Good morning from Lake Shore, Minnesota.  It's about 10 degrees at 6:00 a.m. on this Tuesday and it's snowing again.  Last I heard we were supposed to get 3-6 inches out of this most recent system.  I have one fish house out and the word that I got from the Esselman's is that during "prime time" the crappies were quite active.  I might go check it out with the kids tonight, but not sure yet.  I was out on the Whitefish Chain the other night with Mike Kobes and his friends and family and the "bite" was pretty slight!  We caught only one walleye and one northern.  The northern was just waiting for us to drop a minnow, just after setting the flag on the tip-up it popped up and Dan was all over it!  Randall from the state of Wyoming was out with Terry on Gull and Whitefish and had a couple of good trips catching both walleyes and crappies.  Animal was up to red Lake with some buddies and it sounds like they caught quite a few walleyes and had a good time, he said the set-lines were the ticket and that the fish didn't want the jig.  It would be fun to get up there for a weekend, but calendar is tightening up pretty fast.  The 18th annual Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza is sneaking into the scene pretty fast, it is scheduled to be held on January 24th from 12-3 on Hole-In-The-Day Bay, Gull Lake.  If you have not heard about this event, you must drop everything and come.  The day before the tournament at Mills Fleet Farm in Baxter there will be a number of people on hand (including Bruce Meinz and myself) to help you shop for the lucky lures and answer any questions that you may have regarding the tournament or fishing supplies.  The Arctic Armor cold weather suit (that floats) has been good to us once again this year and we are thankful.  The new "plus" suit has been popular but it seems that folks are still loving the camo and the red and black suits as well.  We are offering free gloves to anyone that purchases a set during the holidays.  I might be wearing my camo set tomorrow as I try to limp out for the last time in search of another whitetail.  The year is nearing an end and I wish to all of you a blessed new year and I will see you later on.  If you would like to book a guided trip either on the ice or for next open water season, call us now at 218-839-5598.

Walleyedan

It's winter...officially!  It feels like it's been winter for about a month now, but I guess we'll have to see what the real winter is going to feel like.  Right now it's about 7 below at 8:20 p.m., and we are fresh off of another 5 inches of snow.  The snowmobilers are loving it, but the fishermen and women are more than likely going to experience some slushy conditions on the big lakes.  I have not been on the ice as much as "normal", but as we head into  Christmas I will be out an about chasing the Walter's.  My last outing was a week ago Saturday and our group caught 4 walleyes that averaged about 18 inches.  Tip-ups were the most effective method and shiners or rainbow chubs were the bait of choice.  I think brother-in-law Ryan and I will head out tomorrow and try to catch some dinner!  I am due for a fish meal and I think tomorrow night might be the night.  We will more than likely take the Wilcraft out and about to see what it will do with all the snow.  We have a few guide trips in the book so if you would like to get out on the ice with one of our guides, please give us a call at 218-839-5598.  Are you ready for Christmas?  I think we are close, but not quite ready yet.  We are selling a lot of Arctic Armor and the new plus suits are selling about even up with the red and black and camo suits.  I'm thinking that I will try to slip out into the woods one last time before the season is over, you just never know.  The pheasant season is slipping away pretty quickly and I am afraid that it's looking like I might not be keeping my rooster streak alive, maybe I'll go.  Lots of maybe's right now and I would have to say that my biggest issue right now is my left knee that is going to have to go under the knife very soon.  Oh well, lots of stuff going on and I am just thankful that we are pretty darn healthy and pretty darn happy (most days).  To all of you that read this, we wish you a very, merry Christmas and thank you for keeping up with Walleyedan's Guide Service.  As we get busier, we become even more aware of how much we need to rely on God for all of our needs.  He has provided for us big time and we know that we are where we are because of Him.  It's hard to not get "wrapped up" in the craziness of the season, but I have come to realize that there is a lot more to Christmas than gifts, food and drink.   

Walleyedan 

Hi.  We are off to a very nice start to the ice fishing season and looking at the thermometer it looks like we'll be making some serious ice once again tonight.  It's about 7:30 p.m. and we are already at about zero.  I am going to spend a good part of tomorrow preparing for my first trip to the ice.  We were down in St. Paul at the ice show last weekend and it has taken us most of the week to get caught up.  We sold a lot of Arctic Armor and we are also starting to book a fair number of guided trips (both for this ice season and for next spring and summer).  Animal, Hook and Bigtooth have all been out ice fishing and it sounds as though the average ice thickness is around 8 or 9 inches.  We are seeing some people already driving automobiles out on the ice.  Make certain that you know the ice conditions before you go wandering all over the lakes, some just froze over the other day.  A set of Arctic Armor might be a wise investment if you plan on heading out.  This suit is gaining momentum with each passing day and it is becoming quite popular.  The suit comes in 4 different colors and we stock all of them.  Gull, North Long, Pelican, Whitefish, Edward and Round all can be good early season walleye lakes and I will most likely be on one of them tomorrow afternoon.  I still have my sights set on Mr. Buck, but I will wait for the right wind and go give it another try or two.  I apologize if any of you showed up for an ice fishing seminar at the Mills Fleet farm store in Baxter tonight.  I will be giving a seminar next Thursday from 5-7 p.m. at the Mills Fleet Farm store in Blaine, come in and ask some questions.  I have had a very long day, so I am going to sign out and finish writing to you tomorrow.  Please pray that Alex that she gets over her sickness.

