New Guide Boat 2013

I have ordered a new guide boat for the coming season. For me boats are a lot like a very good hunting dog, you just hate to let them go. In this case my 2004 2025 Lund Pro V IFS is not ready to be retired. My guide partner Jon Balaski will be running my trusty old friend during the 2013 season.

I ordered another Lund (I have only been driving them every year since 1965) but I am changing to a 208 Pro V GL Lund’s fiberglass version of the long trusted aluminum Pro V series.  The GL will be powered with a 250 HP Mercury Verado with power steering, smart gauges, snap out carpeting, matching trailer, MinnKota Terrova 101 Us2 60” I-Pilot Link and foot control, along with Humminbird electronics.

I have ordered my Lund Boat from Baduik Equipment right here in International Falls, MN. They are located on County Road 116 and Hwy 11 East. Rob and Lori Badiuk are the owners, Ben Burgess is  sales manager, Will Wehrenberg parts manager. I am a big believer in supporting the local boat dealer. They play an integral role in the tourism business locally.  Badiuk’s has always been there to help our guests when they have trouble, need to purchase accessories (including a prop from time to time) or maybe buy a new boat. Our rental boats and motors come from Badiuks. There has not been one time when they have not bent over backwards to get one of our rentals or a guests boat back online asap!

Ben Burgess Sales Manager 197 Pro V GL 

Ben with a 186 Pro V GL

I am excited to try a new Lund, I put three thousand hours on my engine on the 2025 (at an average speed of thirty miles per hour x 3000 hours = 90,000 miles). I won’t do that on my new one, as I will sell it at the end of the season. I have agreed to drive a new Lund each year.  I am fortunate to drive my Lund day after day on one of North America’s largest and enchanting lakes known to man. Rainy Lake is 225,000 acres of pristine Canadian Shield wilderness. I started in a S-16, then a S-18, the first Predator, a 1775 Pro V, 1800 Pro V IFS, then the 2025 Pro V IFS all have been unbelievable, always leaving a little tear in the eye when it is time to try another one of Lund’s incredible boats.

I encourage you to go to Badiuks and talk to them about your next Lund, you won’t be over or undersold, they will listen to your needs and wants and help make that new Lund boat a dream come true.

If you are interested in purchasing my boat you can reach me at 218-324-0115 or tillerman@frontiernet.net. 

Have a Happy and health New Year!

Billy Dougherty

Spring Fishing Bonanza On a Rainy Lake Houseboat!

I know it is early but it is time to start thinking about next spring’s outdoor adventure. Rainy Lake Houseboats should be at the top of your list for your first fishing blast of the year.

Wait one week after ice out and you will experience the kind of fishing that you only hear about in Manitoba or Saskatchewan.  We will provide you with trophy Northern Pike fishing second to none! Rainy Lake has huge pike and lots of them. There are several reasons why all these pike inhabit Rainy Lake.

April 28, 2012

June 18, 2012

#1 is a slot limit that allows the northern to grow to trophy size. The pike have had a 27.5”- 35” protected slot for about ten years. We have always had big pike but now the population has increased dramatically. Rainy Lake is a lake that has large amounts of shallow, mid range and deep water. The wide variety of depths allows many of the pike to virtually spend their whole summer in the deep cold water chasing ciscoes and whitefish.  This sector of the water column provides a natural sanctuary eliminating contact with fisherman.

May 21, 2012

April 29, 2012

Ice out provides a unique opportunity to be in contact with Rainy Lake’s monster pike.  Before the main lake ice goes out pike start moving towards the spawning bays. They are the first specie to spawn each year. In many bays they begin spawning while the main lake ice still on. The cricks and rivers open in the back ends of the spawning bays and the pike move in to spawn. I did not realize that they move that early but I was flying with our mechanic who has moved to Alaska in the summer to fly commercial bush planes. Tim is a big deer hunter and he liked to fly the bays in the spring to look and see all the deer eating the new grass shoots growing in these back bays.

June 6, 2012

 June 5, 2012

While flying (fairly low mind you) I would see these racing ripples especially when the plane was between the sun and the bay below. What we were seeing were northern in the shallows, lots of them. They would spook from the shadow of the airplane-passing overhead. Obviously the pike would think it was a bird (probably osprey or eagle) overhead threatening to dine on them.  

