What chip for the North arm?

[stumped321]

I'm headed up to the far north arm June 2 from Indiana. I will be fishing around little canoe river. I just got a new hummingbird 581i gps fishfinder and need to get a chip. My question is which one? Should I get a lakemaster or navtronics premium? Rainy being a boarder lake do I get a canada chip or MN chip (I'm fishing the canadian side)? I want it to mainly mark rocks, I know it dont mark them all, but it helps. I also fish the far east end of rainy, I would like to get the chip that covers the most of the canadian side. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[magnum mike]

The Lakemaster Rainy / Lake of the Woods chip will be your best bet. The Navionics chip gets a bit sketchy on the Canadian side.

[stumped321]

I just found that the lakemaster chip will not work in my unit because it is black and white. Would it be worth the money to get a navionics canada chip. for the north arm.

[bitz]

Hey Stumped...I have an H2O (color) hand held and have the Navionics Rainy chip (2005) For finding rocks etc, I find it very good. There are a few rocks they missed back in the 60's when they did that original survey, but overall, for the north arm, works pretty good. I believe they did a new survey a few years back so it may have more detail. Pretty sure the shore line has not changed much in the last 40+ years. I got the upper midwest chip (MN, ND, SD, IA, WI and MI which included the border waters up to devils cascade on Rainy.) The Rainy lake info is the same if you buy the MN side or the CA side as far as Rainy) It has worked well for me. Only question I see on the Navionics site is use on black/white display. You would want the same map for Rainy is my take.

Where from Indiana and where do you stay? My Dad owned the cabin on Little Canoe (last one on right)

Bitz

[okfisherman]

I second the Navionics chip of the upper midwest. We are from OK and I have been very pleased with its accuracy in my H2O. for those of us who don't have access to the lake but once a year I feel very comfortable depending on it. We fish the canadian side and have found no real problems with it.

[KirtH]

Canadian Chip....Rainy (Survey & Navigation Charts) Koochiching (MN), St. Louis (MN) ON

Rainy River (East) Koochiching (MN) ON

Red ON

Midwest Chip.....Rainy (Survey & Navigation Charts) Koochiching (MN), St. Louis (MN) MN

Rainy River (East) Koochiching (MN) MN

Rakhos Itasca MN

Rainy is on both chips in HD with Navionics Premium Do you have a waypoint of where you are going, I can get you a screen shot.

[stumped321]

Thank you, thats what I wanted to hear, hope I find the rocks with the GPS and not my lower unit. This is my first time to the north arm, I will be staying at the Little Canoe lodge(I believe thats the name). The last 5-6 six years my dad and I have been going the first week of June to the far east end to stokes bay resort. How is the traffic that far up on the lake? Also is there much difference between the two ends of the lake? I hate having to relearn a new area, especially because I know the east end so well, but I sure we will.

[bitz]

For the north arm, the GPS is very good. I would also suggest you stop by the bait shop in FF as you head out of town east and pick up the paper version of the same map. It doesn't show any more rocks etc that I know of but does give you a better big picture of the area and you can kind of see the places you want to fish and then drive to them. The map numbers are 6107 for North Arm and 6106 for Ash Bay. (smallie fishing is super in Ash Bay and about a 20 min boat ride from LCL) I would suggest picking up both. You can now buy fishing lic on line or you can get them at Rainy Lake Sports and the maps.

The Little Canoe Lodge used to be really good back in the 60's/70's. It was built by Bill Myers who also built the cabin to the left as you look across the river (my dads old place)and Camp Ontario which is down south of Rebecca Island. Seems like it could use some updating and I don't believe anyone stays there to run it now. Let me know how it works out as I have had others ask about staying there if you would.

If you want to send me an email, I can point you to some good areas around Little Canoe if you need them.

[email protected]

Bitz

[stumped321]

Last year at Stokes bay we stayed with a couple guys that has stayed at Little Canoe Lodge the last couple years and liked it. They said the cabins were old, but clean. We have talked to the owner a couple times and he has been helpful and seems very nice. If they have a hot shower, ok docks, cleans beds and a place to cook I will be happy. I'm will be on the water most of the time anyway. The price is not bad either, and with a $1000 round trip for boat/truck fuel that doesnt hurt. I ready to go now, I have been killing crappie here in Indaina for the last couple months, but those Northern waters are special a for me, its not just another fishing trip.

[ruddog]

I'll be heading back to little canoe camp on june 9th for my 7 straight year and have run the old and new navionics chips with no rock encounters.we typically fish within a few miles of camp but run over to ash bay for the smallies.[although they can be caught everywhere]we have also travelled south down to browns and up to cascade falls with no problems.hopefully the crappie will be in this year,we have missed the spawn the past 3 years but the walleye,pike and smallie fishing makes up that.had a 30 1/4 inch wally just a few hundred yards from camp last year!

