Westwinds report Jan Upper Red

January 5, 2009

Happy New Year everyone. Another big snow storm brought us even more snow. The wind made lots of drifts and they are hard. Offroad travel is almost impossible now so we are trying to make many areas for people to fish. We plowed a large area at the 4 mile mark last weekend that was a very popular spot. I will open it back up for this weekend and plow another one at the 2 mile mark. From the reports I am getting the 2 mile area might be the best one to try. Walleyes are still the fish of choice for many anglers which is good cause there are plenty of them. Many keeper sized fish are being caught with several slot sized fish also. It sounds like we may finally have a night bite. I am getting a few reports of fish being caught right at dark and after dark for a couple hours (5-7pm). Also an early morning bite has been really good too (6-8am). Like always glow red and green are the hot colors, along with a single red hook and splitshot 2ft up from the hook set up. Tip both rigs with a fathead or shiner minnow and your set.

The crappies are still being caught, but by accident while walleye fishing. The 2-4 mile range has produced the best area for a chance at a monster crappie.

The northerns are still just roaming the open water in search for your sucker minnow on a tip up, so make sure you get them set up. I have also had many anglers get them on their walleye rigs too, but many times they get more than one line and things get interesting fast. Good luck!!

Yeah!! 11 guys and I are coming up over the 15-18 to catch some future sandwiches aka walldos. Definately pumped for my first time on Upper Red. Our friend and his family have a cabin on the river so we will be hanging out there as well. 9 days away!

IM kinda feeling sorry for “The Friend and Family”

11 guys- 3 days and nights- OOF DAH

HA! We will behave.

January 19, 2009

After the cold snap that slowed everything down the walleye are now getting hungry again.The bite is still very light during the day and getting a little more aggressive closer to dark. We are also seeing several fish caught during the late night and very early morning hours. If you are staying on the lake in a sleeper make sure you keep the rattle reels down at night. A blue and pink forage minnow or jigging spoon is working pretty good right now. That and a fathead minnow of course.
A small number of crappie are still around, but I have heard some reports of a few limits being taken. The people catching crappies are very portable and are ready to move in a matter of minutes. Drilling many holes and moving from hole to hole using a good flasher to check for signs of fish is the key to finding crappies. Most holes, or even the entire area will only produce a small number of crappies. Moving with the fish to a new area and drilling more holes is the only way to catch these monsters of the deep. Which way they move or where they go is anybodies guess, but those with the time and energy the go scouting may be rewarded with a trophy crappie.
Perch are starting to show up more often now and that is making people very happy. A few nice 10″ perch in the pail never hurt anyone. They are catching them by the same means as the walleye, a simple jig and minnow combo.
The northerns are still roaming the big waters hitting the occasional tip up or wrapping all the lines in a house in one big ball under the ice. Have fun and good luck!!