August 18th, 2008 Fishing Report

Fishing has been HOT HOT HOT!! If you haven't already been up here, you need to come now. Walleyes are stacked on the reefs throughout the lake and are aggressively hitting everything in sight, and I do mean everything! Not bait has really stood out over the last two weeks. As long as you get on top of fish, you can catch them with about every lure and technique you can think of. Most anglers are Lindy Rigging, but there are a fair share of jig and minnow fishermen out there right now too. The waters east of Dryweed Island still remain the best places to fish. Bass are hitting real well too! We are starting to see bass anglers fishing for the upcoming International Falls Bass Championship. They are finding fish off of deep weed edges and rockpiles using Raps. Crappies are starting to bite again. Anglers are finding a few fish in Black Bay, but most of the good reports are coming from Redgut, Morans, and Northwest Bay. Big Northern are harder to come by, but Muskies on the Canadian Side have really started to eat. I have been finding most of my fish off deep cabbage edges using topwater lures.


I finally realized that I can add pictures, so here is a look at what has been going on over the last week!

Come up for a Canadian experience, without the hassle of going to Canada!

Rainy Lake...BIG FISH/Small Crowds!

Bill Landmark

www.rainylakeonestop.com

(218) 286-5700

August 3rd, 2008 Fishing Report

Not much has changed here on the big lake. Walleyes are active on a majority of Rainy Lakes famed reefs in 28-35’ of water. A lindy rig with a leech or a jig and a medium shiner has been producing a majority of the walleyes. Action is picking up in Sand Bay and the American Narrows area on the various reefs and humps. However, the East End still remains the best location to fill a limit of walleyes and release a few. The Canadian reefs are also producing walleyes with the same presentations at the same depths. Look for crappies in Sand Bay, Redgut, and Stokes Bay suspended over 24-32 feet. Plastics like Northland Slurpies are still the ticket. Smallies are hitting hard baits off points and rock piles. Big Pike and Muskie are starting to show up feeding on suspended baitfish. Trolling Super Shad Raps and Reef Runners has been productive.

On the Rainy River decreasing water levels has made the fishing easier and better. Anglers are catching walleyes trolling Shad Raps over the sand bars and jigging a minnows in back eddies. Sturgeon anglers are finding a few fish at the mouth of the Little Fork River, Mile Marker 8, Pelland Junction, and Behind the Dam. Smallies and pike can be found off drop-offs and weed edges and are actively feeding on crank baits.

Come up for a Canadian experience, without the hassle of going to Canada!Rainy Lake...BIG FISH/Small Crowds!

Bill Landmark

www.rainylakeonestop.com

(218) 286-5700

July 26th, 2008 Fishing Report

'Tis the season to be jolly. Walleyes are out on the reefs, in their usual summer patterns and putting on the feedbag. It has been hard to find a better bait than a Lindy Rig with a Leech right now. The east end is still producing a bulk of the best fishing with Blueberry Island Reefs and Saginaw Bay reefs leading the pack. Look for most of the walleye to be in 28-36', but occasionally shallower if conditions are good. Crappies are starting to show up in Sand Bay and they are still picking up a few among the rock piles in Black Bay. Look for the better crappie bite to be in 26-34' in Sand Bay and in some of the deep holes in the Rat Root River. Big Northern can be caught trolling Super Shad Raps over the tops and edges of the reefs.

On the Canadian side reefs in the Seine, Swell, and Redgut have been doing very well as have a majority of the reefs in the north arm. Crappie are showing up off deep points and cribs in Redgut, Morans, Stokes, and Pound Net Bays. Slurpies are the ticket to picking up your limit of slabs. Muskies have been on a frenzy in areas on Redgut and the Seine. Topwaters have been producing the most fish, with a Black and Orange TopRaider being my best bait over the last week. Fort Frances Bass Anglers are finding smallies in same areas, but just a little shallower than normal.

On the Rainy River, Boise is closing the waste gates finally and water levels on the River are declining. Walleyes are still schooled up in the areas with less current and you may also find a few crappies in these areas as well. A 3/8 oz jig orange jig with a minnow is your best bet. Sturgeon Anglers are doing well down by Nelsons landing in Birchdale, with many reports of 42-50" fish being caught. The Sioux Rapids and Mantiou Rapids are also producing nice catches of smallies as well.

Come up for a Canadian experience, without the hassle of going to Canada!
Rainy Lake...BIG FISH/Small Crowds!

