Arvid's Fishing Report

This is the time of year when fish have moved off shore and it takes different methods to catch them. In recent years a popular way is to go to thirty plus feet of water; drop anchor and bait fish with a jig. Still, others find using downriggers an effective way to catch a few fish. With a heavy May fly hatch, the bait fishing has slowed a bit and fishermen trying everything and traveling long distances to find fish.

I have never had any downriggers or did much downrigging, but after we got a larger boat last fall I have been giving some thought about getting some. A friend of mine had a extra set and offered to let me use them. Yesterday, Willard, Don and I went to the Lake with Willard the teacher and Don and I getting a refresher course. We got delayed a bit when I had to go back to town to get the boat key, but after that we had about three hours on the water on a very nice day. We ended up with eight nice walleyes and four saugers; enough for a meal for all of us.

Many times when we would pull in a line there would be Spiny Water Fleas attached to the line. They have infested our waters in recent years and it is unsure what effect it is going to have on our fishery. I guess it’s a given that they will fit into the food chain somewhere and there is concern that it may not be good.

Spiny Water Fleas attached to the line

Bud invited his Bosch BTS drivers for a launch trip out of Ballard’s Resort on Tuesday and what a beautiful day it was. Don, Sheldon, Ralph and I met Bud at Ballard’s at 8:00 a.m. Our guide for the day was Tim Lyon who has been a guide for Ballard’s for about 10 years. Tim has his own winter business, Lyon Sleepers, so he keeps busy year around. We have a lot of good guides on the Lake and Tim ranks right up there with the best of them.

Our group was an interesting lot; a retired school superintendent and retired teacher; a school board member and two former school board members. We’ve had a lot of interesting and controversial things going on in our school district lately, but we left those topics on shore.

We left the dock with a sunny sky, a light breeze that would die to almost nothing in the late afternoon. The temperature was barely 50 degrees, but would get to the low 70’s by afternoon.  We went out through the Gap to about 30 feet of water and dropped anchor. We fished for over an hour and caught about 10 walleyes and saugers, with Don catching at least half of them. Sheldon caught a dandy 26-1/2 inch walleye that was the big fish for the day. Having enough fish to guarantee shore lunch, we pulled anchor and headed north to see if any fish were on the reefs off Knight & Bridges Islands. We drifted across the reefs and caught a fish or two each pass. It wasn’t fast fishing, but we all caught fish and it was good enough to keep us happy. We stopped at  Garden Island for a great shore lunch and then spent the afternoon on the reefs. It was a great day.

Sheldon with a beautiful 26-1/2 inch walleye

Bud with a nice walleye

l-r Don, Arvid, Bud, Ralph, Tim, Sheldon

After a rainy day on Wednesday that didn’t produce a lot of rain, Willard and I went to the Lake to try our luck at flat lining some crankbaits. We started in the Bay and there wasn’t much going on; one walleye, two pike and a small muskie. I think that is only the second muskie I’ve ever caught and it certainly isn’t anywhere close to the size of the first one. We went to the outside of Pine Island and trolled up and down the island in 6-13 feet of water. For the half day that we were out, we ended up catching seven walleyes; kept five 15″-17″ and released a 19″ & 21-1/2″.  After a slow start, Willard ended up with the hot hand, catching the last five. The fish were scattered and we couldn’t catch more than one in a spot. We have had better days; and worse.

Willard with a nice 21-1/2″ walleye

A Little Muskie

We couldn’t ask for better weather for boating or fishing than what we had here this past weekend. The only downside was that the catching was a little slow. The river has  been very slow for the past couple of weeks and reports from the Lake are mixed. I talked to a neighbor that did well on the outside of Pine with a jig and minnow in 8-10 feet of water. Another friend was all over the Lake on Saturday, even all the way up to Little Oak, and two of them came in with six fish. Don and I fished the Morris Point Washout on Friday and caught seven nice eaters pulling crankbaits. Diane and I spent most of Saturday on the water. We put the boat in across from the house and went to the Lake. It looked like there were two hundred boats from the Gap to Morris Point. Didn’t see much for fish being caught, but I’m sure that they were all enjoying the weather and some probably getting more than a little sunburn. We caught seven nice walleyes and four small pike that we released. It was a nice weekend.

Don with a nice walleye

Uncle Noie and Janice were here over the weekend for a visit and three days of fishing. Of course, the wind has been blowing and it has the lake riled up a bit and that has slowed the bite.

