Largemouth in Rainy!

[Rainydaze]

The Fishing Queen strikes again! Spent a few hours yesterday slinging for giant pike when the Fishing Queen hooked a jumping bucket mouth. Of course we snapped a digital, and released it quickly, but must admit I would been equally as surprised to see a grouper! Here's a picture for evidence of the rare catch.

[Black_Bay]

You should have tossed that green carp in the cattails behind you.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Dude.. I hope that was a joke.

[Black_Bay]

Quote:

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Dude.. I hope that was a joke.

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The part about the tossing it in the cattails was a joke, but not the green carp part. It is a nice looking fish though.

BTW I've fished Rainy for nearly 40 years and haven't caught a largemouth yet and hope I never do. The reason I say that is largemouth are a warm water species and an expanding population would be an indicator of the lake changing in what I would consider a bad way.

[tearin' lips]

We've caught quite a few largies back in cranberry bay and the inside channel area. There are not alot of them, but you can hook into some decent ones. Nice Fish Daze...seems like you wife tends to outfish you alot Can't wait until this summer!

Take Care and Good Luck Fishing!

[fishmeister_86]

HEY R.D.,

THANKS TO YOU & THE "WIFE" FOR COMFORTING MY PUPPY, BO IS A SPECIAL DOG & VERY SENSITIVE, SO I THINK HE GETS HURT EASY, LAST NIGHT I GAVE HIM A BABY ASPIRIN. HIS EYE WAS LOOKING KINDA OF FUNKY, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE HE WAS BLINDED, AS I DID A FEW TESTS WITH MY FINGERS AND HE BLINKS THAT EYE, TELLING ME HE SEES MY FINGER. IT IS BLOODSHOT TODAY, BUT I THINK HE WILL BE FINE. MY WIFE & SON LOVE THAT DOG, SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY SAD IF BO WOULD HAVE DIED. ANYWAY THANKS FOR YOUR CARE & CONCERN...BO IS WORTH IT.

SINCERELY,

FISHMEISTER

[Rainydaze]

Hey FM,

We're both very glad that Bo seemingly is going to be o.k. We're both dog lovers, and know that dogs are often times just like part of the family. We have 2 labs and a collie. I'm pretty sure the fishin queen would have jumped in front of oncoming traffic for your dog! Great news FM!

[Husky28]

The reason I say that is largemouth are a warm water species and an expanding population would be an indicator of the lake changing in what I would consider a bad way.

Not sure if the above statement was meant as a tongue-in-cheek comment... but if you meant the indicator meaning warm water vs. the predator scope changing, I can see where warmer (LOTS warmer) water is going to impact the fishery, IF it gets very warm. Trust me, it would take an extreme temperature trend to impact Rainy very much. With the depths that Rainy has, I don't see that happening.

As far as competition is concerned, LM reside (most of the year) in a totally different environment than most of the Rainy Lake predators. I would say that Northerns will compete with the LM more than any other species. Smallies can but not nearly as much as many think. There are many examples where both species thrive with healthy populations. All you have to do is watch a tournament held on Erie, Minnetonka or Pickwick, just to see the difference in locations where each species is caught. To be honest, as someone who loves and used to guide and fish Rainy extensively, I believe it could support LM right along with the other species without any trouble. IMHO

[rainy dude]

Large Mouth have been planted numerous times by both the MNR and DNR on Rainy, dating back to the early nineteen hundreds. They never really took, but there seems to be a sizable population that has existed quietly for many years in the area you guys have found them.

There is also an up an coming new population starting up in Northwest bay from transplants.

Many lakes north of Rainy have large mouth flourishing in them from the many transplants that have taken place. The tourism sector moved smallmouth into thousands of new lakes into the region and now they are transplanting largemouth. Rainy will see many new transplants take place as others try to establish populations throughout the lake.

R_D

[Black_Bay]

Quote:

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The reason I say that is largemouth are a warm water species and an expanding population would be an indicator of the lake changing in what I would consider a bad way.

Not sure if the above statement was meant as a tongue-in-cheek comment... but if you meant the indicator meaning warm water vs. the predator scope changing, I can see where warmer (LOTS warmer) water is going to impact the fishery,

IF

it gets very warm. Trust me, it would take an extreme temperature trend to impact Rainy very much. With the depths that Rainy has, I don't see that happening.

As far as competition is concerned, LM reside (most of the year) in a totally different environment than most of the Rainy Lake predators. I would say that Northerns will compete with the LM more than any other species. Smallies can but not nearly as much as many think. There are many examples where both species thrive with healthy populations. All you have to do is watch a tournament held on Erie, Minnetonka or Pickwick, just to see the difference in locations where each species is caught. To be honest, as someone who loves and used to guide and fish Rainy extensively, I believe it could support LM right along with the other species without any trouble.

IMHO

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It wasn't tongue in cheek and I was refering to the change in the fish community. Right now there are plenty of places that are warm enough to support a largemouth population. Black Bay, Lost Bay, Cranberry Bay, the inside channel... These areas also have plenty of vegetation that largemouth prefer. These areas are also excellent early walleye and pike spots. I think one thing that has kept their population down, besides interspecific competition, is the lack of fusiform prey species like bluegill. Largemouth are ambush predators and don't chase prey like northern pike or walleye.

To me an expansion of warm water species in Rainy is similar to the expansion of raccons to northern Minnesota or Armadillos in Illinois. It's a sign of changing climate and that is not good. Also with warmer water we'll start losing our cisco and whitefish populations. If it's true that largemouth are being stocked in Rainy by biologists they should be fired. If they are being stocked by someone else they should be arrested. Rainy is quickly becoming a world class fishery and we don't need backyard biologists ____ing it up.

[Husky28]

Hhhmm... Thought the raccoon populations were moving north due to the major decline in fur prices and as a result creating a population problem pushing them north... don't know about the armadillo issue, but can speculate the lack of predators might have something to do with it. If I follow your thought process here though... more eagles winter here (SE IA) because of the warmer climate not because of an increasing population and better control on chemicals (tip: here in IA weather patterns have been the same for 40+ years)... mountain lions sightings are now considered normal (again in SE IA), so we must have a climate that mirrors the west... not because of an over population of deer thus providing a convenient food source for them... oh yeah, their population continues to increase along with the bobcats - locally. We even have bear sightings beginning to crop up with a friend of mine taking pictures of 2 in his back yard... I say all that to say - a LM population in Rainy doesn't neccessarily indicate warmer waters, but populations are always in a continous shift... who's to say if anyone is transporting the LM in? I don't know... but I do know there are several "inner park lakes" with strong LM populations that feed into Rainy and they've been there for over 40 years...