End of June fishing report for Red Lake & Parker Lake

The end of June is already upon us and we saw several more nice fish caught and released this week.

We had a wild mix of weather this week which illustrates the need to pack for all situations.  A cool, overcast day with intermittent rain showers and 30 mph winds was followed up by a sunny and calm day in the mid 80s.

This can be illustrated by these two pictures of Louie - both taken on the same day!

The windy days produced better fishing and we were flooded with excellent reports from both Red Lake and Parker Lake.

Coby took the top spot on the catch and release board with this hefty 44" fish caught within the first hour of the trip.

Guests still reported catching walleye anywhere from 6' - 13' deep.  Lindy rigs with night crawlers and leeches as well as jigs and crankbaits worked well.  If you're wondering what lindy rigs are, you can read our post on how to make them here http://eaglefallslodge.blogspot.ca/2011/03/tie-your-own-lindy-rigs.html.  If you're coming to see us this summer we'd also be happy to show you how to tie them at the lodge.


We had a group up this week, some of which had been to Black Bear Lodge when the Rundles were operating that camp before opening Eagle Falls Lodge.  They had some neat stories about camping by Parker Lake before the guest cabins were built.

They made the trip up this year with their sons and had a great week!

Here is Trevor with a nice 35" northern pike off of Red Lake

 

Trevor and his brother, Cameron, made nice contributions to the weekly fish fry...

...and learned how to clean their own fish!

I have to hand it to these guys, they planned to do a shore lunch and the non-stop rain didn't stop them!

Here is TJ with a fat 24" walleye the released back into Red Lake

 He also caught this 38" northern on Red Lake

Way to go guys!  

How to Fish Lindy Rigs

Now that you've built your lindy rigs, you're ready for tactics on the water this season. On Red Lake early in the season, you'll find many walleye in 6-12 feet of water in the bays along weedlines, points, rock piles, breaks, or other structure. Depth finders are very handy to have for all of the fishing you will do and even an inexpensive one can lead to a much more successful fishing trip. There are several areas on Parker Lake that will hold fish in the 6-12 feet depth range all summer. For this time of the year I would select a 1/4 oz. or 3/8 oz. sinker for your rig. Later in the season on Red Lake you may need to add some weight to get your bait down to the bottom since you will be fishing deeper water. Now you're ready to select your bait.

Now what to use - night crawler, minnow, or leech? All have proven successful and it's really a matter of your preference. Most of the time I back troll or drift lindy rigs. For this type of fishing I insert the 1st hook on a night crawler through the "collar" and the 2nd hook where it rests on the crawler. If your bait is spinning in the water, adjust one of the hooks to take some of the slack out of the crawler to achieve a more natural presentation. I would also encourage you to try inflating crawlers with a Lindy Worm Blower. This will float your bait above your sinker helping to reduce snags and make the crawler more lively. Hook minnows just behind both lips from below so the hook point is on top. This keeps the minnow alive and improves your presentation to the fish. Hook leeches through the sucker. For minnows and leeches, I either use one hook rigs or allow the 2nd hook to dangle behind.



A slow presentation is key to lindy rigging. Once you have selected an area to try fishing, start by back trolling your boat at an idle speed. Let out enough line until you can feel the sinker bouncing along the bottom. At that point reel in just enough line so you can see slack line or feel your sinker start bouncing again if you point your rod tip down toward your bait. I usually start trolling into the wind to slow the boat down even more. If the wind is strong enough, I'll let the boat drift back across a stretch of water that was producing bites and then back troll across into the wind again. Don't forget to vary your speed by shifting into neutral occasionally. Another trick is to raise your rod a couple feet and gradually let the line ease back into the water.

Inevitably you'll find walleye using this technique. When you feel a tap on the line or see the rod tip twitch, feed line back to the fish and slowly count to 5. This allows the fish to grab the bait and prevents you from pulling it out of its mouth. For this reason I usually keep my bail open with my finger on the spool to hold the line in place while trolling. It makes it easier to quickly feed line back to the fish. After your 5 count, give a good hook set and get ready to battle your fish.

