Crappies on Rainy

[shek]

We are thinking of taking a houseboat this summer and my old man has been fishing walleye up there for 30 yrs. Are there good crappies spots on the lower east side by Kettle? My old man only fishes for walleye and I want to find some big crappies.

No spots just tendencies during the summer and winter.

Also is it worth going over there for winter crappies.

Thanks

[fishmeister_86]

Hi Shek,

Are you fishing Canada???

Sincerely,

Fishmeister

[shek]

Both sides of the line. I think we will get a Canadian license.

thanks

[fishmeister_86]

Hi Shek,

Kettle sits by Hale Bay & Stokes Bay, both have huge crappies. Both bays are in Canada.

Sincerely,

Fishmeister

[shek]

Thanks. I think my dad actually has fished them in Stokes. Nothing in MN?

What about further up the lake? We haven't fished too much west of the windmill. Does Brown's or anderson's bay have anything?

Thanks a lot for the info.

[ryan_schmidt]

Hey Shek,

You can catch crappies on the Minnesota side on the east end in the fall. Theres a couple spots in the Kettle River and a few spots outside the River. I've fished those same spots many times in July and August and only caught eyes, but for whatever reason they migrate into these areas in the fall. Its usually after the first or second good frost. They migrate over from Stokes, Hale, and the Rat River. The later in the fall the better it gets usually, and like fishmeister said they're huge crappies. Hope this helps.

[shek]

Thanks a lot for the info.

[fishmeister_86]

Hi F.mers,

Went crappie fishing today. Just got my line down & some guy who was fishing a couple hundred yards away & knocked on my tent, saying hey can you help us, I said I will be over there in a minute. When I get over there, I see its 4 guys from the Falls, they have a 660 4 stroke that won't start. My buddy Darrell said they do not start in cold weather, he said they came out with a turbo which starts great, but this model is nothing but problems., so for the next 3 hours we work at getting their gear, houses & the guys off the ice. Darrell & I start fishing about 3:00 & only fished about a hour, but did manage to keep 8. I had one 2.2 lbs. So it was an eventful day!!! 40 feet of water...10 feet off the bottom.

Sincerely,

Fishmeister

[shek]

Wow, well done. That's sounds kind of counter intuitive for a sled not to start when it's cold.

[ChuckN]

they have a 660 4 stroke that won't start. My buddy Darrell said they do not start in cold weather, he said they came out with a turbo which starts great, but this model is nothing but problems.,

Not to hijack post, FYI - fishmeister - if you run into these guys again, I own the first 660 Cat 4 stroke, and it's been super reliable even down to -20, it starts better than any of my vehicles. Synthetic oil makes a world of difference. One minor issue with this model is the small relay plugs inside the fuse box. Sometimes after riding and shutting down in real cold weather, the fuel pump relay acts up and you're not going anywhere. It's a simple fix though through trial and error; pull the relays, warm them in your hand or pocket, re-insert and they will work. There are 4 of them, they are interchangeable so if one goes bad you can make the engine go without your handwarmers or something. It's an odd design, but it can spook you out thinking you're stranded.

There's always the emergency pull strap around the clutch too. Never had to try that.

Good luck next time.

[fishmeister_86]

Hi Chuck,

That is outstanding information & I'm going to bring your info to the guy who owns the sled. Appreciate that!!!

Sincerely,

Fishmeister

[ChuckN]

I've ridden these machines (two in the family) since 2002. Email with any questions... chunord at yahoo dot com

Looks like I'll be up there next month for my first Rainy ice fishing trip. May have to ask for some tips before the trip.

[NWBAY]

Chuck,

I'm the guy with the 660 4 stroke that Dave helped off the lake on Sunday. I appreciate the information on what the issue is with the relays.

I bought the sled used this year. It is a 2006 and had 295 miles on it. I had an issue with bad gas and fouled plugs initially. The thing ran great up until this latest incident and had me wanting to dump the thing.

Are there any other tips you have regarding this machine?

Your input is very much appreciated!!!!

Thanks!

Kirby

[Dock Boy]

NW Bay, Quick question. I'm actually looking at purchasing a used 2006 bear cat 660 turbo with 480 miles on it. If you don't mind me asking how much did you get yours for? Thanks

[fishmeister_86]

Hey Kirby,

Thanks alot for the gift cert., Darrell & I did not really want anything for helping you guys out, as thats just part of fishing. We all need a hand sometimes, but anyway we do appreciate the gesture. I did weigh a crappie at Sportmans Service that weighed 2.3 lbs. about 24 hours later. A pig!!! Sounds like Chuck has some great advice for you.

Also Chuck when you come up, let me know when your coming & I will try to hook you up on some spots.

Thanks Again,

Sincerely,

Fishmeister

[ChuckN]

Dave: I'll look you up before our planned trip.

NWBAY:

I have been looking to update to a 2006+ model, but elected to give my old girl another year or??

Fouling plugs? Never heard of that...must have been some bad gas!

I'm curious what exactly happened with your machine, symptom-wise. Is your's a turbo or non-turbo? I don't know much of anything about the turbo model, so unsure if there are differences.

