BIG BALSAM CHAIN OF LAKES???

[dfv87]

For about the last 5 years every June, my extended family spends he weekat a cabin on Big Balsam lake north of GR and Bovey. We always have a great time, but have caught only 1 keeper walleye in the 5 years. With the kids we fish mainly panfish and bass. Is there a lake close by we could get into some walleyes near there? My brotherin law and I could sneak a day to make a short trip. Looking for some advice, I normally fish near Brainerd and Annandale and do frequent tthose boards often. They have been greatt about giving some advice, hope this board works as well.

[merc]

To be honest there are a ton of lakes around you but most of them that are close are not really walleye lakes. The two closest lakes I would try would be Spider or Eagle. If you want to drive a ways look at Bowstring, Sand and Jessie. Maybe someone else can help you more because I really don't go that direction for walleye. I normally go west of Marcell. Good luck!!!

[Greg Clusiau]

DFV87,

There's a pile of walleye lakes in the immediate area. You have to take a chance and see if they're biting, although June is a pretty good bet.

Try - Round Lake (just north of Balsam), Spider, Wabana, and Swan just for starters.

GC

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[dfv87]

that is what I was looking for, thanks guys.
now I have to get out the maps. thanks again

[Lunker]

Hey there, I have a cabin on big balsam, and have been going there my entire life. We are are on the end of the lake by big balsam camp(davis's resort), where are u located?It is true that the walleyes there aren't great, but some can be found. I caught one last week. My brother used to do best by going out at night and casting rapalas in shallow and on the weed edges. He would pull an occasional limit and i think the biggest went 10 lbs, but im not one for night fishing. There are a lot of lakes around with moderate walleye pops, but not any of the ones connected to balsam. Connected to balsam are scrapper which has few, haskell(other side of scrapper) has a better pop. Right around there are lakes like lawrence that have some, and quite a few others. But lakes like spider are probably worth the drive if eyes are the target. I would suggest getting one of the sportsmen connection books for the area, or getting it from a library, i have one and it has all the lakes in that area. Good luck, maybe I'll see you on the lake.

[dfv87]

we stay at the Big Balsam Camp resort, I think Davis' are the owners. Just love it! My daughter talks about going for weeks before and after, even my wife, who spends more time reading and tanning in the boat loves going up there. I would like to try going to Haskell lake at night but navigating those 2 channels at night probably not. We will try cranks at night though on BB. Thanks for the info, we will be up there on the 17th- 20th(Work is too busy to stay longer) this year. the rest of the group staying all week.

[Lunker]

yea, it's one of my favorite places, always has been. When you are driving down the dirt road to the resort, if you keep going you'll pass a little gated road to your left that goes off into the woods, thats our place. Our land is adjacent to the resorts. Yes, the davis' own the resort, old floyd and his sons. One son owns the house just before the field. We know quite a few of the people up there, although the davis' don't really like us(they think we're shooting "their" deer when we kill deer on our property), old floyd(in his 90's) actually goes out and patrols the borders of his property armed during deer season. It's quite a sight, but also kinda scary. Any ways, I know a lot of the little spots to fish on the lake, so if you ever want to ask or tell some info just let me know. I you want to try for walleyes other than casting raps at night, I would suggest going over to the island, and on the south side of the island maybe 50 yds out there is a sunken island that comes from about 20' to 6' pretty quickly. I don't hunt eyes on the lake much, mostly northerns, bass, and crappies and gills. By the way, if you feel like going for crappies, right before and during sundown is the only time I can consistently catch them on the lake. Any of the pencil weed beds produce with crappie minnows, the one out in the lake on the other side of the point near the resort, and the one way down that shoreline almost to the only dock(our dock) on that shore. Have fun.

[dfv87]

Lunker,
thanks again for the info. How is the water levels this year? Can you get up to scrapper under the bridge? I love fishing Crappies on Scrapper, but some years I cannot get my boat under the bridge, the cover of my motor has a scrape from that bridge! Have you been fishing lately? We spend each evening with everybody right at dusk fishing for those crappies, it is just amazing how all of a sudden they turn on and everywhere on the lake.

[Lunker]

I know its crazy, and the crappies will not bite during the day that I've found, except a little during the spawn.

I was up for memorial day. We fished mainly bass in the creeks and did well, as well as a few northern and walleye on the lake. Didn't go for crappie, although I wish we would of. The water levels were higher than usual, but I think you should be able to clear the bridge, although i don't know what you have for a boat. My bro and I have a cajun bass boat with a big 90hp motor, and we cleared that big motor by, oh, maybe 2cm. But it is a pretty high motor. The beaver dam that you have to get over has been blown though, so that is not a problem. We went through there at about 7 am in the morning, and saw a bunch of beavers, and a tree full of 13 vultures, it is a beatufiul place. Where in scrapper do you target crappie? i dont fish scrapper much for anything but bass, I tend to stay in balsam for other species.

[Guest]

Lunker, I hope this is the way to do this, since I am a first time poster, go easy on me, okay.

I'm wondering if you know Tony in Balsam. He's the onery one who owns the store at the intersection of the scenic and 8 highway.

We're coming back up there in a couple of weeks and I need to get a message to him about one of our crew who he enjoys harassing.

If you have his phone number or a way I can contact him, can you let me know? If we aren't supposed to post phone numbers on this forum, you can send it to my email: [email protected].

Thanks a million. We are counting the days and can't wait to head "up north".

[dfv87]

Lunker,
we go into scrapper and then through the weeds to the bigger part of scrapper and follow that point back to the left into a little bay with a stump sticking up out of the water. I don't know exactly how else to explain it but except last year when I didn't get up into scrapper due to the water level, we always caught craps there. Some guy staying at the resort showed us the spot a few years ago and there seems to be fish there most times. But hey it has been 2 years! nt even sure if the stump is still there.

[Lunker]

KC, you've got mail., and welcome to FM!

Yea, i think I know what you're talking about dv. There were a lot of people in scrapper on memorial day weekend, but we stayed in the creeks so we didn't see much of how they did. What kind of boat do you have? Ours was pretty big and got it back, so u should be fine.