SOUTH RED LAKE

[dewey1980]

i know this is in the reservation, just curious about it,has there been any reports of the fishing down there from the indians or is it not fished

[laportian]

Lots of guys out fishing now. The lower lake was not iced up as fast. I've been seeing people down at battle river and a few along the cut across area all the way down to the blackduck river. Lots of guys going out of mckenzies on their south shore also. Last week heard it was a bit slower. Prior to that lots of killer reports.

[dewey1980]

should have said lower red

[laportian]

Yeah that's where im talking about, the reservation.

[fishuhalik]

laportian, thanks for chiming in! i've always wondered about this body of water. is the fishing similar to upper? how about structure? is it the same bowl shape or does it actually have some shape to the bottom?

[laportian]

It fishes a bit different. They have more structure and a few more rivers inleting into it, as well as an outlet. Lots of guys key in on the Blackduck River inlet area and the Battle River inlet area. There is also alot more variations in depth. The Red Lake DNR spent a couple summers mapping the reservation waters. They made available contour maps last winter to band members. I will try to see if i can pick one up next week and try to scan it and post it on here.

I checked from a few guys and they continued today with a slow bite. One guy had 11 in the box at quitting time this evening and another buddie had 8 he was dicing up when i called and checked on him this evening.

[kelly-p]

There is some very nice structure in the Bands waters. Also a lot of deeper waters that is where I feel that the younger and smaller crappies hang out before they appear in the States waters as 14 to 16 inch crappies.

Crappies don't hatch as 14 inch fish. They have to be growing somewhere.

[fishuhalik]

does anyone target crappies out there?

[Quackaddict9]

not me, that's for sure.

[srj]

I picked up this years goose/duck beer sticks at the Bemidji Locker Plant a couple days ago and noticed some slab filets for sale. They are from the Red Lake Fisheries, caught this winter. The locker plant was told there likely wouldn't be any more this winter. Doesn't sound like they are targeted too much by the lower lake anglers.

[dewey1980]

so how can u fish the Reservation? Thought white men not allowed

[laportian]

dewey-Your right you can't fish the big lake. The band does allow non member fishing on it's smaller lakes with a special permit.

srj-some lucky ducks probably happened upon a school crappies and turned them into the fisheries. In the spring my cousin reports that near the narrows there is an area that they fish for spawning slabs each year. Says it is crazy.

I remember in 97 or 98 I happened on some awesome crappie fishing after the RL DNR had pulled their spawning trap nets from the mouth of the Blackduck River. This was the pre boom indicator. This was a spring ritual as soon as the fisheries guys would leave we'd go right in behind them to fish for walleyes under bobbers from shore at the old blackduck bridge. By 94 all we could catch was sheephead. By 97-98 or so the crappie were in there thick. Until about 03, when I moved from Red Lake, I spent many days there catching slabs in the mouth of the river from late April into May each year.

[Bigslugger]

so how can u fish the Reservation? Thought white men not allowed

A band member is able to take out one non band member to LRL per time. That is what a band memeber from school told me anyways

[bemidjibasser]

No non band members are allowed to fish Lower Red legally period. The season for non members runs from the state opener through October 31st on a select list of smaller lakes. Then, non members must be accompanied by a band member who has a guide permit. The license for nonmembers costs $50 per year. Here is the RL DNR website: http://www.redlakednr.org/

[laportian]

No that has never been the case, non band members are forbidden to fish the reservation portion of the Red Lakes. My father is an enrolled band member and I am not. I was never allowed to be on the lake. My children are enrolled Red Lake band members and I am not allowed out with them either. When I was younger I fished Lower Red whenever I wanted and because I lived there and my family is from there most people assumed I was enrolled. Now that Im older I dont fool around on the rez waters, most of the reservation CO's know me and am always reminded to "Stay off the lake!"

[Desperado]

thanks for your input here LaPortian

you have viewpoint from both on and off the rez that most of us never will

and I, for one, find the content in your posts to be quite interesting

[bturck]

laportian: How is that your father is a band member and also your children, but you are not? Just curious as to how this works on your land. By the way great information on this thread regarding your side of the lake. Nice to see the interaction.

[DaMoose]

Not trying to answer for Laporttian, but in most tribes/bands, the parents must sign a child up with in a certain length of time of birth. If they don't you can not be a band member later.

[kelly-p]

I have a friend that is married to a Red Lake Band member. When they come up from the Metro area on a fishing trip sometimes they rent a house from us. Other times she goes out fishing with her family on the Band waters and he comes up and fishes with me on the state waters. It is a great to be able to share ideas or tips for what is working on either side of the line.

I have some Band members that come over to Waskish and rent houses every winter. It is a vacation for them just like any one else.

[laportian]

Enrollment into most tribes in the U.S. based upon blood quantum. Each tribe/band has the ability to control their own enrollment processes. By and large the vast majority of tribes set their minimum blood quantum at 1/4 blood. There are a few exceptions to this but like I said the bulk of all tribes use 1/4 as their membership level. My father was enrolled as 3/8 Red Lake and my mother was enrolled as 1/2 Leech Leech Lake. If you half each of their legal blood quatums I inherited from my father 3/16 Red Lake blood and from my mother I recieved 1/4 Leech Lake blood. I am therefore 1/16 short of the required 1/4 Red Lake blood quatum to be enrolled there. I am enrolled at Leech Lake because I have a 1/4 blood quatum from my mother. My children are enrolled Red Lake because their mother was like nearly full, 13/16, Red Lake. They are enrolled as 1/2 Red Lake because they recieve half of each parents Red Lake blood.

This gets very confusing and alot of tribes are now dealing with this blood quantum dilema as with each passing generation enrollment becomes harder. I myself am barely eligible for enrollment at Leech Lake. Red Lake put enrollment to a referendum vote two years ago and it was narrowly defeated. They will likely approach the subject again in the near future. If it passed and they lower their blood quantum or accept other Ojibwe tribes blood into their quantum I would be eligible for enrollment there.

[river rat316]

Wow, that is interesting, never knew things would be so complicated. Interesting to hear about the bands waters also, would love to see that map if you can get ahold of it.

[bturck]

LAPORTIAN:thanks for the clarification. yes it does sound somewhat confusing and can understand your people supporting a change. but sometimes change does not come easily.