Long Lake

[CPR_Family]

I just reserved a cabin on Long Lake to take the family fishing (walleyes and crappies) over the long Memorial weekend. With young kids that enjoy catching fish, but have limited patients for working the lake to find fish, I would appreciate any advice that will help us locate both walleyes and crappies.

Thank you, Joe

[blindluck]

Dear friend:

I was just up there last weekend for the opener and fished Long Lake for the first time. What I learned researching it on this board (with the kind info from others) and on maps is that there is a ton of structure and the water is clear (use natural colored stuff).

The only tip on a piece of structure that might yield a fish every time out (at night)is the sunken road. Apparently it used to be 3 lakes which were transformed into 1. I believe (you can't tell by looking at the edges of the lake) that one side of the road is where the thin peninsula sticks out on the north end, east side and heads across the lake. A good walleye spot, but because the wheather has been so cold the fish have not been very active. It has gotten colder here in Iowa, so I imagine it as at least 10 degrees cooler up there now.

The Park Rapids paper had an article the following Wednesday and mentioned that the people who were catching walleyes were getting them slowly on leeches, while the northern pike were very active and taking the larger minnows.

After my experience I had to agree. I got a pike off that penninsula at about 10:30 at night with a glow eye jig and big fat minnow, while my dad got 1 walleye on a jig in CW 6 and another walleye (on Long) with a jig on that road at 11:00pm. Most would tell you to fish even later than that, or much deeper during the day.

If anyone else can help or correct anything I have said please let us know. My mom and sister are at the cabin now, I'll be back up there from June 10th until early July sometime.

Best of luck
Mike G

[iffwalleyes]

My parents have a cabin on the lake ever since I have been around (25 years). My dad grew up in the area and yes it used to be 3 lake and then they put the dam in on the S end and flooded it to make 1 long lake. That is why you have to be careful in the shallows because there are a ton of deadheads to mess up your boat. It is a great lake and there is a ton of fish all species crappies, sunfish, smallies, largemouth, pike and of course there are walleyes if you look for suckers you can find those too. But is it tough to fish. When you think you have it figured out it goes and does something different. The old road bed is a popular spot although I have never caught any there. There are several points that can be fished. It it kind of tough to troll on the lake because the contures change so rapidly but there are several spots that one can drag snells and lindy rigs. I usually used this with crawlers latter in the summer and mostly used minneow at this time of year. I will be up there for the long weekend this coming weekend. If you see a Blue Lund Explorer is probably is me.

------------------
Grip it and Rip it

IFFWalleyes
I Fish For Walleyes
iffwalleyes at yahoo.com

[CPR_Family]

Blindluck and Iffwalleyes:

Thank you for the lake info. We just returned last night and had a wet, but good weekend of fishing. Due the overcast, windy days we were able to catch walleyes as shallow as 15' during the day. All fish were on the steep, sandy, wind-blown drop-offs. We never did find the crappies.

By the way, the New Frontier Resort is a great place to stay. Real nice people and great accomodations.

Again, thanks for the info. - Joe

[blindluck]

Glad to hear you were blessed with a fine outing CPR. Just curious as to what you were using and what time of day. Also, it sounds like they are still getting some rain up there. How have the temperatures been? Action picking up?

Thanks
Mike

[CPR_Family]

Mike:

Most of the time I was fishing with my eight year old son so we fished during the day - 8 am to 9 pm. We caught walleyes between 15 - 35 feet using primaily leeches on Lindy's moving very slow.

The water temp was 54. As far as the action picking-up, we were able to find walleyes, but not crappies. We found Northerns and Bass by accident - they also like leeches.

Good luck!

Joe

[blindluck]

Thanks for the down low. I'm going up next week so we'll give it a try.

Take Care
Mike

[TENT]

We're going to be at Edgewood during the coming week. It looks like the weather may be a bit rough. I have fished the "old road" for 3 years and not been really successful for walleye. Any other suggestions for some nice walleye?
Has anyone tried shad raps or cranks from 12 to 20 feet down with a quick troll?
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Tom

[OldBear]

CPR_Family
Glad to hear you enjoyed the New Frontier Resort. My wife and I are going up there for the first time for a week over Labor Day.