rainy lake Rainy Lake Fishing Reports by Capt John

[clKiekhafer]

Capt John,

Just for giggles I did a search on ribster plastic bait and looked at the images that popped up. Guess what, you should be charging for your images because you're all over in the gallery when you do the search.

I hope the water starts to drop some so I can put my boat in at the resort in July this year, what are your thoughts on when the water will start to drop?

[CaptJohnWis]

Herb Reed owns Lunker City. He is an old customer of mine for antique fishing tackle. I try to promote whatever lures are working for me (not just his but seems that way) so I send him those pictures to use if he wants.

Rainy will go down if we don't keep getting too much rain. Send that rain to Texas where the local lake (Lake Travis) is 50 feet low! Lake front property there is now farmland.

[CaptJohnWis]

Three days fishing with Mike were fun. We snuck off to a largemouth lake one day to avoid the crowds at the boat landings on Highway 11. Crappie today were a hoot - about 50 nearly all over 12 inches - biggest 14 inches. Big heavy jig was necessary today due to wind. Fish were in 8 FOW. Munchie Worms or twister tails worked fine. Several walleyes but mostly just eaters. No big pike. Bass were tough to catc h and most big ones came on surface lures.

Everyting released except two eater walleyes and two big perch.

Crappie came on 1/4 oz jig heads and hefty bass size tails. Needed heavy jigs because of wind. For crappie video click link:

[gloomiseye]

Great pics!

[CaptJohnWis]

Fishing was good the last couple days. Almost 200 fish total. Lots of crappie and walleyes but no lunkers. Walleyes have moved onto the reefs and I got about 40 on reefs today. Fin-S-Fish Jig & bobber worked best. Biggest crappie suspended over only 8 FOW.

Bass few and far between and mostly small. No big pike either.

Some more boring videos - click link.

[CaptJohnWis]

fished 12 hours, caught 12 fish - nothing big. Tried everything humps, weeds, windy points, calm shorelines, - casting, trolling cranks. Didn't matter they just had lockjaw. Didn't mark hardly any either.

[CaptJohnWis]

Fishing has picked up the last few days. I got some bass and crappie Thursday and today we got some walleyes to 29" and Paul got a nice bass. 25 FOW best today.

To see last few days videos click link:

[CaptJohnWis]

Lite mayfly hatch last night. Caught some fish but not one bass. Kinda slow all day even when I marked a bunch of fish.

If you think they get bad here, check this out:

Mayfly hatch link

[plogsdon]

John,

As i have said in the past i sure enjoy your post about Rainy. This site used to have 5-6 posters on a regular almost daily basis during the summer months. I realize things change bad or good but, thanks for bringing Rainy a little closer for those of us who can only get there once in a while. It's been 2 yrs. since my last trip up. Thanks. Phil

[CaptJohnWis]

Canadian Bass tourney is in full swing. I thought for sure they would cancel in with all the high water. Must be a mite hairy going through the gap at Rainier. I hate going through there when the water is normal!

Anyway the tournament guys didn't have all the fun. I got this beauty on last cast of the day.

[CaptJohnWis]

Fishing was good today. Got about 60 walleyes to 26" and a few bass and pike. Jigging plastics got the bigger fish while spinners got a bunch. Ran trolling motor so much it drained the batteries toward quitting time.

Best depth 20 FOW.

Click link for video:

[tcwin]

I am coming up later this week and also fish North Arm alot. Are you able to get under the little bridge by the causeway or are you going through the main channel lift bridge?

Thanks.

[CaptJohnWis]

Either railroad bridge is OK. I have been using the lift bridge when it is up since I am coming from the east. When Bowmans Landing is open I use the stationary railroad bridge since it is a little closer.

[CaptJohnWis]

Fished about 16 hours total the last two days. 76 fish. Mostly walleyes. I will have to start chasing the bass now that the tourney is over. Biggest walleyes 28". Mostly eaters yesterday but about half 19-21" today. Early morning bite today with zip after 10:30.

Click link to see today's video:

[CaptJohnWis]

Shoulda stayed in bed. But couldn't sleep hearing that Bowmans is open. I got there at 5:00 a.m. Reefs that were loaded with bait and fish a couple days ago were barren this morning.

It was hunt a peck all morning. Finally found some fish at 1:30 and had fun for a few hours. Mostly walleyes but a few small pike and bass. 18 FOW seemed the best today.

Click link for today's video:

Aug. 4 video

[watersguy]

Hi John, I have enjoyed your posts very much. 40 years ago my father purchased a lot in Hopkins Bay and he my brother and I built a cabin purchasing the lumber from the sawmill in Fort Francis and hauling it in from the reef point landing. Back in the day Hopkins Bay was loaded with "jacks". For years I hunted walleyes from Hopkins up to Sears bay with limited success. The prevailing wisdom was that Ray Tucker gill netted most of them out. I believe that the netting ended and am wondering if the walleyes have rebounded in that area, big canoe down to reef point.

[waterspaniel]

I stay a week each year around Sears Bay for the past 20 years. We've seen the Walleye fishing explode in terms of numbers and size!

