Upper Red Lake Fishing Reports by Outdoors with JonnyP

[CrappieFshr651]

Never been to Red gonna have to come up this winter for sure.

[Bobb-o]

Looks like a good time Jonny, may have to get up that way this winter

[CrappieFshr651]

Is there an existant slab crappie but up there anymore? I know its been slowing down the last few years since walleyes have been on the comeback.

[BassFisherman]

Thinking of coming up next weekend. Whats a good depth to start out in for some Walleyes? Also can you get to some good spots by walking or do I need to get the snowmobiles out...??haha

[Random guy]

Is there an existant slab crappie but up there anymore? I know its been slowing down the last few years since walleyes have been on the comeback.

A few show up here and there. In fact Tyler from Bear Paw sent me a crappie picture just today.

[Random guy]

Thinking of coming up next weekend. Whats a good depth to start out in for some Walleyes? Also can you get to some good spots by walking or do I need to get the snowmobiles out...??haha

Ealry season shallow works. 7-11 feet of water. All within walking distanc if need be. I would bring the sleds as that opens up alot of ice all to yourself.

[BassFisherman]

Is that basically 7-11 feet of water anywhere round the shore? Or should I look for the shallow humps and stuff? Havnt targeted walleyes much during winter so tryin to figure out what I'm doing before I head out haha.

[Random guy]

Well you are like me fishing largemouth bass. My girlfriend is a bass fisherwoman, actually offspring of a bass tournamnet angler. She has to guide me as I don't know a dang thing about largemouth. So I know the feeling.

Walleye are going to crowd the shore until the ice gets about 18-24 inches this or gets snow on it. Once the water gets dark they will head to mid lake structure and start working the mid lakes flats. This normally happens around new years. Some walleye will stay behind and hunt the waters at dawn and dusk just of the break line where it drops off from 6 feet deep. Most will move out and following the forage tomorrow fertile mid winter waters 11 feet and deeper.

For right now walk out until you find 7-10 feet of water and catch a bunch of fish as they are freakin everywhere right now. Also check with the local bait shops, always the latest in what when and where.

[BassFisherman]

Hahaha well thanks much Jonny! Really appreciate it and I can't wait to come up and catch some.

[kelly-p]

Is there an existant slab crappie but up there anymore? I know its been slowing down the last few years since walleyes have been on the comeback.

When the “crappie boom” started nobody knew they were there because crappies very seldom get caught in the test nets and nobody was fishing for them. Nobody caught any little crappies then but here we are years later with big crappies showing up here and there. You can't have big crappies without little crappies first. My feeling is that the little crappies end up in the deeper water in LRL. When they get mature/big enough to spawn they make the “run” in late winter/spring to URL where it warms up quicker to spawn. Maybe LRL has a lot of smaller crappies right now waiting to make their run to URL. We do not know. Maybe there was a pretty good run of crappies last March and April. We do not know because during the “boom” there were 5,000 fishermen out looking for them. Last March there were only 5 to 10 fishermen looking for them and it is a big lake for 10 fishermen to search. I know one fishermen that caught about 150 crappies last winter. But he is the only fishermen that I know of targeting crappies.

We will never have anything like the “Crappie boom” again but I can see the day when some lone fisherman ends up in just the right spot and nails big crappies. The next day him and a few friends head out and discover that he just on the edge of the school and it builds from there. The “crappie boom” started with one fisherman, Bill Thayer, in the right spot at the right time. What if he had gone to a different place that day? What if he had not fished that day? What if he had moved on to the next “hot lake”? Would the “crappie boom” have ever happened? In fact about the 3rd or 4th day that Bill and his friends were on the crappies a small group of us were on our way out to Center Bar to look for crappies. We stopped by their portables to see if they wanted to tag along. They thought that they would stay right there seeing as they were already set up. We went the 5 or 6 miles on out to Center Bar and didn’t find any crappies. About a week later we found out that as we were talking to them through the walls of their portables they were holding their crappies down so we would not hear them flopping on the floor of their portables.

We’ve come full circle. Someday in some late March a lone fisherman miles from anyone will drill a hole and drop his flasher down and see the bottom light up and pound a bunch of big crappies. He’s going to call a friend and say, “Don’t tell anyone, but,,,,,”.

