Red River Fishing Reports

[watersguy]

I like it, at times I have several people with me in the boat so the fly rod is not an option. Will pick some up, the goldies are a fine little fish, behave alot like trout on a stream.

[Double A]

River is finally back to its normal depth. The goldeye were popping last night in the calm water. Just needed to cast a top water plug where they surfaced and wham they were on.

Found a nice hump last night and caught my personal best. 30" Catfish.

[aanderud]

Nice fish! Catching goldeye for bait using topwater plugs? How bit are the goldeye, and how big are the plugs? I haven't tried goldeye for bait, I bet it would work well, probably better than regular old suckers.

[Double A]

The goldeye are all about the same size - about 14 inches. Makes for about 6 bait steaks from each one.

In the past I have just been using a slip bobber with crawlers but since they were popping, I thought I'd try to get 'em to take a plug. It's a nice change to watching your catfish rod sway with the river flow.

[Double A]

Ed, Last night I snapped my "'Ol Wiskers" I bought at G.M. Got any good deals on catfish rods?

[Ed Carlson]

We should have the Berkley Glow Sticks in stock, they are durable and a very good rod for cats. I have several myself.

Must have been a tough day for rods yesterday, I managed to snap my long time favorite walleye jigging rod too. I guess that now gives me the excuse I was looking for to get the GM GSX Ultimate Titanium spinning rod I have been looking at.

[Double A]

Was on the river last night out of the Convent landing. Saw 2 other boats - Talked to 1 - same success as me. Nothing. I had a nibbler on my aged beef liver (wasn't supposed to be aged but got left out in my shed for a day!)

Speaking of stinky bait - do any of you take precautions after handling catfish or bait? How does a guy snack when you've been handling uncooked livers or worse?

I've been sticking to the "hands free" snacks like Sunflower seeds. I can't sit in my boat for hours on end without snacking but don't want to come down with a bait bug.

[Ed Carlson]

Kitty Spawn is likely right on schedule, third week of June. If so, it will be slow to dead on the Red for 12 days...then look out.

Good point on the sanitation subject while fishing. If handling soured baits be extra careful with open wounds....or an infection or worse may result. Been there done that....watch wounds near cutbaits guys!

Hand sanitizer....wise thing to carry when handling such baits. Even wear surgical gloves if wounds are present on your hands, to be safe.

[Steve Foss]

You know, I moved to GF when I was a kid and grew up there fishing the river, mostly for cats. For or years I experimented with soured baits. All the cool concoctions. Smelly, slimy, doughy, gooey. Store-bought baits. Backyard batches. Secret scents. Never did any better for me on the Red around GF/EGF than cut bait. And the older I get, the more I prefer simplification. So before I moved away from GF several years ago, it was cut sucker, cut goldeye and frogs. No other baits need apply.

I have to admit I was always pretty careless about handling fresh cut bait when I had cuts on my hands. Ed or anyone else, what are the risks in that case (not speaking about soured baits).

[Ed Carlson]

OK...here ya go...you asked for it.

I jabbed a 8 OT Circle hook in my finger once, when using cutbait.

No worry...it's barbless right...just pulled it out.

Well...I should have worried a bit.

A day or so latter an infection set in that made my fingers and hand look like blackened overcooked Bratwurst...and man it was painful...and I got very sick.

So off the the emergency room I go, they filled me full of antibiotics in my butt and in a drip into my arm... and kept it up for a couple days before it settled down....a severe staff infection, possible blood poisoning, bordering on gangrene was the deal. Lucky I still have my hand, or my arm for that matter.

Now, years latter, the joints in that hand that were damaged by the infection are now getting a new friend, arthritis....so it came back to haunt me even more.

So....caution is well advised, keep your tetanus shots up to date for sure.

I'm way more cautious now.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, Ed.

I think.

[BigSwen]

Just got back from Lockport today. We headed up Saturday morning and fished the afternoon and evening and went out again this morning and fished until 2:00 this afternoon. I wouldn't call it a record setting trip for us, but where else can you go and catch 50 plus cats that average 15+ pounds and not call it a record setting trip!!?????

We had a blast...the dams curtains are all open and the water is rolling through! We did fish right up at the dam and did well, especially in the morning. We had success in the diversion channel as well. Just know if you hook my beautiful magnum sized green handled Cabela's landing net in the diversion channel, it works great...if you don't drop it in the water! That was the only downer of the trip...now as for drowner, it rained like heck today, so we quit when the lightning came. Goldeyes and Sucker minnows were both great...I used pieces of both at the same time with much success... Go on up and give it a shot..the river is running fast, but the fish are still hungry!

