Trolling

[Xplorer]

Sandee and others,
I coming up for a day later this month and planned on giving trolling upriver a shot, in addition to the standard jig/shinner. I've done it before on other rivers with bottom bouncers, snapweights or just running deep divers. What is the method used most frequently on the river, and what type of baits (ie; long/slender,shad shaped, rattles or not?) are most common/productive.
Right now I'm leaning toward either bottom bouncer with longer leads and floating rapala type stickbaits, or snapweights and shad raps. I've fished frontier area to birchdale in spring, have their been any drastic channel changes in this area with the flooding this summer i should be wary of?
Not sure where i'll launch yet, do you think vidas will be open by the end of the month?
Thanks for all the great info on this and your site
Xplorer

[White-tips]

We've always did better using lead-core. Allows a person to use smaller baits and you can cover the water column just by changing speeds. #5's and shallow lil'rippers. You have to make sure your baits are hitting bottom once in a while. That's key.

[Jim W]

SInce we are on the subject of trolling, what are the average depths in the Rainy river?
Or what typically is the depth most troll at?

I know with leadcore(which I am not rigged up for) allows for deeper trolling.

I am coming up to the River for the first time next week, wondering if I should bring my river trolling gear as well!?

Fishing Pools 4 and 5 of the MIssissippi, I generally troll in 8-15 ft of water and that is pretty much it for the set-up I have.
SOOOOO anyway, any more detailed trolling info on the Rainy River will be GREATLY
appreciated!

Keep the rods bendin'!!

Jim W

Xplorer,
When you hitting R River? I'll be up there next Thursday, maybe we can finally hook up?

[Xplorer]

whitetips:
Im not setup with leadcore, but have been able to run smaller baits successfuly on a modified bottom bouncer. I snip off the portion of the bouncer that is used to usually attach the spinner rig. I attach the tie loop to a sliding sleeve (or X-change spinner clevis) and put this just above a snapswivel. Then i use an approppriate lead down to the lure. I use my 8.5' linecounter rods so i can use up to an 8' snell length to the lure. This rig can be switched over to a standard lindy rig in a few seconds too.
And I really like those lil rippers, have had very good luck here on the St Louis river the past three years with them.
Jim,
Right now i only have the 25th to fish it, would love to spend more time there if possible. May try to go again in Nov.
Good luck, with the colder weather this weekend things should be great for your trip!
Xplorer

[Lip RIPPER!]

Hey white-tips are you coming with on Oct. 16th, 17th or 18th?

[White-tips]

In terms of depth...we usually just troll right down the middle. We like the lead so much because you can vary the depth that your bait is running by just speeding up or slowing down. It literally allows a guy to drop cranks into holes, and without stirring up the bottom with the bouncer before the crank comes through the fish. There's a lot of "desert-like" patches of sand and silt(thank you Aqua-view) on the Rainy. Our best lead-coring spots are by the Airport and Frontier. (Lip-Rip I'll mail you at school.) Good luck and post how you did if you will. I'm gonna try get up 3or4 weekends between now and freeze-up.

[K2]

tips

u coming home this weekend?
postman is looking for the best seats at the concert. has a week off and would like to go to the show.

K2