[CaptJohnWis]

Walleye fishing is very good in that area. Big ones have been harder to catch the last two years but we still get some. It is loaded with eaters. I get about 30 or more every trip while looking for big ones. Today I got some nice pike but all the walleyes were 15-19".

Two guys still net the North Arm. One on the island near the Reef Point landing and the other on the island near the Causeway.

Click link for pike video:

[Muskies]

Good afternoon water guy,

I saw your post and I see John has replied but I'll put in my 2 cents. Back in the late 60's and early 70's when I was a kid we only went to the north arm to catch pike, crappie and a few bass. There was very few walleye because of the commercial fishery. As soon as the commercial fishing was reduced and the limits and size restrictions introduced it gave the walleyes a fighting chance not only in the north arm but all over Rainy. Now there are a lot more walleye everywhere especially in the north arm. The new limits for pike has been introduced this year on the Ontario side and in about 3-5 years we will start seeing a larger average size making Rainy even a better world class fishery if that's possible. It's that old adage, "keep what you need leave the rest for seed". To answer your question yes it has improved.

[CaptJohnWis]

Fishing slow today. About 30 fish total. Started early and quit at 2:00 p.m.

Two nice bass on surface lures. A handful of pike and rest walleyes. Nothing big. Not many eyes on the reefs. Got most off a point on an island.

Click link to see twice bit video:

[CaptJohnWis]

Haven't fished the lake for a week but did git down to the river a couple times. Been mostly hitting smaller lakes in Minnesota with mixed results.

Click links to view videos:

[okfisherman]

wow john , what are you getting the sturgeon on? don't suppose there any of those in the north arm. just for the fun of it.

[CaptJohnWis]

nite crawlers. Suckers will clean your hook quickly so bring lots. They tell me dead minnows work well too and the suckers leave those alone.

There are quite a few sturgeon in Rainy Lake but they are so spread out it would be very rare to hook one. We were fishing the river.

I have seen lots of sturgeon jumping one morning near the railroad bridge at bottom of North Arm. There was lots of current that morning. I would have tried for them but had no bait. That was a long time ago. Now they are closed to fishing all year on Canadian side.

[CaptJohnWis]

Monday I fished Rainy for six hours. Only a couple nice bass on surface lures and about ten small walleyes. Tuesday was even worse. Fished the river for sturgeon and caught nothing. Boat ended up cock-eyed on trailer when I put it back on due to current at ramp.

Took boat over to Bowmans today to straighten it out and do a little fishing. Did not have my hopes up after last couple days. First cast of the day I got the biggest fish of the year - 42 inch pike. Needless to say I didn't quit until dark. Ended up with 40 fish. Couple nice bass and a few big walleyes including my biggest for the year.

No videos of big walleye as I was afraid it might come off. Using a heavy jig head and they seem to fall out much easier than a light jig. It was a nice fat 30-incher. The pike was super fat and I am sure full of small walleyes. Right after I caught the pike, I got six eater walleyes from same spot.

[northernfishin]

This makes me regret working on stuff at the house after work rather than fishing today. Nice looking fish! I did awful Tuesday too so I think it was slow all around.

[spotfish2]

Captain John,

Nice fish! I have been following your posts for a few years now. I appreciate them very much. I am a plastics fanatic too! I'd love an opportunity to fish with you. I fish the Voyaguers Park every weekend from April -Oct. Can you offer some info on technique /weight etc...?

Thanks,

spotfish

[CaptJohnWis]

If you want to share some trips, that is OK with me.

Trouble is I rarely fish the US side, almost always the North Arm. Hardly fish on Saturday or Sunday until crowds thin out. DNR guy told me he was over by Kettle Falls a couple weeks ago and there were six boats on his favorite hump! I would have a conniption if five boats pulled up on me. There are so many humps in the North Arm, I never have to share one.

The lures I use are shown in many of the pictures over the last seven years. Mostly 3-5 inch tails of various styles. I vary the jig head weight based on conditions. Try to go as light as I can based on depth and wind. If they are really smacking it though, I go with 1/2 oz. That way I get in more casts per day. Soon I will also be throwing a jigging spoon - I can really cover water fast with that.

Normally I fish humps or points. I need to learn to fish weeds but haven't had much luck when I have tried that. I have made up a new lure that runs great through deep weeds. Only tried it for an hour the other day without luck but I am sure they will bite if I can find some active fish.

[CaptJohnWis]

33 fish today in nine hours. Biggest:

Pike 30"

Sauger 17"

perch 12"

bass 15"

walleye 29" & 30"

All on Lunker City Ribsters mostly 20 FOW

Click link to see video:

[Dock Boy]

Captn John, How affective are those Ribsters jigged vertically? It sounds like you do mostly casting. Come fall we typically jig vertically on Kab and Lac La Criox. Just curious as I have used mostly plastics during late ice for Crappies and looking to try something new this fall. Do you have a go to color on our stained lakes up here? Thanks again!

[smalliehunter]

What kind of jig head do you use?