St. Louis River Fishing Reports

[Northlander]

Both mornings and afternoons are good. Some are just better than others.

Im passing on fishing in the morning as well. I have a feeling Ill be snowblowing and shoveling instead.

I will say it seems like the afternoon bite has been a bit longer. The past 4 mornings seemed like a very short window. Afternoons have seen the bite start about 3pm to 3:30.

[gritsnham]

As long as you can get down and out on the ice safely it is always worth it! My best morning this year was after failing to get bait but still going out on the ice and catching fish on artificials which is always fun. The bay fish seem to be one tough breed to figure out and weather never seems to affect them the same as other fish systems (even for a river) I will either hit the morning or the afternoon maybe both if I can get to bed early enough

[Poacher's pariah]

Catchsomefish, Lundgren's Taxidermy in Hawthorne WI consistently ranks among the best in show at nearly every competition he enters. He's done all but one of my mounts(the first was done before I met him, and that mount has degraded significantly from it's original state. Don't buy a mount based on price. A cheap mount will look, well, cheap, soon after it's completed. You don't want a catch of a lifetime looking like a chew-toy in a couple years just because you wanted to save some dough. Don't get me wrong. There are a number of very skilled taxidermists around, but there are a lot of hacks as well. Choose wisely, my friend.

[Effie07]

Coming out to visit my sister this weekend and ready to try this bay fishing I have been reading about throughout this forum. My fishing buddy with her Barbie Rod and Lindy Rainbow Flyer is more excited than I am, good reason since she did outfish me at Rainy Lake two weekends ago. Based on what I have read, we'll take a shot in the dark and be fishing somewhere just out from the landing on Saturday morning and then try and find some structure to fish for the evening. I'll be in the Clam x4 won in a fishing derby last weekend. If you see a 40" tall girl running circles around an x4, feel free to stop over and say hi. I'll post an update of our first bay experience on tuesday with maybe a picture or two if we're lucky.

[jwmiller33]

it is pretty cool how this thread has been going ALL of ice season... pretty cool to go back and read the whole thing if you have time... from first ice to the end of walleye season at the end of this month, this thread is packed full of great information, tips, and stories. nice work guys!

[Cooper26]

Does anybody know if the Garmin Etrex would be able to use the Lakemaster chip?? Thanks

[Jack Stasney]

Cooper26 I have one on order from MG right now for my Etrex.

[Washing Lures]

Went out last night straight out from the Whaleback on the MN side. Had 7 fish nothing over 21". Bite lasted from 4:30 to 6:00.

[blf8518]

Good luck out there effie. Sounds like you got a solid game plan for the weekend. As you said your best bet is to jump out in front of the landing a ways (I would try to either head right or left a bit) and try and find 7-11 feet of water. Morning is the better bite but there is some smaller fish to entertain during the day if you can find a map and about 22+ of water. Good luck with the little one out there. Maybe she can hook into a sturgeon for ya.....let us know how you do!

[hound32]

Just got off the ice. Pretty slow, marked 3 got 2. Hopefully some stabil weather settles in for awhile.

[Effie07]

Thanks blf, Northlander and everyone else you has contributed to this thread. It was fun to read through from the beginning and I appreciate all the info. Went to Scheels in Grand Forks, ND last night to pick up some of the popular lures such as the Rainbow Flyer, Glow orange/red buckshots and a few rattlin flyers. The salesman in ice fishing supplied my daughter with a free pink Scheels hat and just requested a picture from our trip in return, she was ready to go this morning when we woke up. We will also be fishing Sunday evening and possibly Monday morning, we'll see how fishing is and how much she wants to go skiing as that is also on the agenda for the weekend.

[fishologist]

Does anybody know if the Garmin Etrex would be able to use the Lakemaster chip?? Thanks

Make sure to check the garmin site regarding the lakemaster chip. Not all of the etrex models support it. Found that out the hard way....