Usually when a fuel pump relay acts up (like on mine), you turn the key on and headlights will come on, engine will turn over but the engine will not fire. You should also hear the fuel pump turn on (humming sound) when the ignition is turned on. If not, take these small, square relays out of the fuse box...warm them up and re-install. It's the strangest thing. I carry one spare in case of failure, just in case. I don't know the specs on the 2006 model, but it should be the same or similar?

[NWBAY]

Dock Boy,

I think I got a pretty good deal at $3000.00

Thanks.

[NWBAY]

ChuckN.

The sypmtoms are exactly how you describe. The lights will come on and the motor will turn over but there is no "Humming" from the fuel pump. Usually once it sits for about an hour the fuel pump will work again - weird????

The unusual thing is that it does not happen on a consistant basis.

Do you know of anyone who may have alerted Artic Cat about this issue?

Thanks again for the tip on how to get the machine running!!!

[ChuckN]

Glad I could help. I was spooked out the first time I experienced it myself while fishing (alone). It was cold while working under the hood, and I stumbled across the issue by trial and error. I was back home a little later than expected. Now when it happens (rarely) it takes a couple minutes to fix.

Cat wouldn't do anything about it. I followed other snowmobile websites on issues of relays actually failing and they recommended carrying a spare. I do that. But, never had one fail...just freeze up. Even brand new relays have showed this issue, and only the fuel pump one.

BTW-if this machine ticks you off so much I'll take it off your hands. You got a steal of a deal, btw.

[fishkab]

ChuckN,

I have a 660T and found a remote start kit on line. It is great. The remote also has a button that will automatically start and warm up the sled when the engine temp. gets to 4 degree below. Cold days are not a problem now, the sled is always warmed up and ready to go and you can stay in the shack and keep warm.

Just a thought.

Fishkab

[NWBAY]

ChuckN,

Thanks for your input! Bizarre that the relay for the fuel pump would be the only one to pose an issue.

I have ordered a relay as we do not have a dealership anymore in Int'l Falls.

If I decide to get rid of the sled I will let you know 1st.

Thanks again!!!!

Kirby

[slurpie]

I am jealous you guys have crappies like that up there. Been thinking of taking a trip there for a couple of years. Fished it once in the summer with a buddy and had fun. I bought the chip this fall and have looked at it alot. Would lakemaster also be the best bet for a paper map. And is there spots that are open water every year or to dangerous for sled travel.Thanks.

[ChuckN]

NWBAY,

Just this weekend mine acted up for the 1st time in a while, only when it was below zero. I ran for a short time, shut it down....wouldn't start. Arg. It's the right-front relay inside the fuse box.

I just found a note for the relay reference. Don't pay Cat's high priced $62 part, I cross referenced Suzuki's relay for $22.50. You can buy directly from if you google suzuki part # 38860-76F01

[Cheers]

What year sled are we talking and is it the turbo ? I have a 2005 engine in a 2006 body T660 Touring . Should I be paying attention to what you are discussing ? Thanks

[chris63]

Fishmeister,was thinking of hitting Hale&Stokes wondering what FMZ they would be.I think the limits(for crappies specifically) are different for different fish management zones.c63

[fishmeister_86]

Hi Chris,

Crappie limits are 15 for a full license, 10 if you have a conservation license. I would be careful, as that is a long jaunt, and you may hit alot of slush. I forsure would not pull a sled. I HATE slush, and when your traveling 40 miles up the lake, you don't want to get stranded., its also a long trip if you don't hit the crappies. We travel long distances sometimes when lake trout fishing. We all have long track sleds & have built boxes designed to hold all of our equipment & our augers ride atop the box. If we want to bring tents, some of us have pop up tents. I have a 6x8 that I can put over the top of my snowmobile & can sit on the seat & fish. This is nice as I can keep my feet off the snow & ice, keep warm & it keeps my sled warm. The older I get, the more I like this setup.

Sincerely,

Fishmeister

[chris63]

Fish,thanks for the info as always!c63PS-you guys will need to build a bigger cargo box if you keep catching 2.3 pounders.15*2.3 is 34.5 pounds of slabbers!yum!c63

[fishmeister_86]

Hi Chris,

I could tell you crappie stories you wouldn't believe...there are crappies up here that would make UNCLE JOSH jealous.

Sincerely,

Fishmeister

[shek]

Fish,

What's the biggest crappie you've heard of out of Rainy?

[fishmeister_86]

Hi Shek,

I know of a mounted 3 lb., caught by a buddy of mine, Scott Skifstrom. I also have fished alot with Scott, my personal best is 2lb.10oz., Scott was also with me when that fish was caught. We have a picture from the 80's with 15 crappies, smallest 2.4 largest 2.10, the same year a Canadian fishing the same area pulled a crappie out 3.10, that would be the largest I ever heard of caught on Rainy. Most folks do not realize the mass it takes to make a true 2lbs. Best way to see the true weigh is at Sportsman Service as they have a meat scale. Last winter, 8 of us were on a trip & we caught alot of 2+ crappies, another good friend I fish with alot had one crappie that was 18" which is the largest crappie I had saw in the last 20 years. So this is a few of our crappie adventures.

Sincerely,

Fishmeister