New to Rainy

Headed up to rainy with 4 buddies and 2 boats on Wednesday morning. We will be staying 4 nights in Lost Bay, can’t wait. None of us have ever been to Rainy so new to all of us. We will be targeting mostly walleyes but smallies and crappies are definitely not off the menu. Wondering what we should expect as far as bugs. Are mosquitoes a problem up there while camping? Also have there been any bug hatches yet with this warmer weather? Anybody fish with salted shinners up there? I salted about a gallon this spring and don’t know if it pays to bring them. Any help will be greatly appreciated. I will give a full report when we get back. Thanks

Plan to be in for a good time. Rainy Lake is my favorite place in the world to camp.

I saw a Lost bay on the canadian side didn’t see one on the US. Never the less you will be in for a good time.

As for bugs The large black flys suck literally. I don’t know about this year but in the past seems some years they are really bad and eat your legs to death in the boat.

The mosquitos may carry you away if there isn’t any wind. I always pack a few different types of sprays. I even use the 100% deet by colmen if I have to. A little bit of cancer spray never hurts.

There is one thing you need to add to your tackle box if you don’t already have it and that is plastic ring worms and moxies or paddle tails.

3 years ago was our first trip up in early to mid june. So we got a guide and did the minnow thing for 5 hours in 10 different spots and id not produce a ton of stuff.

The next 2 days we repeated what the guide should us an put some fish in the boat but nothing amazing. That night a boat can through our bay and caught a 20incher 10 ft from our dock and 3 other walleyes within 30 mins.

Needless to say thats definitly better than we had been doing and better than what the guide produces for us. So i yelled over to them and they said they were fishing plastics.

I knew exactly what they were using because it was the same the same B-fishin plastics I use on the mississippi for walleye.

What a difference it made. We went out the next day and caught 30-40 great fish.

So now we buy 4 dozen minnows in stead of 8 and a buy 6 packs of plastics for the trip.

I found for me on the MN side that my best colors were white and pink.

You will find fish in that 2 – 6 feet of water for sure.

have a great time and let me know how you do. We leave a week from today!

I fish up there in early October so bugs are much of an issue at that time. I highly recommend some type of map chip/gps combo for navigation on this lake. Rocks can jump up out of nowhere

Red Eye wrote:

Are mosquitoes a problem up there while camping?

Right up there with death and taxes this time of year

eau Claire boys did you well with advice.

Don’t be afraid of getting cranks into that 2-10 fow either casting or trolling. Fish will have a preference, just need to figure out what it is.

Thanks for the info guys. I just so happen to already have a few packs of bfishes paddle tails in both white and pink as well chartreuse orange core. I kinda figured the bugs would be bad so the spray is already packed. We have also decided to dedicate at least one evening to trolling raps shallow. Does anyone do much bobber fishing leeches on the rock toward dark? We sure do miss watching bobbers from when we use to go to Mille Lacs. Thanks again.

If the flies are biting wear big boy pants and 2 pairs of socks.

Been there twice 1st week of June and bugs are bad on shore but not bad in the boat unless dead calm. Pitch wind blown shorelines. West end of Saginaw Bay and humps on the outer edge of Marion Bay should be good. Make sure you bring a ton of jigs Rainy eats them at a record pace.

We were up 14-18. Kind of tough fishing for us. New to the lake and a lot to learn. We did catch a few fish casting plastics shallow but most fish came on leechs rigging. Best spots were on the edge of deeper holes 29-31 ft. in current areas. Picked up a few on main lake rock reefs also. We did have one good night in 19ft on a rock point pulling slow death crawlers until another small front moved in and shut em down. I don’t think the storms earlier in the week helped us but you can’t do much about that. All in all it was a good trip. We ate a couple meals of fresh fish and brought a few home. Already planning next years trip.