Good night,

Walleyedan   

Good morning.  It's 5:48 a.m. and we are making ice (11 degrees).  There have been people ice fishing for over a week now on many area lakes but I am not one of them (people).  I guess I have been on the lake, I was out skating with the family and some friends Sunday on the 371 bay of North Long Lake.  Awesome skating, should have probably brought the Arctic Fisherman tip-ups, an auger and some minnows.  I have not heard any really awesome fishing reports, but it is fairly early in the season.  In fact, it's so early that there were still (as of yesterday) open water on Round Lake and Gull Lake.  We need to be extremely careful especially at this time of the year.  Don't go out on the ice unless you have a plan, and a good one!  Do you know what Arctic Armor is?  Go to our "store" and look.  If you would like to purchase a set, please call or email.  We will also have a couple of booths (655 and 657) at the Ice Show in St. Paul this weekend.  Guys, we will also have something for the ladies, a perfect Christmas gift that they will really like.  I was up in my tree last night for a short hour but did see one nice doe skirt the edge of my shooting range by just a few yards.  It was fun to see her and it looks as though she was on a food mission, not quite sure where that source is though.  We did have a nice 9 pointer (with a drop tine) come in last week.  He is a nice one but has a bad back right leg and I'm afraid he probably won't make it through the winter.  Hopefully I can tag him before January 1st.  This time of year gets crazy!  Ice fishing, bow hunting, swim meets, Christmas preparations, seminars (Baxter Fleet Farm on December 11th and at Blaine Fleet farm on the 18th of December at 5-7 p.m.) and the list always seems to grow with each passing day.  I just picked up my Ranger yesterday at the Bodyworks where it was detailed.  This boat is a fine piece of machinery and it is up for sale right now!  If you want information on this one or other boats, go to nisswamarine.com or call them at 218-963-2292.  My 620 VS Ranger fishing boat was the nicest boat I have ever fished from.  And I promise it was taken care of, you really should look at it!!  It's time to wake the rest of the troops and get this day in motion.  We'll see if that worked.  Most of the time I need to go in about 2 or 3 times before they get out of the rack!  I hope all of you had a nice Thanksgiving and are thankful for all you have because I'm sure it's more than a lot of people.  I was at a couple of funerals last week and it really makes a person realize how things can change in a moment.  Have a awesome day and go out and get it done!!

p.s.  Book your guided ice fishing trip and buy your Arctic Armor now!  218-839-5598

Walleyedan

Good morning.  It's about 6:10 a.m. and about 13 degrees here in Lake Shore, Minnesota.  We are about smack dab in the middle of the state for those of you that are wondering.  The ice is thickening and I could hear it moaning and groaning from my tree stand last night.  The big lakes aren't totally frozen over but many of the small lakes are sealed-up and fishermen and women are already out and about.  I think I am going to wait until next week before my first trip onto the ice.  I might do some checking around today, but that will be about it.  I have heard from some fairly reliable sources that there is as much as 6 inches on some of the smaller lakes and bays.  If you are going to venture out, make sure you have bought a set of Arctic Armor from us (check out the suit on our "store").  These suits are for both ladies and men and come in 3 different colors and are sized from xsmall-3x.  Last night on stand I did see one large deer work its' way through the swamp just like last time I sat in that stand.  Maybe next time I will hunt the swamp eh?  Today it's clean up the house and get ready for Thanksgiving, not sure if I'll be able to get out in the woods tonight or not (still looking to fill my buck tag).  My boat was brought into the Bodyworks for a detail and it's now ready for the next owner, call Nisswa Marine at 218-963-2292 for more info on my Ranger 620 VS.  It was by far the nicest boat I have ever run.  Time to think winter fishing and we are starting to get inquiries.  If you would like to book a guided ice fishing trip, give us a call and we will get you out and hopefully on top of some "hungry ones".  I was in Mills Fleet Farm yesterday and they are just about stocked and loaded with all of their ice fishing gear.  They have an awesome selection and their prices probably aren't going to be beat!  They will be online very soon as well and you will be able to shop from wherever you are.  I will be giving an ice fishing seminar on the 11th of December from 5-7 p.m. at the Baxter store and from 5-7 on the 18th at the Blaine store.  Come in if you can, I believe there will be some give-a-way goods too.

Have a thankful Thanksgiving and be safe on the ice and on the roads.

God bless,

Walleyedan

What a beautiful Sunday morning.  I woke to the sounds of my my brother-in-law getting ready to head out into the woods on this the last day of the rifle season (deer) in our area.  He headed down the driveway in his truck and as I looked out to see what the day looked like, I was pleasantly surprised!  We have a nice white landscape out there and it looks like there is about 2 inches of that stuff on the ground already and some still coming down from above.  No I am not going out this morning, I needed a break in the action.  I have been in the woods many, many hours this season with my bow and arrows.  I did shoot a large doe earlier in the week.  I was on the ground and she was at about 20 yards when I let fly with my Hoyt Katera compound bow and my Carbon Express arrow (complete with a Rage broad head).  The shot was perfect and she ran only 70 or so yards before expiring.  The arrow and broad head looked to be in perfect condition with exception of some blood on it.  In the past it seems that the broad head is usually broken and same with the arrow.  Of course I won't shoot that broad head again, but the arrow just needs a little bath.  I tagged her with my bonus tag so I will hunt the rest of the season for my buck and will most likely be out again tonight with this fresh snow.  I am hoping to complete my Minnesota deer hunt before we have "safe ice", this meaning I better get it done soon.  I'm getting pumped for the ice fishing season as I'm sure many of you are doing the same.  Mills Fleet Farm is loaded with everything you will ever need when it comes to your ice fishing needs, the shelves are now stocked and it's time to get ready.  You will son be able to shop their online store (MillsFleetFarm.com).  I am hoping to get a seminar in during the next two weeks, I will keep you posted on when it will be.  I believe my fishing boat (Ranger 620VS) will be cleaned out, detailed and winterized this week.  My last open water trip was on Thursady a.m. with Dr. McDermott, we had fun and ended up boating a 23, 21, 18 and 15 inch walleye on Lindy Rigs and chubs (23 feet of water).  Anyone interested in buying my boat?  It's a dandy, the best boat I have ever run (hands down).  Call Nisswa Marine for details and or check out their website (218-963-2292 or Nisswamarine.com).  They also have a couple of the new 08 Sno Bears on the lot, they are slick and you should probably stop and take a look.  I have a Wilcraft (have you seen these?) in my garage and plan on getting it out on the ice as soon as we have a couple of inches.  Once we have 7 inches, I am hoping to be running a Sno Bear, I will keep you posted.

I hope all is well in your household, we have one (Mac) that has been down for the count with a very high temperature.  Please say a prayer for him and our country.

