Fishing Report

[redlakenative]

Waskish has been quite the last few weeks, And Hal is right , fishing has really picked up this last week, taking into consideration the wind and heat.     I will look forward seeing you for a cold one at Westwind!!!!!

[halad]

Mark-The Chief might not always br right but he's still the Chief. Im still using BG tackle, bought at your dads. You still in business? Id go have a beer with you but you keep hitting me on the arm.

[redlakenative]

I have a couple of new spinners that seem to be very productive......I will swap you a couple for a cold barley pop.     After I turned 40, I seem to spend a lot more time raking the beach  instead of paying Westwinds utility bills.    Anyway, see you on the lake union brother!!!!!!!   

[Mr Harry]

L just had some friends up there last week.  They had a blast (their words), they can't wait until they go up there again.  They caught their walleyes and returned a few back into the water.  They didn't catch any crappies or norderns.  As soon as the weather cools down some we want to get up there also to clean the trails and due some fourwheeling and fishing.  It is a great time up there....

[halad]

Fishermen who are looking for a big pike now is a good time. The last couple times out i caught 3 in the 10-15# range also they? rip up your walleye rigs. I dont bring them in to measure just cut the line by the hook. The Walleye fishing is the same as my last posts work the shoreline and when you find fish work that area.? This is really good fishing i just hope they can come up with a Posession limit 4-6 fish would be nice 2-fish, period, is tough to work with. Best wishes, Hal

[halad]

The fishing has slowed but you can still get them but have to work harder.? The E. shore is still the best. The fish seem to be in shallower like 5-7'. No problem catching fish in the 14-17" range. Those pesty pike are still on a tear watched 3 big ones caught on Monday all were put back after much handling and picture taking.

Labor day weekend i was suprised by the number of boats on the lake. Sat. i got skunked fished for 2-hrs. got 3 bites and missed them all. Sunday i didnt fish. Monday the wife and myself caught 4-keepers from 1000 to noon.? I still use minnows, leaches and crawlers work.

Im not sure anybody is interested but i will continue to give you a report as long as i fish.

Good luck.

[ScottPugh]

Thanks for the report.  A buddy of mine and I are talking about heading up there Saturday 8/16 as part of our three day "Up-Nort" trip... 

Mille Lacs - 8/14
Big Splithand / Pokegama - 8/15
Upper Red / Winni - 8/16
Mille Lacs - 8/17

Can it get any better then this?

[Outdoors Junkie]

halad,

Thank you for the fishing reports!  Please do continue to post them.  My family have two cabins on the Tamarack and I love to hear the fishing reports.

[Dancing Bear]

Hey Halad!  hope you've been doing ok! keep those reports coming, I have been too busy this year to get back up there since July and the next 3 months the schedule doesn't look that good.....

Any Bear news? are you going to be around the weekend of 10/6-10/8? thinking about coming up then for one last try at one over 40" and I sure wouldn't mind going grousing with you again ::)...let me know, DB

[halad]

I should be here have been seeing birds this year maybe they are up a little. Oct. can be a tough month to fish Red lots of NW wind. 

See you.

[Russ-Judy]

Halad keep the reports coming-DB We have a chair like the one you tossed out of the fishing tent on the very top of the next camp fire we be torching off this weekend at the duck cabin-stop in and watch it go up in smoke-you to Halad

[Dancing Bear]

 

[pointblank]

Howdy friends,

 This is an interesting thread.  For someone like me who has fished Upper Red since 1969 and my father who began fishing it in 1938 , we have a very different view of what the lake produces and why. We are not Biologists or DNR , nor are we or have been pro fishermen. We just have experience on the waters of Upper Red.  My father taught me long ago the lake has cycles....ups and downs  ,often extreme.   From fishing that seems so explosive you might want to go to shore to bait your hook to weeks of shut down with no bites.  Red offers little structure.......infact the lake has few changes that effect fish habits by way of whats on the bottom or whats on the top. 

 What does effect the lake is the Wind.The wind has always directed the fishing and my dad understood this and taught it to me. While few could land much other than sheepshead ,we could find the Eye's using the wind to get us to them.

 Shorty H., Jimmy P. and few other natives know this as well.  Since the lake has been renewed in stocks and class sized fish.....the cycle has returned. Without the numbers of fish no cycle could exists.  As the eye's numbers now level out and the crappies number dwindle back to the few and far between the lake will still focus on the wind.
 
 For Red lake and its uncommonly shallow water and lack of structure learning the wind is your key to angling. The when and where's are your guide in such featureless and shallow water.

 Don't get down on Upper Red becuase you made the trip and didn't get fish....the fish are there but finding them is often difficult.
 
 BTW.don't overlook the Lake of the Woods. My father and I fish that all summer long ....even in late July early August we get great fishing.   Hint: We bait fished off the sw end of the Angle the last week of July this year. The  eye's stacked up on the rock piles 1-1/2 miles out in 22-28 feet  feeding on the spawning crayfish in the rocks. We had all the fish we wanted using rods/reels  while the pros went deep on downriggers and got few.

[halad]

I fished 2 day this week and i have to tell you that it is really good.? Been fishing the same areas as all summer still a minnow and spinner. Caught a lot of fish 18 to 22 but still easy to catch keepers. Great fall fishing the only bad thing the wind is brutal Fri. Sat. and tomorrow its switching to the W. which is bad. Red is a tough lake to fish in Oct because of the wind. My two young grandsons each got their first grouse pretty exciting here yesterday and today. Good luck.

I will be in Los Cabos Mexico from the 22-29 fishing in the Bisbee Marlin tournament. Look for me on ESBN i will be the handsom grey haired guy holding that Million dollar check.

[ATM]

Halad, that is great, I still remember my first grouse trip when i was there age and that was 20 years ago.  Welcome to this site, I hope you enjoy it. Adam

[Russ-Judy]

Halad-make sure you find out what time it will air on tv-- will you be wearing your speedo's and sombrero?

[halad]

The lake is ok as far as i can see anywhere from 4 to 12 inches of ice ok for 4-wheeler nasty freezeup though because of the wind rough and lots of ice piled up but better west like towards Morts. The fish are hiding over here right now but they will show up when things settle down. Snow squalls today and wind .