Rainy Lake Dock Fishing Adventures

Jim Dingle (back to us) Pat Bracken with northern pike.

My wife Cathie, son Joey, and daughter Rachel, and I took a boat ride over to see our friends Kathy and Pat Bracken, Jim and Janet Dingle and Allan Rasmussen. When we arrived the guys were in full dock fishing mode. Pat and Kathy have lived in Geneva, Switzerland for a number of years. This was Pat's first time here for spring "dock fishing".

I looked at there setup and kind of snickered. They had the lines out and the bobbers were floating high. The rods were shoved into the dock rings rod tip first. I thought "they will never get to set the hook with how long it will take to get the rod out of the dock rings. Sure enough the fish started biting and the misses started to mount; the bobbers would come back up by the time they retrieved the rod out of the dock ring. Allan did score  on nice walleyes.

I asked Pat "how come you have the rods stuck in the dock ring"? He smiled wide and proceeded to tell me he and Jim had the lines out and were checking them from up on the deck. They looked down and could not see one of the rods. Pat and Jim went down on the dock and saw the bobber about fifty feet out from the dock but no rod.  Pat consulted with his buddy Mitch Rapp by secure cell phone. Mitch suggested Pat put on a life jacket and take the kayak out and grab the bobber. Pat slid the kayak in the water and proceeded out to the bobber. The bobber went down when he was about ten feet away. Each time he tried to get close the bobber went down, in fact three times it went down. Pat left the secure cell on the dock; he decided to use his stealth training and use a highly super sneaky kayak maneuver. Pat secured the bobber ( navy seal training) and paddled back to the dock handing it off to Jim.

Pat got on the dock and Jim retrieved the line hand over hand getting the rod back. He kept hand over handing the line rather than reel the line in.  All of a sudden there is a tug. Jim kept hand over hand pulling line in and the the fish would pull it back out. Pat decided to get the net; Jim worked it close to the dock and Pat scooped it up in the net. Thirty seven inch fish, what a dandy.

Pat did learn to be close at hand when dock fishing, he won't lose a rod or get a fine for an unattended
line!  

First Private Houseboat of Season Arrive!

Denny and Sandy Johnson were the first to arrive for the 2012 season. They arrived on Tuesday May 8th. 

Denny and Sandy bought a SkipperLiner Houseboat from my mom and dad in 1983. The houseboat was #10 in Rainy Lake Houseboats fleet. They gave it the nickname "Perfect 10".  

Denny's first visit to Rainy Lake in 1964. He and fellow business associates stayed at Rainy Lake Lodge. There group went out with log time fishing guides Butch Lessard, Nick Franko,  Elmer Chovan, Joh Gusulak and Abbie Renollett. This was Abbie's first guide trip on Rainy Lake. Abbie passed away two years ago, he is fondly remembered by both clients and fellow guides.

Denny continued to fish Rainy Lake every year with friends Ray Henningson and Rod White. Soon after Paul Flyschacker joined the threesome. In 1983 they started a tradition with the "Rainy Lake 8". Denny, Ray, Paul, Bruce Palmer, Loren Heckman, Doug Heibisan, Frank Kuhn and Gene Schneider has fished continuously for 30 years, this will be there 31st. There are not many groups I know of that have fished for 30 consecutive years with out a change in the group, remarkable.

Denny and Sandy have moored there houseboat every summer since 1983 at Rainy Lake Houseboats private boat marina. Yesterday we had more arrivals, Carl and Jeanette Linquist, Tom and Toni Ebeling, Scott and Cheryl Weappa all arrived.  I think more may have been down on the dock, but I did not get all the way down.

 Tom Ebeling and Scott Weappa

 Cheryl Weappa

Carl Linquist

Denny, Sandy, and their son Brad are on there way up Rainy Lake for a week on the Perfect Ten as we speak. Good luck to all this weekend, enjoy your time and be safe!

We Are Getting Ready Just Add People!

April 6 just before ice out

As always things start happening fast when May 1st rolls around. We have been busy putting houseboats in the water. As most of you know Rainy Lake set an ice out record this year. However things are not as far ahead as one would think. When the ice went out the weather turned rainy, snowy and cool. Water temperatures and spawning are all progressing at normal occurying times of the year.

Our private marina

I went to Kettle Falls yesterday, the water temperature was 45.6 degrees in the Kettle River. Had a look at Squirrel Falls (the Canadien Dam) there were about twenty white pelicans feeding on spawning walleyes. As we cast for northern pike three different dead walleyes came floating down with the current. They had no visible signs of injury, I did not pick them up just looked at them closely.  The pelicans were frolicking in the shallow water pounding there heads into the water (after the walleyes?). They would fly out and mess with the floaters but not eat them. One of the stranger occurences I have seen in forty six years on Rainy Lake.

