Rainy North Arm 9/9-9/16

Another year another September trip in the books. This one did not follow the usual pattern.

Weather – First five days were early August. Not a single cloud, 80 for highs, and some lows barely got below 70. Last three days 50 degrees, rain, and low clouds.

Water temp – 63 when we got there. 67 at the end of the heat wave and back to 63 when we left.

Fishing:

Part 1 during the August weather in one word, sucked. We’re very pike centric but had other friends who were smallmouth focused. Talked to a few other that were after walleye. Consensus that it was slow all the way around.

Part 2 when the weather went foul. Fishing picked up the first day, second day had a lull from the front in the afternoon. Third day only had a little time in the morning but the bite was on.

Patterns: Nothing to write home about. On my best day my best lure caught 2 fish, and many lures got one. Very weird. We’re told the walleye were deeper but that was second hand info.

Summary: The first part was some of the best camping weather in a very long time. Given that the recent cold front came in it’s probably fall fishing now. If you’re headed up now you may be in for the true fall bite.

Thanks for the report. I’m heading up to Rainy in 2 weeks for 4 days of fishing on the MN side (leaving after work on 10/4, fishing 10/5 thru 10/8 and travel home on 10/9)

We primarily target walleyes and look for some crappies a little as well but we normally get a few northerns mixed in.

Looking at the forecast, the water temp should start dropping more after this 9/23 so hopefully the fishing will be a little more consistent.

Tied my pb at 13#. Second is my buddy with big fish of the trip at 17#. So much girth on that one we got to have a conversation watching the spool give line on 3 huge runs. Both came only a couple hours apart and saw a couple other big girls that day.

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Once again, pictures foiled by the site . Left one is my buddy with the 17. No idea why I turned 45 degrees in mine on the right.

patk wrote:

Once again, pictures foiled by the site . Left one is my buddy with the 17. No idea why I turned 45 degrees in mine on the right.

Not sure why that happens…I have never had that happen, not once with several different devices. Anyway, nice fish. Rainy is on my bucket list to try.

Very nice Northerns! Rainy sure has excellent Northern fishing, and it seems like there is a much better shot at getting into some bigger fish more often than the smaller hammer handles

Was up there 9/14-17 for the crappy weather. Sloooow fishing all around. Picked up day after we left… a couple guys in our group stayed behind and one caught a 26 inch walleye and another a 46 inch Muskie. My boat got some smallies on Whopper Ploppers.

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