WASKISH - It's like something out of Upper Red's storied fishing past. Before the return of the walleyes, of course. The cover of Northland Outdoors' summer magazine, due out this week, shows a slew of nice-sized, nicely-arranged crappies. Those slabs didn't come from Upper Red Lake. But 10 years ago, and for years before that, such hauls were a common sight on the waters off Waskish, Minn. Piles and piles of crappies, and mostly of the slab variety. But no longer. After an aggressive campaign to return walleyes to prominence on Upper Red, the crappies seem to have all but disappeared from the portion of Red Lake that's open to non-tribal fishing types. This is the 10-year anniversary of the official return of walleyes to Upper Red. And for whatever reasons, two of the most popular fish species in Minnesota -- crappies and walleyes -- can't coexist here. Can you imagine if they could? Last week, dozens and dozens of boats dotted the reddish water in pursuit of walleyes, as they have for the last decade. What might it be like if crappie numbers, too, were anything like they were 10-plus years ago? Chaos. Or more chaos. Walleye fishing pressure has been non-stop, particularly during the open-water season this last decade on Upper Red. You'll come across the occasional angler who misses the good old days of the crappies (and a few who still find a slab or two on Upper Red). But for the most part, this walleye success story has helped many forget the crappies. Because, in the Northland, walleyes still rule.
--- --- --- The summer issue of Northland Outdoors magazine, due out this week, is about fishing - and much more --- --- --- That's evident at fisheries across the region as well as in Northland Outdoors' summer magazine (subscribe for free for future magazines -- and see the digital version of the magazine in the next week or so -- at http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/subscribe/). Crappies are on the cover, and other fishing content is sprinkled throughout the publication. But a piece on Gary Roach, better known as Mr. Walleye, is at the forefront of the summer magazine. Roach has fished pretty much every known walleye fishery in the Northland but doesn't count Upper Red as one of his usual haunts. Maybe it's because the crappies disappeared (nickname aside, he's admittedly a crappie junky). And yes, there are other walleye lakes in this region, including Leech Lake near Walker, Minn., which has a similar walleye success story. But there may not be anything like Upper Red anywhere in the Northland. Day after day and year after year during the open-water season, anglers line up on pretty much the same stretch of water on the northeast end of the lake, fishing in about eight feet or so of muddy-red water. And day after day, most all of those anglers seem to limit out. Some days it takes longer than others -- last week, a group of anglers that, for the most part, has made a fishing trip to Upper Red an annual event since the return of the walleyes, limited-out in about two-and-a-half hours the first day out. The next day, it took quite a bit more doing for the five fishermen. And while the walleye numbers are still solid, they're not quite as off-the-charts as they were, say, just a few years ago. In the 2012-13 fishing season, for example, anglers could keep four walleyes up to 20 inches, with one larger than 26 inches allowed. And the fishery was a reflection of those regs. As a result, that same group could be more choosy -- they could wait for those bigger keeper fish, releasing the smaller walleyes until they got their limit of those upper-end eaters. In the process, they ended up catching more than 100 walleyes over two days in those early years after the return of the walleyes to the lake. "I am constantly amazed at how the fishery has been able to handle the incredible pressure I see -- boat after boat after boat, in line as far as you can see in either direction, everyone catching fish," said Rich Jahner, a coach and instructor at Bemidji State University and the organizer of this annual trip of fishing friends. Last week, they totalled about 50 walleyes over two days. But many of them were in the 16- to 18-inch range -- anglers can keep two walleyes under 17 inches and one fish over that mark. Those upper-end fish were the norm the first day, allowing the group to quickly limit out; for whatever reason, the bite was slower and the fish were a bit on the smaller side the next day. Located about 40 miles south of Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River, Upper Red can serve as a pit-stop of sorts for anglers who need a quick walleye fix before heading on to the big lake. And sometimes, those anglers won't even stop, just heading straight to "The walleye capital of the world." A decade after the return of the walleyes, it wouldn't be farfetched for Upper Red to lay claim to that title, too. "My annual family/friend fishing trip used to be up to Lake of the Woods, but once the walleye season opened on Upper Red, the fishing was so good that we switched the location," Jahner said of the group's fishing tradition. "Some years we struggled mightily to find keepers as nearly all the walleyes we landed were too big and in the (protected) slot. Some years, when the wind would pick up, we'd simply go in the river and they'd be in there stacked up. "And the fishing was insane." --- Peterson is the director of content for the Northland Outdoors Network (www.northlandoutdoors.com) and may be reached at brian.peterson@northlandoutdoors.com. WASKISH - It's like something out of Upper Red's storied fishing past.Before the return of the walleyes, of course.The cover of Northland Outdoors' summer magazine, due out this week, shows a slew of nice-sized, nicely-arranged crappies.Those slabs didn't come from Upper Red Lake. But 10 years ago, and for years before that, such hauls were a common sight on the waters off Waskish, Minn.Piles and piles of crappies, and mostly of the slab variety.But no longer. After an aggressive campaign to return walleyes to prominence on Upper Red, the crappies seem to have all but disappeared from the portion of Red Lake that's open to non-tribal fishing types.This is the 10-year anniversary of the official return of walleyes to Upper Red. And for whatever reasons, two of the most popular fish species in Minnesota -- crappies and walleyes -- can't coexist here.Can you imagine if they could? Last week, dozens and dozens of boats dotted the reddish water in pursuit of walleyes, as they have for the last decade. What might it be like if crappie numbers, too, were anything like they were 10-plus years ago?Chaos.Or more chaos. Walleye fishing pressure has been non-stop, particularly during the open-water season this last decade on Upper Red. You'll come across the occasional angler who misses the good old days of the crappies (and a few who still find a slab or two on Upper Red). But for the most part, this walleye success story has helped many forget the crappies.Because, in the Northland, walleyes still rule.
