Say Cheese in Wisconsin

Lots of pictures this past outing in NW Wisconsin.

Not only did we say cheese often but, we ate plenty of the stuff too. FYI, there is a great cheese shop that you must stop at if you travel HWY 70 into NW Wisconsin fish country. It is located on the south side of HWY 70 just east of Grantsburg in the little town of Alpha.

As most of you know, NW Wisconsin is the Fishbowl of the state. After all, it harbors the fishing hall of fame in Hayward. To many this is Musky country, to the average angler this is walleye and panfish country. Though bass angling is certainly not new the the region, it still arguably remains second if not third to Musky and Walleye.

Over the past 10 years we have been targeting many of the lakes in this region in search of biggie Bass. In fact some of the first Rodrule pictures taking by our photographer came from this area. During the many adventures we have discovered that the waters were generally untapped with bass anglers. We spent a great deal of time fishing specifically on weekends to get an idea on fishing pressure. Though many of the more popular, larger lakes had anglers, most of the smaller (700 acres or less) had little to no bass anglers. We would often have a lake all to ourselves. Yes, yes, we would see the occasional pontooner's with bobbers but no real competition.

Next time you are thinking of trying some new bass water in the upper-Midwest, give packer country a try. There are tons of great lakes in the NW region that are waiting for you. Oh, and size? Ya, they have plenty of pigs to go around.

Tired of Mille Lacs?

Most anglers in Minnesota have fished or at least know someone who has fished the "walleye Lake" Lake Mille Lacs. Billed often as the best walleye lake in the state, Mille Lac's has proved to be a great, tried and true fishery. Sometimes so great that it draws anglers by the 100's if not thousands.

On one outing in June, myself and a fellow Ninemile staffer headed up for some walleye action on the great inland sea. With over crowded boat ramps and inclement weather we soon decided to try out some of the smaller area lakes we have been eyeing up. It just got to be a bit much this time to pursue the old eye's.


With two days left in our trip, we decided to pursue some area bass. With a map and some pre-trip homework on our side we headed away from the big lake. We fished a couple of lakes, one of which produced some very aggressive smallies. With several 17", 18" and 19" boated, we both agreed that this "unscheduled" alternative lake was well worth the switch. We fished a variety of baits: spinner baits, tubes, cranks and worms. They all produced fish however, tubes won the biggest fish of the day.


A map, some homework and, a willing to try something different are the ingredients to a memorable fishing adventure. Next time you hit a busy lake, look for an alternative, you may be pleasantly surprised.

JAMES LINDNER INDUCTED INTO THE NATIONAL FRESHWATER FISHING HALL OF FAME

The first time three members of the same family has been inducted into the Hall of Fame!

June, 2007 Brainerd, MN—"James Lindner is being inducted into the 2007 National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator for his significant and lasting contributions to freshwater angling. This award is the highest honor that can be bestowed on someone in the sport fishing community and came as a result of the prestigious National Awards Committee’s wide-ranging search for deserving individuals."

Read more on James and the Angling Edge: www.anglingedge.com

Just what is the IGFA?

IGFA is an acronym for: International Game Fish Association. They are a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of Game Fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping.

"IGFA's objectives are founded on the beliefs that game fish species, related food fish, and their habitats are economic, social, recreational, and aesthetic assets which must be maintained, wisely used and perpetuated; and that the sport of angling is an important recreational, economic, and social activity which the public must be educated to pursue in a manner consistent with sound sporting and conservation practices."

Check out their website for more information. www.igfa.org

Monster Fall Walleye

Boatrule Photo of the Week:

Some of the best monster walleye fishing of the year occurs during the fall months. Most of the large fish caught during this time are females, this one is no exception - check out the belly! These beauties are devouring large quantities of food to help nourish their developing eggs.

The key to consistent fall walleye action is to match your presentation to the water conditions, weather, and the bit. This really is KEY! With the ever changing weather conditions, fall walleye action can be anything but predictable. Most of us have been told that the big ones are usually caught during the poorest weather conditions. That said, remember, unpredictable. Case in point, take our long time fishing buddy, Wade. He caught this monster 'eye on a bright day.

