So who all plans on fishing locally on Opener? I'm gonna be fishing on The Red Lake River below the spillway bright and early Saturday. I probably won't be right below, but somewhere down river. The eye's will probably be biting and with the gas prices as high as they are, why not stay close to home?

I cant afford to leave town with these gas prices will prbably start at the graveyard and work my way to the [PoorWordUsage]. probably see you around. That or i might try trolling the thief by ditch 18

River Rat, do you drive your boat all the way up to ditch 18? If I'm thinking of the right ditch it's a good ways up river from town right, (kinda near the ridge road)? or by trolling...do you mean trolling the shoreline and walking around?

I have only been able to get a few miles past the golf course (just past some housing on the west side of the river) before encountering some extremely shallow water. I tried to get farther up river one year, but my bow mount trolling motor just kept bouncing off rocks and my boat kept getting hung up on the bottom. After a half hour or so of constant banging into stuff, I figured it wasn't gonna get any better so I reluctantly turned around...Please don't tell me it gets better just beyond that area???? LOL

I'm sure I'll end up in my boat too before the day is over, but who knows...it all depends on the fishing down river. One thing I do know, is I'm gonna catch some fish! If the eyes aren't cooperating, I'll go after something else, but my rods gonna be bending with something tugging on the other end.

I'm "thinking" of heading down to the river Friday Night at midnight, and float some lighted bobbers with a jig and minnow to see if I can't get something to bite? I don't do much night fishing on this river, but with the fairly clear water and being as shallow as it is, I really don't see why it can't be productive...It's gonna depend on how I feel come midnight I guess? I guess we'll see.....

Good luck...

I'm heading down to the cities this weekend to catch a twins game, but i'm hoping to get back sunday night and hit the spillway for a bit....good luck this weekend guys

I'll be on the river next Mon-Wed evenings. Probably hit the water below the dam. Out around Oakland Park, and definately the horseshoe area.

Sam, are you back in the area again?

Ya' better hide all the women and children!

Yep.

We'll be relocating in mid-June, but I'm working at the hospital now. I was wondering when you'd show up on this website again Ripper'. I haven't heard from you in a while.

Do you and the old gang still hit the river from time to time?

Growing up in Warroad, I've never been much of a river fisherman. I've fished around TRF now for a couple years with limited success and was wondering how helpful some would be to point me in some other directions that I may have not tried? I've fished the dam both up and down, I've been out to mile marker 101?, the cemetary, mill pond and I've been up the other way all the way to farms pool and out to the refuge. Tried in a boat from smiley down past dahlens a ways and back up the other way past highlanding. I know there are tons of spots to hit between smiley and highlanding, river valley bridge. Not too worried there. But what am I missing in between, especially for shore fishing seeing as how I don't have a river boat.

Boy I tell you what Arne, that's a tough one. You're not gonna find many "river Rats" that are gonna give you any specific spots that are actually really good unless you are already good friends with them...even then who knows? I have asked the same question many times, and it's gotten me no where. Maybe know one knows of any hot spots????

Here's what I know (witch isn't much) about this river system. The fish are always moving around, and I think you have to do the same. Keep trying different locations and eventually it'll pay off. You might go a couple days with little to no success finding willing Walleye's, but one day you'll hammer 'em, then the next day, nothing in the same area. Move, move, move.

I have only just begun to start seriously fishing this river, and it's challenging, but I know it can be rewarding too. This summer I plan on fishing this river a lot, if I'm not cat fishing on the Red River, I'm gonna be fishing here in town learning the river and becoming a better "local" angler.

My plan is to keep trying different areas until I can start putting a pattern together, on typical locations and keep going from there. If I fish every spot I can legally access by foot from the spillway in TRF all the way to St.Hilaire for example, I would bet my life savings, that I'm gonna find some good areas that aren't fished a whole lot and produce fish on a fairly regular basis. It's gonna take some time, and effort, but I KNOW it will pay off for me in the end.

I know I didn't give you any "spots", but honestly I don't have any. If I did, I'd be there on opener instead of searching for a spot.

Good luck.

You hit it on the head Lee move move move i fish in one spot for anhr at the mmost and move on. one clue is.. ditches look for where larger ditches enter the river .especialy with faster moving water comming out. also look for holes with structure near. I have fished almost exclusivly in the trf area for about 15 years and i dont even have any sure hit spots.
There are about 15 spots I Hit between trf and the millpond in SH.

The last few years i have been working on the south side of TRf between 8th str and highlanding mostly because i live out that way. Honestly i have better luck on the lower sie of the [PoorWordUsage] to SH

Sam,
Greg had mentioned a while back that he thought you were moving back here. We still hit the river but not like we used to. I'm sure the waders will be on this weekend though as LOW is not looking very promising. Get in touch when you get back in the area.

Greg knew I was moving home? I wonder how he caught wind of that?

Anyway, it would be fun to get together and see what the river still has to offer. How did you do this weekend?

I caught a handfull of walleyes and pike on the Mississippi in GR on Saturday morning with a nice 26-inch eye to boot. I'm in town thru Thursday evening if you wanna pitch some Raps some evening.

I hear your moving back to TRF Sam. Sam's hole has been quite for a couple years maybe my luck will start to change.

The weather was not very cooperative last night, and now that I'm in my forties I just can't tolerate that cold wind and rain the way I used to. Needless-to-say, I did not fish last night.

I do plan to fish tonight though. Anyone wanting to join me is welcome to. I'll be below the turbine spillways around 8:00 p.m. wearing a black leather jacket and grey hooded sweatshirt.

If I'm not there I'll be down at the horseshoe - behind the Armory.

Conversation is free, fishing lessons will cost ya'! Har Har Har...