rainy lake Rainy Lake Fishing Reports by Capt John

[bitz]

Hey Fishmeister... to be honest, we (both my wife and I) really like the smallies... we do know about the 13.8 in restriction and follow that all year long, we tend to put the bigger ones back. To each his own about the likes and dislikes... I sleep fine each nite.

The problem on the CA side of rainy if you want to take a few eyes home and still have a lunch, you are out of luck with the 1 eye per day.

For Capt John, I did clean 2 or 3 under the 13 inch size that had eggs in them... and like I said, the bigger females (we released)had big bellys.

Bitz

[bitz]

so, what type of sucker is that... I picked one up jigging for eyes on Tuesday.. a first for me on rainy?

[fishmeister_86]

Hey Bitz.,

All in good fun, I have absolutley NO problem with you eating a smallie,

and Rainy being a deep, dark, cold lake. The smallies would be much better

then that white sucker or a smallie from a warm southern shallow lake. Most folks locally like eating walleyes or crappies, lakers & if boneless northerns are also excellent. You bought your fishing license just like anyone else & if the MNR OR DNR laws say you can take a legal fish...what

you do with that fish is ENTIRELY up to you...and I agree with you, if you want fish to eat, it is senseless to fish walleyes on the Canadian side of Rainy. Sometimes I just target large walleyes on the Canadian side, but it is only catch & release. The amount of smallies that are being eaten from Canadian waters is so little...it is not going to effect the fishery. Whats funny is no-one ever talks about the amounts of fish that are taken when the fisheries or commercial netting is going on. Now that is massive amounts of fish.

Sincerely,

Fishmeister

[bitz]

thanks for the reply... we like the boneless northern (we make them fingers) and when we catch them, we like crappies and eyes too. Just for full disclosure, we love bluegill the best of any fish.. over the last 12 years or so since I started coming back to North arm etc, we have caught hundreds of smallies and we have a standard of putting back anything over about 13 or so inches... We have returned many smallies (hundreds) and we are very concerned about making sure we don't damage the fish population. One thing we love about smallies is the technique for catching them... casting, casting, casting.. and more casting. I know and have used other options (tubes etc) and find them more likely to have the smallies injest them too deep and always feel concerned about killing off a fish.

We both get pretty bored with eye fishing and enjoy the occasional eye on a crank... Robin even has the +32 in 13+ pound eye using a rattlin rap on a green bouy.

Bitz

by the way, pretty sure the fish Capt John has is not a whitefish, but a sucker...

[CaptJohnWis]

The one I caught is a whitefish (see earlier post), the one "photo-shopped" is a sucker and not one I caught.

I am glad to hear that you know about the slot limit on early season bass. Was surprised to learn that such small females have eggs in them. I have no problem with folks eating what they legally catch.

I did write a complaining letter to the editor when the city council approved a loan or grant to a proposed commercial fish processing plant here in I. Falls a few years back. So at least I have voiced my feelings about netting in public.

I too love to eat bluegills, especially if I can get somebody else to clean them!

[PistolPete34]

Hey everyone-

We will be taking our annual trip up to the north arm of Rainy at the end of this week. We stay at a friend's cabin on Greyhound Island and I absolutley love it up there.

On to my question: I've heard a lot of talk about the Little Canoe River and the good fishing at the mouth (my uncle caught a 14.5 lb eye there decades ago). What i was wondering is if anyone has traveled up Little Canoe and accessed Vane Lake. If it is possible to gain access, is it worth it? We're a group of 20 something year olds, so we like to get adventurous during our stay.

Any input would be appreciated.

Pete

[bitz]

I was just up the Little Canoe on Wed last week. Water is fine on the river, didn't cross the portage to look at vane, but its not a terrible portage to make if you are taking a boat across. Maybe 300 yds or less (up hill) and not super wide, but we used to take a 12 ft skiff across. You don't need much of a boat on Vane (or strong)which is a rock pull out of vane. back in the 60's/70's we did Vane all the time because the fishing was better, but now days, not sure if it is worth it or not. There is a small lake up the north end of Vane we used to travel up the creek (slow and watch for boulders/logs if you go) to gain access and it was usually super for eyes. you can see it if you google map it.

We just fished the small island between the south camp on grayhound and Ami point on Monday.. picked up 2 18inch smallies on the small bay on the north side if like smallie fishing... the 3rd cabin is for sale but didn't check out the price if yoiu rreally like it :)O

You might check with Little Canoe Lodge or Devils Cascades and see if they have any boats you can rent on the top side of the portage (they used to) and then only carry a motor/gas etc. DC Lodge used to have a ton of folks come up the river and fish Vane, saw a boat from there last fall at the bottom so assume they might still...

Bitz

[waterspaniel]

Pete: We stay (26th year for cousin, 16th for me)on the small Island straight east of Greyhound starting 6/9. Only ventured up the LCR once. Fish the weed beds at the mouth every year--good pike spot. We've gone a ways up the Rat Root too and caught a 42" pike years ago.

Anyone ever had any luck around Deer Bay? We've hit that a few times over the years w/o any action.

Or Henderson Bay just north of LCR--any kind of action in there?

We've also had good 3 species action on the North end of Waller Island. We hit Ash and Alexandria for a day each trip too.

Wats

[bitz]

wats... we have always had luck for big northern on Henderson... also, if you come in to ash narrows by way of steamboat, there is a long rock on the left (heading southwest) about 6 in under water... we usually pick up some smallies around there... picked up a nice 18 in in the cut on the right into ash bay... but water was low so be careful if still low for the rocks in the middle.