Lindy rigging is a very effective way to catch walleye and many other species of fish for that matter. I mainly use lindy rigging as a technique for locating fish and then I enjoy switching to jigs when I've found a nice school. Many guests find lindy rigging so successful they will primarily fish lindy rigs during their entire stay. Whatever method you choose you're bound to have a great week of fishing. See you this summer!

Tie Your Own Lindy Rigs

Lindy rigging is an excellent technique for catching walleye. You don't have to buy those pre-packaged rigs selling for $2-$3 either. By purchasing a few "ingredients" and following these simple steps you can customize your own rigs for much less.

Here's what you'll need to get started:



Sharp size 6 octopus hooks - you will need (2) hooks per rig (I prefer Gamakatsu)

Monofilament or fluorocarbon line - 3' per rig (I've had success with Berkeley Vanish 8-10 lb. test)

Beads of choice - figure (8) small 5mm size beads or (6) medium 6mm size beads per rig (my favorite colors are yellow, chartreuse, white, & red)

Medium size Quick Change Clevices w/ keeper - (1) per rig (colors are usually limited - white clevice in picture)

Barrell swivels size 7 or 8 - (1) per rig

Duolock snaps size 2 - (1) per rig (these snaps are tied to the line on your rod and will connect your finished lindy rig)

Spinning blades size 3 or 4 - (1) per rig (I use Indiana or Colorado shaped blades)

Sinkers 3/8 oz. - (1) per rig (I like tear drop or egg sinkers)

You can usually find some of these items at your local sporting goods store, but selection greatly increases when you start looking online or in the lure building sections at Cabela's or Bass Pro. If you can't find a particular size or color, don't worry about it. Go with the next best option and you'll be fine.

When trying to plan for the number of rigs to tie, it helps to determine what kind of fisherman you are. Some people only use lindy rigs sparingly and some use them the entire week. As a guest, I usually tied about 15-20 of them for my week. That's a good number to get you started with good selection and a few backups. Once you get the hang of tying them, it's easy to pack the supplies in your tackle box and spend a few minutes tying a couple extra rigs of the hot color that your fishing partner was using all day.

Step 1
Cut a length of line approximately 3' long.

Step 2
Tie one of your hooks on the end of the line - start by standing the hook upright. Insert the line "down" through the eye and pinch along the straight part of the hook shaft.



Wrap the line 7-8 times around the hook shaft over the pinched line. Now run the free end of the line "up" through the eye of the hook again. Moisten the line carefully (don't give yourself any unwanted lip piercings), cinch the knot, & trim excess line below knot.



To recap - the line went down through the eye of the hook, wrapped around the line, and then the free end of the line went back up through the eye (with the hook standing upright).

Step 3
Tie the 2nd hook on the line about 2" above the first hook or nearly the length of your pinkie finger. Run the line "up" through the eye of the 2nd hook until the hook is in position.



Now pinching the line against the hook again, wrap the line 7-8 times around the hook, and run the free end of the line "up" through the eye again. Moisten & cinch.

To recap - the line went up through the eye of the hook both times while tying the 2nd hook.

Step 4

Now it's time to choose your bead colors. Put yourself in the scales of a walleye and picture what color food you'd like to eat. I end up with a pretty steady assortment of white, yellows, & reds, but of course my sister will always catch a monster with some hideous combination of pink, purple, & glow-in-the-dark blue so don't get bogged down here. This is part of the fun - finding your own variation that will outfish everyone else.



Step 5

Add your clevice. Make sure you have the correct side up where the spoon or spinner will snap in.

Step 6

Tie a swivel on the other end of the line using your favorite fishing knot.

Step 7

Congratulations! Your rig is ready for action. For your final preparation you will tie a duolock snap on the line on your rod. You attach the swivel to this as well as a sinker. I carry sinker sizes between 1/4 ounce - 1/2 ounce, but most often use a 3/8 ounce tear drop or egg sinker. Snap your spinning blade onto the clevice. Make sure the curve of the blade bends in toward the rig. Select your favorite live bait or try Berkley Gulp and thread onto the hooks and you're ready to fish! Note...if you prefer fishing minnows or shorter baits then you will want to reduce the distance between the two hooks or even try a single hook.



In a few days, I'll follow up with another post detailing how to fish lindy rigs. In the meantime, post your comments or questions below. There are several variations for tying these rigs so if you have a method that works well please share!