Upper Red Lake Fishing Reports by Outdoors with JonnyP

[Portavilla]

Jonny,

That is a real good technique, my grandfather taught us when we were kids. I call it crippling a minnow, it works great all year. I typically go back in through the gill. Fish have a hard time passing it up. I go threw more minnows as it seems the more they kick the better have you noticed the same?

[Shallow Runner]

Trick to the Slick jig is to have the minnow hooked down through the bottom lip back in the neck or between the gills and out the top directly centered behind the skull.

Jonny, this may sound silly, but could you do a quick video on how your hook technique works. I am trying to visualize your description and am not getting it. Sounds like something I want to know about as I will be making another trip soon!

[Random guy]

Chris you have the wrong the idea. We are looking for a straight swimming action.

Shallow Runner Check this out.

[Portavilla]

Thanks Jonny I am going to add some of them to the box. They are perfect for the current bite. Any of them working better than others on Red?

[shaky legs2]

This is good information Jonny! I hook the minnow a little different (like a fireball jig) in through the mouth and push the hook as far back as you can and then out behing the skull. It's a little more tricky that way with the long shank hooks but it can be done and you never lose a minnow. I have had hits where all that was left on the hook was the head of the minnow. Jonny's way will probably result in more hook-ups. As Jonny says, the slick jig is great during daylight hours but with bog-stained waters, the rattling flyer works better at night. Slick jig colors that have been the best are the clown, golden shiner/orange color?, and rainbow? I'm not sure of what the last two are called but Jonny will know. I have also moved the knot to the back of the jig if I am not getting any bites to change up the action but the best placement as Jonny says is straight up and down. You can impart a feeding action by pounding the jig and if you want a more aggressive action you can do short 3-4" sweeps that makes the jig move in a wider arc. I will have to say that Jonny has put us on both of these jigs and I am a firm believer in their results.

[Zmar]

I do not have an extension for my auger. Coming back up Wed-Thur/Fri. Should I best get one? Jigs...1/8oz or 1/4ers?

[fishlakeman]

Hehe! And the Laughter echo's from the FM Veterans.... Zmar, for the $$ u spend going up to Red, it might be worth it to just pick one up in case. The $20 is worth not having to worry about ruining the $100's u spent on the weekend. Just a good thing to have in the truck. As far as the report, the ice should be fine without, except for some of the hot areas of broken ice where thing's stacked up together, there you may well need an extension.

Kelly or Jonny,

One question, I'm headed up in about a week, is a 12" extension enough for the broken ice, or will I need to get another 12"

[Random guy]

Depends on where you drill. If you hit a spot one exstension will not do just move over 10-20 feet and it will be different once you get off a triple stacked sheet.

[Random guy]

Had great fishing in all but a two houses yesterday, one was just barely limited but chose to stay put and the other one I’m not sure what happened but they all they can hook is pike. Thinking the big pike may be where their walleye went but they were happy as clams and didn’t want to move so we will see what this morning brings. Otherwise it was one of the best nights for steady and consistent action since we hit the ice with the shacks in December. One house was closing in on 50 fish for the day, a father son team clicked 39 fish as I walked in last night, another group decided to go for just trophy pike as they are sick of eating walleye and have a limit to take home after the second morning of a four day trip. Oh and one complaint that all they can catch is big fish. “Man, we had to catch 30 walleye over to get seven under 17 today , you need to move the house” …always a nit-picker in the group. (Yes, Jeff I’m talking about you)

For the most part it was nice to see wide spread success or improvement in the bite from 3.5 miles out all the way to 5 miles. Now we get to see what snow cover is going to do to the bite. Oh boy we have snow cover now.

[Living_The_Dream]

Ok Jonny here are the totals, 45 slot fish with the biggest being 22.5 inches before we could get to our limit of 8 keepers. . Overall for the weekend we ended up catching just under 80 walleyes, can't say enough about what a TOP notch outfit you and Kelly run. When the fishing is tough you guys seem to know where to put the houses. Can't wait for another trip. See ya soon my friend.

Jeff

[BDR]

Hey Jeff

nice fish looks like a good trip.

Like the hat too!

[Living_The_Dream]

Thanks Brian, I'm sure Sean would like it to!

Jeff

[Derek Vos]

Question for you jonny p. I want to come bowfish red for sheepshead. Is there a time of year when these fish come shallow enough to get em with a bow?

[traveler]

I would think you'd have a hard time bowfishing anything on Red, the stained water just doesn't allow for much visability.

[Random guy]

Ya, what Traveler said. That and they never get shallow enough to boil the water like carp do.

[hawgeye]

Johnny and Living hte dream,

how deep are you fishing? heading up this weekend, our house is in 12.5 and was red hot 3 weeks ago and its been slow last 2 weeks. thanks

[Fishalittle]

Last weekend we had better luck shallower. Try to find an area all alone.

[Random guy]

Depth has been spotty. Some guys are getting them in 8 feet and guys out in 13/14 are aslo getting fish. I think staying spread out is more important then anything.

[hawgeye]

Thanks for the info. We will be bouncing around this weekend, we were all alone and have had a few shacks come by us in the last 2 weeks. thanks again

[moose099]

Jonny & Kelly,

Heading up North Sun., I am looking forward to hooking up with you guys Mon and Tues. From the sounds of things the fish are still cooperating.

[Random guy]

Sounds good Moose, fishing yesterday was slower but the pike went on a small rampage. Hopefully today the anglers do a little better.

[Random guy]

Slooooooow, very very slow.

[traveler]

Yeah, we got beat by the fish pretty bad this time around. Thursday was a capitol D as in dead, yesterday was a little better but nothing to write home about. Oh well, the fish have to win sometimes.

could be we're a little spoiled this year too:)

[TylerS]

Wonderful. Week before our Red Lake trip and the bite dies.

Typical...

[Random guy]

Give a couple days of stable weather and it turns a 180. Trick is to time it right...like thats possible.

[kelly-p]

Wonderful. Week before our Red Lake trip and the bite dies.

Typical...

In one day let alone one week bite can swing back just as fast. Yesterday was one of the worst weather days there has been on the lake all winter. Nothing like what happened was forcast but the wind and snow hit like a ton of bricks. It is going to be a whole new landscape out there today because that wind was moving a lot of snow.

[traveler]

For sure...after having a half dozen great trips in a row, we were bound to get spanked one of these days! I just talked to a buddy who got up there yesterday morning and they were actually doing well yesterday...not great, but they were pleased.

I'd head back up tomorrow if I could, and would have confidence in getting back on the fish:)

[shaky legs2]

Tyler, Jonny and Kelly tell it like it is but don't despair. They have told us the same thing but what you have to remember is to be positive and things can change in a hurry. As Jonny says, a couple of day of stable weather can make a big difference. There are always fish who are looking to eat, somewhere on the lake. You just have to find them and I can assure you that the Waskish Minnow Station will do everything in their power to make that happen.

[TylerS]

Well thanks for the dose of optimism, but after countless trips to so-called fishing meccas that have come up bust, I'm apt to keep my expectations low...then drop them lower. In my circles, I'm knows as "the bite killer." You've been warned

[traveler]

when are you going to be there Tyler? I think I better make other plans for then