Bitz

[PistolPete34]

Thanks for the replies. I think we might just have to check it out. If we do, I'll let everyone know how it goes.

I was also curious if anybody knows what the water temp is sitting at? And are there good weedbeds developed yet in the shallower bays?

[waterspaniel]

Thanks Bitz--I'll give Henderson another look. We go through the Ash narrows as you describe-slow as she goes w/ the motor tilted as high as possible! Anyone ever caught walleye in Ash? We never have.

[Muskies]

Pete,

The water temps have been sitting around 60 degrees on the surface. Last weekend I found 65 in a few shallow bays and there are weeds growing along the north shoreline rock outcroppings. sounds like this weekend even the weather is going to cooperate. Good luck.

[CaptJohnWis]

Finally got some top water action. I have yet to see a bed but the big girls came out to play this afternoon. Had a lot of follows from big bottom feeders on crank baits but they were being fussy. Temps still in high 50s.

[LittleCleo1]

Pete: Give Todd a few beers and I think you might talk him into a portage up to Vane Lake. Ha! Ha! Have a good time!

[PistolPete34]

Thanks muskies, I'm hoping we will hit it just right.

Haha, if that's Todd's guide charge, I think I can manage it!

[CaptJohnWis]

Been catching bottom feeders just about everywhere I go, but good fish have been harder to come by. I have been getting walleyes on deep humps and deep points, trolling weedlines, also casting the shoreline for good fish! No avoiding these toothy critters.

To view the recent video click the link:

[CaptJohnWis]

Fishing today about same as last time. Walleyes on deep humps, points and shoreline. Ribster was working for me today.

[waterspaniel]

nice! I'll be on the North Arm starting Saturday for a week. Are those hardwood handles on your rod?

[G I Mike]

John,

I always enjoy your posts/pics and I am a now a believer that you dont need live bait to catch fish on Rainy lake.

Just spent a few days on the East end and had great fishing on nothing but plastics.

Im looking to order some Ribsters, but wondering if you have any favorite Rainy Lake colors?

Thanks

Mike

[CaptJohnWis]

I like something blue and white, and something perch colored. But I have caught em on just about any color you can imagine. Purple or black are colors I use often as well. For jig heads I use unpainted lead 95% of the time.

[bitz]

Hey Capt John... everything ok? Haven't seen a post lately.

Bitz

Hope all is well!

[CaptJohnWis]

The guys I was supposed to go fishing with yesterday got hit with a storm in camp Monday. Two boats sunk, one guy hit with tree and taken to hospital. Everybody OK now. They were on north side of Reef Point.

We raced to stay ahead of the storm as I was fishing with Tsunami Paul Monday. No trouble getting out of the way once we got where we could head west. It was a small storm but mighty ugly. More came through later in day but we were on shore by then.

Walleyes have been biting shallow and deep. Soft plastic, cranks, live bait - all working. Most good fish (bass) have been running on small side.

[smalljaw]

John,

I am still sawing trees from that storm! Glad to hear you got back in time. You would not have enjoyed the wave action in Hopkins bay at the height of that storm.

Regards,

Wayne

[CaptJohnWis]

Fish the shorelines for bass and you will git bit. Trouble is many of the bites will be from the F-16s of the insect world - deer flies are mighty ornery right now. Wind don't bother these guys none - they must fly 70 MPH.

Kept four eaters up on the North Arm last night. NO not walleyes, jumbo perch. Don't know where they are coming from but nice to see these fat 11-12 inchers. Hopefully they are eating those dang spiny water fleas but mine were eating small crawdads. Caught plenty of walleyes and perch the last few evenings on the reefs. Many eater size walleyes but enough big ones to keep me interested. All caught on plain lead jig heads with smaller Fluke type soft plastics like Lunker City Fin-S-Fish. Ran out of the Ribsters but those would have worked as well.

Headed out of town for a couple weeks to National antique tackle convention (sell me your old tackle!) . Might squeeze in one more fishing trip before I depart.

[waterspaniel]

we also caught several 11-12" perch in mid june while trolling cranks for walleyes in Sears Bay. We kept them too!

[CaptJohnWis]

no manners what so ever!

[CaptJohnWis]

Finally got into some good bass. It has been awhile. Action was fast a furious but didn't last long. One bass spit up a big smelt so I was very happy to see that. Was starting to think they had all died off.

Got one of the biggest saugers I have ever caught on Rainy.

[CaptJohnWis]

Couldn't talk anybody into going with me today so had to try taking this picture myself. First fish of the day - big bottom feeder. I don't mind them too much when they are double digits. But I did catch a three pound bass that fought harder.

Lunker City Ribster on 3/16 plain jig head. Fishing a break off a point trying for bass.

[CaptJohnWis]

Got to fish all day on Rainy. Beautiful weather with little wind. Morning was cool at 29 degrees but I'll take that any time over 100 where I just returned from.

Got into some good fish (bass) today. Also got a bunch of bottom feeders and a few big slimers. All on jigs with plastic tails. Kept two eaters and all the rest turned loose. About 60 total. Water 62-65 degrees. Bass all over the place but walleyes mostly 22-25 feet deep.

Paul brought nitecrawlers along but I fibbed when I told him he might get to use some. Don't need no stinkin nitecrawlers.

A couple of the fish spit up smelt so I am really glad to see those. Maybe the bass will start showing up in spots I used to git em when the smelt were thick.

[CaptJohnWis]

but when you got one, it was a dandy.

Plenty of bottom feeders but no big ones.

Air temp 26 this morning but water still 62.