Have a great week,

Walleyedan     

Good morning.  It's reading about 20 degrees on the thermometer this a.m..  I was not in the woods this weekend but spent most of my waking hours on stand last week and will also pick a couple or a few days this week to do the same.  I have had some excitement in the woods, but I still have not sealed the deal.  My best opportunity (so far) was at a nice 8 pointer that I rattled in last Monday morning.  He came in almost perfect, the only problem was that I had not limbed my tree enough to my left and of course that is where he approached from.  I leaned over at full draw with my Hoyt Katera compound bow and let fly.  My string must have been resting on the tree branch and my arrow jumped high off of my string and that was that.  I was able to knock another arrow, but instead of coming back around he headed into the swamp and was a goner.  On Friday of this past week I witnessed a buck bird-dogging a doe from about 125 yards and also rattled in another decent buck to about 75 yards but he didn't come in for a closer look.  The deer are chasing and the peak of the rut is just about here, should be an excellent week to be on stand.  I will definitely keep you posted on the happenings in the woods.  As far as the fishing, I have not been out much.  The Ranger is still ready to rock in the garage but I will have to see what the ramps are looking like and make sure I can launch.  I would like to get out another time or two, so if any of you are reading this and would like to get another trip in before it's ice time, call me at 218-839-5598 and we will go out and see if we can catch you dinner and a big walleye.  If you are looking ahead to the ice fishing, you can start making some plans there as well I will be getting my "winter plan" together this week.  The ice fishing is going to be good this winter!  I better get going now, I have to rally the kids.  We were at the Vikings/Pack game yesterday and it made for a long day.  Thanks Phil for setting us up, it was a great game to watch and the whole family was quite entertained.  All I'm going to say is that we need to throw every now and again on first down.  A.P. is a machine and he is one determined football player.  Jared Allen and Chad Greenway are studs too!  Go Vikes!  Have a great week and make sure to order your Arctic Armor (from us) today.  Check it out on our store page.

Have a great week,

Walleyedan

Good evening.  It's a blustery one up here in Lake Shore, MN.  We woke to snow flurries and they hung around for most of the morning, now it's just windy and chilly (38 degrees or so).  I like it though, it gets me in the mood.  We even have the fire going tonight, gotta love it!  And the freshly carved pumpkins are glowing from within.  I was fishing on Friday and Saturday, Friday with Dr. McDermott and Saturday by myself for a few hours (believe it or not).  The walleyes have been cooperating fairly well but I still haven't boated the big momma yet.  As far as the deer hunting, I have not bagged the big poppy yet either but I know he's in the hood by reading the sign (rubs and scrapes).  We did not score in Ripley, just does and fawns with in shooting range.  As we near the end of October it's time for big walleyes and big bucks (the rut is on)!  If you would like another opportunity at a big walleye or some for the dinner table we are still ready to go, our boats are not put away as of yet and we will keep them ready as long as the boat ramps are ice-free.  I'm still trying to figure out the winter plans, not quite sure what direction we will go but we will be trying to nail things down very soon.  We have a number of different thoughts firing through our (mine and Shelley's) brains but it's always a tough time of year in the north country, especially in wild economic times.  We will be offering guided ice fishing trips but we are not sure what type of vehicle we will be guiding out of.  We are still selling Arctic Armor, take a look at our store for more info and you can call or email with your order.  We will be getting some type of online store up and running this winter and we will also be adding some new content, including hunting info and many more interesting things.  If any of you are interested in my boat, please contact Nisswa Marine at 218-963-2292 and ask for Ranger Ricky!  If you are looking for a pretty cool sweatshirt or a fleece (camo or black) Walleyedan hat, give a us a ring or an email and we will get it coming.  Have an awesome week and keep giving thanks to God.

Walleyedan     

Good morning and boy oh boy is a a good one.  I just stepped outside to check things out and a loon is calling, the near full moon is falling in the west and the sun is rising in the east.  It is better than good, it is a great morning and I know where I would be if I didn't have a meeting at 10:00 a.m..  I'm also going golfing at 11:30, so the morning hunt or fish is out!  I do know where I would have been if I were to have been on the water or in the woods though.  I was on the water yesterday and so was Animal.  The "bite" was not great (we had a couple and Animal and his fishing partner Jeff had 7), but that is how it's been (one day on and the next off).  I hoping next week will be a little more on the consistent side.  Hunting is starting to take over my brain.  But, the big walleyes that seem to prowl this time of year are not far from the mind though and I will continue to chase them until the ramps are frozen.  My friend Jim and I are heading into Ripley Saturday night in search of the big bruiser buck!  It should be a fun hunt.  It's pretty sad to think that we are winding down already in this month of October, it is escaping way too fast again and I don't feel that I have taken advantage of it enough.  Oh, well I guess it's not over and who knows maybe November will be a dandy!  For those of you that are reading this and would like to get on the water another time or two, our guides are still ready to rock.  And the best and biggest fish of the season are going to bite from here on out.  So, pick up the phone and give us a call 218-839-5598 and we'll get you in the book!

Enjoy the day,

Walleyedan

Good morning from Lake Shore, MN.  It's an Arctic Armor day!  The east/southeast wind has been blowing and the rain has been coming down intermittently since yesterday.  The leaves are either at peak or very, very near and I am hoping we get a good look at them before the rain and wind take them down.  Once they do fall, it becomes a bit easier to see the deer coming but I wish they could hang in there for a little while longer.  I have been on stand 4 or 5 times now and have had deer pretty close each time.  I have purchased a bonus tag, so I might tag a doe if I get a good close-in shot one of these days.  My new Hoyt Katera bow is awesome and it's been fun to shoot.  I had my mom out shooting the other night and she thinks it is pretty cool.  She was shooting my long bow that I have borrowed from Chad Holm (Holmmadetradtionalbows.com) and thinks she now wants to get a target for her home back in E.P..  As far as the fishing scene, it has been pretty good.  I last fished on Saturday evening on Edward and we did catch some walleyes but they weren't going gangbusters.  Friday was a different story on Gull where our group of guides did pretty well.  We caught quite a few good eaters for the Anderson fish fry and we also caught some put backers that were over 21 inches (the largest being 24 inches).  We also put back a big northern that measured 37 inches.  The fish we are catching are at a variety of depths, with the nicest fish coming from deep water (20-40').  We were using Lindy Rigs tipped with big red tail chubs.  One of our guides was jigging and did quite well, bottom line is that you need to find the fish and they should be eating.  We fished the Whitefish Chain last week and it is starting to come alive as well.  This next month or so can be some of the best fishing and hunting of the year, so get out there if you can and enjoy.  I have a lot of on land work to do today, so I am going to spend the majority of my day right here at the kitchen table and I might be guiding later this afternoon if they want to battle the elements.  If you are reading this today and would like to book a guided trip with one of our fishing machines (Tim, Toby, Bruce, Jeff or myself), pick up the phone or start hacking on the keys and send an email.  October is big walleye month and we have some open slots in the calendar.  Have a great week and praise God for all you have (even if you don't think it's much).  I have been thanking Him quite regularly for all that we have been blessed with.  I am also very thankful to my sponsors, www.MillsFleetFarm.com and www.NisswaMarine.com.  p.s.  I will keep you posted on developments as far as my winter guiding plans, not sure what the Sno Bear/Sno Fox status is at this moment!

