Walleye Fishing on Parker Lake Finishes Strong!

Hello,

We have been meaning to share the pictures from our last group of guests, especially the flurry of really nice sized walleyes that were caught and released on Parker Lake.  We had one guy who had the magic combination because he caught a 23", 24", 25", and a 27" walleye in the SAME spot within 24 hours!

Nice job Kendall!

Here are some of Dan's fish (Kendall's brother):

Nice smallmouth Dan!

And their cousin, Brad, with a few northern off of Parker Lake:

The other guys up that week had a nice week of fishing as well.  Here is Larry with some nice northern he caught and released on Parker Lake:

And Bob with a nice walleye on Parker Lake:

Larry and Bob had to take a lunch break after catching loads of fish!

We got in on some shore lunch action for the last time as well:

It is hard to believe these guys left a week and a half ago already!

As we stay busy closing up camp we are definitely soaking up the last few days of  being able to enjoy the view overlooking Parker Lake.  The weather has been PERFECT.  Getting to spend so much time outdoors is really nice.  Just a single boat remains in the water on both Parker Lake and Red Lake.  Travis likes to put that job off until the last possible moment.  The finality of it is a bit painful I think.  

It is hard to leave this place, as all our guests know!

Red Lake Fall Classic Walleye Tournament Recap

Hello!

I'm sure everyone is busy recovering from Labor Day weekend, but at least its already Tuesday - right?

We wanted to share some details about the annual Red Lake Fall Classic Walleye Tournament that took place here over the holiday weekend.  Remember how I was complaining last week about how horribly hot it was here?  Well that can make for some tough tournament pre-fishing.  Especially if there is little wind that is constantly changing direction.  

Just to make it interesting, let's pretend that the night before the tournament (Friday) there was A LOT of lightning and thunder and for the actual days of the tournament the weather was a bit cooler on Saturday and then BAM! 57 degrees on Sunday. 

Except that's what really happened.  

You may or may not recognize that this is pretty much opposite of ideal.  Exact opposite.  A huge pressure and temperature drop in the weather can lead to a drastic drop off in how the fish are biting.  Also, constantly changing wind direction means fish will most be moving around a lot.  And fish definitely don't like thunder - I mean it is loud and scary sounding, right?

As most competitors know you can't predict or control the weather, and it is something that all participants have to deal with.  You can definitely be either more or less prepared to be in a boat all day with varying weather conditions, which can affect your ability to focus and your mood on tournament day.  

I think anyone who has AWESOME tournament jerseys like these handsome fellas below is automatically in a better position come tournament day...

Don't you agree?

Phil and Kyle (pictured above on either side of their especially handsome tournament sponsor - Travis) have been spectators of the Red Lake Fall Classic Walleye Tournament for several years.  This marked their second year of fishing the tournament together.  Phil had fished a few years in the tournament with their dad prior to Kyle jumping in the boat.    These guys are definitely no stranger to fishing in less than ideal weather, and have over 15 years experience of fishing Red Lake.  

So, how did they do?  They finished well in the top half of the field, and came in 62nd out of 140 boats fishing the tournament.  Nice job guys!   I think they would agree that Saturday went better than Sunday (with a higher weigh-in total and better "over-slot" fish) but definitely enjoyed both days out on the lake.

This was the 21st annual Red Lake Fall Classic Walleye Tournament and the winners were Richard Wetelainen and Steve Parenteau.  You can find more information and full results for the tournament on their website.

Congratulations to all tournament participants!  

How to survive a Canadian heatwave...

Hi y'all!

We packed up another good group and they are now headed towards the border.  Would you believe that we have one single week remaining?  That is it.  Every meal we make this coming week will be for the last time in 2013.  I think if Travis was being honest he would say "woohoo!"  When you prepare, serve, and eat the same menu for 15 weeks in the row it can get a little monotonous.  Just a bit.

The guys up this week were troopers in the heat wave.  Good. Ness.  It was HOT.  Everyone stayed in good spirits and we compensated with extra scoops of ice-cream.  I just tried to imagine a blast of cold air coming from the imaginary air-conditioner we don't actually have at the lodge.

Just when I thought I couldn't drink one more sip of water I would grab a precious cherry coke zero brought up from the states (get with the program, Canada!) and plop it in the deep freezer.  That's right.  I said the deep freeze, my friends.  If you haven't tried this before get up right now and do so.

I know what you are thinking:
1. She is a desperate woman.
2. How long can you put a can of soda (or pop depending where you live) in the freezer before it explodes?

Well let me tell ya, because I googled it.  The internet consensus is that you have at least 2 hours before you need to get truly worried about an explosion.  Diet soda will explode faster than regular soda - FYI.  See how informative this blog can be?  You are welcome.  Soda is much more refreshing when it is truly ice-cold.  And anyone who says soda is better in a glass on ice is just nuts in my opinion.  I love it straight from the can.

