Boat Rental & Walleyes On Table Rock?

[Bob On Rainy Lk]

My wife and I are making our first trip from Minnesota to the Branson area and camping at Table Rock State Park next week. We're mostly touring, and not towing our boat along.

1) Any suggestions for renting a fishing boat for a day? The State Park marina has boats, but some resorts advertise lower prices. My wife wants to mostly tour the lake, but she'll tolerate some time for trolling or casting. So we need enough hp to travel some distance, and locator and trolling motor for fishing. We've done a lot of boating on large bodies (>100,000 acres) of water.

2) Any suggestions of areas to try for walleyes? Especialy for crankbait trolling?

Thanks,

Bob

[smokey]

You could try Big Cedar Lodge they have new tracker boats with 60 hp on them and I think a reasonable price.

[rangerman]

I don't know what to tell you for boat rentals. Judging by your username I am figuring you are from Rainy Lake. Isn't that about the mecca of walleye fishing? Table Rock walleyes I figure number for and few in between that of Rainy Lake. ALOT more hunting is needed to locate them here. On the lower end of the lake your best bet is to fish inside channel bends with gravel. Right now, its really hard telling what the walleyes are doing as some may be spawning and some aren't. Watch and fish the rip rap around the dam area. Get off of the banks and look for suspended fish on your fish finder in front of the dam. If the walleye are spawning there, you should be able to troll a few up. Good Luck.

[techo]

Bob,

Rainy Lake in International Falls? I lived there for ten years and managed the Holiday Gas Station when it was across from the Lumber Yard. If so let me know. I miss Rainy Lake small mouths.

[Bob On Rainy Lk]

We're actually from the Minneapolis area, 300 mi from International Falls and Rainy Lake. But we have a small, old houseboat up there that we finished rebuilding a couple years ago. So we travel to Rainy at least every other weekend from late April through Sept, and boat into the beautiful Voyageurs National Park. Rainy has an incredible fishery for walleyes, small mouth, northern pike, and crappies.

Although I target mostly walleyes, I'll have fun with anything that hits. With only a half day or so to fish on a lake I've never been on before (or anything similar to it), I'm not expecting much. Trolling allows us to explore some of the area while searching for an occasional fish.

I had major surgery on my right hand (guess which hand is my dominate one?) 8 weeks ago. Casting will be difficult, but trolling may be do-able. I have well over 100 crankbaits to choose from, mostly shads and stickbaits. It is generally tough to catch walleyes on cranks in very cold water, but I have done it down to at least the mid-40 degree range. I may also jig some plastics.

Thanks everyone for your tips. I'm printing them out and taking them with us tomorrow. I have to get some maps and study them to find the areas you've offered.

I'm offline for at least a week now....

[Sam]

With only half a day to fish on Tablerock and without knowing the lake, I'd guess your chance of catching a walleye isn't much better than your chance of winning the lottery. But if you troll crankbaits, you'll have fun with bass and other species. I hope you have a great trip and enjoy this beautiful area.

[jay bird]

I picked up a 17 inch large mouth the other day trolling for white bass and always have something bite crappie, etc hit when I am Trolling. If you want to just look at the lake I think that trolling would work out just great. Just be careful with that hand, not worth messing it up over fishing, but after 8 weeks (Unless it was a tendon laceration or transfer) you should be OK for light stuff. Just be careful thoes Mayo Docs hate when you mess up there work. I did some Clinical work up that way and I think that half of my Therapy class is still living in that area, love the area, hate the winters.