Once all the ice is off the lake the pike use small bays, large shallow bays usually ones that are close to deep water.  Here is the phenomenon; the pike will feed outside of the bay. The water is still quite cold; the ciscoes come in close to shore until the water warms up.  The pike eat them and come into the shallow bay finding the warmest water and they digest the food they have eaten. 

June 18, 2012

 The best action occurs during from seven to twenty days after ice out.  There are many ways to catch them; almost all involve casting baits on a baitcasting, spinning, or fly rod. When the pike strikes the fight is intense, most of the time the fish are in two to four feet of water, they run like bonefish, jump and generally try to turn you inside out! 

 April 29, 2012

Rainy Lake is huge, a Rainy Lake Houseboat is the perfect way to enjoy a spectacular fishing trip and literally have the whole lake to your self. Guess what the rates are 20% off of the summer rates! Our guides are available to show you the how, they have been locked on shore all winter and are chomping at the bit to get back on the water.

Billy Dougherty

Rainy Lake Houseboats

1-800-554-9188

tillerman@frontiernet.net

   

Predator Patrol

Dan N. and Dan M. and I left the dock in the dark on Wednesday morning. We were going to fish for Rainy Lake's muskie's. Often we catch northern pike while trolling for muskies.  Water temperatures were about forty eight degrees when we started.

I use large stickbaits, about 48" wire leaders that I make myself. I use one 60 pound leader and one 90 pound leader. At times I have noticed that they hit one or the other more often. It could be the amount of vibration the leader causes or does not cause. The 90 pound version seems to have less vibration.  

I started with 14' long stick baits mimicking the whitefish that will be making their spawning runs.  I very trolling speeds from 3 - 4.5 mph. We had a couple small pike hit but no big fish the first hour and a half. The pike were hitting the rear treble something I don't like to see, it means the fishes moods are neutral to negative. We were working a break line at about 12-13 feet when Dan M. had a real good hit,  a heavy fish. Head shakes were not wide like a muskie, I was hoping but soon saw the dandy pike with a 14" bait cross wise in his mouth. Dan landed him about 38" and 15 lbs. 

We continued on down the break and Dan was hit again. I could see the wide side to side head shake that a muskie gives when hooked. The fish created a giant boil about twenty feet behind the boat, ripped drag and then was off. My guess it was a neutral fish hooked on the rear treble.

We continued to fish until noon and no more strikes. I decided to downsize our baits. We switched to eight" long stick baits and fish the first break lines in 10-15 feet of water. Dan. M did not have his bait in for more than three minutes and a 40" muskie crushed his bait. This one hit the bait head on and was hooked solid on the front treble. He got up on top of the water raising real havoc. Dan owned him and he had his first muskie, a forty incher!

We kept trolling now 4 mph. and Dan N. hooked up with a 36" muskie on another 8" bait. 

We covered another couple miles of breaklines and Dan M. had another mucky hit. This one dropped down in size, about 32 inches.  

I am thinking should we leave or stay? There was another area we wanted to fish during the two days we would be on the water. The weather forecast was tough the next day higher winds that would make fishing big water tougher. We opted to leave and go try the other area.  I really did not want to leave we had three muskies in 1 1/2 hours and lost one earlier. More often than not the latter part of the day can be really good. We still left.

We fshed breaks really hard in the other area but just had a couple of seven to eight pound pike.  We tried reefs, island saddles all for not.  Time was dwindling and we moved to points and breaks leading towards them with lots of broken jagged rock shoreline. We switched back to the 14" baits.  Dan M. had a vicious strike, pretty big pike.

 The baits went right back in the water and Dan N got hit after fifty feet of trolling, another dandy pike.

Is there a third on on the point? Lines back in and a 100 feet and Dan M. had an eighteen pounder!

It was getting really dark but it is hard to quit when Rainy Lakes predators are in a killing mood. We fished one more point and had actually moved across and were turning when another vicious strike on Dan M. rod happened. It was pretty dark, I could not get a read on the tip action. Is he still on Dan? "I think so and then the pike got mad. We slid her into the net got it unhooked and it tipped the Boga Grip at 21 LBS. What an end to a great day of fishing.  We were feeling pretty good about the next day. 

