Crappies?

[chris63]

Any Crappie reports or pics?Just love seeing/reading reports from Rainy!c63

[clKiekhafer]

I was up there two to three weeks ago and did quite well. We all limited out with a range from 10-15". Next year we will be a little more selective.

Check out #3293565 in the Rainy Lake Fishing Report Dated 10-2-14. More pictures and photos.

[bopper4]

Anyone recommend a guide for a late ice crappie trip? We have sleds, portables, passports and Ontario license, just never chased crappies on Rainy before.

[fishmeister_86]

Hi Bopper,

There are numerous places to fish crappies thru the ice on Rainy, porters, stokes bay, black sturgeon, rice bay, spawn inlet to name a few... Rainy has massive crappies in it, I have caught them just short of 18". Woody seems to do well guiding folks for crappies.

Sincerely, Fishmeister

[CrappieAttack]

Fishmeister -

I'm heading out with Woody around the 3rd week in March. We are taking off with sleds from his place and fishing the Canadian side.

I have a question though on the other days we have. What about Northwest Bay? Or the area by Camp Narrows? I want to go to the Landing of NW Bay and go in with sled, but I've never been up there. Is this area decent during late March?

Thanks!

CrappieAttack

[sherbear]

I would check with Dale LaBelle from Birch Point Camp. I know both he and Jody Shypit guide on Rainy.

[fishmeister_86]

Hi Crappie,

I don't believe Woody will take you to N.W. Bay...its been outstanding in past years...but recently not as good. I have 2 crappies mounted in the Outdoorsman... 1 is 2.4 the other 2.6...so there is & has been some big crappies that are in that area. There are so many spots in Rainy to fish crappies, but are some better spots right now in my opinion then N.W.Bay. As you read the next post, you will hear the 2 Canadian names of Dale LaBelle & Jody Shypit...I know both these guys & they are very good fisherman...and both know the N.W. Bay area way better then I do...but I have fished up there for 34 years & been there twice this year. I have been doing much better in other spots. You fishing crappies at a very good time of the year & you should do well...1 very simple trick to fishing crappies up in our lakes... drill 20 holes before you even drop a line... this will tell you quickly if there is fish there & if there is...move around & fish the holes you see fish...most water we catch crappies in is 20 to 50 feet. In the shallower water, you will a lot of the time catch them towards the bottom...but when your beyond 30 feet.. the most active crappies will be 4 to 12 feet off the bottom...crappies ALWAYS feed upward, so if you see fish on your vex...fish above them. Another key point... your small crappies will a lot of the times be on the bottom, I personally don't waste my time. When you see a crappie coming up to your lure & lines are going to meet (1 being your lure The other being the crappie) quit watching your graph & watch your line at the end of your rod...the slightest twitch in your line is when you set the hook. I never use live bait in the winter for crappies, a lot of my close friends like using tubes, and so do I, but my favorite is a very tiny spoon with a small treble tipped with a power maggot... what I like better about the spoon is weight as it gets to the proper depth much quicker. Crappies are my favorite fish. Hope this helps you.

Sincerely,

Fishmeister

[chris63]

Fish,thanks for the info...like reading your posts...you live in a great area if not the greatest on earth!!c63

[fishmeister_86]

Hey Chris,

Yea,, I love living here, a lot water, a lot of great friends who love to fish... you could not fish the water within a 50 mile radius of I. Falls in 5 lifetimes. I moved here in 1981, and never have even thought about living somewhere else. My brother who works for the DNR up here once said {while living most of his life in the Rochester area} I'm not sure why I vacation in I. Falls when I could just live there and vacation somewhere else...he & his wife have been up here about 10 years now. I. Falls has been good to my wife & my family. Those who won't move here because there isn't to do...well then they just don't like to hunt & fish.

Sincerely,

Fishmeister

[CrappieAttack]

Fishmeister

thanks for the response.

Yeah I didn't think Woody was going to take us there, I just was wondering on our other days to fish maybe we would try other locations instead of where he takes us.

I'll do some more research. I saw some other bays named here, so maybe I'll check out one of them.

Thanks,

CrappieAttack

[Rainymudrats]

About 10 years ago they plowed a road from Labelles landing to the basin just west of camp narrows. that seemed to put a hurt on the big slabs in NW bay

[fishmeister_86]

Hi Mudrats,

There is still good crappie fishing in N.W. Bay, but remember crappies are a cycle fish. Do you remember when the walleye count was down and closed on Red Lake and the crappie fishing was crazy. Well guess what now the walleyes are making a massive come back in the northarm, I fished with my good Canadian buddy last friday on the ice and walleye fishing was nothing short of outstanding...maybe the best walleye ice fishing I have had in the last 5 years on Rainy. Crappie fishing on Rainy is alive & well on both sides of the border.

Sincerely,

Fishmeister