Bill Landmark
www.rainylakeonestop.com
(218) 286-5700

July 20th, 2008 Fishing Report

Everyone has had those days where everything seems to work and everywhere seems to have fish. Well, Rainy has had one of those bites occurring in the last few days. Water temps are just about 70 degrees and the walleyes are aggressively feeding on the reefs and points. The only complaint that I have heard in the last two days, is that most of these fish on the reefs are 19-24 inches. A jig tipped with a shiner is working well, as is lindy rigs tipped with a leech. Focus on the Lost Bay area and locations further east for the best fishing. It seems that 22-36 feet of water is best with the shallow areas producing more in lower light conditions. Fishermen are still finding a few crappies mixed in with the walleyes in Black Bay, these fish are being targeted with spinner rigs tipped with a minnow. Big pike can be found on the reefs with the walleyes, trolling Taildancers or Super Shad Raps is catching these hogs. Bass are in a feeding frenzy right now and can be caught off points and deeper rocks using plastics.

On the Canadian side walleyes are being targeted on reefs and also on points. A jig and a minnow or a lindy rig with a ½ a crawler has been the best lures, with Gulp Alive leeches a close second. Areas of Redgut, Swell, Seine, Cormorant and Northwest Bays seem to be more productive water. Crappies are starting to show up over deeper water and are hungry. Fish Slurpies or 2” Gulp Minnow Grubs for best results. Musky and Monster Pike have yet to turn on, but anglers are seeing more follows so they should turn on soon. Bass are active in the North Arm and are being caught on both plastics and hardbaits.

On the Rainy River high water and fast current are still keeping the walleyes in areas with slack current. Trolling Raps has been more effective to both catch fish and cover water. Smallies and big northern can be found in the same area as the walleyes using tubes, jerk baits, and bucktails.

Come up for a Canadian experience, without the hassle of going to Canada!
Rainy Lake...BIG FISH/Small Crowds!

Bill Landmark
www.rainylakeonestop.com
(218) 286-5700

July 5th, 2008 Fishing Report

Fishing is getting better and better as time progresses. Despite the mayfly hatch that has been occuring over the last week, walleyes are still biting in all depths of water on Rainy Lake. Anglers are still finding walleyes in 8' of water in Cranberry Bay and Black Bay. Trolling with raps and spinners has been producing a majority of these fish. There are also plenty of fish to be had on wind blown shorelines, shallow rock piles, and even on the reefs. No bait has been out producing any other at this point in time. Some of the best fishing is coming from the Brule area and around Shelland and Blueberry Islands. The bite is about the same on the Canadian side. Cormorant, Swell, Seine, and Northwest Bay have been good spots to try. The bass bite has slowed with the mayfly hatch, they can still be caught, but slower presentations are necessary, and plastics have been outfishing lures. Crappies are just now finishing up with their spawn and can be caught in 6-8' of water around rock piles in Black Bay.

On the Rainy River, water is still running high and fast. Walleyes are in the slack current and are hitting hard when you get on top of them. Smallies are still off the breaklines and can be caught using imitation minnow lures, such as Mimic Minnows and Gulp Minnow Grubs. Sturgeon season is now open and a few are being caught around the Littlefork River at Mile Marker 8, and below the Rapid in Birchdale.

Come Check out our new Gulp Alive Products!

The fishing is great now and will only get better!!
Rainy Lake...BIG FISH/Small Crowds!
Come up for a Canadian experience, without the hassle of going to Canada!

Bill Landmark
www.rainylakeonestop.com
218-286-5700

June 21st, 2008 Fishing Report

Walleyes are scattered all over the lake. Though there are still a few big walleyes that can be found in shallow, most action is coming from the breaks and rock piles outside of the spawning grounds. Look for the Cranberry and Lost Bay area to produce walleyes in 12-22 feet of water and the Blueberry and Shelland Island area in 20-45 feet of water. On the Canadian side look to the Seine, Swell, Redgut, and Cormorant for a majority of aggressive walleye. A jig and a minnow has been effective, but pulling spinners and crawlers or lindy’s and crawlers has started to work real well in the last couple days. The Smallmouth are up in shallow doing their thing. Fishing them with top waters is definitely recommended as they really are exploding on surface lures. Big Pike are lurking up in weed pockets. Fishing them where the wind has been blowing baitfish up into the weed pockets has been working well. Crappies are few and far between. Water temps have stabilized and increased over the last few days and they are now done spawning.

On the Rainy River, the water level has started to decrease. Walleyes are now loaded up in 10-16 feet of water and are really aggressive. Drifting with a jig and a minnow or pitching X-Raps on the shorelines is working really well. There are some real nice smallmouth biting in the shallows on X-Raps and you may just want to tie a leader on as there are also nice Pike patrolling the same areas.

