April 20th, 2007 - Sturgeon Excursion

[eyepatrol]

I realize I asked this in a different post quite some time ago, but is there any place I can get a lake/river map of the area we'll be fishing? I checked the DNR site and the Sportsmans Connection and they didn't have anything. I even checked LakeMaster's site and they had portions of the lake for paper maps, but it didn't appear to have the area we'll be at (Rainy River area).

Any suggestions?

[fisherking01]

My suggestion: River fish are like you, me, and the other people. They follow paths of least resistance, challenge some tougher resistance, and rest in areas of literally no resistance. Because the channel is the deepest water, that's where most of the fish will be, but, don't rule out the backwater eddies, the differences in bottom, or the out of the way, relaxing areas. Because the features of the river change with the currents, and level of water, the only good a map will be is to avoid some potentially hazardous obstacles (rocks). My best advise without going through extreme preparation would be to show up, explore, and learn from that.

Brent

[eyepatrol]

Understood. Except that I don't want to be exploring around only to find out that my lower unit located a shallow rock pile. I wouldn't want to wander unkowingly into some potentially hazardous waters. I know I can watch my locator to see changes in bottom contours, but if I'm planed out going from point A to point B, it's going to be too late before I can get the boat stopped and the motor trimmed, etc.

Plus, (and my wife knows this all too well) I'm just one of those guys who doesn't like to "not know" where exactly I'm at and where exactly I'm going.

[hanson]

My Lakemaster Lake of the Woods GPS chip has the Rainy River on it. I believe it is mapped all the way to Baudette.

For the most part, the river is deep channel, 20'+ deep. I would be more concerned about floating ice chunks than I would be concerned about tagging bottom.

I would keep my eyes glued to your graph however. You can learn a lot about the bottom and should be on the lookout for the relatively deeper holes.

The Rainy River is definitely not the upper Minnesota River.

[harvey lee]

Eric

There will be plenty of FMers there that will be more than willing to help you with places to fish and direction. Its the trip of the year for me and I have only attended once.

[eyepatrol]

Thanks Hanson. When I was on LakeMaster's site last night it was hard to tell if their LOTW map included the area of the Rainy River. I might just order it and even if it doesn't, well, it's another map in the file.

[hanson]

I don't think the paper map has the river on it. I know the GPS chip has it but I'm pretty sure the paper map doesn't.

[harvey lee]

Eric, if you have a Lowrance GPS, I will let you use my chip for it.

[eyepatrol]

My locator isn't "chip compatible".

I've got another map source I can contact.

[fiskyknut]

PNUTS.....I got that LM software and a guy can print off some really nice paper maps of the river with that. If you know anyone down your way with the LM LOTW software you could have them print you some good maps maybe? Hansons right the chip only shows up to Baudette.

Keith....Holes and narrower channel runs are key, though the Sturgeonfish can show up in places you kind of don't expect them. Someone mentioned 30 foot + holes. You won't find much for any 30 foot holes above the area known as 'the willows' which is a few miles downstream from Baudette. Those real deep holes are found on the lower river and I kinda doubt the river will be open down that far. Darn good fishing to be found around ClementsonAccessOnRainyRiver and Frontier and the river should be opened up that far by then anyways????

There is alot of info in the archives of the Rainy river forum and the LOTW forum in regards to Sturgeon fishing up here and if a guy wants to run a search you can find alot of good info from years back from a few local folks who've fished the rivers Sturgeonfish for a long time. I am heading for the pond shortly and don't have time right now but will maybe try and post some links to some of my posts from years back in the next couple of days, but if a guy has ambition you can refine the search with keywords as well as user names and find alot of info going back 5-6 years.

There were links posted on last years excursion threads too if I remember right?

Think Spring all....It's bound to happen!!!!

Regards....fiskyknut

[fisherking01]

Sounds like you have a better plan than me, I'm a bit lazy for that doing that work, maybe that's why I've had a motor ripped off of my boat on the rainy!

OK if I follow you??

