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Rainy Lake Fishing Reports by Capt John


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Back on Rainy with Mike. On second cast of the day I got this fat 4.89 pound smallie. A nice welcome home. Later Mike got one almost as big. Jigs in about 15-25 FOW. I got about a seven pound whitefish on a spoon.

 

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Fishing has been tough the last several trips. Two of us fishing for ten hours with only 40-50 fish to show for our efforts. Mostly bass. Got a decent pike on Friday. See video.

Today's sunset:

 

Pike video --- Short pike video

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Oh it's sooo tough, 40-50 fish. Jeesh John, you don't have to catch em all in one day....

HAHA.

Been cattin here on the TN River. Still figuring out the big blues.

Been dry, no hydroelectric generation, so little current, fish scattered.

Have been getting in a few smalls. 

 

 

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Jay! You still in Alabama?

I'll be headed back to Texas soon - but NOT until ramps freeze over up here. Wasn't going to go fishing today but sun came out and wind died so I headed to lake. Arrived at noon, wind started blowing and scattered snow/rain. Never fails. 

But I had good luck with seven big pike, 3 walleyes and 11 bass. Fished alone. Tried to talk Mike into trolling the shoreline for pike on Wednesday but he didn't want to do that so that is what I did in my boat today. They were where I had caught some in late Fall a few years back. All around 30"-36". All stuffed full of bait which I guess are ciscos since they move shallow this time of year to spawn. Hopefully get some more big pike tomorrow. Trailer lights went out so have to fix those first.

Best bait 6" Lunker City Swim Fish on heavy jig head. Bass & walleyes on flukes with fairly heavy head because of wind.

Forgot camera so no pictures today.

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Fished alone today. 26 fish total. Biggest pike 36" and stuffed full of bait, biggest walleye 26", Biggest bass 19" - 4.03 lbs. If I had landed the last three fish I hooked, it would have been a great day. All felt like BIG walleyes but they chose not to show themselves before departing. Got one pike on big musky crank, everything else on soft plastic. Lunker City Swim Fish got the biggest bass and walleye. LOTS of boats out fishing - don't they know it is hunting season?

Trailer still blowing fuses - arrrgh!

Today's video:

Today's video link

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Fishing good today. Finally got a break in the weather! Fished alone. 32 fish total. Ten walleyes mostly big ones but I did keep an eater, rest bass. Three at 25". Biggest bass 19-1/2" - 4.60 lbs. Best lure Fin-S-Fish on 1/4 oz football jig.

 

I wasted the early morning trying to catch some more big pike - zilch. Downsized lures and got into bass & walleyes. My guess is they are filling up on ciscos - especially based on the pike stomachs yesterday - stuffed!

 

Today's video

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Fished ALL day with Mike. Started out good with a couple doubles on pike but slowed way down. Ended up with three walleyes, eight pike and about 30 bass. Couldn't mark many today whereas on Saturday I marked lots of fish. All on soft plastics.

Today's video link Mike can catch em without crawlers video

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Fishing has been picking up with the nicer weather. It was beautiful today but sadly I only got to fish three hours but done good. Some walleyes and several big bass. Yesterday the average size bass was much better with a 20" and two 19"s leading the pack. Lunker City Swimmin Ribster on heavy jig head has been best.

Yesterday's and today's videos:

Nov 3 & couple hours fishing Nov. 4 on Rainy link

Water is now in upper 40s. Best depth around 20 feet.

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Glad I didn't head to Texas early. Could not ask for a nicer day. Did well fishing but caught most of them off just two spots. Rest of the time lucky to catch one fish on a spot. Biggest bass 19-1/2", walleye 23-1/2", pike 32". All lures working well - spoon, Swimmin Ribster, Ribster, big swim bait on heavy head all produced. I just keep switching if I think they are on my spot.

today's video

Water warmed back up to 50 with all the sun.

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This little piggy went to market:

Probably the fattest smallmouth I have ever caught.

 

 

 

It was slow most of the day then Mike took me to his favorite spot (about time!).We ended with about 40 fish. Up late watching the election but plan to hit em early early  in the morning.

 

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Veteran's Day 2016 was a great one on Rainy Lake. Over 50 fish with many BIG bass. Sadly I have to leave for Texas just when the big ones are on the prowl. Caught my biggest bass of the year yesterday so a great way to end season. Seems like this has happened before with the last day of the year being awesome. This one was even better than usual because the weather was so nice.

Final day on Rainy for Capt. John 2016 VIDEO

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 I so enjoy your posts. We have our summer home up north so it's great to see what's going on when we're in Illinois.  Have a safe trip. 

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  • 5 months later...

Crazy wind today. When we left Bowmans it was a brisk east wind. Once we got under the Causeway, it was west wind and stayed that way all afternoon until it went calm late in day. Mike kept checking weather and they were saying I.Falls east wind 8-14. I said they must be wrong.

 

Went back to Bowmans late in day and as soon as we got under the railroad bridge, it was still brisk out of the east on Sand Bay!

 

Ended up with 23 bass and one walleye and a pike. All on jigs and plastic tails. Water was 44 on east side but 48 on west side of North Arm.

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Glad to see you back posting. I love reading you post and see your pics from year to year!! 