[Northlander]

Just got off the ice. Pretty slow, marked 3 got 2. Hopefully some stabil weather settles in for awhile.

Same for me this morning. Tried a new area for me that has had a chance to cool down for a bit. Only really saw 3 or 4 walleyes and got 2. Biggest being about 20". Both tossed back for Effie and his daughter to hook into.

[Effie07]

And we'll send them back down for the second time this week for you lucky locals to play with until March 1st.

[Brad F]

Fished yesterday from about 4-6pm. Was between Barkers and the north end of the airport in 15FOW, MN side. Marked 4 fish, caught 1 'eye jigging with lindy rattlin flyer and minnow head. Had a bobber line which never got a look. How is everyone's presentation? I was pounding the bottom a few times, brought it up when I saw one and only got 1 hit of 4 fish marked. The other 3 sniffed my bait and floated away. Is that about what everyone else is doing? Any hints appreciated.

[andrew chadwick]

how can you tell if they are walleyes, and not ruffies or gobies on the vex? From what i can tell is if they come up off the bottom they are not eyes, if they just appear on your lure they are walleye?

[hound32]

All the eyes and ruffies will come off the bottom. The ruffies spook very easily when you move your bait . also if you set your vex or marcum right the size is very different between the two..... The ruffies will dive bomb the bottom after they come up to check what's on your line.

[Northlander]

Ya like hound said if your flasher is set right you can tel size wise. Unless its a 8" walleye wich I havent caught any of. The ruffies seem to come up on stuff sitting, sniff and maybe nibble and when you move your bait they FLY to the bottom. The perch I have caught look like a ruffie on the flasher but dont FLY to the bottom when you move the bait.

When its slow its sort of fun to try and actually catch the ruffies. Of course kill them, dont put them back in the water.

[Jarrid Houston]

Just got off the bay. Going to upper lake st croix for crappie night bite. Fished close to the whaleback but on the mn side. Right next to that house that looks like a mirror. I was in 26 fow jigging the bejesus out of a pink tear drop and waxie. Managed to catch 3 eyes all of which I let go to see another day. They were small anyway. Was suprised nothing touched my dead stick with a minnow but it was the middle of the day. Ice was singing today!!! Later fmers

[Northlander]

Next time get rid of the tear drop and waxie and use a spoon and minnow head or jig and minnow. I take it you were fishing right in the channel?

The deadsticks have been DEAD for me lately as well. Its been a slow bite lately so dont feel bad.

[redryder]

Was out tonight from about 3 to 6. Marked lots of smaller fish. Caught one small one on a rattlin' flyer and minnow head in about 10 ft. of water. Most of the fish would just come up and look at the offering and disappear.

[Northlander]

Been a lot of that lately redryder.

[SKIPPERS KID]

I have never seen so much talk about the river and big fish being kept and where people are fishing in a long time or a life time. I hope more people get out there and enjoy what we had and in a few years when the fishing is very slow we all can say you should have seen 2010 and how many fish where kept. Well if we let those fish spawn there might be some to catch in the future? Or if we let the ones we catch go we can enjoy the fight another day, This would be great. Well I hope you all have fun and keep the camera handy there are more Big fish to come in and practice CPR on some fish. We had this same thing happen 5 years ago and to take this long to be good again I would not like it to take this long again to rebound?? So let more go than you keep they do not stalk the river with Walleyes it is all natural spawning and now VHS what next man? Well use good judgement on what you take home just my 2 cents.

[Philip Hart]

That's the way it goes! Next year it could be another hot spot. The river is a consistent producer of walleyes. It will remain stable. I have caught alot of river walleyes(not the superior ones) River walleye grow alot faster then the normal lake ones. Plus with the regulation being only 2 fish that is also keeping alot of fish safe. I think we will have a good fishery in the bay and river for years to come. I think what has happened is people finally realize that you can fish the river. Some much talk about how the river is dirty and polluted over the years has scared many people off.