[Beaver15]

So how did Bill first stumble upon them?? Where was he fishing?? Was he alone?? Was he targeting crappies?? Or looking for perch?? Just curious.

The crappie boom is an amazing story, and it will be told for generations.

[scott-z]

Have you noticed this to be a morning/evening bite only, or is there a mid day bite also? I think Shae and I are going to do a day trip on Friday and then head back to the cabin Friday evening and do some bird hunting on Saturday.

[Random guy]

2-4 in the afternoon has been the peak for me.

[scott-z]

Bankers hours....Gotta like that! I will get a hold of you and your dad if we make it up. Thanks Jonny.

[Random guy]

Call his new "little pone" I enjoy watching him search through all of his pockets then trying to run the little keys with the sausage mits.

[moose099]

Jonny,

You are crule , just no respect for the one that taught you everything. See you soon my friend.

[Random guy]

Trust me when you see the wheres my phone hokey pokey dance it will crack you up. 15 years of bag phones this little phone is a big change in life.

[shaky legs2]

He better hang on to it when he is visiting. I don't know if we have another rescue operation left in us.

[JakeJ_Mn]

Maybe the map of URL over the cities - should only show the fishable areas of state waters. There are thousands of acres not available.

[Random guy]

The map was to illustrate how big of an ice sheet we are dealing with. What happens on the west end does effect the east end. Just ask the anglers whom have been stranded the last week.

[scott-z]

I will do that. Although I am re-thinking my plans with the forecast. I heard a high of about 8 degrees with wind. What are you hearing up your way? A strong wind in a portable sucks!

[kelly-p]

I will do that. Although I am re-thinking my plans with the forecast. I heard a high of about 8 degrees with wind. What are you hearing up your way? A strong wind in a portable sucks!

Just sit in the truck with the heat on and watch the kid fish that's what I used to do.

addition

See, Jon was doing fine once he got his hole drilled.

[ENMIFDAD]

Sooooo, "sit in the truck"...

We can drive our giant trucks out?

How thick is the ice?

Do I need an extention?

How much snow is there?

Where are the Crappies?

Will the Crappies ever be back?

Serious question though. What is the least amount of snow you have ever seen on the lake? How often are trucks running all over with no snow? How do you hide then? I have been coming up for the past 4 years and there is always A LOT! Last year being rediculous.

[scott-z]

If I could drive out I would for sure make the trip, but I am leaning towards not coming right now. That picture of Jonny is awesome. I think he was still wearing that same snowmobile suit last year!

[kelly-p]

Quote:

Serious question though. What is the least amount of snow you have ever seen on the lake?

The year we put the first cribs in (97?)there was no snow on the lake and no pressure ridges either. Maybe 3 fishermen too.

Quote:

How often are trucks running all over with no snow?

From what I have seen everyone is being very careful. Even Buddy!!!! With the bite being so good close in to shore nobody is tearing off across the lake.

[Random guy]

That picture of Jonny is awesome. I think he was still wearing that same snowmobile suit last year!

OH I remember those days.

"Dad can we go in?"

(window rolls down) "Do you have enough for dinner yet?"

"NO"

"Keep jigging." (window rolls back up and newspaper propped back up.)

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Classic picture!!

Hey, small cars going out of Westwind this weekend...??

[BLACKJACK]

OH I remember those days.

"Dad can we go in?"

(window rolls down) "Do you have enough for dinner yet?"

"NO"

"Keep jigging." (window rolls back up and newspaper propped back up.)

Classic!!!

Can't wait to get back up there in January!!

[shaky legs2]

I sat with him in the truck one night. Okay, here was the sequence: Drag on the coffin nail, take a drink and set it on the dash, jiggle the rod out the window, etc,. Pretty soon the stories started to flow. At the end of the night Kelly had to get out of the truck to kick his bobber loose from the ice. Was it the stories or the beverages??? p.s. Thanks for the ride home Kelly.

[kelly-p]

After you walk 3/8s of a mile across the lake with a drink for me and not spill a drop I sure couldn't let it go to waste.