjoy your river season, make sure carl keeps us updated while you're gone and hopefully i can find some way to get up there before it's over without getting divorced for the second time

SEA BISCUIT

[BigWhopper]

Well boys - it's getting hard to focus at work! Our small group will roll our dice for the March 18-21st timeframe. hopefully we will be close enough to the lake that we will have plenty of lake piggy's coming thru. what do all the experienced experts think our chances are of a clear ramp at Fronitier for bigger boats? I give it 50/50. Who thinks the open water will be to Clementson by March 18th? I can almost feel the tap-tap!!!

[heartattack22]

Removed by poster...

[Fish Tales]

You wont have to worry about Frontier. Vidas landing will be open. With this warm weather, by the 18th the open water will be between clementson and baudette. I am more worried the little fork will bust loose, then fishing will not happen at all. Except for sturgeon.

[HawgHauler]

Has anyone seen the forks bust loose, muddy up, but then clear up in a week or two? If that would happen early enough, maybe there would be good fishing in early April?

[Dutchmantoo]

Just got back from Birchdale and the ramp is not open for large boats yet. There is about 40' of 18" slab ice on the ramp, I would not drop a trailer off that yet. Easy launch for small boats.

River is open to Frontier, small strip in middle of river. Should be able to get small boats in tommorrow or the next day. Haven't heard of any one catching anything yet, Doug and I won't be able to get out till Monday.

[fisherguy09]

Dutchmantoo.. How is the flow up there? If the weather remains tight to the ten day will things stay clean for a while? thanks for the help. Looking forward to staying wiht you guys in a few weeks.

[tearin' lips]

Thanks for the updates guys! I wish I could be giving it a try, but with being down in school its hard to make it up there. Woody said Pelland is open if you didn't see the post on the RL forum. It won't be long now with this weather. I hope its a good spring for them walters down there!

[Dutchmantoo]

Back from Birchdale, still not launching big boats yet but heard county is going to clean landing off Monday. Frontier had small boats going out of there today. Not many fishermen out yet but did talk to 4 groups coming off the river, two at Birchdale and two at Frontier, with one group of five that had ten keeper fish with a released 23". Two guys that asked me not to mention names, had one walleye and one sturgeon, that's right isn't it Byron? The guys at Frontier had four keepers. Ditches were starting to run today but feeder streams seem to be holding steady.

[Dutchmantoo]

Sorry Fisferguy09 for not responding to your post till now, but when it comes to predicting what the river will do I'm usually wrong 90% of the time and not right the other 10%

[shamrock7]

A little shore ice at Frontier otherwise open shore to shore and north. There was no water there when we went through there Thursday afternoon. Should be to Clementson before long.

[Dutchmantoo]

Talked to guys coming in at Frontier tonight, said they had a 24" and 26" with 4 keepers. Should be able to launch large boats by Monday or Tuesday. Did find out one fish over limit does set you back $165.00, NOT ME, but the guy that got busted kept one yesterday and two today. Would like to see a little slower ice off, but we get what Mother Nature give us.

[Random guy]

Would like to see a little slower ice off, but we get what Mother Nature give us.

No doubt! I had the sled up north in the back country (your south country) before this big thaw and there is a lot of snow sitting in those river flats. Is she busting up so fast it is a constant rumble again?