Fishing report

[fireball]

Or I should say lack of. I hope everyone else had better luck than we did. Three of us were up for fri evening through sun afternoon. That was the worst trip I have EVER had up there and just about ever period!!! We caught 2 eyes that had to be released, a 17.5&18inchers and a 6in perch, and thats it!!!! What a horrible experience for a 5 plus hour drive, I have allways caught tons of eyes and perch in the last 7 yrs. I can expect to not get as many slabs but what the hell. I was up a few weeks ago and got 9 slabs and about 25 eyes. That is also a far cry from normal for my trips. I very much dought I will be back again to waste my time on a lake that is nothing like it was or what everyone was expecting this lake to be. How sad is it when you cant even catch 2 eyes much less get to take your 2 eyes on the famous URL.

[Zaraspooks]

Thats unfortunate that you feel this way about this great fishery. Just got back fron URL. We also made the 5 hour plus trip. Rented a 4 man sleeper out of Hillman's. Didn't get real mobile but did hop around a bit with the portables. Ended the weekend with 12 crappies, 66 walleyes and a few jumbo perch. Hard house produced so we spent most of our time there. Although we didn't pound the crappies, I would still consider it a very successful trip and can't wait to get back. Hopefully one more trip in March.

[cheech22]

what resort did you go out of, or what side of the lake were you on??

[kelly-p]

"on a lake that is nothing like it was or what everyone was expecting this lake to be."

I'm sorry you had a bad trip but I don't think it's the lakes fault. We are having a crappie bite this winter that if far, far better then anyone expected. I feel that it is better then we had either of the past 2 years and we're not even into March which is usually our best crappie action. The walleyes seem to be almost everywhere. How many times did you move to try new areas?

[fireball]

We were in my wheel shack and went out of hilmans. We were mobile quite a bit, but it didn't matter. We were off by our selves most of the time at least a mile or 2 from anyone else. I am extremely dissappionted in the fishing on URL this season. It wouldn't matter if there was a six fish limit now from what I hear from other guys who have been up this season, Your are just lucky to go home with your 2 eyes. The fishing is just plain no where near what it was just a couple years ago. I know there are plenty of you out there who are still catching fish and some that are fortunate enough to do it on a regular basis, but the rest of us are not getting the results you would expect from this lake any more. I am going to have a hard time justifying to myself and trying to convince others to drive to URL and spend all that money going up there and supporting the locals once you get up there when you aren't even catching fish!!! At least you used to be able to catch a ton of eyes before even if you had to release them. Now you can keep a measly 2 of them and you cant even get 2 caught for each person much less 2 keepers, sad. My group and I are not just a bunch of half assed clowns out there just taking a shot in the dark either. We def. put plenty of work,money and effort into every trip out. If you ask for my opinion, I would say that URL is just as it was last year on the opener, way over blown and not all it is cracked up to be any more. I am going to spend the rest of my ice season on some more stable lakes that areactually producing fish if you put the effort in. If you are going up again any time soon just let me say GOOD LUCK to ya, you might be needing it. Bring plenty of booze and cards with.

[Bryce]

Cool, more ice for me ( one of the MAIN reasons I go up ) and one less rig to pass. Good luck elsewhere.

[cheech22]

haha good way to put it. I'm heading up this weekend and hopefully we'll have some good luck.

[Random guy]

DUDE it's fishing.

Sometimes you hit them and some times you don't. I have had days gone by and not catch a crappie, it just makes it that much more fun. Now finding those fish becomes a mission and how sweet it is when you put all the pieces together and it works out.

You also have to remember that we had some nasty frontal conditions going through and the fishing took some work, I myself changed presentation every five minutes until I figured out what worked, playing cards and drinking booze seldom increases your odds of catching fish.

Now to blame the lake I feel is a bit harsh, I caught limits two days in a row in the same lake, and I went three days previus and couldn't catch a fish to save my hide. Once again thats fishing.