Walleyedan

Hi, hello and the Twins aren't going to be playing post season baseball.  I was on my deer stand for the first 6 innings of the game and I wish I wouldn't have turned on the radio to hear the Jim Thome blast.  Great season for the Twins, they are one talented organization and will be competitive for many moons.  Enjoy the off season and come up and fish if you would like.  I started the day on the waters of the Whitefish Chain and ended the day in the woods just west of here in central Minnesota.  We caught some fish but it wasn't awesome.  We had a couple of 19 inch walleyes and we missed a number of nice fish right away this a.m..  We also boated a 19 inch smallmouth, some largemouth and some northerns.  Most of the fish were in 26-32 feet and were caught on big red tail chubs.  In the woods, I saw two deer.  One was a young one and the other looked like a fork, both were about 50-60 yards out and it was getting pretty dark for the camera.  Last night on stand I had to does walk right up to me before I could even catch my breath after climbing my tree, I wasn't able to make that happen either.  The best hunting is yet to come but we are doing some filming and would like to get a finished product pretty darn soon.  I still have a Camp Ripley tag and look forward to that hunt.  Fishing on Gull has been pretty good, I was out with the kids the other day and we boated a couple quickies.  I was at the Mills Fleet Farm sport show last week at Lambeau so I haven't been on the water a whole heck of a lot.  The guys say the bite has been pretty good most days and it certainly should be.  We had a group of guys head up to Leech the other day and they did pretty well.  I am hoping to put my Ranger through some serious fall fishing in the weeks to come, time to start thinking "big walleyes"!!  This boat is hands down the nicest ride I have ever had, if you are looking for an awesome fishing machine look at a Ranger boat.  If you are looking to book a guided trip, call now and get on the calendar.  Hey, have you ordered your Arctic Armor yet?

Tip of the week:  Knock an arrow as soon as you get on stand!

Walleyedan   

Good evening.  I'm here at the kitchen table hacking away on the keyboard between pitches of the Chicago/Twins game, Twins are playing very well!  Let's hope they can keep it rolling and let's hope the Vikes can do the same.  I had a few Nebraska Cornhuskers out on the water today and again tomorrow.  Milt, Roger, Brad and I had to work for the 8 walleyes we boxed today, we'll blame it on the thunderstorm that rocked through town during the early morning hours.  Kubel and Young just went yard, back to back, got to love it!!  Take that A.J.. I had to give you that update, it was exciting.  I'll be on the water a lot in the next month, but I am also planning on getting out in the woods (and swamp) in search of Mr. buck.  I have been shooting my new Hoyt Katera compound bow and I am quite impressed with it's speed and accuracy.  I have been on stand once so far, but as we move into bucktober I will be spending some time in the tree.  Oh, oh, the Twins just put Jessie Crane in!  For now, I must sign out I have many things to do because I have a whirlwind few days ahead of me.  Give us a call (218-839-5598) if you would like to book a fall walleye trip.

Good night,

Walleyedan

Happy birthday Shelley!  We had a good day, but I am wiped.  We got a lot of things done today on land.  We had about 6 guides out on the water this afternoon, but I did not fish because I hung out with my woman.  We had quite the schedule, but did manage to get almost everything done.  I woke up this a.m. to some virus (in the computer), thanks to a Geek at Best Buy we got fixed up and now were back healthy again (the computer).  Thanks Brent and Warren??.  After that it was off to Herberger's to do some shopping, it was goodwill day and we got some bargains.  You bring in a bag of clothes for goodwill and they give you 20% off or something.  I'm sure you don't really give a rip, sorry.  I told you I was wiped!  It was Shelley's day, but I did get to shoot the new Hoyt Katera and I was loving that.  I think that will be the bow that I put the big buck down with this fall.  O.K. as for the fishing report.....it's been good.  We have been doing quite well on the local walleyes, they are on the bite.  Monday was awesome, we had out some guys from Egan Companies and we smacked 'em!  I also had Ray and Sue out in the morning and we smacked 'em then too.  Yesterday wasn't as good for me, but I think we should have been jigging because Bruce and Frank put the hurt on them with the jigs.  We have been finding the walleyes in 22-36 feet of water and depending on the day and the spot they are looking for jigs or rigs tipped with rainbows, fatheads or red tail chubs.  Today, the only report that I have so far is from Tim Hanske, they had a dozen and a couple of big fish too.  Tim also caught a couple of muskies yesterday, good week so far.  We got our first order of Arctic Armor in the other day and have already shipped out a few suits, when you are ready to order give us a call.  Tomorrow I will be testing my trailering skills with Boating Life Magazine, this wil be interesting and if I don't get to bed now I will be crashing into many things!!

