As a full time guide on Rainy Lake I sometimes feel like I get pigeon holed into the same tactics day after day. Usually that sets in when I have 5, 6, or more days in a row. Most trips are for walleyes and the “olde” cliché “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” seems to fit! I enjoy mixing it up once in a while, but jigs continue to rule the day for walleyes in my boat.
That said I had a super nice couple from Florida that wanted a big pike and I’ll be darned if we didn’t pull it off. Mike got a monster 41″ inch July pike that looked like it had just swallowed a watermelon. Great fish released to grow to 47 inches I hope. I feel that a good share of the lakes biggest pike follow loose groups of tullibee and whitefish in a pelagic manner. They also will nail anything they can catch like walleyes, eel pout, and large crankbaits! If you put in your time fishing specifically for large predators here you will eventually score.
The walleye bite continues to be strong most days. With the heat lately it sure seems the mornings are best from 7am to about 1pm. After that fish can sure be had, but it seems to be a bit tougher for me lately after shore lunch. I have caught fish as deep as 34 to 37 this week but the majority are still coming from 28 or less. There is also a decent shallow bite going on where you have vegetation with an edge in 12 to 14 feet. And yes, there are still days when you can fish no deeper then 8 feet and catch fish all day. Like I said before, if you want to brush up catching walleyes using your favorite tactics c’mon up! If you want to try new tactics and presentations just to learn new things AND catch fish doing it…c’mon up!
Smallmouth fishing is steady on both sides of the border with the nod going to Canadian waters for numbers. That said there are plenty of smallies to be had on OUR side. I have spent a couple half days out there chasing small jaws and they are always a blast. Most fish are about a pound and a half to about 4 with the occasional larger fish. Topwater, hair, and tubes are tough to beat right now.
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