 Thursday started out with slippery docks, brisk NNW wind and darn cool temperatures.  We started off with the same big baits as the day before. I was seeing baithfish on the 10-15 break on my Hummingbird 1197c.  Sometimes when you come back on the breaklines the baitfish are gone. Guess why? The big predators have moved in! We were in a neck down area around 9:30 in the mornind. The breaks were stuffed with batfish. As we cleared a small nipple type point the Hummingbird went completely clear except for the defined break. Five seconds later DaN M. says oh my god fish on! I kept the boat in gear making sure the fish was on and the hook well set. You could see the waves of water going side to side as the muskie tried to get rid of the treble hooks.  They are funny; fight like no tomorrow than become docile. Its like they think we will them at the boat. Not this time, Dan brought the fish towards the boat out came the Frabil net and a 47" musky was ours. The fish looked like it was carrying twins or triplets it was so fat.  Great way to start the day. There are muskies that grow in the deepwater of the main lake basins. They follow the whitefish into the bays and breaklines where the whitefish spawn.  I call them silver ghosts. This was one of them. Very silver, defined white belly line, and almost always not a mark on the fish.

  We trolled another couple hours and all was calm. We fished more breaks and yours truly Dan M. yelled fish on. Another 40" musky. Sooner or later Dan N. had to kick in, he usually does. We moved down a break that had a good spawning rock pile attached to the shore along with a prominent poit. We only got close when a fish clobbered Dan N. This one was a wild one. He gave it his all but finally came to the net. He thought I will see how bad I can tangle us up! Sometimes it is just easier to cut the hooks off, easier on the fish and myself.  The leader was destroyed also. Another silver ghost. Dan and Dan had to be back at the dock by 4:00 PM for commitments Thursday evening and Friday. I looked at the clock and said it may be rough on some parts of our ride back to base should we head back now: it was 3:10 PM. No lets make a new leader and make another pass!

Muskies sometimes travel together or inhabit the same areas at the same time, especially when their favorite prey is congregating together at one spot during the "special time of the year". I made a new leader, replaced the damaged hooks and split rings and we were ready again.  We made about a hundred yards when Dan N. end yelled fish on! To make a short story shorter we had another forty inch muskie.  Check the picture out and see the coloration difference. The picture below shows subtle lesions above the anus, a split damaged tail and two healing dorsal fin.

Fabulous Jig Bite, Great Dinner

I left Casa Loma's dock with friend and long time client Mark Tansey yesterday morning. We fished smaller sized reefs with Vegas jigs tipped with medium golden shiners. Walleyes had been in 25-30 feet for the past few day in the area we were fishing. There was almost zero walleyes in these depths. We looked around and found small tables (flatter not so steep of breaks)36-41 feet.

Once patterned it was game on. We caught walleyes slow jigging literally straight below the boat. A wind came up out of the east at about 5 mph. We anchored with my MinnKota Ipilot and casted to the back edge of the tables and used a drag, hop, hop technique and caught walleyes on almost every cast.

We ran into bonus fish also nice jumbo perch. They were biting the same Vegas jigs as the walleyes. My wife Cathie makes a Sole Meuniere using walleyes or better yet perch. Our first time having the french version was at a little restaurant in Geneva, Switzerland. They used perch (much smaller than ours) for their Meuniere. I vacuumed packed my perch for Cathie to use at a later date.

Last night we took the fresh walleyes and did the following: We took the fillets (six) and very lightly salt and peppered the fillets. I preheat my Weber Summit 660 Gas Grill to four hundred  degrees using the indirect method.

I place the walleye fillets on a grill pan that has been coated with olive oil. Drizzle the fillets with Maggi Taste of Asia Sweet Chili Sauce. Place the grill pan with fillets on the indirect heat area of the grill and close lid. Check and remove after eight minutes of cook time (you be the judge on doneness). The fish we use are usually 16"long in the round.

