If big walleye drive you as much as they do me a trip to the Red & Winnipeg River every year or at least a few times in your lifetime is a must. I’ve personally seen a walleye over 17# up there and have caught a few over 14# myself there.
Justin Lauby and I went up Oct 9-14, fishing just late on the 9th and early on the 14th.
We had the best weather ever, not two rain drops or even snow. It hadn’t even frosted yet, but OK, the fog was incredible a couple of mornings.
Wed – We anchored on a drop in the Red River at Sugar island not far north of the ramp, it’s a fun spot for the planes taking off and landing next to you. We got an 11+ and I lost a bigger girl on a pink rattle jig. We also caught a bunch of eater size fish (15-20″). A good start for a few hours of fishing. We did see two other fish over 10#’s caught near us.
Thursday – Headed up to Pine Falls to fish the Winnipeg River and Traverse Bay. We caught one dink in bay on a Deep Jr Thunderstick during the entire morning. Hardly anyone was at ramp at 7:15, maybe 5 boats. A few boats set up in the bay on the normal drop off spots and rock piles jigging. We did slam the fish at sundown in the river at a heavy current spot in about 13-15′ thanks to Clancy, a good friend of mine up there. We caught roughly 15 20-23″ fish plus Justin got a 7 and 9+ there jigging with a 3/4 oz Reelbait Walleye Flasher. The current was very heavy and the blade draws really draws them in. Clancy and his buddy had about 20 of the 19-23″ fish. We also caught a bunch of smaller fish right in the bay to the east on a drop I like, all small. When Clancy came by he mentioned he’d caught a 16+ there years ago.
Friday – We returned to the Sugar Island area and jigged in the AM but the fish weren’t going for us. Some buddies from Wisconsin did get a couple of 11’s though just off our stern. We then trolled Shad Raps north by the “Bridge to Nowhere” without success. Curt DeBoer, another friend came by, and reported his group of four guys had a great morning jigging up the river farther where it gets rockier. We decided to team up for the afternoon and he got four rougly over 28″ trolling that afternoon. We were trolling in the same area but didn’t get any big ones but got some very nice ones and loved seeing his come in the boat. Walleye that big just take my breath away even if don’t catch them.
Saturday – We jigged with Curt in the powerline area where the bottom undulates. We got a few shorts then one of Curt’s guy hung a beautiful 11# fish. Both of us decided to troll throughout the middle of the day. Justin got a 10+ beauty on a Perch Taildancer and I caught a pile on Fire Tiger Hornet 6’s, CD6 Wally Divers and various #9 Shad Raps targeting 14-16′. We got a few fish also that were in the 5-8# range that also makes it fun! We did lose another monster fish but it was fun to have her on for awhile. Otherwise the fish were all 23″ and smaller, we kept 5 of the 18-19″ fish to take home. This was the first trip in ten years where you couldn’t get them on Pearl Shad Raps, the water was so dingy they wanted all bright flouro stuff.
Sunday – With only a few hours left to fish I really changed up from my normal rattle jigs and flashers. I broke out some Pink/Chartruese Bass Pro XPS jigs and put some chartruese Powerbait on the shanks along with a salted shiner (the common bait on the Red). Immediately that switch paid off when I stuck a couple of nice big fish plus a couple of 23’s, a 25/26 roughly and Justin got a couple of nice fish after going to the same jig.
We did see a 32.5″ fish caught out from us that morning, it was the biggest we saw on the trip – at least a 14# fish. Previously in the week we also saw a really big fish (13+) on a stringer wrapped in a guys prop. I’ll admit I sorta thought the fish Gods got him back for keeping it 
Overall the rivers were both high, but no flow, that makes some new spots and kills old ones. Justin and I fished hard up there and we didn’t get as many big fish as we would have liked, but on the other hand, when you get four monster fish it’s nothing to sneeze at!
Guys were saying Pine river was really good for 20-23″ fish this year, the big ones have not turned up as readily as they have on the Red. There was also no bait in the bay. The Red was pretty good for us, but many of my acquaintances had off years this year right before we got there. I’d attribute it too a late fall, lack of current and strange, wet weather up there.
In retrospect, we should have spent more time jigging closer to the locks. I think as the fish came in the river they were more drawn to the current than usual because there was so little this year.
If you go, please let the big girls go. I tell anyone that goes with me it’s like trophy deer hunting. I really don’t try to catch 50/100 fish a day. I try to concentrate fishing big jigs and big lures trying to get the fish of a lifetime. If I can do anything to help you get on fish up there, let me know.
Few more pics
Great report Todd! Awesome Walleyes! How far of a drive was that for you?
Awesome fish and great report Todd!
Love seeing those pictures of brute walleyes like that.
Someday, I’m going to get up there and experience that fishery for myself.
Boog
Great report, definetly a trip to add to the list. Ever since i watched an in-fisherman video with a segment from up there i’ve wanted to go.
Nice fish
Luke,
Great to see ya on the board. I’m sure you are thinking ice about now.
Selkirk, MB is about 9 hours (580 miles roughly) from Sioux City, IA and four-lane the whole way there. Pine Falls/Powerview are another 35 miles roughly. Both border crossings were great this year.
The trip is very inexpensive and does not take much in the way of boats if you stick to the Red. Many (most) of the locals are in 12-16′ open boats with 9.9-25 hp motors. At least 90% of the engines still have a cowling
I’ve seen guys on the bank drive up in a car, blow up their boat and come out to fish.