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Fished yesterday and caught too many small pike. Only about ten bass and two walleyes. Looks like I will be using leaders for a few weeks till the hammer handles disappear. They have been like this the last few years. Never used to catch many dink pike until 2014. Must be having big hatches. I have a large pike colored jerk bait - maybe I should throw that around where I think some big girls are hanging out. I wish they would eat up about 90% of these dinks.

 

 Water temps 44-50. Letting them walleye guys have the lake to themselves today (opener).

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  • 2 weeks later...

They are BITING - bugs that is - har!

 

Bass have been very good some days and slooooow on others. Bugs have been awful last few trips. But the dragonflies have hatched out so they will be putting the gobble on the black flies and mosquitoes so things should improve.

 

Walleyes have finally showed up on the bank. Bass have been there awhile now. Went to Pelican one day and got some largemouths. The special regs there have really helped the bass fishing. Crappie are in spawning colors at several different lakes I have sampled this last week. Everything pretty much shallow but did get some walleyes in 15 FOW,

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

John, I always enjoy your updates. You are having way too much fun up there. Ha. Me and my crew will be up on June 24th as usual. Save some for me. I sure miss Rainy Lake.

 

Bill

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Back from Devils Lake. Lots of fish there but nothing big. Fishing good yesterday if'n ye likes bottom feeders - biggest two 24" & 25". But sadly only two bass. Had a big pike grab one walleye on way in. Almost got good some good video of that attack. Walleyes in 6-8 feet of water. Water temps mid 60s.

 

Devils Lake fishing June 2017

 

Rainy Lake fishing June 12, 2017

 

More slow mo pike attack

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Fishing awful this morning. Launched at 8:30. By 12:30 had exactly two small pike. Finally found some walleyes and ended up with 22 fish - NO BASS! bummer. Water cold - only 61-64 degrees. Weather man blew it again. Walleyes in about 20 FOW, best lure Lunker City Fin-S-Fish.

 

New camera worked well but had troubles with new sonar/GPS. Think I got it fixed once home.

 

Here is today's video:

June 26 video

 

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Hit the lake before 6:00 this morning. Fishing very slow again. Lots of mayflies on the water. Water 64 degrees. Got a bass at first stop but no more of those. ABout 5 walleyes and four pike in nine hours. Quit just in time to fight the 22 MPH wind (twice what was predicted) all the way home. Fish in 25 FOW. Most on Fin-S-Fish. numerous missed bites. Yesterday hardly missed a one. Not so today.

 

June 27, 2017 video link

 

 

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ago · 

Hey guys, I'm new to this site. Trying to learn more about this lake. My brother and I fished there last July 9-16-2016. We did good on all species, especially like and walleye. We had several rallies on smallmouth, but never put a solid pattern together. My brother had a 4 and 5 lber. On perch shad rap. I caught many 1-1/2 - 3 lbers on uvibe speed craws. Suspending jerkbaits caught all species well. I've been checking this site and Mr. Johnwis has some great info and video. If any of you out ther could help us get on them big smallies, we would greatly appreciate it. We're from southwest Louisiana and we'll be staying at island view lodge July 22-29 . Thanks and this is a great site

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Also noticed or heard you say your using 4 lb. test line. Is that correct?? We used 10-12 mono and 15  flouro.  We sure love this lake. Can't sleep for next three weeks waiting to head up there LOL

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J-Roy,  I use UL rod and 4 lb a lot when throwing jigs. I have found that the lighter the jig head, the more fish bite and the more you hook. Wind will mess up using light jigs though. When fishing heavy jigs, cranks, top water or spoons, I use heavier line and rod. If fishing weeds need heavy line as well.

 

Hook ups/bites is much higher with lite jigs. I missed about 50% of hits yesterday using 1/2 oz head. Landed about 90% of hits a few days ago when using 1/8 oz head. Tough to fish 1/8 oz on even 8 lb line so I stick with 4 lb .

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Finally got great conditions for surface lures. Got five beauties on one of me favorite antique top water lures. Easily a 20-lb bag if I'd been in a tourney. Good luck finding one of these lures as it is almost as old as me. The last one I wore out I had to super glue it back together when it split down the seam. Then a year later, I had a hit and thought I got bit off by a pike - bye-bye lucky lure. But when I reeled in, I still had the line tie !! but nothing else. The tie had ripped out of the body of lure.

 

Had to beg fellow lure collectors for the one I am using now. What !! ye didn't know the old Cap likes antique tackle ??  Best sell me some of yours and keeps a smile on me kisser.

 

Caught lots of other fish on real small jigs (Grubsters and much smaller) and such but who cares about those when bronze bombers are smacking surface lures? Walleyes in about 17 FOW. Lots of dink pike trying to bite off my top water lure as well. Didn't see any mayflies today. Link below:

 

bass on TOP

 

 

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Wasn't going to go today. But it was just too nice to sit at home. Bowman's was a zoo at 2:00 p.m.and somebody parked in the Cap's spot right next to the ramp! No room at the inn for me so I had to park on the road almost up to the highway. Mike told me he went yesterday but caught nothing - too many mayflies (hmmm!)

 

I was out about five minutes and got a walleye but things slowed down. Ended up with a dozen. The last bite of the day was a dandy. Most fish in about 20 FOW on smaller Lunker City Shaker.

 

Watch video to see what happened,

 

July 3, 2017 video

 

 

 

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What kind of camera do you use to make your fishing videos?  The picture and  sound is really good. 

 

Thanks

 

 

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