minnitaki, Sioux Lookout

[jrtfish]

Any reports for here and tips going up the last week of Augest.

[bubba]

Fished minnataki lake 3 different years always in july. Caught more walleye on that lake than anywhere ive fished for walleye. We caught most of ours on grubs or gitzits tipped with worm, lindy rigs, and we caught quite a few 6 and 7lb on big divers that we were using for pike fishing. Pickeral arm is a good place to start, try fishing around the islands in front of donnellys theres a lot of reefs in that area. In july red pine bay is a hotspot. Seen more walleye caught in red pine than anywhere else. We had a lot of luck on pike and bass also.

Hope this helps

[bill]

Hi jrtfish
I wish you were going to minaki with us, but I wish you good luck!!!

[jrtfish]

Thanks for the info we will be staying at Pickeral arm. I have only been there once before and we did ok, but I look to do better this time.

[jrtfish]

Hey let me know when you want to go out again. My nightshift super just left yesterday for somewhere just east of lake of the woods.

[bubba]

Which lodge do you guys stay at. I stay at donnellys. I seen a moonlight falls lodge advertised before, and how is the hospitality. I'll be up there june 16. Talked to the lodge owner the other day, he said the water was so high its coming over the sea wall and by next week I could probably tie the boat to the cabin. I hope the fishing is good. Do either of you guys have any advice on where to catch a lot of smallmouths on minnataki. We always catch them but not as consistently as I would like. Last time I was up dead heat of the day fishing the north side of red pine bay caught a 18incher /5lbs. Put up one ##### of a fight. If you guys aint bass fisherman, give me some advice on any of the fish. I would apreciate it, and I just like talking about the lake.

[Darrll T. Milender]

I have fished Minnitaki for five years or more. The best place i have found for SM is at the mouth of the river that comes
into the Red Pine Bay. You can fish from shore or if yhr river is high go up the river a ways. Usually get a lot of walleye and northerns. I stayed at Donnelly's Resort Hope this helps and good fishing
Darrll Milender

[jrtfish]

I have only been there once and stayed at pickeral arm and it was very nice. They have everything you need and are reasonably priced. I saw the camp you stay at lets just say it isn't for me.
We caught few bass I would have liked more but I believe I need to get up there earlier in Augest or July to get some of that heat or action. We did good on the walleye's bottom bouncing. I plan on doing more trolling with cranks this next time up in about 40 to 50 feet. Do you know of where I could get a lake map? I want to target area's before getting up there.

[bubba]

Thanks guys for the advice. Darrell I know of the river your talking about its a dandy. Weve caught a little of everything in there and had some good times fishing the river. We stumbled across it one day looking for a place to have a shorelunch. Ill definently head over there in two weeks. Have you ever tried fishing down on the english river. Ive heard its good fishing, but never been down that far in the bays. Jtrfish check out fishingmap.com, I know they have a minnitaki map. I was looking for maps for the lake, it looks like the same one the lodge owners sell that is in color and topo for ten bucks.

[jrtfish]

Thanks for the info I will look for that river too and try it. Let me know how you guys do.

[Darrll T. Milender]

I fished the English Channel when the water is up and you get alot of walleyes for lunch and more but never caught anything big.You can get some smallmouth there also. If the water is up it's worth the trip.

[bubba]

Darrell Where at on the english river? The way it looks on the map, is that you could take your boat all the way up the river. The last time I was at the lake it was low and I heard some guys lost a lower unit down at the english river. Which I guess could happen many places on the minnitaki if you were unfamiliar or careless. Im taking my bass boat this year instead of using their boats. Any advice would be most appreciated, I would hate to hit a reef and lose a lower unit. Ive had some close calls on the lakes in canada, but have been careful and lucky.

[dc]

Our group has fished Minnitaki since 1987. Used to have great success at English River, but as someone else said, lots of smaller fish, not many big ones. We caught them in the last 200 yards of the channel as it dumped into the lake itself. Just trolled the weedlines along the river channel till we lost the weedline, then turned around and came up the other side. Wasn't nearly as good the last couple of times we went, and the last two years we haven't even gone over there (is one ##### of a trip from Pickerel Arm). We would pull in up closer to the falls for lunch, and caught our biggest fish just casting from shore out in the middle of the river channel below the falls.

[bubba]

Darrell, thanks for the extra info. Darrell have you ever fished the hump thats in the middle of the main lake, half way across the lake straight out from the cut out? It was hard for us to find the first time looking for it, but paid off. We caught some pretty nice walleye around the hump and a couple big pike.

[Darrll T. Milender]

bubba
The English river comes in the southeast end of Minnitaki past nicks island. Refered to as the English river or falls. Hope that helps you

[Darrll T. Milender]

bubba
I havent fished that area but another good area is the twin pines or down the pickerel arm accross from Donnely's Resort and then down to the little river that comes in . It's hard to find if the reeds are up. There are so many areas in the arm. The best area is the Red pine area . if the water is up go to the river that come in there, but be careful or the rocks. Good fishing and let me know how you do I think i'm going to the Nipigon area if I can find a motel up there. Because I'm sure the Resorts are full.