Great report!
Hmmmm….
Sounds like an awesome,affordable trip.
Todd,awesome report,that Red River trip is a fun one to do once in a guys life.
Looks like you guys had fun,had good weather,and even boated a few hogs,what more could you ask for.
And your right,I’ve seen a few of those blow-up boats during my trip to the Red.The first time I seen it,I about fell out of the boat laughing.
Ryan Hale
Great report, Todd!
Nice fish. I do find it ironic though that a fisherman gets
ridiculed by other fisherman for not throwing a big fish back. I am all for protecting our fishing resourse by practicing selective harvest, but when are you big trophy
deer hunters going to throw back the thirty pointer-you can’t. Get off the guy’s back who want’s to keep a nice walleye for his trophy wall. I’ve seen to many big deer shot just for the antlers. If you can’t use the deer don’t shoot it just for the antlers.
Realize I was more so making an attempt at humor than in-depth management philsophy but sure, lets talk about it.
I agree with selective harvest.
While I’m not sure, I don’t think this fish was “going on the wall”.
Thankfully Manitoba makes those keeping a walleye over 28″ instantly sign their license – anglers are allowed one trophy per year. As to my analogy about deer hunting, many deer hunters have now improved their management philosophies, letting large bucks go rather than harvesting, requiring the taking of does, etc., resulting in better deer herds also. Some of my friends have done this now for 5 or 6 years and seen tremendous results on their property. This was not a “thirty point buck” in these waters but certainly was a trophy.
Many people do take a large fish like that as a trophy of a lifetime. Some people take fish like that to feed a family that otherwise might not of had protein that night.
But, in my opinon and many others, a high quality replica in this day and age will look as good and last virtually forever.
To make me look worse Brian, there are large commercial nets and native nets in Lake Winnipeg. Maybe it is just spitting in the wind to let these fish go, but that’s selective harvest too.
Wouldn’t that be nice if we could C&R a thirty pointer?
I think everyone would agree that keeping fish within the limits that are set is fine…promoting C&R is better.
But getting back to Todds report. VERY Well done big guy!
However I do have to point out two flaws…
1) Where’s the big catfish pics??
2) Why didn’t I get an invite??
Those are some great catfisheries too BK. I didn’t get any by accident this time but in the past I was sure I had the world record walleye only to find an “average” 20# Red River cat on my Shad Rap.
I go every year in October, you’re welcome to come up!
Todd
I’m going to keep that in mind!
You can jig out of the front of the boat and I’ll…well, you know.
That fog reminds me of most days on my moose hunt last week.
Great report!! I can’t wait to cross the Red River off my list of to do’s before I die.
Todd,
Very nice trip.
Congrats…
Jack.
Wow Great Report Todd
Nice to see you getitng out and spanking a few dandies!
I never fished the Red that far North, but I know first hand the Red can hold some dandies!
Great job Todd!
Thought you guys might enjoy a few others from years gone by.
The one the three guys are holding was 32.5″ and 14.5#. She came on a Fire Tiger 9 in Traverse Bay. My brother to the right is 6’7″ and let’s just say large. He and I tend to make fish look smaller than they are
In 2000 one guy fishing with me caught 4 between 12-13# trolling in Traverse Bay in less than one hour, that’s the best fishing I’ve ever saw up there.
Todd,
thanks for the extra pics, those are some REAL SOWS..
Jack.
Great report. Love those photos. Thats some cool water for running shad style crankbaits. Are you running them pretty slow?
1.5-2.2 mph upstream (I vary a speed a lot on purpose or to correct my path)
2-2.5 mph downstream
This was the first year I can remember catching fish going downstream because it’s the only year I tried
At Pine in the bay it’s usually 1.8-2.5, sometimes 3 mph will trigger them.
Deep stickbaits and banana baits work good too. The key is to tick bottom and it takes a lot of work there because the edges and bottom change so much, even if the guy running the boat sorta or really knows what he’s doing. A lot of fish get caught banging rocks, letting your lure back, etc. It’s easier to troll Pine but the same rules apply on the flat, if you don’t have limestone mud on the bill of your lure you aren’t trying hard enough.
One tip for Pine Falls in low water years is to run 17-20# mono so you can still use bigger lures and get them back further behind the boat.
GREAT REPORT TODD
Those are some dandy fish!! 
You guys seem to enjoy monster fish. Here’s a few more
WOW! Dandies
Those are some SUMOS! 
We might have to trade a Red River trip for a Mille Lacs Trip. 
Any time Rob, love to have you.
I’m thinking that I might take a little longer trip next year in October. I could stop by Mille Lacs just to get warmed up for some of those Greenbacks.
Great report Todd.
Those are some gianormous eyes. 
That looks like a trip I need to take next year. 
Todd,
We were up there the weekend prior to your arrival and had never been so disappointed. 4 guys-2 boats and only 1 greenback. Lots of sauger and oh, ya. I managed to land 2 shore anglers. They were a bit short so we had to toss em back. Boy do them scream when you hook into one of them.
Had a local boat with 3 guys just out for fun ancher behind us in a little tiny boat. We got sick to our stomaches watching them double up on two master anglers at the same time. One on eitherside of the boat. They were both over 29″.