The fishing is great now and will only get better!! Rainy Lake...BIG FISH/Small Crowds! Come up for a Canadian experience, without the hassle of going to Canada!Bill Landmarkwww.rainylakeonestop.com218-286-5700

June 14th, 2008 Fishing Report

Fishing remains to be good here in borderland. Walleyes are in a transitional phase from the shallower spawning grounds and are starting to show up on windblown points, shorelines, and shallow rockpiles. Still look for the walleyes to be hanging in relatively shallow water, usually 18 feet or less. Saginaw and Hitchcock Bay remain the best places on the American side to find decent numbers of walleye. Redgut Bay, Cormorant, and the Seine continue to produce walleyes on the Canadian side. Pitching ¼ oz jigs with a minnow or a plastic such as the Gulp thumpin’ grub has been a good tactic as has trolling spinners or drifting lindy rigs. The smallmouth are starting to show up in shallow and with some more stable weather they should be spawning. Right now assorted plastics such as senkos and tubes are working well. Crappies can still be caught, but they are few and far between now. Big northern are aggressively hitting raps off deeper rockpiles and points.

Water levels on the Rainy River are about 14 feet high and are showing no signs of cresting. This has made the walleyes on the river a hard target closer to the dam, but they are still biting well further downstream around Birchdale, Clementson, and Baudette. A 3/8-1/2 oz jig has still been the best bet to catch a few walleyes for a fish fry. Smallies are hitting tubes and twister tails along the rocky shorelines and northern pike are hitting off the deeper breaks.

The fishing is great now and will only get better!! Rainy Lake...BIG FISH/Small Crowds! Come up for a Canadian experience, without the hassle of going to Canada!

Bill Landmark
www.rainylakeonestop.com
218-286-5700

June 4th, 2008 Fishing Report

The season so far has been a wet one and cooler than last year. Water levels on the Rainy Lake are about 16" above the normal, while water levels on the Rainy river are excessively high, almost 12 feet above the average for this time of year.

On the bright side fishing remains hot! You know fishing is good when all the customers come in with a smile on their face every morning!!

Bays on Rainy Lake are loaded with large post spawn pike and walleyes just waiting to be caught. On the American Side, Saginaw, Hitchcock, and Black Bay are the best spots to fish for 'eyes. While Redgut, Swell, Bleak, and Cormorant are good bets on the Canadian Side. Trolling raps has remained effective with Shad Raps and Husky Jerks in gold, perch, blue, and chartreuse being the most effective raps. Crappies in Black Bay have become scarce, they are pulling out of the feeding grounds and are in transition to spawning rocks. Pike are tearing up the tackle and reports of many fish over 35" has been common. Bucktails have been the most effecive bait for hungry post-spawn pike. Smallies have really picked up in action. They are in staging mode for spawning and can be found in 8-12 feet of water and shallower on sunny days. X-Raps have been the ticket for producing large smallies pouncing on an easy meal.

On the Rainy River, slack water is producing walleyes in 6-10 feet on a jig and minnow combination. Smallies are up in 6' of water feeding on anything that comes near. A 1/4 oz jig with a white twister tail has been turning the most fish. Look for hungry pike off of the deeper drop offs using #9 Shad Raps or #12 Husky Jerks in the clown pattern.

The fishing is great now and will only get better!! Rainy Lake...BIG FISH/Small Crowds!

Take Care and Good Luck Fishing!
Bill Landmark
www.rainylakeonestop.com
218-286-5700

May 22, 2008 Fishing Report

May 22, 2008
So far it has been a cold, cold season. Much of Rainy Lake was still ice covered on opener. The fishing has been fortunately been very good. Walleyes are biting on pretty much anything you throw in their general direction. The bite has been good trolling #13 floating raps in 2-8 feet of water, as well as jigging in 30+ feet. Black Bay, Lost Bay, and Saginaw Bay have been two of the top producers. Look towards the deeper drop offs in Sand Bay and Grindstone Islands for the deeper bite. Crappies are still scattered in deeper water. Look towards shallow rock piles for actively feeding crappies when the weather starts to warm up. Big pike have also been hitting anything in sight. Throw some big husky jerks or bucktails in shallow weeds for some trophy pike!!

Opener started off better on the Rainy River. Walleyes are biting well on a jig and a minnow in 6-16 feet of water from the dam all the way to Four Mile Bay. Northern and smallies are biting in the same areas on the breaklines. Look for northern to be hitting bucktails in shallower, while you will be able to pick some smallies off using plastics on the deeper edges of these drop-offs. Sturgeon are also biting well at the mouths of the Bigfork and Littlefork Rivers.

As the weather gets warmer, look for the action to heat up.

this is a test post - dated May 19,2008

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