 Walleye:
With water temperatures on the rise walleye have turned on. They are holding near shallow windblown structure such as points, inside turns and weedy bays. Most walleyes are being caught in the three to ten foot range with a wide variety of techniques. The go-to choice has been jigs (casted or trolled) and spinners tipped with minnows or worms. Long lining crankbaits or twitching jerk baits have been effective options when covering water is important, and last but not least, don’t overlook the ever-underestimated slip bobber tipped with a minnow or leech. Areas of current have proved successful especially on low wind days. In these areas deeper holes (20 to 35 feet) with ¼ to 3/8 oz jigs have been good places to focus. A few fish are being caught on break lines and shallow reefs (17 to 25 feet) directly adjacent to spawning areas. Smallmouth Bass: Most of the lake is now seeing at least some bass guarding their nests. This has been a moving target this season with different parts of the lake warming at different rates and often cooling just as fast with roller-coaster forecasts. Recently however; things appear to have stabilized and the bass are moving up. Deeper parts of the lake are seeing bass just starting to bed while shallower areas have experienced bedding bass for over a week now. Look for bass on shorelines in and around shallow boulders. Top water lures, stick baits, and plastics have been catching fish. Crappie: Crappies continue to be shallow in the three to six foot range. Most crappies are being caught using a slip bobber and a minnow. Turns and points in bull rushes as well as on and around sunken rocks have been the key. Northern Pike: With the warming bays baitfish have moved in and the predators have followed. Look for pike to be moving into shallow warming waters. They are well past spawn now and are feeding heavily. Windy shorelines and bays where other fish and minnows are schooling is a good place to start. Water temperature is often the key to spring pike but remember the actual temperature is not as important as the direction it is going. Rising water temps throughout the day can often bring pike into small areas in big numbers. Spoons, larger jerk baits, and twitch baits are drawing strikes. This post was brought to you by Rainy Lake Guide Association.  Fishing Tip
Suspending twitch baits can bring some of the most exciting spring action with nearly every species Rainy Lake has to offer. Often however; these baits are fished too fast when the water is cold and fish are not in an aggressive mood. The key to more strikes is in the pause. Even a pause of five to ten seconds is not too long, but to a waiting angler that feels like eternity. Counting the seconds on each pause can help you force yourself to wait. And don’t be afraid to change it up, Jerk-Jerk-Pause two seconds, Jerk-Jerk Pause five seconds. When you get a strike remember what you did and repeat it. Fishing Report Walleye: With water temperatures in the high forties to mid-fifties walleyes have remained slightly behind in their traditional movements. They are being caught in bays where water temperatures are slightly above that of the main lake. Windblown shorelines and points have been most productive. 1/16 to 1/8th ounce jigs tipped with a minnow or plastic have been effective. With the cold weather the need to slow down and be methodical can’t be understated. Action on spinner rigs is starting to pick up. With warmer weather in the forecast the bite is only expected to get better. Smallmouth Bass: Due to the cold temperatures Smallmouth have yet to begin nesting. Most fish are being caught near their traditional spawning area staging up on windy points, large boulders or any other significant structure near potential spawning sites. Suspending twitch baits have worked great. A long pause is the key to more strikes. As always plastics and hair jigs are great go-to options. Crappie: Crappies are shallow in the three to five-foot range. Most crappies are being caught using a slip bobber and a minnow. Turns and points in bull rushes as well as on and around sunken rocks have been the key. Northern Pike: Pike have finished their spawning weeks ago but remain shallow and near spawning areas. Bays protected from larger bodies where water has had a chance to warm faster are a good place to start. Spinner baits, spoons and most significantly suspending twitch baits have been most productive. -Our fishing report is courtesy the Rainy Lake Guide Association. -Photo Courtesy Minnesota Arrowhead Association -This post was brought to you by Rainy Lake Guide Association.  Photo by John Connelly Lots of people come "up north" to go fishing, but biking enthusiasts are finding some awesome routes in the International Falls area. Distance-wise, there are several options for Beginners to Advanced Cyclists.
For the experienced biker there's the Arrowhead Trail, much of which is available to cyclists. It runs between the Taconite State Trail at Pike River Flowage near Peyla and to 3 miles south of International Falls (east of I-71 near Chapple). Bikers should be aware that it is possible that some of the trail could be under water, but that's part of the adventure! For a shorter ride, but still challenging is the 95 mile Blue Ox Trail. This is perfect for the mountain biker. These bikers will share the trail with deer and other wildlife. At it's southern end in Lake Bemidji State Park, the Blue Ox Trail–Voyageur Trail connects to the Paul Bunyan State Trail at County Road 20. The latter, carries on for another 119 miles and is paved. Finally, there is a much shorter, yet beautiful trip that starts in International Falls and continues for about 13 miles ending at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center. This trip combines biking, stopping in Ranier for refreshments and taking advantage of the various historic sites in Voyageurs National Park. What are you waiting for? Start pedaling! For more information on trails, visit the DNR site. |
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