Mud Fears

[LunkerLooker]

That weather report sure took a turn for the warm today...at what point do we need to talk about debris/chocolate milk fears? Many of us have terrible memories of arriving 5 days late last year and only finding 3" water clarity...

Somebody please tell me everything is going to be okay! Sandee? Make us feel good!

[Kicker]

Last year it rained for days causing a lot of the dirty water. i showed up just in time for the rain to stop...5 days too late. hopefully it stays good this year!!

Kicker

[walleyefey]

I too know how you feel! I have reservations for april 7-11 and am very nervous about the "mud". Last year we pushed our boat over the ice for two day. Then on our last day the ramp was open. We had awesome fishing. I do however, remember that my buddy went up two weeks later and never caught a single fish. I hope someone can give me a little optimism about that weekend - Really nervous!!!!

[Huisbin Phartin]

I was supposed to this weekend, but my fishing partners were a bunch of wussies and didn't want to go over shore ice. I hope for their sake that river doesn't muddy b4 next weekend because I will be chapped.

As long as there isn't any significant rain next weekend should be fine, but the week after may be a crap shoot.

[fishnhooks]

Huisbin Phartin,

Welcome to FM..... Gotta love the name!

"hooks"

[eskay]

I'm heading up Monday. My Brother (you might know him as "Wiz" on the boards) is right now sitting at our cabin on LOTW, hoping that the ramp lets him get his 20' Lund out by Monday. He has shored it up before, but we were all a little younger then. He's going out to hit some ice spots tomorrow.

I missed the clear water last year too, so early I go this time. Man, I've never seen it as muddy so early as last year. I'm really, really, tired of watching the Outdoor Channel.

Anybody up next week, give me a holler on the marine radio. CH 16. Answer to Eskay or Kingfish ( a title bestowed on me at the Port Wing Marina after I won a fishing contest with a 15lb Lake Superior Chinook.) Gray and black Alumacraft with a 115 silver Yamaha. WI reg. I'm the guy with the camo, cigar, Paul Sr. Fu Manchu, and ponytail. Always happy to swap tales and I'm not too protective of the day's hotspots and hot baits. At least until Musky season.

[Sandee]

Worse case scenerio, muddy water. It doesn't always happen. What muddies it up is the Little Fork basin, it is a huge basin all running into the Little Fork. With the shallow levels at the junction of the Rainy River, sometimes the flow goes under the ice and it's like a power washer, collecting mud and spewing it out. We were alot warmer in temperatures earlier in March last year, so hopefully it won't muddy up. We are also concerned about the river being muddy for spawning, how does it affect it?

FISHING TIP FROM AN ANGLER FOR MUDDY WATER ~ Having fished the river now for the past 10 years I have come to learn a few tricks when the water is high and murky. First of all, drift fishing can close down and not be as productive due to the limited visibility. I generally look for pockets or structure that hold fish and attempt to Double Anchor over them. I then will dig out a big lizard and put it on a ¾ to 1oz. jig head with slow presentation off the bottom. This has been very successful for me and worked well last weekend. True, the fishing was slower but my wife and I still boated 10 walleyes on Sat and 15 on Sunday in a half day. The idea is to put something that makes a lot of action in front of the fish and wait.

[goose89]

i've got big fears about muudy water also. thanks, sandee for the advice. we're going no matter what.

later,

goose

[thehook]

Deadhead fears.

Sandi, can you tell if the river is up from last year or not.It's hard to tell from the Birchdale pic. But if I would guess it looks up?? I'm always concerned about deadheads.Thanks

[Sandee]

River was low, now we are getting some run off. The only dead head I heard about is 1/4 to 1/2 UP river from Frontier, about 1/3 off of the MN shoreline. It is sticking out of the water now, levels increase it will go underwater. Keep your eyes open for this one.

[Sandee]

OK here's the latest. The river is getting silty/muddy from the Little Fork. It doesn't look as bad as it was last year, hoping it will clear by this weekend.

Once it does clear, fishing usually gets really good, since the walleyes have not been feeding. Plus, not many anglers out "feeding" them when the condition are poor. We will, of course, update. We are keeping an eye on the levels, if it levels and/or recedes, we may be in luck for better conditions.

[skiehunter55]

i hear it's supposed to rain either monday or tuesday, i'll be heading up wed or thurs to give it a try either way if it's muddy or not.

[CabinBoy]

Wonder what the chances are that the river will be somewhat clear again by Wed. or Thurs. I'd hate to get burned by the mud 2 years in a row.

[fisherking01]

Fished today out of frontier, caught a few eyes, the largest tipping 28.5 inches. two sturgeon, 48-56 inches. The river clouded consistently today, with the bite slowing to a stop. Should have been here yesterday.... Going above the little fork tomorrow to try to improve the bite. The weather is unbeatable and the friends are great. Good luck to all you fmers, see you on the water, Brent

[Sandee]

Not sure for those days, it might be better for the weekend. We have one cabin coming in tomorrow for sure, not sure about the ones that are currently in, if they are fishing or not. I can update tomorrow any information. Watching the Little Fork and it's still "crawling" up in level. You might want to wait until the weekend or early next week??

[ccarlson]

Guys, If the only days you have to fish are during the mud, don't forget to try for sturgeon. Last year we were bummed by the non existent walleye bite due to the mud but salvaged the trip by switching to sturgeon and ended up catching 16 in a day and a half for two of us. Several were very large including one that would have given the state record a run. Seriously, it was well over 60 inches, we estimated a foot longer than my 60 inch muskie ruler, and we simply could not lift it in the boat. We would try and it would just start swimming away with us!! The hook popped out when I tried to play it out a little more.

What a blast and what a way to salvage a trip.

Bring the heavy gear just in case you end up doing this. You can use walleye gear but every time you bust a line and leave a hook in the fish, it stays there for who knows how long and could injure or kill the fish. Bring the right gear. They still fight like mad on a little heavier rod.

ccarlson

[MJCatfish]

ccarlson,

Glad you had fun with the sturg. What did you use for bait?

Thanks,

MJ

[ccarlson]

MJCatfish,

The first day we just used our minnows that we had planned to use for walleye fishing. Piled about 4 of them on a big hook with about an ounce and a half weight and a 12" snell. Second day we bought some nightcrawlers in town and did well on those too.

Saw a show this winter where they combined minnows and worms and they also smashed up the minnows to give off more scent.

ccarlson