I made three trips to northern Lake of the Woods to fish Trophy Lake Trout before I caught one, and it wasn't very big. Nothing was wrong with the lake but the angler learned alot in those three tips that lead to the fourth trip and many after that turning out to be some of the greatest trips I made to Canada, and not because I landed a big fish. Because I learned something new, had a good time and just maybe got to catch a nice fish.

Red lake is a honest to god lake that has moods, up-swings and down-swings, not the trout trank at the sports show.

[bobsdent]

Did any one think about using bait?.

[croixeyes]

I havent been to URL for a couple of years,but wouldnt hesitate to go again.THATS WHY THEY CALL IT FISHIN!!!I myself have been skunked so much this year that there is no amount of tomato juice to remove the odor.But Im not gonna stop going somewhere cause I blank.If filling out is what your after go to the supermarket shhheesss ...

[icemac33]

Ahh...Fireball indeed. Heading up in three days.Woo-hoo

[gregh]

fireball, sorry for the wasted trip to url,but thats one less guy we will have to worry about setting up to close to us!!! RELAX!!! thats why they call it fishing.

[cookie129]

Fireball you must have some bad JU Ju. This lake truly amazes me? To watch a dad and his son catch a bucket of crappies saturday morning then set up a dad and another son the next morning and watch it happen again?Truly amazing lake.I guess it all come down to location location location.The house's next to this house were lucky to catch a fish or two. very puzzeling to say the least

[Pikester]

Judging from your previous reports Fireball, you just don't seem to have much luck at all. Are you going to quit fishing Mille Lacs and Kab too since they were slow?

[Steve Ellsworth]

Fireball-Our group of 5 fishermen caught 50 beautiful crappies from 14 to 15 1/4" in a 24 hour time period on Red Lake two weeks ago. It was a fabulous trip for us. I'm probably older than you, but I've fished enough to know that a trip to Red Lake is an exciting experience. We drove 8 hours one way. You always have a chance to catch the huge crappies, nice-sized walleyes, and a trophy pike. Red Lake has lots of potential. Timing and luck are also important!

[FishinFix]

I made my first trip to Red this weekend. We went out of Hillmans road. Fishing was pretty slow, I caught 1 crappie. 4 total for a group of three. Could of had a walleye limit, but threw them back the first night we arrived thinking we would have no problem filling out. We ending up with 1 walleye. All in all, the fishing trip was fun. We worked hard and had a good time. I will be back, maybe in March.

[WALLEYEDUDE2001]

Also just got back from URL Sunday night, 1st time there & caught/released several nice eyes, lost a couple bigger ones. Had a couple nice northerns up & lost, along with 20+ slab crappies. All in all would not hesitate to go back.

[bigbritt]

Its funny how opinions vary isn’t it? I was up on red last weekend for a three day trip. It was the first time my buddy and I had been up there, we managed to catch 30-40 walleyes each day... all between 16-19 with the exception of a 23 incher and a 26 incher . We had no problem finding our two eaters. Spent some time on Sunday chasing the crappies on the other side of the lake and did very well there too. URL was simply amazing to me with how many walleyes are in there. I love the lake...I have never heard a tantrum like that before...it's fishing dude! Don’t trash on the lake and the locals cause YOU couldn't catch anything. There is a certain temperament required for fishing and I don’t think you have it.

[river huntfish]

i went out through greater minnesota rentals and we caught a good number of walleye but no crappie that disapointed me. The walleyes did keep me busy and every time I go up there i at least am occupied with the walleye

[zachp]

Steve that's a great point. I've been up to URL and not caught a thing a time or two, usually because the weather never wants to cooperate with my timing and it is impossible to stay mobile. What keeps me coming back is that chance of getting into them. This winter has been better than the past and i have yet to be skunked on the crappies, but nor have i hit the jackpot...what keeps me coming back is the thrill of the hunt, that and unlike some i actually enjoy catching 30 to 50 walleyes each trip even though i cannot keep every one of them.

