rainy lake Rainy Lake Fishing Reports by Capt John

[CaptJohnWis]

I fish mostly Canada. But today I took out Father Ben, Kevin and Alan on the River and stayed in Minnesota.

Last year I just Father Ben and I went. I caught all the big ones. Next day he has a stroke and we almost lose him. Course I got blamed for the stroke for hogging all the big ones. Today I promised he could catch a big one if he stayed health for at least 50 years.

He done good. (course I still caught the biggest one!) He did get attacked by a vicious lamprey.

 

Here is link to today's video. Sturgeon fishing with the Padre

 

[CaptJohnWis]

I fished 11 hours Wednesday.

Got 31. Four nice bass on surface lures early. Bass were slurping mayflies early. But they were out in middle and hard to sneak up on.

Mostly walleyes 19"-21". Biggest 26". Only two
eaters all day and only one pike.

Two spots produced most of the fish. New
spot was an island with a nice shelf around it - fish in about 20 FOW. Best
spot was a weed bed. Got ten nice ones there in
short order - 10 FOW. Best lure was Lunker City Grubster and Fin-S-Fish. Stayed too
long, most fish caught early. Heat got to me and I drank a lot in boat but
another gallon of water once I got home.

Here is Wednesdays video:

walleye video link

[CaptJohnWis]

Fishing has been slow for over a week. Mostly 30 fish days with nothing huge.

Yesterday, I went with Mike and we got around 75 fish in 12 hours. No bass, a few dink pike and the rest walleyes. Mostly eaters around 16" with two biggest 25". Mike was catching most of them in morning on (ugg!) nitecrawlers. I could not get those little eyes to hit lures. Later in the day I did start catching my share on lures But vast majority of the fish were 15"-!8". 24 FOW best.

Today I fished alone and scored a 36" pike at my first stop. Ended up with 37 fish in ten hours Four decent pike with biggest the 36-incher in the morning. Only one small bass and the rest walleyes with the biggest 27". Most of them were right at 18" Best depth 22 feet.

Click on link to view today's video:

July 15 video

 

[CaptJohnWis]

Almost quit too early.  By 3:15 I only had 25 fish, mostly walleyes. Was going to quit after my next stop but then things got interesting! Ended up with 31 fish for the day in 11 hours but mostly over 20". Only 2 small bass and one pike. All caught on humps 10-25 FOW. On same lures from yesterday.

 

Click link to see today's video:

 

BIG walleyes today video

[CaptJohnWis]

Fished with Mike a few days ago but nothing special going on. Today we took Father Ben to a small lake and did well on crappie. All on soft plastic tails. For awhile they were right under the boat about 5 feet deep over 15 feet of water. Boat did not bother them at all and maybe even they liked the shade on this hot sunny afternoon.

Here is video:

today's u-tube video link

[CaptJohnWis]

Walleye fishing good the last two days. Yesterday we got 63 total mostly walleyes but nothing huge. Mike was catching them all in the morning on jig & crawler. But pretty much all dinks & eaters. I finally starting gettin my share in afternoon and they were decent size. Lunker City Monkey Grub was the best lure.

Today we only fished four hours. After gettin par-boiled we quit with at least 40 walleyes. Much better size than yesterday and most on (ugg!) crawlers. Even the ol Cap had to break out some stuff he hasn't used in over 20 years. Mainly I just wanted to see if a Lindy Rig would still work the way it used to. No brainer. Hook live bait through the nose so it wiggles nicely and drag along the bottom. They will eat it. I strongly encourage the use of circle hooks with this rig or you will gut hook way too many fish. I gave up after using two crawlers (and four fish) and went back to lures but Mike was getting 4 to my one.

Full sun and no wind - we just couldn't stand the heat so quit early. Nearly all fish today 18"-24". Best depth has been 24-27 FOW.

Click to see video:

July 25-26, 2016 walleye fishing Rainy Lake

[CaptJohnWis]

Fished alone yesterday in the nitecrawler-free Zone. Probably should have had some along. In a couple spots marked a ton of fish but only ended up catching 25 and nothing big. VERY fussy walleyes. Got bit off EIGHT times on the reefs. 25 FOW is where they were. The pike I did manage to land were all decent.

Saw a really big floating bog north of Reef Point. Several little ones around as well. Night time high speed boating NOT a good idea.

Click link for July 27 video:

July 27 video link

[Ranger2050Reata]

What is the night crawler free zone?

[CaptJohnWis]

14 hours ago, Ranger2050Reata said:

What is the night crawler free zone?

Just me saying I was in my boat and did not bring any crawlers. I am not a big fan of live bait. I am always on the hunt for a school of BIG fish and I believe you can find them more efficiently using lures.

[CaptJohnWis]

Could only fish till 2:00 p.m. today. Of course we marked some really good fish right when we had to quit!