Mark Swenson

East Grand Forks

[still floats guy]

The kitties are back in action in t5he Fargo area. I took my famliy out on July 5th for about 3 hours in the middle of the day. We boated 8 cats including two 31 inch fish. They were not very heavy fish but that just means they need to starting bulking up and will be hungry from here on out. Good luck out there.

[Scoot]

Thanks for the report! I'd like to say I'll get out in the next couple weeks, because the timing is great, but boo hoo, poor me-- I have to go to Alaska and LOW for the next two weeks!

For those who can get out- now's a great time to be out there!!!

[TylerS]

What were they biting on, goldeyes or suckers? Any structure to look for? Seams? Snags? Holes?

[still floats guy]

We only had cut suckers. We fished the usual suspects... old snags and outside bends. We fished 3 spots and didn't focus on seams. Every spot we tried had hungry fish.

[Ed Carlson]

Cats are most certainly back on the chow wagon here in the Headwaters and Central Red River Basin. Spawn has passed for the most part and they are getting back to what they enjoy best....eating.

Just gets better and better from now on. Fresh and Freshly Frozen bloody Cuts of Sucker/Goldeye/Mooneye, Frogs, WaterDogs and uncooked Shrimp will be on the menses for them hungry piggy's.

Location...they are on the move now, they tend to find you quickly if your bait is fresh.

Skeeters are plenty hungry too....so be well prepared for them.

[Ed Carlson]

Had a very good afternoon fishing trip out on the Red yesterday. I fished a area where a drain was feeding into the Red and a huge amount of minnows were milling about at the mouth of the drain.

Large clouds of these Mud minnows were the cause for a massive school of Mooneye and cats to be in the mood to feed aggressively. Found a few pike in there, some sauger, and even a 3 pound Small Mouth Bass.

All were caught on crankbaits, 14 channel cats total all on cranks....and they hit the cranks hard...THUD!

Lots of fun to get into cats that are on the hunt. The tips I have there is use a shallow running crank, like a #4 Hornet or a SSR #7 Shad Rap, even over deeper water near the mouth of a drain where forage is milling in and out. Cats are predators and they often suspend on the channel and bust up on minnows near the surface. That is those big slashes you see out in the channel.... cats feeding....not carp.

The cats are fat and feeding heavy now. If you see aggressive feeding like this, get the cranks out, it is a blast.

[Scoot]

I've only found the right scenerio to do this a couple times, but man is Ed right- it's a hoot! Thanks for the report, Ed.

[Ed Carlson]

I seen a definable pattern this weekend of cats moving in the channel and not lingering too long anywhere. Dams were a bust for me, not much going on at the dams.

Food is on the move and it appears the cats are doing the same. If anything I would say they have set into a channel run pattern and it's time to "Hit and Run" snags with an emphasis on deeper snags and channel edges.

From shore, I would work the top side and bottom side of sharp bends with deeper holes. Add wood to that formula, and your on a likely structure that will see more fish checking it out.

Lots of food available, so they appear to turn on and off just as quickly. Unstable weather may have had something to do with this, hard to say?

[Ed Carlson]

Waterdogs are a Hot Bait right now guys. They have been producing big cats here in the FM Red River area.

[still floats guy]

Went out last night by myself with cut sucker and waterdogs. I fished from 6-9. Here is the chart of what I caught and saw:

Catfish

33 inch - 29 inch - 2x27 inch - 23 inch - 2x 17 inch

Most of these fish were pretty fat. They have clearly been eating well since the spawn.

Drum - Huge drum measured 25.5 inches and caught on a sucker head

I also saw three deer, a beaver, and 2 flocks of turkeys and zero boats. I haven't seen turkeys sitting in the trees in a long time. It was a perfect night. Don't let anyone tell you that all the good fishing is in Grand Forks and Drayton.

[Steve Foss]

Went out last night by myself with cut sucker and waterdogs. I fished from 6-9. Here is the chart of what I caught and saw:

Catfish

33 inch - 29 inch - 2x27 inch - 23 inch - 2x 17 inch

Most of these fish were pretty fat. They have clearly been eating well since the spawn.