Good night and make sure to call if you want to get out on the water,

Walleyedan

Hi.  Just got done foraging on some good grub that was left over from dinner.  I missed dinner with the family as I was out with the Heinmiller crew on Gull Lake.  We ended up with about 10 walleyes and had a good time on this fall like night.  I think Laura might have had "Jingles" on but she lost her.  I was out this a.m. when the front blew into town and neighbor Don and I couldn't get the walters to bite, but tonight they bit o.k..  I do believe that the fall walleye bite is gaining momentum every day and it won't be long before the bite is on!  We have been finding the fish starting to move to deeper water.  The red tail chub has still been the preferred bait, but I am going to try to jig with some Gulp Alive one of these next trips.  The kids started school today and it sure did seem like everyone else did too, there were not many boats to be seen on the lake.  We are entering the best season of the year and I will be spending some time in the woods as well as on the water.  I am looking forward to the archery season and I am currently trying to decide which compound bow to purchase.  I have been shooting a long bow that I am borrowing from Chad Holm (HolmMadeTraditionalBows.com) and I am having fun with it.  Chad is a gym teacher up in Nisswa and is a bowyer that puts out some awesome recurves and longbows.  It's about time to get out in the woods and clear some shooting lanes before it's too late.  If you are looking to get out on the water and catch some dinner, give us a call and we will do our best.  Tim, Toby, Bruce, Jeff and I have had a very busy season on the water, but we are now entering the time of year that we like best so if you would like to get on the fall calendar with one of us call Shelley today at 218-839-5598.

Good night,

Walleyedan    

Good morning to you.  It's 5:11 a.m. and I had a hard time sleeping last night because of the big bass that were dancing in my head!  I hope you are not having these issues too (whether it be muskies, walleyes or whatever).  We started doing a little filming for Mills Fleet Farm last night and we were looking for lunker largemouth.  We found them but we couldn't get them to the boat.  We had 3 very big fish and none made it to the boat.  We did land a couple of bass and some northerns, but the big fish got away.  We were throwing Spro frogs up into the thick stuff and also working Zara Spooks and some buzz baits.  Today it's off to Gull for some guiding and we'll just have to see how that pans out.  I haven't been out on Gull as much as the other guides, but Tim, Toby, Bruce and Jeff give me the word that the bite has been a bit slow during this full moon phase.  The walleye action on Gull should start happening about any time now.  I'm going to fish tonight as well (with the Garry's) and I'm not sure where we will be off to.  I guess we'll see how Gull is this a.m..  We're only a couple of weeks away from school, can you even believe it?  It's been another whirlwind summer and I guess it's just something we need to get used to by the looks of it.  I'm starting to get some thoughts of deer and it won't be long now before we're out chasing those buggers around the woods.  Well, it's getting to be about that time.  Time to get a hat and Crocs on and get to the shop to rig for some rigging today.  I hope you have a nice week and hopefully I will have some exciting big fish news for you next week.  Call Shelleye at 218-839-5598 if you are wanting to book a trip.

Talk to you later,

Walleyedan

Hi, hello there.  We are getting a little moisture at the moment up here in the lakes country, something we definitely were in the need of.  Hope all is well where you are.  I'm not so sure about you, but I have been feeling a little drained as of late.  I guess the month of August can tend to do that to a person.  Hey Alex and Kristine, happy birthday!  And happy birthday to you to, if it's yours.  We went down to Valley Fair with the kids the other day and thankfully it was a beauty of a day and birthday for Alex, she turned 12 (hard to believe).  I asked her if she wanted to go musky fishing today for our annual trip, but she declined and wants to go a different day (probably when school is in session).  The musky action is picking up and the rest of the fish around the area have been cooperating pretty well too.  We have been fishing Gull a lot and it has been good to us once again this year, what a fish factory!!  The walleye "bite" has just been mediocre, but the all around action has been good.  Last week we had Super Valu out and everyone had a great time!  I want to say we had 11 boats out there were some nice fish caught, including a 9 pound walleye, 5 pound bass and 10 pound northern.  Not too bad for a trip that started at 10:00 a.m. and ended at 2:00 p.m..  We have some good musky sticks on our team, so if you have the urge to do some whipping or trolling, make sure to call or email.  Candy Hacker of Brainerd boated a 47 incher out of my boat a week or so ago, the fish bit on a custom Suick.  The summer is winding down, have you had the kids out fishing yet?  I haven't had mine out enough either and the guilt is starting to get to me big time!  I think I will book 'em next week.  Pretty sure I won't get any tips from them.  Deer hunting?  Are you getting the fever?  Me too, in fact I saw a big buck about two weeks ago and he wasn't a full grown (rack) yet.  I will be heading into Mills Fleet Farm one of these days to get equipped so when it's time I'll be ready to let fly.  I was just at Nisswa Marine and spent some time looking at boats with our main musky man, Jeff Andersen.  We are hoping that Jeff will be in a new 620 Ranger before too long.  If you are looking at a new boat, go to www.buyarangerboat.com and tell them Walleyedan sent you.

Have a whale of a day,

Walleyedan 

Good evening.  And it is a good evening (weather wise).  We have been on a stretch of beautiful weather and some pretty good fishing too.  Our guides are busy, and like they say that's good.  We have been fishing Gull, Whitefish, Leech, Mille Lacs and some others.  The walleyes are still eating some of our bait, but they have a lot of natural stuff to choose from as well.  My best trip as of late was up on Whitefish, but our guides are doing well on Gull as well.  Jeff did very well up on Leech last weekend on the walleyes as he was doing some guiding out of the Chase on the Lake.  All of the guides have some good stories from recent trips where they are putting their people on some nice fish and some good action too!  Jeff just called saying they caught a big pike and just the other day Bruce and Toby put their people on some big ones.  I was out fishing on the dock the other day with my son and bagged a 5 pound 12 ounce largemouth, it is my biggest to date.  The fishing has been good, so make sure to give us a ring or an email if you are looking for some "bites".  We had the superstars up here last week and caught some nice fish.  It's always a treat to fish with these fellows!  For now it's time to haul groceries, so I will report later.