Tom Herzig with nice pike on the way home

Fishing should be good on the opener. The walleyes will hold in Kettle River for at least a couple of weeks. There is a good flow of current which always helps. The water in the bays is warmer. I found forty eight to fifty four degree water temperatures. Slip bobbers in the bays might be alot of fun. 

We will have this blog and another one dedicated to fishing and fishing reports . Our season is looking very good. Reservations are stll coming in; there are good openings available. We have some availability in May you can check out the spring rates and call for availability. I am looking for one of the best spring fishing seasons in a long time and we have had some good ones!

Water levels are normal for this time of the year. It  sure looks like everything will be great with water levels all year.

                                     

Houseboats waiting for Sandy Harju our head of housekeeping!

Back from Florida with Mom and Dad

Cathie and I went to Florida April 10th to visit my parents and return home with them. I opted not to post while we were in Florida. The weather in International Falls changed drastically while we were gone. Some times timing is just right. There was snow, cold rain and generally colder weather.

To day I ventured out on Rainy Lake with friends Pat and Jim. We checked out bays for water temperatures and did a little casting for northern pike. Water temps were from 41 -47 degrees on the south side of the lake.

My son Joey was out with Andrew and Chad from Iowa, they fished northern pike and had fabulous action with northern pike from 35-41 inches. I am still predicting fabulous May fishing, April has been really good for pike. There is still time to come up for unreal pike fishing, you don't have to go to Manitoba or Saskatchewan to catch big pike. I have available days up to May 12 if you want to venture up to Rainy Lake for awesome spring pike fishing. Our guides are the best Rainy Lake has to offer, take advantage, learn great techniques and catch some big ones! Below are a few pictures of the pike Joey, Andrew, and Chad caught. We still have have openings between May 12 and June 1st, houseboat rates are 20% off boat weekly and daily rates.

Rainy Lake Ice Out is April 6, 2012

Rick Bolstad called Friday morning, he had flown from Ranier Minnesota to Kettle Falls on the far east end of Rainy Lake. Travel by boat to Kettle Falls unimpeded by ice was totally possible. This breaks the previous record of April 10th. Below is a picture from our bay shot on April 5th.

Will Rainy Lake Break the Ice Out Record?

Rainy Lake was racing to break the earliest ice out date ever. Last week the weather cooled, we received five inches of snow, and cloudy weather set in.  That has changed this week, the weather is beautiful.
Ice is starting to break up, there is large expanses of open water in many areas.

I just finished up the Northwest Sport Show on Sunday. The show was busy, houseboat reservations  were being made at the show and boat sales were going at a rapid pace. The Lund dealers sold 30 plus boats on Saturday alone. People are very excited for spring fishing; in fact many are going to come up and fish Rainy Lake before the walleye season closes on April 14.

I look for May and June to be spectacular fishing on Rainy Lake. We have openings yet in May and a few in June. May reservations are 20% off daily and weekly rates until June 1st, also four days for the price of three during midweek.  Check out last May and June's fishing reports. Fishing will be even better this spring, I have a bad case of spring fever!

A blog note about ice out would not be complete without a prediction on the ice out date. I believe we will set a record and the lake will be ice free on April 7th. Last night the most open water was on the east side of Brule Narrows, lots of black ice in Seine Bay and the east end of Sand Bay. Time will tell!

Northwest Sport Show is Proof That Spring is Here

The annual Northwest Sport Show begins Wednesday March 28 and ends Sunday April 1 at 5:00 PM at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The hours are Wednesday March28 and Thursday March 29 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Friday March 30 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM, Saturday March 31 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM and Sunday April 1 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Rainy Lake Houseboats has changed booths this year we will be located in booth 1409. The show is the last one of the year. It is undoubtedly the largest and finest sport show in the midwest. I will be in the booth every day from Wednesday thru Sunday. Stop down visit and plan your next houseboat trip.

I am as excited as I have ever been. We have had a mild winter and the earliest spring on record. Ice will go out earlier than the previous best April 8th 2010. May and June fishing is going to be phenomenal.  The fish will all be done spawning, and been through their post spawn time periods. We have many more trips in May and June with the early spring, there is still time to reserve a spot for May and June!
                                                   
                                             Rainy Lakes Huge Black Crappies

I believe when I get home from the sport show I will be fishing Rainy Lake in my boat by April 3rd or 4th. Open water walleyes for Easter dinner anyone? Sounds to good to be true.  Come down and see us at the show we'll help you plan your next houseboat trip to Rainy Lake, the shore lunch and big crappies are waiting!

Fresh Walleye

                                          Rainy Lake Houseboats famous shore lunch!