Rainy Lake, Minnesota fishing report 2-22-09

As February is coming to an end we’re all looking forward to a moderation in temperatures. Last weekend was awesome on the ice as my wedding party dropped the hammer down on walleyes, and then we had a major cold snap which made the fish finicky for a few days. Fish are now coming out of the slowdown, and starting to snap again. March marks some of my favorite on ice experiences and allows anglers the flexibility to mobilize without freezing body parts. Lake travel is wide open now as the slush settled and froze. Then we received some nice snow for great sledding to spots!!! There has been a good mix of fish as of late with walleyes, saugers, perch, pike and of course plenty of big pout!!

So what do anglers need to do to catch walleyes as we head into the late ice period? First off remember we fish until mid April up here for big walleyes, and Pike are open continuous. As the fish start to gain some energy for the upcoming spawn cycle they will look to do so with minimal movement and maximum gain. This is the season in which I seem to see the least amount of pressure on these fish. Likely as patterning the fish has less to do with structure, and more to do with the location of baitfish. I have noticed in the past 3 days the baitfish have scattered a bit from where we have been fishing. Getting back on top of the ciscoes will be key to locating the big red blobs producing the Rainy Lake gold slobs. Subtle bottom changes and shelves will hold schools of active fish. There is no substitute for time on the water during this period as obvious walleye structure will often times not be holding the fish your seeking.

Look for mixed bags to start being the order of the day. Fish of all species are starting to group together on the same producing structure. In the most recent outings there has been nearly equal amounts of perch, saugers, walleye, pike and eel Pout. Thank goodness the 1/8 oz. Lightning spoons catch them all!! Lure of the weeks still stands at either the lime green glow Lightning spoon or Orange and Glow Lightning spoon through Custom Jigs and Spins. Tipping these spoons with either 1/2 a fathead of shinner head seems to be working best. Remember when working these fish to make reads on the fish depending on the reaction they are giving you on the electronics. If they come in aggressive I pull away to trigger a strike. If they are slow and methodical I fade away slowly and vibrate the spoon shaking that minnnow head in the face of that fish. More and more fish are coming in aggressive now. Remember bringing eater size fish 4-5 feet off the bottom will produce strikes more often than sitting in the front of that fish just off the bottom. Trust me 12-16 inch fish are not safe suspending 5 feet off the bottom, so they employ the Bite or Flight philisophy while quickly swimming for safety to bottom structure. Big fish need to be triggered more often than not. Nobody wants a sandwich taken out from under there nose, so even when the fish aren’t very hungry the fear of that easy snack slipping away is often too much to take!! “Are you going to eat that??” “Well I guess I should even though I am a bit full!!”

Now for a whole paragraph featuring the unsung catfish of the north! Lets talk Eel Pout!! Rainy has an unbelievable population of big pout!! This week I’m taking out the Fishing Queens friends for some Pout time. Now “UP NORTH” chicks might not cry, but definately POUT!! Many of you suffered through my Youtube video of that monster Pout caught out of my rental a few weeks back. That fish measured over 38 inches and weighed 14.5lbs!! State record runs around 19lbs!! I believe we’ll break it here on Rainy Lake!! These fish fight you all the way to the hole, and are great tablefare. Yep they are a whole lot of ugly, but remember so are Halibut, Cod, and MOST popular fish that grace your table which nobody thinks twice about. My customers typically fish during the day, eat some supper and then get their pout game on. Anglers can utilize the same gear you use for walleyes, and the same lightning spoons. Remember Pout don’t likely see all that great, so don’t make it very difficult for these monsters!! I try leave a narrow gap between my presentation and the bottom and wait for the infamous “Green Peek” from the pout. They will often peek up and then rise up and smack it. When the fish moves up hold that bait still and then hold on!! Great fun!! Oh… They can be caught pretty much all night. We are coming into the best time of year for these beasts!! Good Fishing Team!! From the land of BIG FISH and small crowds!! “Get your FISH ON!!”