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The million dollar question


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I have heard when the fish are going, it is best to be able to drop everything and get up there on short notice. I unfortunatly do not have that option. I am wanting to take a Thursday and Friday off and basically need to plan for vacation days now. I know no one can predict for sure, but with many rainy river vets looking at this forum and my situation, what weekend should I go. (Easter weekend is out, wife would kill me) I was up for the first time last year the end of march and did not do very well. Hoping for some opinion, thanks,

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Rocky, for the past 5 years or so we have dropped everything and went. We fish sturgeon but doesnt matter, drop everything and go, as far as work goes, you are sick, bad like! stubbed toe, bruised splean, something contagious! As far as the family goes, they will understand, earier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Just watch the post and the dock cams, you actually can have about a weeks notice at times. But the fact is, its best to drop everything and go. Ive been there when all you here is, "shouldve been here two days ago, or even yesterday was good" ugh! that kills me! If the forks blow out, its all over for several days or a week or more. I wouldnt plan a set date, but rather leave yourself a two week window. BTW i always plan on the last week of march first of april but every year is different.

Also just read that there is open water to mile marker 179 so prolly be fishing birchdale within the next 7-10 days if the weather holds true

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Last year, we did very well the 1st weekend of April, thats typically the weekend we go. Made reservations for April 11th through the 14th this year as we want to get into a few more sturgeon also.

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Last year was a little different tho, last year we were fishing four mile bay and lake of the woods on March 15th! the lake was open for quite a ways by this date. There was a full week of 50+ degree weather last year with several consecutive days in the 70s. Hard to compare last year to any year I have ever been up there. But I would agree with Harvey, the first week of april is a safe bet, but I still think we will be fishing by mid march in frontier or clementson, but who knows. Just have to keep watching the reports.

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Yes, it's a hard guess to make this time of year but I would agree the 1st part of April should be safe.

I have seen on the gap where I went up sturgeon fishing on the 18th of April and it was still frozen in front of Schuester's resort but opened up the next day.

One never knows.

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I'm gonna guess that Birchdale is launching big boats no earlier than April 7th.

I'm comparing this to '07 and '08 with similar weather. Both of those years the ice didn't clear from Vidas and only launched over ice at Frontier.

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Quote:
Also just read that there is open water to mile marker 179 so prolly be fishing birchdale within the next 7-10 days if the weather holds true

I hope you're joking. I believe there is alot of open water, but the forecast shows that we will still be making ice, not losing it.

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birchdale has a lot of moving water just up river from the landing. Ok so the weather didnt hold true and set us back for a few days, but It wont be long at all the fast moving water in the birchdale area eats up ice very fast. small boats access from from here around the 15th every year, so Im still gonna guess, and im only guessing maxpower that it will still be open by or around the 15th.

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I might just drive up there now and wait at the landing until it opens. smirk

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I hope you're joking. I believe there is alot of open water, but the forecast shows that we will still be making ice, not losing it.

I walked out my front door this afternoon and drops of water were falling off the roof of my house! It was the craziest thing; the temp was only 27 degrees!

It's crazy how fast it opens up, gettin anxious!

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I walked out my front door this afternoon and drops of water were falling off the roof of my house! It was the craziest thing; the temp was only 27 degrees!

It's crazy how fast it opens up, gettin anxious!

When the sun it out its gonna melt some snow, especially on a dark roof.

I still say no large boats in a Birchdale before 4/7

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I still say no large boats in a Birchdale before 4/7

I hope you're wrong. I can't wait that long. The itch is getting bad, I need to go fishing.

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I've heard the same thing, that by the time you hear they are going good, by the time you get up there it's probably on the way down or over. What is the trigger that shuts things down? Is it when the Big Fork and Little Fork rivers start dumping their high runoff in and the Rainy turns muddy? If that is a big part of it, does it seem likely that may be delayed a bit this year? And does fishing then become difficult or do the fish actually leave the river? We can only go April 12-14 - if guys find decent fishing the first few days of April can it last for 10-12 days or traditionally it just doesn't? Appreciate any advice you all might have.

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The answer to your questions: Walleyes will not spawn this year, heard there taking a year off from the rainy and heading into canada waters to spawn.. I'd just stay home not really worth the gas money.

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I've heard the same thing, that by the time you hear they are going good, by the time you get up there it's probably on the way down or over. What is the trigger that shuts things down? Is it when the Big Fork and Little Fork rivers start dumping their high runoff in and the Rainy turns muddy? If that is a big part of it, does it seem likely that may be delayed a bit this year? And does fishing then become difficult or do the fish actually leave the river? We can only go April 12-14 - if guys find decent fishing the first few days of April can it last for 10-12 days or traditionally it just doesn't? Appreciate any advice you all might have.

What shuts the river down?- My opinion would be 1) The forks busting loose. 2). heavy spring rain. 3.) large increase of flow from International falls Dam.

All three of those can and will MUDDY up the river. When it gets to be chocolate milk the bite is TOUGH to say the least.

In my opinion,in a "normal" year, once theopen water reaches frontier the river has 7-10 days left until one of the variables muddy the river. Now some years it a day some years it dosen't muddy at all. Cross your fingers and have fun when you go.

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Anyfish2, I appreciate your reply, that's exactly the type of general info I was hoping for. It gives me an idea what's going on and the timing of it all. I didn't think my questions were all that unreasonable, but I understand not everyone is capable of a reasoned response.

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Starting to think I may have to go the second weekend of April instead of the firs weekend with the cold weather that is still forecasted for next week. Any opinions?

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Here's what I show for the week..I like it

Mon

Mar 25

33°

34°

13°

38°

15°

42°

18°

42°

21°

42°

25°

39°

26°

42°

32°

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With Most days nice and sunny as well! If the sun is shining it goes fast. I have a feeling the next week will make a ton of progress. wouldn't be surprised if Birchdale, Franz javne and Frontier all open within days of each other. Lets hope so. On days off til the 7th so Im looking good for getting up there!

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im hoping that high sun and warm weather eats that ice fast. im off starting fridat for two weeks and need some river therapy!!!!

iceman

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I'm gonna guess that Birchdale is launching big boats no earlier than April 7th.

I'm comparing this to '07 and '08 with similar weather. Both of those years the ice didn't clear from Vidas and only launched over ice at Frontier.

I'm gonna say I am only off by a couple days.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
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