Namakan next week

I’ll be heading up next week. Not looking for any honey holes but can anyone share tactics for “eyes”. Depth? Structure? Leeches? Spinners? Any help appreciated

I’ll be up next week as well. Best advice I can give you is to stay mobile and use your electronics. Fish on this system move a lot and can be caught both shallow and deep most of the year. If you’re not having luck, move on.

Thanks Grubson. Can’t wait to get up there….looking forward to exploring new spots and trying to find the fish.

If you’re wanting leeches, I’d suggest bringing them up with you as many bait shops up there run out.

Good idea. Any idea if crawlers are worth trying as well? I was going to try starting out on mid lake reefs around 25-35′ to start my search and then edge of weedlines in the evenings.

Call cold spring bait ( Deer Farm)
218-757-3191
They supply all the dait up there. Ask about leeches an crawlers.
They are located about 5 miles south of the ash river trail turnoff.

Great people

Crawlers are worth having but leeches seem to be the most popular bait up there. I use both regularly. Dutch is correct, Cold Spring Bait is the place to stop if you’re going up hwy 53.

Thanks guys! I’ll be sure to stop there.

Granddaughters crank out some pretty good homemade bakery stuff. If they are baking you will smell it when you walk in.

Sounds like a great way to start out the fishing trip!

Family and I camped up on the east end of Namakan (Rainbow island) the 12-16th.
Had a scary ride out on the 12th. Heavy east winds pushing 4’+ waves all the way from Fox island all the way to the east side, plus a torrential downpour that made even seeing difficult at best thru the windshield was not a fun way to start the trip. Almost lost a loaded cooler out the back of the boat at one point.

Fishing was pretty slow, tho I am just getting to know that end of the lake.
Fish we found were in 28-30′ mainly. Had one nice fishfry Friday night, and caught a 24 and 22 off one spot for big fish. Did not get into as many smallies as usual, but did get more saugers (all were small tho).
Lindy’s with leeches took all of our fish.

Skeeters were as bad as I can ever remember up there. You could set your watch, at 9:30, you had to be inside of something zipped up or risk serious blood loss.

Headed back up to east end of Rainy in a couple weeks. Reports from the guys at Kettle Falls was the bite has been decent but not great so far for them.