[eyepatrol]

Quote:

---

PNUTS.....I got that LM software and a guy can print off some really nice paper maps of the river with that. If you know anyone down your way with the LM LOTW software you could have them print you some good maps maybe? Hansons right the chip only shows up to Baudette.

Keith....Holes and narrower channel runs are key, though the Sturgeonfish can show up in places you kind of don't expect them. Someone mentioned 30 foot + holes. You won't find much for any 30 foot holes above the area known as 'the willows' which is a few miles downstream from Baudette. Those real deep holes are found on the lower river and I kinda doubt the river will be open down that far. Darn good fishing to be found around

ClementsonAccessOnRainyRiver

and Frontier and the river should be opened up that far by then anyways????

There is alot of info in the archives of the Rainy river forum and the LOTW forum in regards to Sturgeon fishing up here and if a guy wants to run a search you can find alot of good info from years back from a few local folks who've fished the rivers Sturgeonfish for a long time. I am heading for the pond shortly and don't have time right now but will maybe try and post some links to some of my posts from years back in the next couple of days, but if a guy has ambition you can refine the search with keywords as well as user names and find alot of info going back 5-6 years.

There were links posted on last years excursion threads too if I remember right?

Think Spring all....It's bound to happen!!!!

Regards....fiskyknut

---

Ummm....you mean "basscatcher", right?

[eyepatrol]

BY THE WAY.....if anyone is interested, we have room for one more in our cabin/boat! Leaving Thursday morning and coming home Sunday. Let me know if you want to go!

[Scott M]

Basscatcher, Please put me down!!!! I won't be up till Friday evening. I will try and email. Had plans fall through last week, I left a post on page 15. If you haven't filled it, I'll take it and bring up whatever your groups wants for food, drink, etc. Have a friend in Baudette but he may be working and is having motor problems; this sounds like a more sure deal.

[eyepatrol]

Send me an e-mail as soon as you can.

[email protected]

[Scott M]

*You've got mail*

[Mark Christianson]

I just called Schusters to find out what the river is looking like.

The guy said its open from Rainy Lake to Frontier. He said Frontier is about 20 miles from the resort.

Its less than 2 weeks away now, and the forecasts sure dont look to promising.

We have a few people in my group teetering, and its got me teetering now too.

I know a lot can happen in the mean time, but it sure would be nice to see some drastic changes in the weather.

[eyepatrol]

Can we simply trailer down the road a bit and launch at some other access where open water in the river exists?

[hanson]

Basscatcher-

Thats currently the plan unless the river starts to open up at Mach 1 speed. 4 mile bay is currently froze solid as well as the river at the public launch and in front of Schusters Resort. Sportsman's Lodge has a live webcam of the river and they are pretty much neighbors to Schusters. From the looks of things on the webcam, she is froze about as solid as you can get. The ice doesn't even look black or honeycombed so I don't think it is going out anytime soon.

We'll probably head east of Baudette to the many launches along the river. Like BigLakeBa$$ said, thats about a 20 mile drive from Schusters.

All we can do is hope for some warm weather to unlock things.

[harvey lee]

I just got off the phone with Tim Anderson of Bigfishhunt guide service and he was there this past weekend.He stated they did pretty well on eyes and sturgeon. They fished somewhere around Birchdale and that area where it is open.

He is a new guide link sponsor as of today.

[eyepatrol]

Sounds good. Except for fishing out of Riverbend this past winter (which they took us to where we needed to go), I don't know the area from squat. Not sure if my fishing buds know the area, but does anyone care if we tag along behind?

[harvey lee]

Eric, I am sure we will have a game plan and all are welcome to follow.

[eyepatrol]

Thanks Tom. My only concern is to find the boat access the first day. Once we know where that's at, we'll be good to go.

[fiskyknut]

The public access points all have those brown 'public access' signs showing you where they are basscatcher.

Sounds like the river is darn near open to Frontier as of last nite according to Gail at ClementsonAccessOnRainyRiver resort.

[Tyler Holm]

The Extended forcast for Baudette is starting to look much better. Several days with sun and 50+ degree highs.