[RainyPro]

ruddog,

I have been fishing Northwest Bay for 20+ years always arriving around the 15th of June. We never had much luck with Crappies but actually got into some last year. Picked up about 70 of them.

When you say you missed the spawn the last three years do you mean you were to early?

I have heard they spawn in Little Canoe and we have ventured over there a couple times to see if there was any action.

[waterspaniel]

My Cousin (26th straight year) and I (16th year)will be up for the week staying between Sears Bay and Ami Point in the North Arm. I bought the Lakemaster Rainy chip 4 years ago and am very happy. The mouth of the Little Canoe has been a hot pike spot many years, depending on weed growth. We hit a lot of areas over the years--Waller Is., Moose Bay, Ash and Alexandria bays, Rat Root etc. I've never been over to Northwest Bay. We've really seen the walleye fishing come on strong the past 5 years. We've never caught a single Crappie in all those years, but don't really know where to try for them.

[ruddog]

I'm not sure if we were early or late........i know on the years we got them you could catch them from shore right in camp. we usually just fish the creek and if they're there great, if not go fish for something else.we have ventured down to rat root bay looking for them with no luck but i know they spawn in there you just gotta be there then.there are just too many other opportunities to spend much time searching for them.i've read that guys catch them on the rock piles but i'm not sure what they mean by that.we have fished crow rock,seine,swell,brule and red gut[46" muskie!] all the way up to sand falls but the north arm is the favorite.i love that lake!!!when i retire i plan on spending the warm months up there.

[bitz]

When I was a kid, there used to be an old smoke house at the first slight bend of Little Canoe on the left (just before the big turn to the right as you approach LC Lodge. I used to tie off the structure there and just hammer crappies even in June/July. Other than that, never have had much luck with crappies on the northarm... they are in NW bay (we stay there now)

My Dad always said the Rat had them too... but never got there early enough to try. Now with the span designation for eyes, not sure if you can even fish the Little Canoe or the Rat till end of May or early June. I know there are signs posted and assume you can't fish for anything on the spawn areas during that time...

Also, last 5 years, have caught Bluegill in Little Canoe. Always get a smile when we come across the border and they ask what type of fish and I include the gills.

bitz

[bitz]

No idea on the showers... they used to bath in the river back then . Yep on the old part, Bill built the cabins in 1959/1960 or so. Some are now closed off but the area is well cut and trimmed etc. Last year didn't see any docks and no idea on cooking. some of the smaller cabins back then didn't have anything but beds and tables etc. I head up on the 18th and will swing by and look if you want some pics.

I own a strip pit just south of Brazil (indiana) and we hammer the crappies/gills there... some nice 8# plus large mouth too. Many gills around that 12-13 inch size. Crickets are the bait of choice on my lake.

Bitz

[RainyPro]

So a trip to Little Canoe every year is worth the time. We always catch a lot of Walleye and Pike, looking for Crappies is a bonus for us.

The camp is on the left on a little peninsula before the creek narrows down right? Do you usually catch them by camp or way up in the creek where it turns left and gets much wider?

We have always wanted to make the trip to Red Gut for Muskie maybe we will hit Little Canoe and if no Crappies head for Red Gut. Can you get to Red Gut going through McDonald inlet and Crooked Narrows or do you have to go though Grassy Partage Bay or all the way to Swell Bay?

Looking at the map I've never been sure that it's passable and looks like a big waste of time and gas if you can't get through and it sure seems like a long ways wif you go through Swell Bay.

I would like to retire up there too, but my wife wouldn’t even think of it. LOL

[ruddog]

the camp is on the point on the left.the cabins are very "rustic" but it's better than sleeping on the ground!there is one common shower with very little water pressure but it is propane heated.it isn't a place for anybody who needs to be waited on or can't fend for themselves.you need to haul in all your own supplies,gas,food ect.[it's a 20 mile boat ride to town,one way]the fish sanctuary starts about 200 yards upstream of the camp,no fishing until june 15th or so.as far as traveling to redgut,seine or swell bay from there i think it's not a feasable idea.when we fished the other parts of rainy it was from a different camp,"the fisheries" resort in the bear pass narrows off of hwy 11 about 20 miles east of f.f.

[bitz]

there is one option other than a boat ride. You can take Hwy 502 and drive east of Rainy and take the gravel roads to the landing on the east side of little canoe. I have never done so, but know others have. If you have a lot of gear and not a lot of boat, it can help out. There is a soft landing at little canoe and I have noticed trucks/trailers sitting there. The owner of LC Lodge might be able to give more info. If its windy on the day in or day out, it is also a lot better to drive. Not sure if you are familiar with the canoe channel that runs along the west edge of Rainy after you cross under the bridge east of FF, but if windy, I would suggest taking that channel. There are markers on the reefs etc, but you would still need a good map (6108)as there are some areas that are not so well marked. once you get east and even with Big Woodchuck, you have some pretty open water.

