Arvid's Fishing Report

It’s that time of the year when fishing changes. It may have been good yesterday, but today might be a different story. I can attest to that. Last Sunday was a beautiful day and Diane and I went for a ride to the lake. We fished the same set of holes that we had good fishing two days before and only caught one sauger. We didn’t mark that many fish and those that we did were not interested in biting.

Some of the Bosch boys keep trying the river for an hour or so after work. Lately, they might catch an eater or a little walleye to release and every so often, one of them might catch a nice slot fish. Tom set the bar pretty high with the fish he caught last week, but they’ll keep trying to beat it. They have caught a few small pike out of the shanties, which are located near the middle of the river and that seems a bit unusual. Even the sturgeon bite has slowed. A few weeks ago it seemed like every night someone would catch a big sturgeon or have one on, but not much lately. That could all change as we get closer to March.

Bill with a 24″ walleye

Kevin with his 25-1/2″ walleye

It has been some winter that we’ve been having. It’s great if you don’t have anything to do with cold weather testing or have anything to do with the snowmobiling industry. The past few days it’s been warm enough to start melting some of the little bit of snow we have. It’s more like the first part of March rather than February.

Friday, Tom, Mick and I went to the Lake. We had a good, reliable tip on a spot and it’s a good thing that directions were clear, because it was foggy and seeing where to go was anything but clear. We located the spot, about six miles off Pine Island and began fishing around 11:00 a.m. We fished until about 3:30 and while the bite wasn’t fast, it was good enough to keep us happy. We ended up three short of our limit and caught only one slot fish, but it was a dandy. Tom caught a beautiful 29″ walleye and that makes him the new leader for the largest walleye with the Bosch cold weather test team. He released the fish and said that it was a good thing that it wasn’t an inch longer or it would have cost him to have it mounted. We hurried back to town and went down on the river for the last hour of fishing. The sun had come out, but just before dark the fog rolled in and visibility went to very little. We caught three walleyes and kept two, so we ended up short one for the day. We were all happy, it was a good day.

Tom with a beautiful 29″ walleye

It’s official; 29 inches

Mick with a nice walleye caught right at dark

Nick and I were fishing for pike late yesterday (we caught nothing to take home) and while visiting, he told me about this sturgeon that Danielle caught on New Years Day evening. They were fishing in a shanty up river that had partially frozen eight inch holes when Danielle gets hold of this big sturgeon. She fought the fish for over 40 minutes while, at the same time, Nick chiseled out the hole being careful not to cut the line. The head of the fish barely fit through the hole as they brought it in. It was a project just to measure the fish. It was 62 inches and the conversion chart would have it at approximately 62 lbs. and be 38 years old. What a way to start the New Year.

Danielle and Nick with her 62″ Sturgeon

Both ice holes were like the small one when the excitement started.

Sunday was a very nice day for January and warranted spending a couple of hours outside fishing.  I had moved my little shanty back up river by the bridge with the idea that I could fish pike during the day and maybe catch a walleye towards evening. I was fishing for pike; Tom and Nick were also there.  Tom had been getting a little ribbing the past few days after catching a nice 34″ pick earlier in the week. We had a few flags and had caught four or five 18″ pike (Tom called them two-year olds) when Tom caught a nice 32″ pike. After they left to go watch a ball game, I caught a nice 31″ pike and a 17″ walleye. I was feeling much better about my afternoon than the Packer and Saints fans were.

 Tom (on Left) caught a nice 32″ pike. Nick gets the assist. 

A pretty 31″ pike                                                                                                                                                       

It was such nice weather on Tuesday that I took it as an opportunity to try to catch a pike. I like to make a batch of pickled pike at this time of the year. coincidently, some friends had the same idea and we all ended up at the mouth of the Baudette Bay at mid afternoon. We only ended up with four pike to keep, but we had two slot fish. Pike between 30″ and 40″ must be released. Tom had a 34″ pike and I caught one 32-1/2″, both really nice fish.

Tom with a nice 34″ pike

A nice 32-1/2″ pike

The bite on the Lake, especially the sauger bite, continues to be pretty good, but the bite on the river has slowed. The river has some slot fish and a lot of little ones, but not many to take home. Anyway, it seems  that’s the way it’s been the past few days. Sunday evening there were seven fishing in the area that I was, mostly Bosch boys and only three walleyes were caught to keep. George caught all three. Marcel caught a nice 26-1/2″ walleye that, I think, has him 1/4″ short in the Bosch winter test competition. Tom went into one of the shanties after dark and immediately caught a nice 23″ walleye.   This morning I fished for a little over an hour and caught two nice eaters and four little bait stealers. The morning is a good way to eliminate some of the competition, especially George, as you usually have the entire river to yourself.