Good night,

Walleyedan

Hello out there.  I know you haven't heard much from me for a few weeks, but it's hard for me to type in my sleep.  We have been so busy on the water, that by the time I get back to the computer I have already been spent.  But, I am going to get a little break here this week and will hopefully freshen (rest) up a bit.  We (our guides) have been hitting it pretty hard and catching some fish.  Gull Lake continues to be our most popular lake and I will say it is because of a few reasons.  One is that it continues to produce all species for us even though the walleyes were a little tough last week.  We also hit Gull so hard because that is where a lot of our trips originate.  We have also been on Whitefish and a number of other small lakes in the area.  If you want walleyes, we will hunt them down with you.  If you just want action, we have been having fun tossing a mushroom head jig up into the weeds with a piece of Berkley Gulp Alive.  I have been having my best luck with the 3 inch emerald shiners, smelt or black shad.  This stuff really works!  I was at Mills Fleet Farm yesterday in Baxter for the kids fishing day and had a fun time visiting and handing out goodie bags to those that registered and went through the whole course.  I even got a nice Ranger hat from a gentleman that lives here locally.  I complimented him on his hat and I think he got the picture that I really, really likes it!  He gave it to me, what a guy.  I did tell him however that I will get him a Walleyedan hat.  The Ficks just left town and once again they left with more sweatshirts, t-shirts and hats than the average Joe.  Thanks you guys for your business and I always love hearing the trash talk on the water.  Hey, Tim Carroll are you out there?  I am sorry that this report is so late, I told you that I would give you some ink.  Since the trip with you and your family, the walleye bite has been a little tricky, even though we have been able to produce on certain days.  You guys had a good day and I hope that everyone was able to eat as much as they could!  We hope to have you back next year so we can keep the streak alive!  Thank you for your business.  I best be getting to the shop!  Time to clean the boat and get ready for a road trip to E.P. for Grandma Brens viewing and funeral.  She was a gem and God has a swell one in her!

Talk to you soon,

Walleyedan

Good evening all of you.  It's a beautiful evening here in Lake Shore, Minnesota.  I was on the water for 1/2 of the day today and then spent some time with the family.  We did a little putt, putt at Pirates Cove.  The fishing has been good.  I had a perfect trip the other day while fishing with John, Joe and Ann Pecoraro on Mille Lacs.  They wanted to fish smallmouth bass and walleyes and we scored on both.  We started the trip fishing smallmouth and finished up on the walleyes in the shallows once again.  The largest smallmouth was 19 inches and the largest walleye was 26 1/2 inches.  John and Ann had a legit double on big walleyes that they both put the jig right on top of.  We were using Gulp Alive emerald shiners on the walleyes and Rapala XRaps, Skitter Pops and Zara Spooks on the bass.  Today's trip with Brian and Tom Ranney was a bit slow, but we did come in with 5 eater walleyes.  Tomorrow we are back on the water with Federated Insurance and will be looking to catch enough fish for our Lost Lake Lodge shore lunch.  You would not believe the lunch spread that they put on at Lost Lake Lodge, you might just want to make a special trip up to Lost Lake Lodge and do some eating.  My new Ranger 620, courtesy of NisswaMarine.com is the the real deal and I honestly have had more compliments in the first few weeks than I have on any other boat during a full season.  Tim, Toby, Bruce and Jeff have been putting in a lot of time on the water, but things are going to start really cooking as we move into July so if you are interested in booking a trip with one of us make sure to call and book asap.  Make sure to stop by Mills Fleet Farm if you are in the neighborhood to check out some of the new photo's on the kiosk.  I best be getting ready for the rack because tomorrow is another busy day.  I would like to stay up and watch the Twins beat the Padres but I need sleep.  Hey, I just got a call from Jeff Anderson and he told me to tell you that the muskies aren't biting in Wisconsin.

Good night,

Walleyedan  

Hello.  Hope all is well, and I hope you are getting more rest than I am.  I am just a we bit sleepy after spending almost everyday on the water as of late.  The fishing has been fun.  I have been traveling to a number of different lakes in the area and have had some good fun.  I will have to say that yesterdays trip with Patrick, Mike and John was one that I will never forget.  We started the day on Mille Lacs fishing for smallmouth bass and after only tying into a half dozen or we found a "honey hole".  We were in 2 feet of water and we were sight fishing big walleyes.  Yes I am serious!  We ended up landing 11 or so, large walleyes (24-27 inchers) by tossing our black shad Gulp Alive in front of their nose.  Yes, we were sight fishing walleyes at high noon with mostly sunny skies overhead.  Today, we had the Federated Insurance crew out on Gull Lake and we needed to catch fish for shore lunch, we succeeded and even had leftovers.  The walleyes on Gull were eating red tail chubs in 16-20 feet of water.  Tomorrow I am going to fish with Flash in the a.m. and John Heinmiller in the p.m..  We will be working a few lakes near Walker in hopes of catching some big ones.  I finally have my new rig!  My Ranger 620 (wheel) is rigged and running.  I am so happy with the performance of Ranger Boats, I am sold for life!  I still have some tweaking and minor rigging to do, but it is almost set.  I stopped at Fleet Farm tonight and picked up some rail adapters for my rod holders.  Hey, did you hear that Toby Kvalevog (one of our regular guides) placed 3rd at Cass Lake while fishing the FLW tour?  Well he did and now he will most likely have the big boy tournament bug.  Congrats 2Crank, we are happy for you.  The 25th annual Confidence Learning Center fishing classic took place last Saturday on Gull.  I fished with my dad and wife and we had a good time.  We didn't win bragging rights, but it was a fun day and I am glad we participated.  Al Lindner was the emcee and did a fantastic job, what a guy.

Good night,

Walleyedan

Happy birthday Molly Jo, I hope you have a good day.  I will be on the water if you are wondering.  The fishing remains strong!  We (our guides) having been doing quite well most days.  We have been on Gull, Pelican, Mille Lacs, Leech, Round, North Long, Hubert and I'm sure I'm missing some others.  I went chasing smallmouth bass yesterday for the first time this season.  I was with the Wunderlich's (Jeff, Todd and Blake) and Todd showed us how it's done.  The X-Rap did the trick and it so happened that he had the magic color and it was the only one in the boat after Jeff broke the lip on his.  7 of the 9 smallies that we caught were between 3.5 and 5.5 pounds, just think what is going to happed when they start biting....can't wait!  The walleye bite around the area has been good.  Occasionally we get a few nice one's, but if you are looking for action it's been pretty good.  I am thinking of heading up to Leech Lake today, but I will have to ask Chris where she wants to go and we'll go from there.  I had a nice trip the other morning with Dennis Kamstra and Dennis Neeser, we got on the water early (6:00 a.m.) and had a great time.  The fish we are finding are coming out of 12-17 feet and we have been jigging and rigging with shiners.  For those of you that are not aware, we have moved to a new location in Nisswa and we have added a couple of new names to our list.  Bruce Meinz is now our number 4 guy and Jeff Anderson is our number 5 guy.  We have been pretty busy, but remember we do have a fill-in list that is full of "good guides", so please do not hesitate to call if you are looking for a fun-filled day on the waters of Minnesota.  We will be ordering up some new Walleyedan wear, so if you are up in the neighborhood make sure to stop by our shop and check things out.  The new Ranger boat is in!  I have not run it yet, but it is here and being rigged.  The Ranger Boat that I am running right now is a dream and I have NEVER run such and awesome rig!  If you are interested in buying a Ranger Boat, go to www.BuyARangerBoat.com.  If you are looking for tackle or anything else under the sun, head for my favorite store....Mills Fleet Farm!