This walleye was caught "several miles" south of St. Paul, Minnesota while fishing the Mississippi River on Friday, October 6th. She came in at 29" - 9 lbs.

UK Fall Salmon

Our buddy Kev over in the UK sent us this great shot!

"As our salmon & trout season comes to an end there was just time to catch that last salmon - measured with the rodrule at 33" approx 15lb by my fishing partner." UK Kev

Thanks for the pics.

Measuring a beauty!

With the close of the 2006 Minnesota inland trout season came beautiful fall colors and peaceful weather along the North Shore.
Though most of the North Shore Streams were mere trickles slowly gurgling down to the big lake, a few of them carried enough water to welcome the early bird fall spawners. The rivers we fished were only a few. Some secluded inland streams and some of the mid-shore Lake Superior tributaries. The Rivers along the North Shore this time of year are prime time for Pink Salmon, Coho and even coaster brook trout. Read your regulations first! The brook trout season below the posted boundaries closed Sept. 5th. If you catch one, get her back in the water ASAP!

Back to the Pinkies… they are in. We fished a few of the rivers between Silver Bay and Cascade Park. Pinks were in all rivers fished and in good numbers considering the low, low water. We found the deep holes to be the most productive areas. Good old Hercules found his way down in these holes and managed to catch some rather bright pinkies, and a nice 21” Coho.As for the nice brookie pictured above…. Let’s just say he was worth the entire trip. He was not too happy when an egg sucking leach passed by; he crushed it! Measuring in at 16”, this boy went off too spawn another day.

Boatrule big hit this summer

We finally introduced the BOATRULE to our line of fishing rulers this past summer. What a hit they are! We have two sizes currently available 36" long and 48".

What makes our ruler unique is the waterproof vinyl decal material teamed up with a print process that adds extra protection against the sun. We also produced our ruler with no advertising or extra mumbo-jumbo. Our research found that most people did not care for all the fishing info, slot limit sizes, color codes, or multiple rulers in one for individual species. Our ruler is simple and easy to read period.

We hope to have our latest 60" MuskyRule available by the end of the month. you can visit the boatrule link on our blog to find more information.

Spinnerbaits: Not just for bass anymore.

Spinnerbaits come in all sizes, designs, and colors. Most of us bass & pike enthusiasts have a wide variety in our arsenal. But, what about using them for Walleye and panfish? What?! Yes, under the right circumstances spinnerbaits can be deadly lures for these species as well.

On a mid July trip this past summer with fellow Ninemile staffer, Murph, we tested our theory with great success on a secluded Northern Minnesota lake. No names here, let’s just say it is within flying distance of Ely, MN.

After a morning of “reading” the lake and locating a few fish, we proceeded to try out our theory. We had caught 30+ smallmouth bass during the morning, ripping spinnerbaits through weedbeds, over rock reefs and through windfall brush. With lunch down and plenty of bass under our belt, we figured it was time for some presentation adjustments and some lure modifications.

My lure of choice was a 3/8 ounce tandem gold blade with a fluorescent green skirt. To help get down to where we knew the walleyes were lurking, I added a ¼ ounce sinker a couple of feet up from the lure and added a Berkley powerbait shad. Combined with a slow roll retrieve along a weed line or drop-off, this method proved deadly. The larger blades and bright color created the needed vibration and color contrast to entice the walleyes to strike in the stained water.

After a limit of walleyes we decided to try our luck for jumbo sunfish. Same results….deadly.

We found that the key to our success with spinnerbaits was the slow roll retrieve along structure. This allowed the spinnerbait to run just off the bottom in ‘eye county. Give it a try next time you are out…..who knows?

Effective catch and release is based on a few simple principals

Catch and release is effective and easy fish conservation. Whatever species you pursue, releasing your catch to fight another day ensures not only the survival of that fish and proliferation of the species, but also allows other anglers, maybe even you, the chance of catching a bigger fish.

Effective catch and release is based on a few simple principals. First, use barbless hooks. Second, land your fish as quickly as possible. Then, gently remove the hook using the proper technique. Finally, after briefly admiring, immediately release your fish. These principals along with understanding proper fish handling, helps to preserve fishing for generations to come.