Best was (ugg) nitecrawlers on a jig head. But I still managed to catch some on lures. Mike got the biggest walleye of the year at just over 30 inches. 20-25 FOW still best but I got a few casting Grubsters up shallow..

Click to see todqay's video:

Mike gets a porka

[Xplorer]

Beautiful fish!!

Second hand info, but was at Kettle Falls on Monday having lunch and ran into a group of guys I used to go up with each August.

They were staying at Kettle in one of the condo's and were doing very well on eye's on the east end, both leeches and crawlers were working.  They had only been as far west as Windmill rock, so fishing must have been good as we usually made it all the way to Shelland reefs most years. 

Their biggest was a 26", but everyone of the nine had got one at 23" or better.  The condo next door got a 29" on the canadian side.  

I'm up with the family the 6th to 10th, staying on Blueberry.  Looking at some good fishing if the pattern holds.

[CaptJohnWis]

Too HOT. I just cannot take this heat all day. We sturgeon fished yesterday on the river and got one big one. Check the Rainy River blog to see video. But after only five hours we called it quits - par-boiled by then.

Here is vintage Capt. John to help you cool off:

Vintage Capt. John cool fishing

[CaptJohnWis]

Fished this afternoon with Mike. Got about 40 mostly walleyes. Biggest two 28". Same techniques working as last several days.

 

Click link for today's video:

today's video link

[CaptJohnWis]

Windy yesterday. Fished six hours. We had slow fishing with only about 20 walleyes and nothing big. 

I am off to Wisconsin for antique lure show, won't be back for a week. While I'm away, Mike is going musky fishing with some other guys so I am anxious to hear how that turns out.

[CaptJohnWis]

Fished six hour yesterday until my trolling motor died. 25 fish. One nice bass and a decent pike, rest walleyes (biggest only 22"). My trolling motor has been in the shop three times in a month and they have yet to fix the leaking problem. They put in new seals and it works for a couple hours, then quits. Initially it was the main part of the motor (armature??) that needed replacement. Somehow that new part must not be seated properly as water keeps getting into lower unit. So I haven't been fishing much in my boat and Mike is gone for awhile.

Fish were in about 25 FOW and pretty aggressive. Had a couple triples (three in three casts) with Lunker City Ribster lure. So it killed me to lose my trolling motor at 4:00 p.m. I could have fished without it but I hate not having spot lock working. Fish were easy to mark and when you found some they would bite. MANY boat trailers at the landing when I quit. Probably out pre-fishing for bass tourney.

Click link for short video:

August 11 video link

[CaptJohnWis]

Lousy bite today. 5-1/2 hours and four fish. Nothing on humps. Marked very little and caught even less.

Couple nice pike and two 18" walleyes.

Pike on light rod video

pike video link

[CaptJohnWis]

Fishing slow again yesterday. At least I was able to mark a few fish on one reef. Ten hours and only 23 fish. Mostly eater walleyes (biggest 25-1/2") and a couple decent pike. Did pick up a few on shore lines and points. Same old baits working - Lunker City Grubster and Fin-S-Fish best. Small size lures best for these fussy fish.

 

At least my trolling motor worked all day. After three trips to repair shop it looks like it is finally good to go.

[CaptJohnWis]

Yesterday the water temp was 74. This morning the air temp was 40! Water should be cooling down soon and hopefully the bass will school up on the humps. Enough of this walleye fishing - time for some fighters!

Link to boring video from Friday click here for short video

[CaptJohnWis]

Finally! Some big bass. Fished ten hours today and it was sloooow. But I hit the jackpot on big bass for a few minutes. Got four dandies in four casts but rest of day awful - only seven other fish. 

Bass video of first two landed.

bass link

[CaptJohnWis]

Fished 9 hours Wednesday with Mike. 53 fish mostly walleyes in about 30 FOW. Nothing big. I got my biggest on the very first cast of the trip at 23+". We had about 10 over 20". So in my book a sloow day but mike thought it was great. Course he was catching them dragging crawlers. I got my on lures and we split them pretty much evenly. Only one decent pike and I think one bass.

Now today we went in the lucky boat (mine!) and got 22 fish in eight hours. But ten were nice bass plus a 30" pike and and a 25" walleye so I rate today as "good". The bass were on a windy point and most caught on lures. We did mark one school of bass on a hump but only caught two even though we kept marking them.

 

Short video from today:

Sept. 9, 2016 video link

[CaptJohnWis]

Bass schooling up! Found several schools of bass but most of the time could only catch a couple before they moved off. A few on spoons but most on Ribster. Best depth 24 feet but some up on top of humps in 12 FOW. Got a few pike and walleyes as well.

