Rainy Lake Houseboat trip with IDO!!

Well boys it’s been awhile since I’ve “Henpecked” a full blow fishing report!! I figure I better get back in the swing of things, and what better to discuss than the fishing forecast for our May 30th push off from Rainy Lake Houseboats. 30 men will set sail in the luxurious houseboats towing various fishing boats and “Yucking” it up on the marine radios. I remember a couple years ago the base at RLHB had our crew change channels because of the seemingly endless fun bantering taking place boat to boat. You could clearly feel the excitement in the air as our crew of 6 houseboats headed east to tie up!! From that trip on I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this group setting. Guys that like to mingle and talk fishing are emersed in a very rich fishing field of guys. Anglers who like to stay to themselves can easily lose themselves in the vast waters of Voyageurs National Park. The fishing of course here on Rainy Lake that time of year can be AMAZING!! Through our guide service I commonly tell our customers to “Pick Your Poision” as the end of May marks great fishing for all species!! Before I go into detail on the fishing forecast I should mention we still have one Rainy Lake Houseboat slot open!! Your crew can take advantage of our group discount and join us or you can even come alone or with a buddy. Once again Billy and I will be giving a pre-launch seminar giving our anglers firsthand information on precisely what has been working and areas to start FISHING!!

Since we have such a large variety of fish that appeal to anglers I’ll try give a brief overview of what you can expect. Let’s start with Walleyes and Pike together. I am covering these two fish as one because in this late May timeframe they are often found in very close proximity to one another. If your catching big Walleyes your also likely catching BIG PIKE!! Let me explain……BIG!! Last year simply through my one man guide service we combined to catch 62 pike exceeding the 10lb mark of which 7 pushed over 20lbs!! Rainy Lake Walleyes can grow to HULK sizes. Not only do these Walleye get large, but many anglers comment on how beautiful they are with the pronounced colorations they receive from inhabiting our Orr stained water. The Biggest Walleyes are often caught in Shallow water and our May trip hits that timeframe directly in the “Bulls Eye”. Fish will be roaming through shallow haunts being quite vulnerable to a variety of presentations. I like to throw either stickbaits or jigs and plastics. Many other anglers will slow troll stickbaits or slip bobber fish while taking in the true majestic beauty of fishing in Voyageurs National Park. I always tell guests or “First Timers” on this trip two things; Never cast tackle that has any sort of sentimental value and NEVER bring just ONE of anything!!

If your arms get sore from tangling with the monster Walleyes and Pike…..TOO BAD!! Our Smallmouth will be guarding beds and they are even MORE ANGRY!! When a guy looks at Rainy lake the first thing that runs through his heads is “BRONZEBACKS”. PRECISELY!! This is a Smallmouth fishermans paradise. I’d like to pretend there is a “Localized” secret for catching these hard fighting fish, but there really isn’t. There are many many ways to lace up big smallies here in the late May/Early June timeframe. I personally like to see those fish explode on my bait, so I’ll work topwater chuggers and poppers. Plastics, spinners, stickbaits and a simple leech under a cork can produce devastating results. Again…..PICK “YOUR” POISON FELLAS!!

SO JUST in case you become bored with Pike, Walleyes and Smallies……Can we serve you up a basket of giant Crappies?? Maybe my personal favorite; The Rainy lake Crappies is truly a heck of a specimen. Plate sized fish commonly pushing over 15 inches and stretching the springs past the 2lb mark put big smiles on anglers faces. Fish upwards of 16 even 17 inches are NOT out of the question. My biggest slab measured 16.5 inches weighing in at 2lbs 9 oz!! Fish are commonly caught in 12-13.5 inch class. Anglers in the late May timeframe that choose to target crappies will want to target shallow rock piles and pencil reeds with a variety of presentations. As a fishing guide you commonly get stuck using what works for you. I throw small corks with flu-flu’s or tubies and pop it over structures. These Crappies Boys……ARE VERY ADDICTING!!

MAY 30TH!!! We push off while leaving the hustle and bustle of todays world behind us. It is simply fishing at it’s finest in the comforts of a floating condo. If you haven’t experienced a trip like this……WEll it’s probably time!! Look forward to meeting everyone again this year and if your crew has interest in quickly filling our last boat give either myself or James a shout!!