Bitz

[okfisherman]

Camp Ontario is still open, we stay there every summer, run by a wonderful couple from texas, not a holidy inn but the price is right, hard to beat it for the money. check their website for details. lots of great fishing in the north arm and your sleeping right in the middle of it.

[bitz]

You can get thru McDonald Inlet to Black Sturgeon Bay and then crooked narrows as you mention. I don't have a fast boat (25-28 miles an hour) so its not a good idea for me, but assuming the lake is normal water, you can get thru. You have quite a slow ride thru the creek into Black Sturgeon as its pretty shallow and there are some dead heads etc.

Unless you really want to try muskies... I would pass on it. The fishing on the north arm is as good as anywhere in my opinion. There is a nice place on Palmer Island (private island) that we have stopped and made shore lunch many times. sometimes people are camping there so that can screw that up. I will be back in to the US on the 26th and will post results.

Bitz

[stumped321]

bitz

I have hunted a couple times around Brazil.There are a lot of private pits around there that are great fishing. I crappie and whitebass fish raccoon just north of ya. There are a bunch of nice crappie there, but way to many people boating. Thats why I glad to fish rainy.

[okfisherman]

We have thought about trying to go thu mcdonalds inlet and over to the other side a couple of times, but the effort and gas just didn't seem worth it when the fishing was so good on the north arm, Send me a private email and I'd be glad to share a couple or three of our favorite spots on the north end. [email protected]

[RainyPro]

I would like to try my hand at Muskies, I know the north arm fishing is great but there is nothing like a new adventure! I rember the first time I went to Devils Cascade, I went alone and came back with a nice walleye and a nice pike. Everyone else wanted to go the next day :-) Seeing new parts of the lake is prretty cool.

We usually travel 19 miles to Little Canoe and 25 miles to Devils Cascade. I measured Red Gut trip and it's 33 miles, that's quite aways, wish gas was cheaper! Maybe driving around wuold be better? Is the a public ramp near Red Gut?

I think this year we may go to Big Canoe.

[bitz]

If you head to Big Canoe (we used to fish it a lot back in the 70's) you should try and fish Mainville. Not as much pressure there.

Also, if you are up to a couple of portages, hitting Vane and then Green always were good. With roads to many of these, not so sure if it is as "away" as it used to be. Going up thru Strong to the small lake on the north end (about a 1/2 mile of creek) we would pound the eye's.

We would also sometimes hit Cold Lake too...

And for a bit of a trip and nobody around, try paddy bay (be carefull of the rock in the cut between Ash/Paddy... I believe only once have I ever had anyone else on the lake except a couple of cabin owners and smallies are great.

Bitz

[KirtH]

Navionics Screen shot of Rainy Lake

[img:center]

[waterspaniel]

@ Bitz: what do you target in Paddy Bay? I've been in there a few times and caught a few bass--seems like a deep bay w/ steep drop-offs from shore--not a whole lot of structure

[RainyPro]

Bitz,

Have you ever fish Big Canoe itself? It seems like there is usually quite a bit of water coming out on Mainville.

We have done the portage to Mainville and also drove around to the lake next to Mainville put in and traveled all the way to Mainville to fish eyes. Seems like the Walleyes where all small though but we haven’t been there since the 90’s so they could all be monsters now.

We aren’t really setup for portages; 17 foot Lund with a 100 doesn’t portage. LOL

Not sure where Strong or Cold Lake?

We once tried to go up the creek in Halfway Inlet in Northwest Bay to Wegg Lake but didn’t make it very far.

I have fished near Paddy bay several times, never made it in there but I do have a funny story about Paddy. The guys in the cabin next to us hit that rock and knocked out the lower unit, that’s not funny! The funny part is the next day they were fishing up there in a different boat and the damaged boat owner decided he wanted to find his prop, he stripped down to his birthday suit and jumped in, we just happened to be motoring by as he is getting out of the water, talk about a double take, you rarely see a boat up there let alone a boat with a big fat naked guy on it, LOL

[bitz]

We have worked the shallow bays/points and rocks on the south shore line and around to the NE end (near a cabin)

Some nice smallies on the mid bays though on the south.

[bitz]

Strong Lake is the next portage off of Vain.... I can see the issue about the Lund

Cold Lake is off of Strong. When I figure out how to post a pdf I will show you.

We fished the Big Canoe about 3 years ago, but didn't pick up much. My understanding from others is the Big Canoe can be good for eyes. But honestly, the north arm and northwest bay have such great fishing, I find it is not worth the long trips anymore.

As to the creek at halfway... depends on the lake depth... when on the high end of the curve, usualy not an issue.

TMI on the fat guy at Paddy :0

[Jnoel - Navionics Rep]

Nice shot of rainy, I haave used the Navionics PC APP to check out lakes before I go and hit the lake.