Northeast Minnesota

International Falls
On Rainy Lake, walleye are hitting jigs and minnows in roughly 30 feet of water in Sand Bay, and a little deeper further east near the American Narrows. The new Park Service ice road has opened a large area around Dryweed Island, and anglers with portable gear are doing well at this newly accessible structure. Large northern pike are being taken near the mouths of bays in depths of roughly 15 feet, especially when a large minnow if offered. The crappie action remains sporadic, mostly in Sand Bay. Area snowmobile trails are in mostly good shape, and the groomers are operating on a regular schedule. To learn more, dial 1-800-325-5766, or visit www.rainylake.org

Icing St. Louis River Walleyes
Of Minnesota’s major walleye destinations, the St. Louis River is among the most overlooked by the masses. Much is said about walleye factories like Mille Lacs, Lake of the Woods and Leech, but this rejuvenated fishery gets little press outside the Duluth area. Funny, because the river offers excellent opportunities for ’eyes of all sizes during the ice and open-water seasons.

It doesn’t take that much to get started. A big high powered rig loaded with all of the latest gadgets isn’t what it’s all about. Sure I have one now, but some of the best times of my life were spent in a plywood boat powered by an old SeaHorse and without any kind of electronics. There wasn’t any available at the time and the fact is we didn’t need them to create memories that would last a lifetime. What it took was some cane poles rigged with hooks and bobbers and enough line to get to the bottom, a few dozen worms, and Dad and Grandpa. They took the time and had the patience to take me and my brothers to the lake where we had the times of our lives. And we weren’t chasing anything fancy like walleyes, pike, or bass, it was just catching, and that meant sunnies (lots of them).

Cast and Gasp in Lake of the Woods County

“It’s For the Birds,” typically refers to a less than favorable thing or situation. But not time! The highlight of a recent northern Minnesota fishing trip wasn’t about the big numbers of fish caught, instead it was all about witnessing the successful conservation efforts in Lake of the Woods County by watching the greatest show on earth.

This has got to be one of my most anticipated product reviews I have done. I have had the pleasure to test out the new 18 volt portable power cleaner from Nomad for the last few weeks. The product has been a blast!