The wind was blowing pretty good on Saturday, so we fished the river for two hours. Diane caught a little walleye that we released and that was the only bite we had. Monday, the wind switched to the SW and the four of us went to the lake. We went to the Morris Point washout in anticipation of finding cleaner water and started fishing by pulling some crankbaits in 6-8 feet of water. It worked; in 2-1/2 hours we caught nine nice walleyes; all from 14″ t0 17″ and a little sauger. We released two small walleyes and a small pike. On Tuesday, the weather was beautiful and the four of us went out again after lunch. We fished from 1:30 until a little after 4:00 and caught eight nice walleye; from 14″ to 18″ and released one small walleyes. We had a good time and were more than happy with our catch.

Janice with a nice walleye

Uncle Noie with a nice 18″ walleye

There were eight of us that got together for a Memorial Day weekend trout trip. Three of the Bosch Boys, Tom, Jim & Steve, drove up from Detroit. Jim’s dad, Bill, came from Denver; Jonathan from downstate and George, Terry and I from Baudette. We met at 7:00 a.m Saturday morning at the Ranch House and after a hearty breakfast and a beverage stop, we crossed the bridge and headed for Sioux Narrows.

We arrived about noon, put the boats in, checked in, unpacked and headed for the rocks. Spotty rain showers were in the forecast for the entire weekend, except Sunday, so rain suits were the proper attire. Reports that we had gotten from others that had been up fishing trout were poor and  what we experienced was no different. That afternoon, Terry caught a nice lake trout trolling, Jim caught a small mouth and there were two pike caught. That was all for Saturday afternoon.

Sunday was a beautiful sunny day, but trout fishing was slow. We did catch eleven pike; most were over twenty eight  inches and in the slot requiring release. Only one lake trout was caught and that was off the dock after we got back to camp.

During the past couple of winter test seasons, Jim has had a hard time catching a fish large enough to keep, but Monday he ended that. In between rain showers he caught a beautiful 37-1/2″ lake trout; largest fish of the trip. We can’t rib him anymore about those little sauger and pike he’s been catching winter fishing. Tom and George each caught a trout and Jonathan caught a nice one off the dock that evening. The group caught eight pike during the day and we were able to keep three which made for a good fish fry.

Tuesday, it was really breezy and we decided to fish off the dock while we had breakfast and pack up to go home. After all, we were doing about as good off the dock as we could off  a rock. Terry and Jonathan each caught a nice trout and there were a couple that got tangled in the rocks and broke off.

There was the usual  laughter, story telling and practical joking; some that shouldn’t get written about here;  like the “wood tick” issue with Tom & George…… It wasn’t great weather; it wasn’t great fishing, but we all  had a good time and are looking forward to next year.

Jim with a beautiful 37-1/2″ Lake Trout

Jonathan with his 33-1/2″ Lake Trout

Terry with a nice Lake Trout

Standing l-r Tom, Terry, George, Bill, Steve. Kneeling Jim & Jon

We are having a great run of nice weather and fishing continues to be good in the river.

Tuesday morning  Whitey and I fished the river for a couple hours. We pulled plugs in 10-14 foot of water and caught nine nice walleyes; kept eight and released a 22″.  There were boats that were anchored up and some were drift fishing. All seemed to be catching some fish. I did talk to a guy later in the day that had fished the lake and did not do well; two fish for two guys. I guess it helps to fish the right spot at the right time.

Whitey with a nice 22″ walleye on a beautiful spring morning.

It has been a good fishing opener.

Saturday, the weather was better than expected; windy, but sunny and not too cold. I didn’t fish; just mowed the lawn and watched the many boats come and go all day long. Reports I got were mixed. Most of those that fished the river caught fish; not many limits, but nice fish. Most fished in 10-14 feet of water. There is still lot of current, but water quality is good. I understand that those who were able to fish the lake (it was windy) did very well in 7-8 feet of water.

Sunday morning, I took a walk to see if any mushrooms were up and at the same time always look for that perfect diamond willow walking stick. No mushrooms, but I did get a couple willow sticks and almost stepped on a ruffed grouse that was on her nest.  She has 11 eggs and I hope she is successful.

Sunday afternoon, about a dozen members of  the Duluth chapter of  Let’s Go Fishing with Senior’s were in town. They are on a fund raising bike tour and on Sunday rode from Bemidji to Baudette. Our local chapter fixed them a evening meal at our senior center and after we finished, Diane and I put the boat in and fished by the airport for the last hour or so before dark. We caught six; kept three nice walleyes and a sauger. Fresh fish on the menu.

A Ruffed Grouse Nest

The government didn’t shut down, but the walleyes sure did; the river got dirty. We took a walk out to the Timbermill Park landing last night and there must have been close to 100 boats using the landing yesterday. They had the parking lots full and were parked out on the highway. I talked to a couple parties and the only thing they caught were a couple of sturgeon. Only a few days left until the season closes.