We make a salsa of diced red, yellow, orange and a half a jalepeno pepper per half cup of salsa. We then squeeze fresh lime juice on the mixture plus a little olive oil and mix. Salsa should be made one half to one hour before dinner. We sprinkle the salsa on the cooked fillets and it is time for a great fish dinner.

Walleye fresh off the grill with sweet chili sauce drizzled on them.

With salsa and a side of fresh home grown red and golden beets.

Mark with 25" walleye

Mike Pruett's gang comes to Rainy Lake

Mike Pruett's group arrived on Sunday evening August 26 and headed out on Monday morning August 27th. Jon Balaski, Ryan Schmidt, Matt Shermoen and Kevin Erickson were the guides for the trip. Jon, Matt, and Ryan took sandwiches with them and headed out for the day. Matt drove another party out who were friends of Mike Pruett's.

After getting them tied up Matt decided for some reason to stop at the Chairman II and visit Bernie (the Chairman chef). Bernie was not feeling well at all and Matt made him ride back to base and go to the doctor. I had just arrived back from Brainerd (dropping my son Joey off at marine mechanics school at Central Lakes College). Matt called from Bushy Head Island about two miles from base with his location and eta.

When Bernie hit the dock it was obvious that he was having fairly severe health issues, we opted to take him immediately to the hospital rather than call an ambulance. Time was important. Bernie had a heart attack and after being stabilized by the medical staff at Rainy Lake Medical Center he was life flighted to St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth Minnesota. Bernie is home getting better as we speak.

Our staff is awesome, we all felt bad for Bernie, but as soon as Bernie was taken care of Matt went right back to Chairman II and put his chef hat on for the Monday night rib fest. Matt and Jon got breakfast ready and then took the customers out fishing just as seamless as possible. I did not fish but filled in for Bernie the last two meals, nobody died from my cooking and best of all the fishing was good and everybody had a good time!

I have checked on Bernie twice since he has come home, he continues to make progress on his recovery.  

Fishing was good some on jigs, some on bottom bouncers. Jon Balaski has discovered a new cocktail that the walleyes could not resist, he wants to experiment further to make sure that it works every day.  Hopefully we will tell you more soon. 

We have four more Chairman II trips  in September. Jon Balaski is open for trips September 4 - 9. Bill Dougherty has opening Sept 3 - 5 and September  8-9th. We have some availability yet in later September. I will write about options available it is the best possible time to predator hunt, big pike and big muskies along with walleyes, and smallmouth bass. 

Chef Bernie Lessard

  

KGP Telephone and Terry Fiero

Terry Fiero's group has been coming with us on the Chairman for quite a few years. Terry is retiring later this fall and we hope he will still come on the trip with the guys. This year Jon Balaski, Ryan Schmidt, and Bill Dougherty were the guides. 

Terry and I drove the Chairman II up the lake and we moored up at Hitchkock Bay North.  Terry and I went out and scouted up a few and came back to meet the rest of the crew for shore lunch. Ryan and Jon filleted the fish, Matt cooked them (expertly as usual) and I did up the potatoes and beans.

We all headed back out after lunch and fished different reefs and humps. Walleyes are starting to hit the jig and shiners along with the slow death technique that you have read recently on this blog. We had to work a little harder than we have been but we had plenty for lunch both days (takes a few walleyes to feed fifteen for lunch each day).

The group and never any laughter!

Terry Fiero

More Palmer family joins Bruce and Lola at Casa Loma

Brett, Kristen, Isabella and Geneva, and Blake Palmer's son Everett joined Bruce and Lola for the rest of their week at Casa Loma . Jon Balaski and I did the guiding. We were planning to meet for a noon shore lunch. 

We fished with the August hot presentation bottom bouncers with slow death hooks threaded with a crawler.  We found fish on a break line that had more rock than clay and worked our way along the perimeter from 36-41 feet.

The walleyes were really active, we caught plenty of very nice 16 - 16 1/2 inch walleyes and big ones that were over the slot and had to be let go. We had four fisher-people in the boat. We ran three lines taking turns on the walleyes. Brett used my Legend Extreme spinning rod with a 1 1/2 oz. Northland Bottom Bouncer  and slow death hook. Isabella and Geneva cranked in one walleye after another for two hours and it was off to shore lunch.