[crappeyeslayer]

I just got back last night from my 3rd trip to URL this year! I LOVE THAT LAKE! We worked very hard to find the fish on fri. We move at least 2 dozen times and drilled over 200 holes for 4 guys! But all of that work was rewarded when we hit the last spot and dropped down and had 10 slabs in 1/2 hour! We moved the house and fished that spot for the rest of the weekend! For the 4 guys we ended up with our 40 slabs and 8 eyes, we also released about 60 more eyes, caught 3 pike (39",36", 32") ! The funny thing was that when we started fishing fri. night in the hard house we were the only house for a mile by sun morn we had started a village of 15 houses ! Fine by me b/c from the houses that we talked to they wern't catching anything! THat might teach them to go out and do thier own leg work!

[Zaraspooks]

Quote:

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unlike some i actually enjoy catching 30 to 50 walleyes each trip even though i cannot keep every one of them.

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I agree. People ask me if I get tired of catching walleyes. I don't think there is such a thing as getting tired of catching walleyes.

[FishPiCkLeS]

Tell ya what.... I guess Fireball has his opinion and he's by far entitled to it. What I dont agree with is bashing a lake full of fish because you had some bad luck... The other thing I disagree with is hopping on here and trying to discourage other fisherman from experiencing Red Lake and all the other things it has to offer.

I was on the lake Thurs - Sun of this weekend. We didnt have a ton of luck, but we some caught fish. We also had a couple great meals at Westwinds, I got to experience a Red Lake Quake, and I got to see the Hillmans new watering hole. (oh and drink a couple beers in it too) We had a good time. I'd have liked to end up with 30 crappies instead of the 5 we got, but from what I hear nobody did just fantastic. I have heard though that the fishing was extremely good a week ago. Fireball, we just missed it. Life wont end, and the good people of Waskish and Red Lake appreciated us coming up and spending some money to help their livelyhood.... That part I feel good about...

My one question is though for anyone else reading who caught fish is...... What the heck are those growths on the walleyes? Has anyone seen that? We must have had 8 eyes this weekend with those weird lookin things on um... Kinda creeped me out....

[mrwalleye_13]

People (fireball) that have that attitude shouldn't fish at all... It would save the rest of us alot of time.. I don't seem to see anyone else on the forum whinning that bad...

[BLACKJACK]

We had a couple of walleyes this weekend with those growths on them too. Nasty looking but I've heard they won't hurt you - BUT the ones we caught went back in the lake...

[minimite]

the sores on the walleyes are on a post a couple of pages back if you want to check it out. i don't remember how much detail it went into though. as for fireballs report goes, that sucks but it happens more than it doesn't when it comes to fishing. ya its alot different than 5 or 6 years ago when anybody and everybody was catching crappie limits with no effort put into it. now you can catch the eyes with little to no effort. thats the direction the lakes going too, and there's nothing anybody can do about it. i will still recommend the lake to anyone who's looking for some good fishing. it isn't everyday you have the "chance" at some world class crappie fishing

[The Donk]

Exactly. For every report on here that gets posted saying "we caught crappies all day and walleyes all night", there is probably 10-20 people saying, "man we didn't do that". Any lake you go to, all you can do is try. Thats why they call it fishing and not catching While it sucks that he didn't get into them, blowing off your steam on here is not doing anything productive.

[12lb8oz]

during opener, you must be the WORST FISHERMAN IN THE WORLD!!! BAR NONE. I was up there twice and pounded em, probably caught a couple hundred walleyes in 2 days. I am by no means an expert, especially summer fishing. I hadn't fished Red in the summer in 25 years, and that was when I was about 7 or 8 fishing with my g-pa. I hadn't talked to anybody that didn't catch walleyes early on. Maybe you should start a new hobby. Maybe you should take up being a wife, IMO you'd be really good at the complaining part of it.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Fireball, it sounds like you should give up fishing all together and take up knitting. Can I have all your fishing stuff??? Or, would you be willing to sell it to me cheaply??? It sounds cursed but if I can get it for free or close to free I'll try and take the hex off of it.

I'll go catch some walleyes and trade ya for a nice hand made sweater, or some oven mitts, or doileys.

[gregh]

I bet he(fireball) never whine's on here again!!!! Tough crowd on here!!