Rainy River

[lanyard]

Anyone a Rainy River spring fishing veteran?

I haven't been up in 10+ years, but mid-February always gets me thinking about it. Miss the Clementson web site, always had the best ice condition updates.

Have done cabin and camped at Birchdale. Camping was my personal favorite, that was a solo trip.

The inherited 16' Lund Pike would be quite a bit more comfy than the duck boat, so it's got me seriously thinking about trying to squeeze a run up into the calendar.

I'm sitting at a swim meet bored off my ass right now... it's always these times I start thinking about what I did/would do without kids LOL.

But if the kid crushes her time today I'll be high fiving strangers, so it's all a balance.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

Haven't been in about 15 years, would love to go back. Was really disappointed I never hooked a sturgeon while all the boats around us did, always wanted to go back and try for one

[lanyard]

I hooked one but had the wayyyyy wrong set-up to land it and snapped the line. Drag was too tight on a too short rod with 6lb test.... Was a blast while it lasted!

Based on some FB posts for the area ice out prediction is for 2 weeks later. Guessing that's at Birchdale.

[Quack]

I've been up there a couple times in the past 5 years. Just day trips. I always want to go more but it's surprisingly hard to fit in.

I've been pondering whether I could land a big ass sturgeon in the Alumacraft F7 without flipping it. Also wondering if I could land one solo.

[lanyard]

The F7 would be the boat being replaced by the Lund Pike.

I would say YES YOU CAN! just depends on how damn big that Sturgeon is. Guessing it won't help as much and doesn't come with a collar or neoprene vest like a labrador retriever being hauled ass over tea kettle across the gunnel

But, guessing Al's done it, or knows someone that did, and they died, and then he'll tell you all the ways you'll die catching a sturgeon in an F7.

[deet]

My understanding is that the best fishing is just before the Forks rivers blow out, unless they lose their ice very slowly and incrementally, which sometimes does happen. But when the rivers blow out, the Rainy gets suddenly excessively turbid, and walleye fishing screeches to a halt until the clarity improves several days to two weeks later. Then, supposedly, it gets better and better as you near the season closure (April 14 or 15), assuming the tributaries do blow out well before the closure.

I've only done it once. Last year. We were mostly aimed at walleyes, and caught 8 or so, mostly eaters with one big one, before my brother-in-law hooked a sturgeon around noon (on walleye gear). We knew it was a big one and neither of us had landed one before so we decided we would work to land it, no matter the effort required.

One hour later we reevaluated the situation, but decided to maintain our original decision, and kept up the fight.

Two hours

Three hours

just over four hours into it, we were finally getting it near the surface. The water was quite dark, so it wasn't until the tail broke the surface that we realized it was snagged. Anal fin. basically the worst possible spot to hook a fish.

We ultimately did land it. It measured 68 x 28.5". That's a really, really big one. You might think we wasted half the day, but it was very well worth it. We ran up stream 1.5 miles (to avoid getting spooled), and back down stream about 2 miles while chasing it, and so we passed a whole lot of boats twice, who offered a range of harsh criticism, to encouraging cheers, to helpful advice on how to speed up the process. I'm sure that will be the biggest freshwater fish I'll ever have in my boat.

After that episode, we quickly caught a few more eater walleyes, then switched to intentional sturgeon fishing for the last hour of the day. We landed three more in 45 minutes: 62", 45, and 35. Even properly rigged (XXH rod, 80 lb braid), a 62" sturgeon puts up quite the battle.

It took us a while to figure out the walleyes that day, but after comparing notes with the veterans up there, they said that was a slow-to-average day.

[9manfan]

Keeper.......

[Nershi]

Nice write up Deet. Sounds like a blast.

I have always wanted to go to target sturgeon on the rainy. I am not real interested in the walleyes. I had a trip planned up there with some buddies who have fished it a lot of years but it had to be cancelled last minute due to the conditions. Lanyard if you need a partner in crime let me know. I have a lot of muskie gear that will work for sturgeon.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

Ugh that pic really makes me want one.

I remember being in the middle of probably 80 boats out there...and one of "those guys" pulled up in the middle. Cranking rap music full blast from his "system" in his Lund. He caught a lot of crap from surrounding boats and was gone after about an hour.

[lanyard]

Nershi~ I got one set-up I could throw at them, it runs +/- 40" pike like a boss, but likely not as beefed as your rigs.

I'll check dates and see if I can get anything to fit. Still working on that new job thing.....

I like catching 'eyes once or twice a year anymore and doing it in new/interesting places. As in: I don't care if I never drop a line in Mille Lacs again. Trying to get an end of summer with my son to boat/camp at Voyagers. Trip to Missouri River last summer was a blast with son, FIL, BIL and nephew.