--- --- ---The summer issue of Northland Outdoors magazine, due out this week, is about fishing - and much more--- --- ---That's evident at fisheries across the region as well as in Northland Outdoors' summer magazine (subscribe for free for future magazines -- and see the digital version of the magazine in the next week or so -- at http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/subscribe/). Crappies are on the cover, and other fishing content is sprinkled throughout the publication. But a piece on Gary Roach, better known as Mr. Walleye, is at the forefront of the summer magazine.Roach has fished pretty much every known walleye fishery in the Northland but doesn't count Upper Red as one of his usual haunts. Maybe it's because the crappies disappeared (nickname aside, he's admittedly a crappie junky). And yes, there are other walleye lakes in this region, including Leech Lake near Walker, Minn., which has a similar walleye success story.But there may not be anything like Upper Red anywhere in the Northland. Day after day and year after year during the open-water season, anglers line up on pretty much the same stretch of water on the northeast end of the lake, fishing in about eight feet or so of muddy-red water. And day after day, most all of those anglers seem to limit out.Some days it takes longer than others -- last week, a group of anglers that, for the most part, has made a fishing trip to Upper Red an annual event since the return of the walleyes, limited-out in about two-and-a-half hours the first day out. The next day, it took quite a bit more doing for the five fishermen.And while the walleye numbers are still solid, they're not quite as off-the-charts as they were, say, just a few years ago. In the 2012-13 fishing season, for example, anglers could keep four walleyes up to 20 inches, with one larger than 26 inches allowed. And the fishery was a reflection of those regs. As a result, that same group could be more choosy -- they could wait for those bigger keeper fish, releasing the smaller walleyes until they got their limit of those upper-end eaters.In the process, they ended up catching more than 100 walleyes over two days in those early years after the return of the walleyes to the lake."I am constantly amazed at how the fishery has been able to handle the incredible pressure I see -- boat after boat after boat, in line as far as you can see in either direction, everyone catching fish," said Rich Jahner, a coach and instructor at Bemidji State University and the organizer of this annual trip of fishing friends.Last week, they totalled about 50 walleyes over two days. But many of them were in the 16- to 18-inch range -- anglers can keep two walleyes under 17 inches and one fish over that mark. Those upper-end fish were the norm the first day, allowing the group to quickly limit out; for whatever reason, the bite was slower and the fish were a bit on the smaller side the next day.Located about 40 miles south of Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River, Upper Red can serve as a pit-stop of sorts for anglers who need a quick walleye fix before heading on to the big lake. And sometimes, those anglers won't even stop, just heading straight to "The walleye capital of the world."A decade after the return of the walleyes, it wouldn't be farfetched for Upper Red to lay claim to that title, too."My annual family/friend fishing trip used to be up to Lake of the Woods, but once the walleye season opened on Upper Red, the fishing was so good that we switched the location," Jahner said of the group's fishing tradition. "Some years we struggled mightily to find keepers as nearly all the walleyes we landed were too big and in the (protected) slot. Some years, when the wind would pick up, we'd simply go in the river and they'd be in there stacked up."And the fishing was insane."---Peterson is the director of content for the Northland Outdoors Network (www.northlandoutdoors.com) and may be reached at brian.peterson@northlandoutdoors.com.