We met up with Jon, Bruce, Lola, and grandson Everett for a Nelson Island lunch. We got aced out on biggest walleye, Jonnie Balaski's boat had the biggest of the morning a dandy 25 inch fish. After lunch the wind came up out of the south so we opted to fish the area south of Olson's reef on the west side of Brule Narrows.  

We found numbers of fish south of the Fox Islands and Jon found them south of Olson's reef. 

Doubles

Shore Lunch at Nelson Island

Fishing With The Palmer Family

I parked the Chairman II fueled up and joined the Palmer family for a day of Rainy Lake walleye fishing. Boyer, Helen, and Amanda fished in my boat and Bruce ,Lola and Alex fished with Jon Balaski.

We traveled through the Brule Narrows and looked on area break lines for schools of walleyes. We found plenty in 38 feet of water. We would use the slow death technique. I had Boyer use my brand new fishing rod a St. Croix 6' 10" Legend Extreme spinning rod. Boyer could not believe the touch, sensitivity and hook setting power this rod has. You have to have one it is a life timer!

We had steady action in the morning and really good in the afternoon. Jon had the same kind of luck on different mudflats. We returned to the Palmers vacation home rental and cleaned there walleyes for them. Jon and I will be out with more of the family on Thursday.

Boyer and Amanda

Boyer with the weather getting warmer!

Helen

Carl Heltne Retires and fishes at Rainy Lake Houseboats

I first met Dr. Heltne when my father was having aortic valve troubles some number of years ago. Carl does wonderful work, my dad is alive and kicking today. Carl was joined by friends, Peter, Howard, Paul, Dan, and another Dan!

We traveled on the Chairman II with a Sand Bay Island destination. The wind was strong out of the northwest with 10-15 mph westerlies for Friday and Saturday.  We went up the Kettle River  and fished Hale Bay, we found good numbers of walleyes in 22-26 feet of water.  Dandy smallies were active in 6-12 feet of water.

On Friday we went back to Hale Bay for more walleye action and of course keep some for a tasty fish lunch. Our second Dan drove up for lunch and really enjoyed it, so much so that we said you have to fish with us after lunch to replace the ones consumed at lunch.

On Saturday we fished the main lake for walleyes (slow death in the morning) trolled for pike and jigged nice eyeballs in the afternoon.

We left Sand Bay Island at 5:00 AM for base arriving at 7:45 AM. Sunset is beautiful but I don't believe there is a prettier time than predawn and the next couple of hours. We said good by and John Balski drove to our vacation rental home to pick up the Palmer family for another day on wonderful Rainy Lake.

Al Kern Son, Son In-laws and Grandson's Visit Rainy Lake Houseboats

I started fishing with Al Kern many years ago with another old friend and client Al Didier. This year Al took out our Lady of the Lake 1 for  a three day fishing trip. We left port about three in the afternoon and for the Kempton Channel area. We moored the Lady of the Lake 1 at a houseboat mooring site called Kempton Entrance South.  I left the group and returned the next morning with another guide by the name of Scott Matthews.

We fished the edge of clay rubbly mudflats using the slow death technique. Fishing was excellent and we met at noon for a shore lunch at one of Rainy Lakes many campsites. After lunch it was back out for more walleyes action. Scott fished jigs and minnows using a snap jigging technique on a rock reef in 37 feet of water. Scotts boat had a good afternoon. during the morning they were jigging for walleyes with crawlers and had many strikes but not a lot of hook ups. After talking with Scott at lunch the boat was using whole crawlers. When jigging or using slow death you need to pinch the crawler off one to one and a half inches behind the hook otherwise the walleyes get free half crawler lunches!

On Wednesday morning August 15th fellow guides Matt Shermoen and Kevin Erickson joined the Kern's along with yours truly. Fishing was awesome, plenty to take home and lots for another great shorelunch. During the afternoon we could see weather moving in. I opted to leave Rainy Lake Houseboats port at 5:00 AM and drive the Lady of the Lake in to port. A strong northwest wind was forecasted and the houseboat was do in at 9:00 AM to be readied for the next party.

The Kern Family

Fish on!

Fish landed!