first time to rainy

[pike fisher 02]

just wondering if anyone knows how the fishing has been we'll be fishing in the sand bay area for mainly walleye and mabye some northerns ive never been there any tips would be greatly apreciated

[tearin' lips]

pike fisher,

First off welcome to the rainy lake forum. It is good to see more and more interest in our wonderful wilderness up here. Right now sand bay has anywhere from eleven inches on the canadian border to around sixteen farther east and in shallower. Most permanent houses in the bay area are set up over thrity feet of water with emphasis on a mid-day walleye and sauger bite. Fishing overall has been above normal, in other words very good for this time of year. Of course some days are going to be slower than others, but this is the pattern I have observed. You can usually count on a shallow walleye bite in the morning, somewhere in the twenty foot range(not to say that you can't do well out deep either) then I progress to the northern edge of the houses off birch point for any mid-day action and around two thirty progress back into the shallows. I have mainly fished birch point, but the same patterns have been true over in the macentire area. Gold 1/4 oz. jigs with a shiner or medium sized chub have been the main producer. With 1/4 chartruse and pink glow jig and red techniglo frostee coming in at a close second. You can usually find agressive biter within the first fifteen or twenty minutes, if they are not there don't wait for them to find you, go out and find them. You may also pick up a bonus crappie or two suspended off bottom, along with burbot, whitefish, and jumbo perch. I also run a tip up about 50 yards away with a cisco about ten to twelve feet beneath the ice. I have caught some beautiful water wolves this winter by doing so. Hope you have a good trip and hope this info helped.