Drum - Huge drum measured 25.5 inches and caught on a sucker head

I also saw three deer, a beaver, and 2 flocks of turkeys and zero boats. I haven't seen turkeys sitting in the trees in a long time. It was a perfect night. Don't let anyone tell you that all the good fishing is in Grand Forks and Drayton.

Great report!

[catchnothing]

sounds like fun. are there plenty of boat launches? I'm thinking about a trip up there

thanks

[Ed Carlson]

I explored a few favorite haunts on the Red and it's tribs yesterday, looking for typical seasonal patterns on walleye and cats.

What I found was the walleye were hitting cranks, as they appear to be feeding on young of the year Drum (AKA Sheaphead)....typical for August and September. Lighter tones of high contrasting patterns in mid to deep divers do well for me, close to current on the dams.

This pattern tends to fade in and out as the flow increases and decreases with the rains...slower flows is often better for this pattern. Bulked up 4" to 5" twisters on 3/8 jigs very often do well here too.

Cats...they were hungry. Slip floats and cuts and wad's of dead minnows produced steady action for me on the dams. They appear to be minnow feeding fairly aggressively on this presentation. Plenty of Goldeye and Drum action too, very much a mixed bad...fun.

The rivers are surprisingly clean for the amount of run off due to the rains we have seen recently. This tends to get the ball rolling for early fall walleye action. Multi-species action is the name of the game in early fall.

Good times ahead is my forecast for fall.

[Ed Carlson]

High water levels have stained the Rivers to dark and turbid slowing the walleye action on the Red River. Yet if you explore up into the now clearing tributaries of the Red River, the bite can be found.

Exciting evening and night bites exist. Frogs and larger minnows are top offerings for walleye in the fall. As the water cools and clears, more minnowbait style crankbaits will show results, especially for big sumo sized trophy class walleye.

The catfish bite continues to produce heavy fish in the main channel, and on up into the trib's. Again frogs are the hot bait along with sucker cuts. Waterdogs have been doing very well but the supply has dried up for the season and should be easily replaced with frogs now heading to the water from the fields to winter.

As the water cools the rivers clear, baring any new gully washers like we had a week ago to the South and North. For now, if your seeking walleye, look up into the various contributing branches feeding into the Red and you will find active fish.

Rigging Lighted Floats at night have been especially good for catfish and walleye. It is a productive and fun method to present bait in flooded grass and shallow waters up in the trib's.

In general, fall is my personal favorite time of the year for fishing. And it is the best time of the calendar year to find that trophy fish of a lifetime.

Good luck, and good fish'n. Enjoy the fall weather and all it's majestic scenery.

[Ed Carlson]

The walleye frog bite is on and very good. The drop in temps has pushed the frogs to the water and the walleye are hot to feed up.

Cats are on too, and can show a preference for sucker as well as frogs, but they seldom pass on the frog.

We just got in a nice batch of frogs here at the Fargo Gander Mountain Bait Shop. They were in short supply but the timing is good as they fish are on them big time.

I would plan for Fatheads and Frogs to be on the menu for some time now. I have been doing very well on jigs and frogs in the shallows near the first break on muddy bottoms.

The fall bite..is on!

[Ed Carlson]

Got out a bit late last night, cranks did well, slower on the jigs. I had more faith in the cranks so I got stubborn and stuck with them...a bit too much maybe?

Headed out now to test a few prime morning spots close to home...then off to work latter.

It's A bit nipply this morning, I'll have my Vex gear on for sure....Burr.

[Ed Carlson]

Mostly "Snot rockets" for me last outing, the pike are plenty hungry in my spots.

A couple real sows showed up up North a bit on the Buffalo and the MN Wild Rice in the past few days. 11# plus walleyes, all on frogs. Sumo's pork'n up for winter.

I may need to expand my search a bit, my spots have been slow for eyes recently...time to TRAX on down the road and find some new hunting grounds I think.

[Ed Carlson]

The walleye bite continues to improve with the clearing waters. The main river is producing much better now. But do not overlook the tributary rivers either.

As the water clears you will see a more prevalent nocturnal walleye bite. As of now, it has been good day and night with late afternoon being noticeably better and early evening.

The fish are remarkably shallow and running the breaks along the shoreline and mud flats at night. Do not be surprised to catch big eyes in 2' or less at night.

Minnows and frogs continue to be the best bets, with shallow running cranbaits increasingly doing better after dark.

Good fish'n.