 Hot, still, and sunny days can make for some tougher fishing for sure - but our guests persevered.  These guys caught some nice fish!

Here is Tim with his 17.75" smallmouth on Parker Lake

2nd biggest smallmouth of the season!

Tim also caught this 13.5" smallmouth on Parker

Here is Kyle with a nice 23" walleye on Red Lake

Kyle also caught and released a 41.75" northern on Red Lake

 AND a 42.5" northern on Red Lake

Kyle is here with his brother, Phil, to fish the Red Lake Fall Classic walleye tournament this weekend.  Too bad its not a northern tournament, eh?  We will try and keep you posted as to how they do this weekend.  Good luck guys!

We had a handful of new guests at Eagle Falls Lodge this past week.  They probably weren't expecting the heat we had the last few days!  

But they still caught fish!

And they enjoyed a nice shore lunch as well.

I love this next picture...

This is how I hope everyone feels when they are out on the lake.  

We had our first guest from Southern California last week.  Talk about a long trip up!  Wayne was super nice and super glad he packed some shorts at the last minute.  Who knew?  

He caught and released this 41" northern pike on Red Lake

Wayne and his fishing partner, Todd, spend the majority of their week casting for northern.  They visited lots of weed beds similar to the one below...

All in all another great week!  

Record Year for Smallmouth Bass!

This season has been a boom year for smallmouth bass on Parker Lake.  In the past we have only seen a handful caught each season, but over 20 have been released this year!  Historically, smallmouth bass aren't native to this part of the world.  They were actually stocked by the Ontario government in many lakes in northwestern Ontario in the early 20th century.

I've heard stories from a few guests about smallmouth bass overrunning walleye populations and destroying other lakes in Ontario, Minnesota, & Wisconsin.  Of course walleye are an absolute favorite target of most anglers visiting the lodge so I decided to do some research and see what I could find.

Nate has one of the bigger walleye off Parker Lake this season.  

After reading numerous studies I can't find any that support the notion that smallmouth bass destroy walleye populations.  The fears that smallmouth bass actually consume young walleye in significant numbers or outcompete walleye for the food source in the lake are myths according to my research.

The various studies examined the relationship between walleye and smallmouth bass abundance at lakes in New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Manitoba, & Ontario with varied time frames of a few months to 36 years!  No significant evidence was found to show that smallmouth bass limited the walleye populations whether by consuming walleye fry or outcompeting walleye for food.  Walleye population declines and subsequent bass increases were often long-delayed suggesting that over-harvesting, and not bass, was the contributing factor.

The only study I could find that was conducted in a controlled environment (tank instead of lake or reservoir) determined that competition for food between smallmouths and walleye only began when forage fell below 30% of what is required to only maintain a fish's weight.  That number represented starvation and is far below current forage levels of perch, minnows, and crayfish found in Parker Lake and Red Lake.

Yellow perch, a primary forage fish

So, what do they eat?

In Ontario, walleye primarily forage on yellow perch.  Research shows that perch consist of 60% - 90% of their diet and they fill out the rest with a small percentage of crayfish and other minnows.

The smallmouth bass diet primarily consists of crayfish (again 60% - 90%) and is filled out with perch and other minnows.  Their diets vary enough that they don't directly compete for food.  Studies that analyzed stomach contents of both species rarely found one species in the stomach of the other.  It was more frequent to find that larger walleye had actually eaten smaller walleye!

Crayfish are found in Red Lake and Parker Lake

To be clear, introducing a non-native species to a waterbody is extremely risky and not a good idea.  There are many factors to consider and potential negative effects that haven't been realized.  With that being said, the smallmouth bass population in Parker Lake seems to be growing and the walleye population appears as healthy as ever.  Adding the battles that smallmouth bass put up to the traditional walleye and northern pike fishing experience will certainly enhance your trip.

Jim has the 2nd biggest smallmouth of the season - 17"

As long as forage populations remain plentiful, the walleye population should remain healthy and can co-exist peacefully with a healthy smallmouth bass population.  We encourage you to keep releasing smallmouth bass and writing them on our catch and release board (any size) so we can continue tracking the Parker Lake population!

Mayfly hatch on Red Lake & Parker Lake

Happy Canada Day everyone!  Just wanted to pass along an update on the mayfly hatch since we have fielded a few questions on the issue earlier this season.  There was a significant hatch on Parker Lake in the middle and end of last week and I noticed a large number of mayflies on Red Lake yesterday and today.  They are all over the surface of the water and clinging to some screen doors and windows like the one pictured below.  

Mayflies are in the same insect grouping as dragonflies.  An adult mayfly has a very short lifespan, ranging from a few hours to just over a day.  They mate and eggs are laid on the surface of the lake where they sink to the bottom.  Over the next several months immature mayflies molt 20-30 times.  After developing wings they will molt one more time making them unique since they are the only insect species to do so.