[Northlander]

Guys I think the main reason we have so much traffic on the Bay is that the area lakes have had terrible travel conditions most of the year. So the majority of guys dont have sleds and wheelers and they can get on the bay. That and the fishing was great.

Seems like the 1st big wave of fish have moved through so we are just waiting for the next "Run".

To many fishermans credit I dont know of 1 person who is keeping the over 20"ers. I have heard of a few guys keeping a "Trophy" but that happens every year down there.

I think a lot of things came together this year for the bay to be producing so well. Perfect ice conditions, cleaner water than usual, a big early run of fish, a long full moon phase and more and more fish are staying in the river/bay year round.

As SK says keep your 2 eaters but take pics of them big ones. Keep a true trophy if you have to (28" and up) but I also would rather see pics taken and a replica made but I will never tell anyone they cant keep a trophy fish.

Ill keep pecking away at them to see if we get back into another batch of nice eyes.

[blf8518]

I think northlander nailed it on the head. There is literally next to nobody fishing the area lakes to due to travel concerns. That slush really messed up driving. Also as he stated earlier, the first run of fish did go through....be patient....stuff will show up in time. The advice people give on here only helps when there are actually fish under the hole. With that being said, it seems that this year, just a little more effort can provide that much more action! Good luck out there everyone

[lotalota]

Say what you want about the fishery and what it can support, the fact is there are going to be fewer large breeding females up river this spring. There are going to be a lot fewer fish over all.

Regardless of inland lake conditions the river is getting hit harder each year. I'd bet that the pressure on the river this week alone is more than the river saw in an entire winter season 10 years ago. The standard search on this site is poor but if you review post histories of the site's members you'll find that ice fishing on the St Louis River was a rare topic when this site used to be called FishingMinnesota. Pick an FMer of your choice and look at their post history. See when the STL started showing up in their posts during the winter season. There was the annual Poutfest up by Boyscout and some crappie stuff but, aside from that, not too much in the way of reports. Now, this year, we have a thread that has received over 15,000 hits, not to mention the hailed "Almost 5 million visits to HSO last year" on the banner header. Guys come and go on boards like this but I think most of us on the board go through different stages after we sign on. Lurk some, post questions, get to know some guys, report some. Then at some point maybe realize that the detail you're putting in your post is getting read by a lot more people than the couple buddies you've met on the board. It used to be like that but it isn't anymore. Posts that used to get 100 hits now get 5,000 hits. Exactly what impact do you think this will have on the traffic on the river? Shush inland or not, it's going to bring guys flocking to the river at a chance for one of those 18 fish nights with one measuring at 28 3/4 of an inch. You're not doing yourself or the area you fish any favors by posting about how hot your spot is right now. Guys are going to read your post, load up the gear and head down to check it out. To that extent, you're not doing them any favors either. These reports are the proverbial calculator in the classroom. A giant shortcut to taking the time to learn the river and why the fish are where they are. I am an explorer on the water so spend a lot of time busting before I find that boom location. I've virtually given up searching on the flat this winter because I am sooooo sick of finding a nice little break, weedbed, or whatever that's holding fish only to have someone pull up right on top of me. The most recent one involves a permanent that set up literally right on the holes I've been fishing lately where there are no other fisherman for maybe a quarter mile. To say I am frustrated would be an understatement. I can only guess that these guys drove over the bridge, saw an isolated shack, thought to themselves (or posted on this thread) "I wonder what they're on", and bee lined there. It's so much simpler than picking up a chart and finding your own spot. Why not?

My point here is to kind of second SK's thoughts and ask that you think about what you're posting before you post it. Realize that the report you're putting out there will likely put more guys on your location and decide if you want that and if the fishery can handle it. Realize that there is a difference between reporting on an easily identified location and something like tips on speed/color/depth combinations trolling the big lake. I'm not saying don't help people learn the sport. I've spent a lot of time at the access, on the river edge, or on the ice chatting with guys who are out there trying to get it right. They aren't sitting at home "wondering if it's worth the effort" to get there. They're there. Maybe I can help, maybe they help me but that's the community that we hope is "out there" on the water. Well, for the winter season, that hope for me ran out when that permanent settled in.

lota lota...

