Wes
from Cabela’s brought outdoor journalist Mike Pehanich founder and publisher of
Smallwatersfishing.com, Steve Quinn Editor Infisherman Magazine, and Gary Lewis
Author, Speaker, TV Host from Bend Oregon.
We
had breakfast underway on our way to the Brule Cove mooring site. We loaded up our Lund Pro V’s and headed out
to explore Rainy Lake. We planned on targeting walleyes and smallmouth bass on
the Minnesota waters in Voyageurs national Park.
Jon
and I fished reefs about a ½ mile apart from one another. Walleyes were schooled
fairly heavy in 22-24 feet of water.
There was very little wind. I put ¼ oz. gold Vegas jigs on Steve’s and
Mikes lines. We tipped them with ½ a
night crawler. It did not take long to start scoring. We caught many 20-24”
fish; Steve caught a 24 ½ and 24” walleye. We kept several for a walleye
dinner. Mike is also a senior writer for Bass Master Magazine; I knew he was
itching to catch some of Rainy Lakes famous smallmouth bass!
Steve Quinn, Editor InFisherman Magazine
Mike Pehanich, smallwatersfishing.com
Wes, Jon, Gary shooting picture
I
had an area that I thought would be good, a long extending point with current
flowing, almost like a wing dam. Mike was rigged with a Shaky Worm with a 3/32
jig head. Steve had a chartreuse grub with a willow leaf blade. Mike cast to
the downstream side on the tip of the point. You could see the current breaking
on the point. He did not get two shakes in when the smallie nailed it. First
bass was a very respectable 20” fish. We continued down the point which turned
into a big table area about five feet deep with boulders and weed growth. We had frantic action for almost an hour.
Jon
fished a different area farter east down he lake. Gary likes to cast a fly
rod. Jon worked down a wall strewn with
boulders. The smallmouth were hiding alongside, in front, or in back of every
boulder, on full assault, Gary had constant action on popping bugs.
Gary Lewis
On Wednesday morning Steve and Mike and I decided to cast easterly facing points in shallow water with tubes, jerk baits, Souls Shads and Shaky worms. A 3
1/2 pound plus bass followed the northern in and just sat underneath the pike.
All of the fish were caught on the back hook, which I do not think is good. It
means the fish are in a neutral to negative mood. Steve and Mike wanted to
switch up gears and fish for walleyes on the humps. Wes, Gary, and Jon met us
and we switched people around also. Wes joined Steve and I for the afternoon.
I
have been fishing submerged islands strewn with boulders. The walleyes are holding next to these
boulders or boulder piles from 15-22 feet. They are snaggy and difficult to
fish with snells and walking sinkers. It
did not take long to find the first school of walleyes. I don’t know who had the hotter tick Steve or
Wes, but I do know this; I could have received a reasonable amount of money for
gold ¼ oz. Vegas Jigs made by Northland Fishing Tackle. Tipped with a leech
walleyes had no chance. The walleye dinner on the Chairman II would be out of
site tonight!
Walleyes
started to swim higher off of the bottom making it harder to catch them with
jigs. I went to the double screen mode on my 1197 Hummingbird. We were now in
28 ft. of water. By hitting my left scroll button I moved the cursor over to
the fish being zoomed in at 4X. The fish was 3 feet off the bottom at 25
feet. I grabbed my slip bobber rod and
set it up so the float would hold it four feet off the bottom. I tipped with a
leech, tossed it out, once the line went all the way to the bobber stop the
float stated up for three seconds, and walleye on!
The picture below shows Steve's jig going down on the left literally landing on a walleyes nose and on the right the walleye and jig coming up after Steve's hook set!
Wes
wanted to troll for pike before the day ended. We set up with a black and gold
prism patterned Jake and a shad colored Depth Raider. The depth Raider was hot.
Wes caught three pike and the Jake struck out.
Jon
took Wes and Gary to try their luck the same way but came up with different
results. Gary no sooner had his black and silver Storm Flat Stick out when he
got hit hard at 3.5 mph. No pike but a dandy 25 ½ walleye. Jon moved them about
two miles and started again and whack a dandy 28” fatter than fat walleye on
the Flat Stick again. Time to go back to
the Chairman II for a panko bread crumb coated walleye dinner!
Gary's 25" walleye
Gary's 28" walleye
Our
last day began with more of Rainy Lake’s fabulous walleye fishing. Gary like
the panko walleye so much that he wanted to catch four to take home to Bend,
Oregon. After another great session we
all went casting for bass and whatever other creatures wanted to strike. Wes, Steve, Gary and Mike closed out their
stay with a New York Strip Steak dinner cruise on the way back to Rainy Lake
Houseboats.
Walleye with gold Vegas jig
