Make some noise! Rattle Upper Red Lake

With sub zero temperatures, winds whipping out of the west and ice that still registers a s sketchy I figured it would be a good day and see just what the new Otter portable was cable of and maybe catch a few fish.

My initial thought was that of many long time Upper Red Lake anglers; concentrate my efforts towards aggressive feeding walleyes along the last break in the well known 5-7 feet of water. Shallow walleyes are always a sure bet under first ice. Well three spots and seven miles later I was having horrible luck with water clarity and the presence of any forage or even insect life showing up on Marcum camera along with the entire line of game species fish missing. Once I admitted that my plan “A” failed yet again this year I poured a cup of coffee and dug the Lakemaster map out and just thought about it for a while. Where are the shiners? Where are the perch? Where are the Boatman water beetles and other little critters that start of the food chain that eventually ends in the gullet of a trophy class pike? After some beard scratching and forehead rubbing it came to me; I was not paying attention to the past to create a better future. A teaching from my mentors that I often forget. When the wind comes up on Red and turns our stained water into a toffee colored froth all critters big and small end up in non mud based deeper water, clean and clear water where the living is easier. And the wind blew steady before the ice formed making for murky water. After scolding myself for not using my head I pack up the Otter and began picking my way across the various cracks, ridges and slush pockets heading for deeper gravel humps and rocks.

Within minutes of verifying I was in the proper location by getting a good look at the gravel bottom and rock structure with the camera and checking the 13 feet of water depth I was both marking fish and watching them swim through the somewhat cleaner water. Now all I have to do is catch a few, right? Well that also proved to be a challenge as they wanted nothing to do with minnows or jigs, spoons and a arsenal of plastics did little to entertain their interest. As I was digging through the tackle box I basically went for the noisiest shiniest, fastest moving thing I could come up with to see if I could anger them into a strike in that murky water. As I popped open the brand new Lindy Darter I had just picked up at the store with its orange back and glistening silver sides I discovered they have very low pitched rattles in them similar to a larger pike or musky bait. Maybe that will get their attention if nothing else and it really did! Before I finished working the lure to the bottom a flash went across my camera screen and the flasher lights lit up like a equalizer on a stereo with multiple bands of bright red racing toward the surface to meet the steady click click click of the falling lure. WHAMMO fish on! After a short battle, measurement and drop in the bucket I was sending that clicking wobbling lure back to shark pit that now existed below. The next hour was a steady processing of fish. Some to big, some to small and several misses as they swiped at the lure while making full speed passes demonstrating the blood thirsty aggression of piranhas. As the afternoon wore on walleyes came and went taking sucker punches at that shiny little lure as I approached my legal take. In curiosity I dialed in the Marcum camera to keep a good eye on my new best little buddy swimming around and I was amazed while watching how the walleyes would target the sound. Some would swim past the lure only to make 180 degree turn at the single working of those rattles! School was on and taught by the camera until the darkest of all moments happened. In the white flash of gills flaring and a cloud of debris my line went tight then snapped into nothingness. A tanker sized pike ended my reign of terror swimming off with my bravest little solider. He fought fearlessly, bravely, he will be remembered and stories of his magnificence will be told…and he will be replaced in the morning.

Needless to say the bite is beyond fine on Upper Red Lake. Ice conditions are looking good with a variance in thicknesses from eight inches all the way up eleven inches in places making travel a little more stress-free then the previous week but caution still must be used as some nasty cracks have formed and I will bet good money that with the warmer temps coming and thin snow cover we are going to see some remarkable ice movement creating a few very annoying pressure ridges, so keep your head screwed on straight as it is still dangerous out there.

It is time, come on up to Red lake and get that ice fishing itch cured. The walleyes are going for those willing to work a bit to find them and the water is clearing telling me the pike are soon to go on their annual under ice rampage.