Some Help

[Coldtrack]

I moved to northern Minnesota 15 years ago from Indiana, spent MANY nights on the river fishing channels and flats. Where can I find good cat fishing (if any) north of Grandrapids?

[Coldtrack]

Thinking about a trip west this spring, can anyone give me any info on camping, and catfishing info around Halstad area?

[Big Dave2]

I moved to northern Minnesota 15 years ago from Indiana, spent MANY nights on the river fishing channels and flats. Where can I find good cat fishing (if any) north of Grandrapids?

This isn't north of Grand Rapids but the only thing I can think of in that area would be Floodwood.

[aanderud]

The red river is your best bet for some action but that's a ways west of there. You could maybe find some channel cats in the mississippi but I can't imagine they're huge.

[Coldtrack]

Went down and tried floodwood a couple time's. Picked up a few but nothing of size and not worth the 2 hour drive. Going to try and make a few trips over to the Red, somewhere between Fargo and Grand Fork. Anyone with some experience have some leads on a good place to start in that area? If water level allows I was thinking first week of June would be best chance, got a good river boat to use also.

[gunner55]

Try Mn Fishing Reports/Red River-Fargo thread for help on that

[pikestabber]

Hey, Coldtrack. Just saw you're post. I live in Grand Rapids and am an avid cat angler, and that's unfortunate because...I live in Grand Rapids.

As you've no doubt figured out you have to drive a distance to get cats from GR. That leaves you two options...east to Floodwood (and beyond) in the St. Louis River, or west to the Red (there's nothing north of here with cats). Floodwood is what it is...you might get a few and if you top the scales out at 6lbs, congrats, you caught a monster for this area. Most fish are in the 1-4lb range. I don't particularly care for Floodwood. I head 15-20 miles further east and fish stretches of the river over that way. I've caught numbers at times and the fishing can be pretty good, but I agree, it's a ways to go and you'll basically never get a fish over 10lbs or even get very close.

As you have also discovered, we don't have nearly the variety in this part of the Mississippi. There are no catfish, no carp, no sturgeon, no drum... In fact, the metro area of the Miss probably has more varieties of just suckers than we have total species up here. To get cats south of here you have to go to Saint Cloud or further, I would guess...somewhere along the line they get dammed off as they do not exist in our area at all. North of Saint Cloud the Mississippi is an entirely new fishery in most respects.

As for the Red River, you'll scarcely find a better cat fishery in the world, especially if you have a boat. I don't mean that as an exaggeration... The further north you go, the better it gets. I could keep jabbering on, but go look at ProGuide's posts in the Red River forum. Tons and tons of great info. If you hit it right you'll have trips where your arms are sore from so many 10lb-15lb fish you can't hardly believe it. Some much bigger ones to be had, too. It's an amazing fishery.

From personal experience the pre-spawn bite in late June is amazing, and from August into September it's pretty amazing, too. I'd fish cut suckers or mooneye in June, frogs in August-September. If you drag a boat out there, I'd do your fishing in Grand Forks. Lots more info on the Red River thread. Good luck!

[Coldtrack]

Pikestabber, that's a ton of good info, thanks much for all the help. When I moved up here from Indiana I didn't think I would ever miss that channel and flat fishing...but the urge is coming back strong and I have a 15 year old son that has never done it and I want to make sure he gets the experience. I have spent MANY nights setting on the bank or in a lawn chair in the middle of the river and watched the sun come up the next morning. Thanks again

[pikestabber]

You are welcome. I hope you and your boy get into them. Of all the great walleye, crappie, and pike days I've had fishing in my life, I often look back at the cool nights on the river bank waiting for a rod to double over with a scrappy cat as some of my favorite trips. I am sure your son will love it!

I forgot to mention, but maybe it goes without saying... Bank fishing the St. Louis is best done at night, but for the Red River, especially by boat, you can fish all day long and avoid the hassle of night fishing. Good luck!

[Coldtrack]

Was just looking on Google earth at were dam's and access are in GF, looks like a camping area on the north end of town, is it public? Can a boat be launched from there? Also if night bank fishing how is the fishing at the dams? Thanks

[pikestabber]

The only camping I know of is the state park (Red River Recreational Area: 866-857-2757 for reservations), and plan on calling early as I am told they fill up fast...). This is located south of HWY 2 in East Grand Forks on the Minnesota side. No boat ramp right there but there is one close by. There's a smaller access north of the bridge on the ND side, too (downstream of the dam). At certain times it's too flooded to fish anywhere out there and the water can be fast, dirty, etc. That's why I recommend the Red River forum. They will post up-to-date water conditions and will have better info for you regarding where to land and what side of the dam to fish, etc.

http://fishingminnesota.com/forum/ubbthr...ks-#Post3238843

I've only ever fished it during daylight hours, even from shore.