Ice/ fishing report

[Lee Borgersen]

  It looks to be an early spring this year

Mar 31, 2017 




 

The ice fishing season has come to an end for most anglers in the Bemidji area. A few anglers are still walking on the ice, but driving on the lakes has become dangerous and is not advised. tut_tut-3315.gif



  ....
Many of the perch, crappies and sunfish are very active in shallow water, so some anglers are willing to push their luck until they can no longer get on the ice.



  ....
Falling in past your boots is not a pleasant experience, even on a warm day. Bring a set of ice picks if you are planning to extend the ice fishing season to the bitter end.

  ...
The ice rots from both the top and the bottom and turns to mush as it melts. It is about the same thing as an ice cube melting in a glass of water.

Anglers can feel the difference in the ice when drilling holes late in the season. The strength in the ice comes from the middle section that is still hard, while the top and bottom of the ice sheet crumble when you drill.


The average ice out date for Lake Bemidji is April 26, so it looks like an early spring this year. Most of the other larger lakes in the Bemidji area have average ice-out dates similar to Lake Bemidji.

       
 
Walleye anglers are able to fish out of their boats on the Rainy River until the spring walleye season closes on April 14. With any luck, anglers might be able to get into the lakes with their boats for panfish by the time the walleye season closes on the Rainy River.

The walleye season for the inland lakes of Minnesota opens on May 13, which is about as late as the season can open. The walleye season opens in Minnesota on the second Saturday in May.

  .....
Anglers fishing the Rainy River this past week have had almost perfect conditions with clean water (not muddy) and moderate water levels.

Once the tributaries to the Rainy River like the Big Fork and Little Fork Rivers open up or we get some significant rain, the river can get muddy and make the walleye fishing much more difficult.

Using side imaging on sonar while looking for walleyes can be a huge advantage. Anglers may also see schools of sturgeon, which is pretty impressive, even on sonar.

One of the better moves the DNR has made recently is to make sturgeon catch and release during the spring walleye season on the Rainy River. This prevents walleye anglers from keeping any sturgeon during the busiest time of the year on the river.

The sturgeon harvest season runs from April 24 to May 7, with a keeper slot between 45-50 inches or anglers can also keep one sturgeon longer than 75 inches. Anglers need to have a tag to keep a sturgeon during the harvest season and are only allowed to keep one sturgeon per calendar year.


Most walleye anglers have been using jigs and minnows on the Rainy River, with a ½-ounce jig the best choice for keeping the bait under the boat. Using a lighter jig forces anglers to let out more line to reach the bottom, which makes getting snagged much more likely.

By using the right weight jig, anglers can keep their line almost straight under the boat. This allows anglers to briefly touch the bottom with their jig and then raise it a few inches off of the bottom, instead of dragging the jig well behind the boat and constantly getting snagged.

Emerald shiners are the most abundant natural forage for walleyes in Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River, so they are usually the best choice for bait. Rainbow chubs are also natural to the Rainy River and make a good second choice for bait.

The color of jig seems to make a big difference to the larger walleyes on the Rainy River. Anglers should experiment with different color jigs until they find something that works, especially if other anglers in the boat are getting more bites and catching larger fish.