Walleye and Northern Pike love to chow down on mayflies.  So is this good for fishing?  My answer is yes and no.  In the early stage of the hatch, the fish are in feeding mode and hitting well.  They are feeding on the mayflies as they rise to the surface during their adult transformation.  We've even seen them come up to the surface to slurp up mayflies.  After a heavy hatch like this though, it seems as if the  fish are stuffed and the bite slows down for a day or two.  The last four seasons we've seen the mayfly hatch in either late May or early June so that shows how far behind we still are on our seasonal patterns.  We'll post a fishing report later this week to let you know how this week's group does.

More Lunkers!

This week Carrie and Nick Mateja both caught 27" Walleye, creating a logjam on the leaderboard for biggest walleye of the year. We now have four anglers with 27" fish. Ryan Rote added a nice 25" Walleye out of Parker. Carrie's fish is pictured below.



Kari Marquardt also took the lead on the Muskie board with a nice 37" fish. See below. She also caught the first smallmouth bass of the year although we don't expect to see too many more.



The past two weeks have been dry and temperatures are gradually increasing with highs now in the upper 70s. The lake levels are finally dropping back down, but there is some rain in the forecast for the coming week.

Big Fish Record Extended

The big fish records have been extended for the 2011 season. John Milkint edged out Bill Ray's 42.5" Northern (pictured above) with his own 42.75" Northern. Both fish were caught on Parker. Mary-Jane Owen and Neal Sympson are tied for the lead with 27" Walleye both caught on Red Lake.

We dried out last week and have a few rain showers passing through today, but then expect another dry week. That should help water levels average out again. Talk to everyone soon!

First week fishing update

Hello from Red Lake! Our first guests this week are already catching several nice Walleye in the 22-26" range on both Red Lake and Parker Lake. Also five Northern Pike between 35-42" were caught yesterday alone. Both species are biting shallow in 5-8' of water. We weathered a large storm last night and the lakes were very muddy today from all the runoff.



We know many of you traveling north like to stop at the Village Corner in Vermilion Bay right before turning north to Red Lake. Unfortunately the entire strip of businesses suffered a fire last fall so you'll need to find an alternate stop. Try filling up before crossing the border or stopping in Dryden where there are several restaurants and gas stations. You can also still get gas at Bobby's or eat at Buster's BBQ in Vermilion Bay both of which are located a short distance west of the turn to Highway 105.

Until next time...tight lines!

Big Fish 2010

The excitement is building as the 2011 fishing season approaches. We're less than a month away and patiently waiting on the ice to melt in the Great White North. This year isn't going to be a repeat of the record setting ice out we experienced a year ago. Hugh Carlson from Viking Outpost measured only 15" of ice remaining in front of his place on April 21st. We're expecting the ice out to occur in mid-May this year.

We're making preparations for our departure in a few days and thought this would be a great time to review the BIG fish caught & released during the 2010 season.



Lake Trout
36.5" David Wein (pictured above)
24" Kari Marquardt

We didn't have too many people fish for lake trout in 2010 although many big lunkers still reside in the lake. You can still fish for them with single barbless hooks and no live bait and they remain catch & release only.




Walleye
29.5" Dennis Meyer
28.5" Mary-Jane Owen (pictured above)
28" Jeff Zwieg
27.5" Dave Mertes
27.5" Micke Juillerat
27" Grant Peterson
27" Grant Peterson
27" Dave Swan
27" George Matykowski
27" Travis Mack

Numbers of fish were great once again although 2010 was a little down for what I would consider really really BIG fish. Considering the number of total fish caught especially in the 20" - 26" range really has me looking forward to what this summer will bring.




Smallmouth Bass
18" Jared Oehrke (pictured above)

You won't find smallmouth bass listed as a species in the Red Lake system in any of the guides. But here's all the proof you need. Albeit this one was the only one caught.




Northern Pike
47"* Hays Griswold
45" Larry Andris
44" Jeff Zwieg
43.5" Randy Modra (pictured above)
42.5" Carson Mack
42" Bob Gouge
42" Andy Zwieg
42" Grant Peterson
41.75" Larry Andris
41" Kevin Smith
41" Jack Hughes

Alright...time to explain the asterisk. While Hays did catch & release a 47" Northern it wasn't by rod and reel. He happened upon a fish struggling on the surface near the boat. No evidence of disease or propeller marks was visible, but considering they were able to boat and measure the fish with ease I'm guessing this fish either ate an extra large meal and was having some digestion trouble or was close to succumbing of old age. Neat to see fish this big in the system though.

Rock Bass
9" Luke Nelson

Congrats to Luke for the biggest rock bass of the year! These little guys are capable of a great fight and I love hooking into them.

I'm hope you are as excited about the 2011 season as we are. See you soon!

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!