Rainy Lake

[Headhunter]

Just got home from Ontario. Nothing like the North country. Caught tons of smallies and lost count on walleye. and of course caught northern pike.

Average smallmouth was 3-1/2 lbs and between 3 of us we would catch a total of 50 to 60 per day, it was slower than normal but still incredible. My 85 year old dad had the largest brown fish, it was 5 lbs.

[ttitan27]

Originally Posted by Headhunter

Just got home from Ontario. Nothing like the North country. Caught tons of smallies and lost count on walleye. and of course caught northern pike.

Average smallmouth was 3-1/2 lbs and between 3 of us we would catch a total of 50 to 60 per day, it was slower than normal but still incredible. My 85 year old dad had the largest brown fish, it was 5 lbs.

Sounds like a great trip. It seems I remember you posting pics in the past of your dad with fish on other trips. Glad he is still able to make the trip.

[luckystratos]

Awesome. I have that trip on my bucket list.

[tylerreid1234]

Would love to catch 50-60 3lb smallmouth in a day, the only place I know I can catch those numbers in TN, the fish are average 1/2 pound. Lol I already had smallie fever but I hooked a 5lber this spring and I pretty much only fish for them now...

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by tylerreid1234

Would love to catch 50-60 3lb smallmouth in a day, the only place I know I can catch those numbers in TN, the fish are average 1/2 pound. Lol I already had smallie fever but I hooked a 5lber this spring and I pretty much only fish for them now...

You need to fish Dale Hollow and or Center Hill in the spring.....you can get those numbers.....many of them 18-21 inches. The past 2 springs have not been great spawns though. It is not Rainy Lake but in a good spring they can really produce.

Regards


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[lupanfreitag]

I too just returned from a week in Canada. There is no other. Already planning next year's trip.

We probably caught around 250 smallies, 200 pike and 400 walleye in 6 days.
I really got into trolling. Caught a 29" and 2 X 28". Truly gorgeous and wonderful place. Fly-in is the only way to go.

Todd

[Headhunter]

Originally Posted by Alphahawk

You need to fish Dale Hollow and or Center Hill in the spring.....you can get those numbers.....many of them 18-21 inches. The past 2 springs have not been great spawns though. It is not Rainy Lake but in a good spring they can really produce.

Regards


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Not even close Alphahawk, no comparison between Ontario fishing for smallies and fishing Dale Hollow or Center Hill.

You may can get those numbers from this trip, but not out typical numbers. Typically we catch 150 or smallmouth per day, average weighing 3-1/2 lbs and a few times during a week we find a school of 4 to 4 1/2 pounders. 5 lb fish aren't common for us but we usually catch a few. And we could catch more but my brother and myself take care of my dad. He does not tie a line, untangle a reel, unhook a fish, set up camp or anything. He is there to do what he wants and can, and he is in good shape, but we do our best to make the trip about him.

One evening a couple years ago, for close to 4 hours, my dad and myself had found a mayfly hatch on small island. We circled the island for the whole time and caught a smallie almost every cast on a tiny torpedo and they were ALL 4 to 4 1/2 lb bass. Don't think that will ever happen here.

Main reason why our numbers were down is we decided to stay in a cabin and picked the wrong place. We wanted to fish a different part of the lake and for other reasons we waited to long to get in where we could have fished the area we normally fish even on a rough day. We normally camp in a tent on an island in the area we like to fish. The cabins were ok, but far enough from where we like to fish that a couple days we couldn't make the run in my boat. Well my brother and myself could, but we were not going to take my dad through 20+ mph winds on Rainy Lake. If you don't know Rainy is big (about 2-1/2 times the size of Kentucky Lake) and can get rough. If not worse, just as bad as Kentucky Lake.

And we almost never have had another boat even remotely come close to us fishing. We rarely see another boat and if you do, they are probably pike or walleye fishing.

Also, catching walleye in Rainy, is crazy. I actually have left a spot we were fishing there because we were catching to many walleyes. We ate walleye a couple times every day we were there.

[Headhunter]

Originally Posted by lupanfreitag

I too just returned from a week in Canada. There is no other. Already planning next year's trip.

We probably caught around 250 smallies, 200 pike and 400 walleye in 6 days.
I really got into trolling. Caught a 29" and 2 X 28". Truly gorgeous and wonderful place. Fly-in is the only way to go.

Todd

No offense, and they are fun to catch, but I could care less if ever caught another pike. My largest pike ever is 35" and one followed a spinnerbait up this trip that I swear was as long and thick as my leg. They are far from favorite fish to catch though.

One lake we fish, I can catch 200+ smallies a day, guarantee it. they average about 1 to 1-1/2 lbs but it is loaded. You will almost never see anyone there either. I fished it 2 years ago by myself and it is unbelievable how many smallies are in it and it is a fairly large lake.

I have never flown in, may do it one day, but we have always either carried canoes or pulled a boat.

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by Headhunter

Not even close Alphahawk, no comparison between Ontario fishing for smallies and fishing Dale Hollow or Center Hill.

You may can get those numbers from this trip, but not out typical numbers. Typically we catch 150 or smallmouth per day, average weighing 3-1/2 lbs and a few times during a week we find a school of 4 to 4 1/2 pounders. 5 lb fish aren't common for us but we usually catch a few. And we could catch more but my brother and myself take care of my dad. He does not tie a line, untangle a reel, unhook a fish, set up camp or anything. He is there to do what he wants and can, and he is in good shape, but we do our best to make the trip about him.