[tacklejunkie]

Say what you want about the fishery and what it can support, the fact is there are going to be fewer large breeding females up river this spring. There are going to be a lot fewer fish over all. If you don't believe it will have an impact call one of the DNR offices and chat with the guys that study the river for a living and see what they think.

Regardless of inland lake conditions the river is getting hit harder each year. I'd bet that the pressure on the river this week alone is more than the river saw in an entire winter season 10 years ago. The standard search on this site is poor but if you review post histories of the site's members you'll find that ice fishing on the St Louis River was a rare topic when this site used to be called FishingMinnesota. Pick an FMer of your choice and look at their post history. See when the STL started showing up in their posts during the winter season. There was the annual Poutfest up by Boyscout and some crappie stuff but, aside from that, not too much in the way of reports. Now, this year, we have a thread that has received over 15,000 hits, not to mention the hailed "Almost 5 million visits to HSO last year" on the banner header. Guys come and go on boards like this but I think most of us on the board go through different stages after we sign on. Lurk some, post questions, get to know some guys, report some. Then at some point maybe realize that the detail you're putting in your post is getting read by a lot more people than the couple buddies you've met on the board. It used to be like that but it isn't anymore. Posts that used to get 100 hits now get 5,000 hits. Exactly what impact do you think this will have on the traffic on the river? Shush inland or not, it's going to bring guys flocking to the river at a chance for one of those 18 fish nights with one measuring at 28 3/4 of an inch. You're not doing yourself or the area you fish any favors by posting about how hot your spot is right now. Guys are going to read your post, load up the gear and head down to check it out. To that extent, you're not doing them any favors either. These reports are the proverbial calculator in the classroom. A giant shortcut to taking the time to learn the river and why the fish are where they are. I am an explorer on the water so spend a lot of time busting before I find that boom location. I've virtually given up searching on the flat this winter because I am sooooo sick of finding a nice little break, weedbed, or whatever that's holding fish only to have someone pull up right on top of me. The most recent one involves a permanent that set up literally right on the holes I've been fishing lately where there are no other fisherman for maybe a quarter mile. To say I am frustrated would be an understatement. I can only guess that these guys drove over the bridge, saw an isolated shack, thought to themselves (or posted on this thread) "I wonder what they're on", and bee lined there. It's so much simpler than picking up a chart and finding your own spot. Why not?

My point here is to kind of second SK's thoughts and ask that you think about what you're posting before you post it. Realize that the report you're putting out there will likely put more guys on your location and decide if you want that and if the fishery can handle it. Realize that there is a difference between reporting on an easily identified location and something like tips on speed/color/depth combinations trolling the big lake. I'm not saying don't help people learn the sport. I've spent a lot of time at the access, on the river edge, or on the ice chatting with guys who are out there trying to get it right. They aren't sitting at home "wondering if it's worth the effort" to get there. They're there. Maybe I can help, maybe they help me but that's the community that we hope is "out there" on the water. Well, for the winter season, that hope for me ran out when that permanent settled in.

lota lota...

I'm not an ice fisherman but what you say is true. Even after the river started cleaning up and the walleye fishing improved, I don't remember seeing anywhere near the ice fisherman as I've seen in the last few years out there. I see them doting the surface of the ice in the bay as I drive over the bridge on my way to(yechh) work.

Even in the open water period, it seems the boat landings are getting more and more crowded

[Washing Lures]

lota- remember you can always get a couple of shacks and set up a 10 ft radius around the perm.

[LoonASea]

Well said Lota Lota !!!

I will share my hot bite tips with a cell phone and forgo the internet ,,,FM is a great place to meet other people who like to fish and share ideas ,,,But mentioning a body of water ,,, well I have learned my lesson

Any way good post Scott and I just added my 2 cents

LAS