Have a great day,

Walleyedan

I hope your Memorial Day weekend has been a nice one.  It's Monday morning at 7:08 and the air is a little cool at the moment, but overall the weather has been nice this weekend up here in the lakes country.  The walleyes turned it up a couple of notches this past week and we had some awesome trips with happy customers.  Tim Hanske and Bruce Meinz found some fish that were biting on Friday and that alone boosted my confidence level.  I had been thinking that the fish still hadn't come through the channels but now I am really wondering what the scoop is.  What ever the case, Saturday was a great day on the water.  I looked at a few different areas and finally found a school of those hungry buggers.  The Kozads and I had a fun a.m. trip where Allison had the "hot hand".  If only she could have hung onto her Walleyedan hat and Nancy had issues with her pink Walleyedan hat too, it's a goner.  Anyway, it was a fun trip with fun folks from Burnsville.  Happy Birthday Ron!  In the afternoon, I fished with a group of 4, Mark, Bill, Tim and Ron.  I had fished with 3 of the 4 before and on this day we had a little more comfortable weather, except for a pretty stiff wind.  I was thinking that coming across the main body of Gull Lake was going to be a little brutal but I was wrong.  I am not saying this because I want Nisswa Marine to sell more boats (even though I want them to), but I am completely sold on Ranger Boats.  Unbelievable how awesome the ride, if you are in the market for the best fishing boat I honestly think it's Ranger.  And I have only run it for a couple of weeks.  The one I am using is for sale (I think) and is soon as mine is wrapped and rigged, this one will be ready to hit the water and it's already broken in.  Call Nisswa Marine at 218-963-2292 and ask for Ranger Rick.  Also, please tell them you read this report.  Maybe they'll give you a screaming deal, maybe.  I have the day off today and I think it's time to look at options for the fish cleaning house at the new shop.  Maybe we'll get the family out later on, we'll have to see.  By the way, the fish were biting on spot tail shiners and Lindy Rigs in 12-16 feet of water.  They are also eating Northland Fireballs too.  If you have been thinking of coming up and fishing, it's the time.  Our guides are rigged and ready and there are some open slots on this weeks calendar.  If you are not completely rigged and ready for this 2008 fishing season, you should probably get into Mills Fleet Farm ASAP and get all of your fishing essentials.  Have a great Memorial Day and thank you to all of you service men and women who have been and who are currently out there protecting our freedom.  Thank you!

Walleyedan 

Good morning people,

Hope all is well in your life.  I have been scrambling to try and get everything attended to, but it hasn't been an easy task.  The Governors Opener was very fun and it was an all around well planned and well attended event.  Thank you to all of the organizers and all that donated money and time to keep this awesome tradition alive.  This was the 60th year and I aam very thankful that I was able to be a part of it.  The Pawlenty's are real people and I hope to get a chance to fish with them in a different setting sometime.  Now that the fishing opener is behind us and turkey season is pretty much wrapped for our family, it's time to focus....big time!  I'm not sure if all of you are aware, but we are at a new location now.  We are located in Nisswa, across the street from the water slide.  We will have set hours very soon, but right now we are coming and going at all hours.  We are not a full-fledged bait shop, we are a guide service with a comfortable and clean setting where you can hang out, have a cup of coffee and wait for us to clean your fish.  We also have some shirts, hats and other goodies.  We do have a bait tank where each of our regular guides will keep their bait.  The convenience will be tremendous.  If any of you have a clue where we can round up a fish cleaning house, please give us a ring or an email.  My new Ranger 620 fishing boat is supposed to be done today and hopefully it will be wrapped and ready sometime next week.  Nisswa Marine, my boat sponsor has been so kind to let me run a brand new Ranger 620 in the meantime.  I was out the other day breaking in the engine and wow what a rig that is.  I am so excited to get mine all rigged and ready, I can't even wait any longer.  I think I will be out today on Whitefish, they say it is going to be 75 degrees, but windy.  I was out on a trip on Monday with Tim Hanske and two of my regular customers.  We hit Round Lake and ended up with decent action, but more northerns and bass than walleyes.  We did hook a nice 27 and 3/4 inch walleye on a jig and Gulp Alive smelt (3").  I really believe in this stuff.  Mills Fleet Farm has a very good stock of this stuff and they are selling the heck out of it!  Get some, it works!  The crappies are sunnies are biting.  Yesterday was Mac and Elizabeth's birthday.  Mac turned 6 and Elizabeth 8, we had a fishing party for Mac and his friends and a nail salon party for Elizabeth and her friends.  Mac and his friends each caught fish and thanks to Bruce Meinz it was a success.  Without Bruce's help it would have been very tricky.  Grant caught the biggest fish of the day, a 3 pound bass on his 4 foot rod (Spiderman rod?).  The girls, Lily and Claire caught the most....the girls usually do.  O.K., now for my oldest daughters turkey hunt.  It was incredible.  We had one day (just south of Brainerd) that the birds were all over the place but we did not end up scoring.  We called one in to about 25 yards but Alex did not get a good look at it.  I felt like a calling champ as we got it to come back after being up to within 100 yards.  We ended up closing the gap after it had left and then I used my stuff to get him to get right back on us again.  No shot, but awesome memories!