One evening a couple years ago, for close to 4 hours, my dad and myself had found a mayfly hatch on small island. We circled the island for the whole time and caught a smallie almost every cast on a tiny torpedo and they were ALL 4 to 4 1/2 lb bass. Don't think that will ever happen here.

Main reason why our numbers were down is we decided to stay in a cabin and picked the wrong place. We wanted to fish a different part of the lake and for other reasons we waited to long to get in where we could have fished the area we normally fish even on a rough day. We normally camp in a tent on an island in the area we like to fish. The cabins were ok, but far enough from where we like to fish that a couple days we couldn't make the run in my boat. Well my brother and myself could, but we were not going to take my dad through 20+ mph winds on Rainy Lake. If you don't know Rainy is big (about 2-1/2 times the size of Kentucky Lake) and can get rough. If not worse, just as bad as Kentucky Lake.

And we almost never have had another boat even remotely come close to us fishing. We rarely see another boat and if you do, they are probably pike or walleye fishing.

Also, catching walleye in Rainy, is crazy. I actually have left a spot we were fishing there because we were catching to many walleyes. We ate walleye a couple times every day we were there.

Do you know how to read headhunter????? I never said it was Rainy Lake. I said in a good spring you could get those numbers. Read a post through before you reply....get some comprehension skills.

Regards


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[Headhunter]

Originally Posted by Alphahawk

Do you know how to read headhunter????? I never said it was Rainy Lake. I said in a good spring you could get those numbers. Read a post through before you reply....get some comprehension skills.

Regards


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I can read, you posted "You need to fish Dale Hollow and or Center Hill in the spring.....you can get those numbers....".

I don't care what time of the year, why would I need to fish either of those places? I go to Canada as much for the solitude and basically having a lake full of fish all to myself.

I have lived in Tennessee all my life and well know about both. I believe Dale Hollow, IMO, is the better of the 2, but by the time I make a couple of trips to Dale Hollow I have spent about what would be my gas money to Canada and back. This trip, we spent under $500 gas going there and coming back in a 4x4 f150 pulling my 17 foot boat with a 150. I spent another $100 on boat gas. Going to Dale Hollow, gas for my boat, vehicle, food, and if I stay overnight and make a few trips, which I would have to in order to learn how to find fish there, I can fish local and still have my annual trip to Canada.

All I can say is you haven't been to Ontario, you NEED to go, especially if you like to catch smallmouth bass. If nothing, else, basically having a lake all to yourself, that is loaded with fish, watching bald eagles, occasionally seeing a bear, we have seen moose, listening to the loons (my favorite), eating fresh walleye, and the country itself is breathtaking, if you haven't been there and fished you just don't know. Not everyone loves it or even likes it, but every person I have ever met that has been there and fished, love it. Whether you fish for bass, pike, walleye or musky.

Something really cool I have not noticed before, there is a souvenir store in International Falls, MN, Border Bobs, that has a replica mount of the world record walleye caught on Old Hickory lake. It is so big it doesn't look real.

[thehick176]

I've been to Canada on 6 different occasions, and TN doesn't compare to size or numbers, period. I'm not knocking Alphas abilities whatsoever but there is no comparison.
Sandy Beach lake in NW Ontario is where we have gone for years, it's what you dream of as a kid.

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by thehick176

I've been to Canada on 6 different occasions, and TN doesn't compare to size or numbers, period. I'm not knocking Alphas abilities whatsoever but there is no comparison.

Sandy Beach lake in NW Ontario is where we have gone for years, it's what you dream of as a kid.

I never said that Dale Hollow compared to Rainy Lake. I said that in a good year...for a few weeks of time in the spring....one can get those numbers out of Dale Hollow. You get on those spawning flats up there when it is a good spring and it can be a fish almost every cast. In 2016....which I posted my trips on here...I had over 200 Smallies in one week. I’m not the only person to experience that on Dale Hollow in the spring....no you can’t do that all the time as you can at Rainy......but I stand by what I said. It ain’t about abilities....when they are on those spawning flats and doing their thing they are ripe for the taking. So as I stated in my original comment....”It ain’t no Rainy Lake”. Does that sound like I’m comparing Dale Hollow to Rainy Lake? It’s been fun guys.....I’m forumed out. Those that know me have my email and my phone number. Sore Lip’Em All!


Regards




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[thehick176]

Originally Posted by Alphahawk

I never said that Dale Hollow compared to Rainy Lake. I said that in a good year...for a few weeks of time in the spring....one can get those numbers out of Dale Hollow. You get on those spawning flats up there when it is a good spring and it can be a fish almost every cast. In 2016....which I posted my trips on here...I had over 200 Smallies in one week. I’m not the only person to experience that on Dale Hollow in the spring....no you can’t do that all the time as you can at Rainy......but I stand by what I said. It ain’t about abilities....when they are on those spawning flats and doing their thing they are ripe for the taking. So as I stated in my original comment....”It ain’t no Rainy Lake”. Does that sound like I’m comparing Dale Hollow to Rainy Lake? It’s been fun guys.....I’m forumed out. Those that know me have my email and my phone number. Sore Lip’Em All!


Regards


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I have fished Dale Hollow many years and you are correct sir, it is magic at times. It's a dream trip for most but as I stated, having been to Canada muliple times there is no comparison.