 

Today's video link

Bass video link

[CaptJohnWis]

Only 25 fish on Friday but at least most of them were nice bass. Not much change since my last post. Water 65 degrees. Found several big schools of bass but by the time I'd catch one or two they would disappear. Nobody along to tag team them or we would have got lots more. Still marking plenty of stubborn bottom feeders - my guess is mostly eaters based on the ones I did get to bite.

 

Friday boring video link: Friday video

How many Viking bars in Austin, TX? Answer -Goose egg - but here is a post from Facebook, Those Texans know their football

Details

 

With 1 win in the bag, the Packers move closer to home as they take on the Vikings in Minnesota for Week 2. Can the 2015 NFC North champs prove themselves on their home turf, or will the Packers reclaim their rightful title?

Join your fellow ATX Packer Backers at any of Austin's official Packer bars:
BILLY's ON BURNET
2105 Hancock Dr Austin, TX 78756

STAR BAR
600 W 6th St Austin, TX 78701
$12 Miller Lite pitchers
$4 Deep Eddy drinks

SHOOTERS...
11416 N FM 620, Austin, TX 78726
$1.50 burgers/brats
$2 Bud Light Draft, Ziegenbock and PBR
$2.25 domestics | $3 imports

ROUND ROCK TAVERN
113 W Main St, Round Rock, TX 78664

 

I may have to go to the "Viking Bar" in I Falls and cheer on the Pack tonight.


Don't forget to join us over at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ATXpackers

[waterspaniel]

Rodgers fumbles, tumbles and is humbled!

[CaptJohnWis]

9 hours ago, waterspaniel said:

Rodgers fumbles, tumbles and is humbled!

The Vikes tried their best to gift wrap it for the Pack but Rodgers stunk. See you at Lambeau.

Going fishing tomorrow since wind is supposed to die down.

[CaptJohnWis]

Water temps 64-65 which surprised me after all the wind yesterday and the air was 38 this morning when I got up.

Bass fishing was great in the morning but by 10:30 things went dead. Wind died down so I thought I would go up to Ash Bay and try three spots I felt would be good. I make the long run and when I get there - boats on ALL three spots and wind ripping! Tried a few other spots to no avail. Big waste of time and gas.

Got pounded part on way out of Ash so decided to quit early but wind was still howling so I hid out on west side where wind wasn't too bad. I hated to make the run across Sand Bay in that wind and hoped it would die down - it did around 6:00. The last spot before I headed in that I really wanted to try had ANOTHER boat on it. Don't these people know that Labor Day is long gone and they need to be home working. Anyway could not go to my last spot but still windy so I settled for a reef that had produced  a couple times in the past but usually a dud. I am glad that guy was where I had planned to fish. Got my biggest bass, pike and walleye of the day all off this backup spot.

Most fish around 20-25 FOW, the usual lures. Except I did get three rip jigging a slab type spoon. Violent yanks as soon as lure gets near bottom triggered three in a row but that was all on that lure. Will have to try more often when I know fish are nearby but fussy. Usually I go small and finesse em when fussy, but this is just the opposite.

Today's video link: Big fish off back-up spot.

[SledNeck]

On 9/19/2016 at 10:10 AM, waterspaniel said:

Rodgers fumbles, tumbles and is humbled!

LIKE

[CaptJohnWis]

Bass still biting. Lots of nice ones last few days. Even got a rare sauger. Same techniques as  last week. Course Mike had to drag crawlers around and catch a few dinks. Real fishermen don't need crawlers.

try this video

[CaptJohnWis]

Fishing lousy today. Only eight fish in five hours. Didn't mark much either. Mostly nice bass. Wind came up so we quit early. Same spots that produced for over a week no good today. Rigging some secret lures up this afternoon that Mike will wish he had when we hit the water on Monday.

[CaptJohnWis]

Headed UP NORTH.

Leaving for Athabasca tomorrow. My trip of a lifetime was there about a decade ago. My buddy Herb and I caught many BIG lake trout about this same time of year. Sadly I could get nobody to go with me since it was a spur of the moment decision. A camping trip I was supposed to be on to Reindeer Lake got called off (not by me) at the last minute. I was bummed so started looking around for other far away big trout and pike lakes.

Here are pictures from my best laker trip ever. Hopefully this one will be even better!

Be back to Rainy around the 10th. Herb wants to try Mille Lacs for bass when I get back. Any tips for that lake in mid-October appreciated. Course it will be hard to pry me off Rainy now that the bass are starting to school up.

[CaptJohnWis]

Back from a week at Athabasca. Caught about 200 lake trout but not as many big ones as I had hoped. Biggest 25 pounds. Only two big pike caught while fishing trout. It is a very nice lodge and I was the only client in camp - weather was not nice but I heard it was rough down here as well.  You can email me for details about the lodge if you have any interest in going. Pricey but you have a chance at a trophy.

Will be back chasing those mighty smallmouth Wednesday on Rainy.

Long video of my October trip:

Lake Athabasca video link