Marcel with a nice 26-1/2″ walleye

Tom with a nice 23″ walleye

I caught a really nice fish this morning; a beautiful 30-1/2″ walleye. I can’t hardly remember what I had for dinner last night, but in the 44 years that Grandma Diane and I have lived here I think that fish is only the second walleye over 30″ that I’ve caught. There have been a few under 30″, but not many come along over that. This morning I also caught a 23-1/2″ slot fish, two small walleyes that I released and two that I kept. Our neighbors son, Joe, was fishing not to far away with his uncle and another guy. Joe caught a 56″ sturgeon that barely made it through the hole. That’s a big fish. It was a good morning and a great way to end up 2011.

One big fish – released  for someone else to catch and put on the wall

Good weather and good fishing make for lots of fishermen and we certainly have them. I haven’t been to the lake, being content to fish the river near town, but from what I understand, it’s difficult to find a place to park out in the Graceton Beach and Morris Point areas. Most travel on the lake is by ATV’s and small vehicles, so the large vehicles  are parked where they can find a spot near shore. I understand that the lake has 12″ to 13″ of ice and no snow. River fishing is good if you are willing to be satisfied with an early morning or a late evening bite that could last up to an hour. A person will probably catch some little walleyes, a nice slot fish and you might get a couple 15″ to 17″ to take home. I’ve caught a number of slot fish in the 22″-23″ range and I’ve heard of a couple up to 28″.  The week between Christmas and New Years is generally the best week of the winter season.

Scott with a nice 23″ walleye

This is some weather we’ve been having this December. Here in Baudette, the Sunday afternoon temperatures were in the mid and upper 30’s.

The nice weather had the fishermen out in full force. I moved my little shanty down by the airport and Diane came with me Sunday afternoon. There was lots of activity with people fishing outside and in their shanties; and many with the doors open. There are some fish around and the bite doesn’t last long. Depending on where you happen to sit might determine if you catch any. There were some that didn’t catch a fish and others caught three or four. Some of the Bosch Boys were fishing and Kenny happened to sit in the right spot, as he caught four nice walleyes and the others only caught one between them. I finally got the best of Diane. She caught a small pike and a nice 17″ walleye. I caught two nice walleyes to keep and released a 21″, 22-1/2″ and a 23″. Once, I turned my back to wipe my hands and when I looked back, one of my jig sticks was gone. A couple of minutes later, I caught the 23″ walleye and while I was bringing it up, here comes my jig stick that had just went down the other hole. There was no fish on it. The line was not broke, but the snap was open and the jig was gone. It was a nice, enjoyable late afternoon on the Rainy.

Ken with one of the four nice walleye he caught

Ken with a nice 23″ walleye

The 23″ walleye that retrieved my jig stick

Ice fishing shifted to high gear this past weekend. The river and lake have 7-8 inches of good ice and no snow; travel is with ATV’s. Fishing reports are mixed; from so-so to awesome. The so-so reports are mostly from the river where nice fish are being caught, but not many. The Bosch Boys have been fishing in portable shanties this past week and catching a few fish each night and quite often one of them would catch a nice slot fish. Scott is the leader in the largest walleye during winter test so far with a 26-3/4 inch walleye. Mike has caught two sturgeon;  45″ and 48″. He been lobbying for a rule change that would permit any specie to qualify for the big fish, but I don’t thing he’ll get much support. I moved my little shanty to the mouth of the Baudette Bay and have fished three or four times. It’s been hard to get enough for a meal. Generally, I would get two or three small pike and a couple of walleyes. Most of the walleyes are slot fish; from 20″ to 24″. The Lake has been a different story. Last night I talked to a local guy and he had taken a nine-year old with the little brother program yesterday and they had great fishing on the lake. He said that they must have caught thirty fish in a little over an hour. They had only one slot fish, but many in the 16″ to 18″ range. He said that even though there is 8″ of ice, there are three open holes out in the middle of the lake. CAUTION is the word; both on the river and lake.

Scott’s 26-3/4″ Walleye

Mike’s 48″ Sturgeon

Rick with a nice walleye