Curious about renting a sleeper on Red Lake this winter. Have an outfitter that I’m going to contact etc. thought I’d ask everyone here as well.
What time of season would you go between January and later in season? How is the Pike and Walleye fishing there? Perch bite decent there?
Should I just go to LOTW instead? Went there last year and got our limit but mostly small saugers vs walleye.
Any advice and opinions on any of it?
You'll have to go to the Canadian side to catch consistent numbers of crappies on LOW. I have seen one or two pulled out of the US side, but few and far between in Big Traverse Bay.
Red is starting to see crappies come back. Certainly not the crappie boom of the early 2000's but they are becoming more and more prevalent.
TwoTime-- See you up there, I will be there 12/18-12-24.
Musky-- As far as Red goes, it does lose its luster when the wheelers come out. Also they dropped to a 3 fish limit this year so that will certainly dismay some. BearPaw is the best outfit on the lake, however I doubt they have openings this late in the game. Steve and Tyler move the houses to keep you on fish from early ice till inland close.
Other places seem to only be in it for the $$$ and rarely do full scale moves of their fleet; more of a party atmosphere IMO.
LOW is the best of the best in terms of ice fishing destinations, and Arnesen's Rocky Point is the premier spot. I started going there in 2006 when they had 12 sleepers and 30 day houses. Today they have over 75 sleepers and 300 day houses. A typical weekend can see as many as 1000 anglers fish their resort. I will say the early and later you go in the year, the better. I try to avoid Mid-January to Late February as those seem to be the dog days of winter.
I have fished in both days and sleepers in the 14 years. I will say there is not much difference. Day houses will sometimes be on structure (Gull Rock, Twin Islands, Archie's, 12 mile, 16 mile, etc) while the sleepers will almost certainly be in the mud. Success is determined by the output of the group. If you are constantly pounding the mud and stirring up sediment with the use of rattle baits (buckshots, jigging raps, rattlin flyers) you will have success. If you throw two bobbers in and break out the booze and cards, you aren't going to have a good time.
Usually the perch come later in the year, but if you happen to be on structure, sometimes there are a bit more consistent. East end (Wheelers Point) area is an entirely different ball game. PM if you want more input. I have a deep passion for LOW and am happy to elaborate.
Red Lake is decent very early ice. Like Thanksgiving- 1st week of December. Once the wheelhouses are allowed out, It's over, unless you are mobile enough to get away from the crowds. That or go through Red Lake Remote or Beacon Harbor. They are on the north side of the lake and don't see nearly as much pressure. RLR uses track vehicles so no roads which makes Jonny completely free to go wherever without a ton of houses moving in on them.
If action and multi species is more your flavor. Definitely look into LOW. Sleepers are always hit or miss, same with any day house you'll get. They don't move them as much as they say. Guides will run and gun to find fish, but it's a bit more hardcore usually. Meaning you're out in portables with all your gear on, moving from spot to spot on a snow machine. Sleepers, are still my favorite way to go. I like fishing in sweats while I'm cooking a pizza.
"A good sleeper resort should put you on fish regardless... "
I wish this was true, and for the price you pay for sleepers I think it should be. But it seems like most resorts that offer sleepers also offer guided services, or are affiliated with a guide, and its almost like they don't want to make the fishing in the sleeper "that good" so that you also pay for a guide. I've had terrible luck in sleeper shacks the last several years, maybe it's just me. Our guy we got a sleeper shack through in Sodak actually told us that the fishing died off where our shanty was and he has been guiding on a different nearby lake lately, wouldn't give us the name of that lake though.
Seems to be hit or miss on the reports I hear for any time of the year. I've only been there twice, both in February. First time it was -20 degrees or colder the whole weekend and we caught 3 fish between my wife and I. Second time I only went up for one night, I think we caught 10ish between the 4 of us.
I've been told early ice is when you hear of guys having 40+ fish nights. I've hear rumors of giant pike but don't know anyone personally that has caught them. A guy at the fish house had a nice perch the first year I was there but you don't really hear people talk about them as a target species on Red.
I'm hoping to make it up there one of the weekends prior to WI's gun deer opener to catch the early ice bite if the weather cooperates.