Gotta go,

Walleyedan

Good evening,

It was a nice weekend, today was exceptional.  We got rid of a lot of ice and I am quite surprised how fast it went.  It's not totally off right now, but I just got the report from the sky, no not from God.  I got the report from Brent Wiczek who was up flying this afternoon.  He said there was a small patch out in the middle of Mille Lacs, a patch on the south end of Pelican, an area on the east side of Gull and in Steamboat and Wilson Bay, and he also said there was quite a bit of ice up on the Whitefish Chain.  Most other lakes in the Baxter, Brainerd, Breezy Point, Lake Shore and Nisswa areas are ice-free.  How are the walleyes going to react?  hard to say until we get out there and get after them.  I am not ready yet, but I will be ready by the time Saturday a.m. rolls around.  I am still waiting on my new Ranger 620 (courtesy of Nisswa Marine.com), not quite sure when it is going to be here.  On opening day, I will be hosting Governor Tim Pawlenty and the first lady and this means I won't need my boat.  I will be using John Janouseks' for the day, hopefully the walleyes will be attracted to it.  I will have a Ranger loner for the first few guide trips of the season and I am anxious to run my first Ranger boat.  I spent a couple of hours transferring tackle into my New Mills Fleet Farm tackle boxes.  I do still have a lot of work to do before "game time", but hopefully I will be ready to rock by Saturday a.m..  Right now I am a little wiped because I have been trying to get everything done and things don't always work that way.  So I guess I will keep on keepin on and see what is next on "the list".  I'm having some new rods made and they should be done by Tuesday, can't wait to get some reels on them and get fishin!  If you are wondering where to get your fishing tackle, Mills Fleet Farm is the place.  They have an unbelievable selection of baits, line, rods, reels and everything else under the sun.  If you are by the Baxter Fleet farm, make sure to stop and see the turkey video at our kiosk.  My last turkey hunt of the season will take place starting on Mother's Day morning with my daughter Alex.

Have a good night,

Walleyedan 

Good morning,

It looks as though we had a little moisture fall from the sky over night.  That is a good thing, we need all of the ice melting we can get right now.  We also have wind as I look out and see the tops of the trees swaying in the breeze.  We need to bust up that stuff fast!  The opener is only a week away, oh boy.  Lots to do.  I will be up at Breezy Point on Pelican Lake for the Governors Opener and I will not be the only one, it should be an exciting time and that might just be an understatement. I have the honor of guiding (hosting) the Governor and the 1st Lady.  I suppose I better get some rods rigged and make sure I have the "goods".  These next week will most definitely be one of my busiest to date.  I have some work to be done with Mills Fleet Farm and then it's media time and all of the hoopla that surrounds this huge Minnesota tradition.  I am still deciding what presentation is going to be the ticket.  Will it be the standard Fireball and a spot-tail shiner?  Will it be a Lindy Rig and a red tail chub?  Will it be one of the Mills Fleet Farm exclusive Rapala's?  Or will it be a jig and a Gulp Alive emerald shiner?  Hard to say, but we will do our best to get some of those whitetails to bite our presentation.  Doesn't that sound good, a walleye dinner about now.  Hard to say what Tom Whitehead has up his sleeve or what Toby Kvalevog is thinking but it will be fun no matter how you slice it!  There will be about 100 other "hosts" that will be kicking off the season at this event as well and as most of you know, this area of Minnesota is loaded with awesome anglers.  I have to go now or the kids will be late for school and I will be late to open up the garage sale!  Have a great day and say a prayer that the ice is gone by midnight next Friday.  BuyARangerBoat.com.

Have a great weekend,

Walleyedan

Good morning, or is it?  It's 6:23 a.m. and as I look out the windows all I see is white.  I have not been out, I have only opened the door for the dog but it looks like we have a few inches and it's still snowing.  What a great day for a marathon, or a fishing tournament, or an annual golf outing, it's kind of a bummer but the Lord knows we need the precipitation up in these parts.  So I guess we should just continue getting ready for our garage sale (next weekend at our new shop in Nisswa) and just enjoy the day.  We have big news!!  I am hosting the Governor and the 1st lady on opening day up on Pelican.  I received a phone call earlier in the week and hearing the news sent chills throughout my body.  I am completely honored and look forward to all of the hoopla.  Tom Whitehead will be hosting the Lieutenant Governor and I guess it's going to be a competitive day on the water.  I guess we will have to pull out the bag of tricks and put some of those Pelican Lake walleyes in the boat.  Toby, one of our regular guides will be hosting as well and he is holding out on who he will have in his boat, what an exciting time for the area.  We are only 13 days from the "big day" and things are going to be quite crazy from here on out.  It has been one fantastic year thus far for us.  From signing on as a spokesperson with Mills Fleet Farm back in January, moving out of our previous location and into our new "spot" in Nisswa (across from the waterslide), to our continuing relationship with Nisswa Marine, things are going well for our business.  We are thankful and feel very Blessed.  The ice is still covering Gull lake, so I would say that in about 7 days it should be out of here!  Boy, do I feel for those turkey hunters that are opening their season today.  It would certainly be a good morning for snow camo.  Perry Bunting, a friend of mine is out with his son Wyatt (who is 8) this a.m. and hopefully they will get a crack at a big tom.  I was down to Lake City earlier in the week with Kent Blake (a friend) and I bagged one of my biggest birds to date, a 24 pounder with a 9 inch beard and 3/4 inch spurs.  What an awesome hunt that was and we got a lot of it on video.  Hopefully we can show it at Fleet Farm one of these days.  The next turkey adventure is going to be the week after opener when my daughter Alex will try to call in and shoot her own bird......we'll see how that all shakes down!  She will be using one of the calls that Flash made for her.

Gotta go,

Walleyedan

Good evening.  It's between periods 2 and 3 of game #5 of the Wild and Avalanche and it's about time to give you a little update from the lake country.  Hey, I just saw my mug on the Mills Fleet Farm commercial for the second time (isn't that special).  Anyway, all is well and all is happening up here.  The lakes are starting to loosen up, the turkey season is on, our guides are getting ready to rock, I spotted my first pair of loons, Bar Harbor might be sold, My new Ranger 620 (courtesy of BuyARangerBoat.com) will be here by opener, the Governors opener is closing in on us, the wood ticks are out, the snow is gone (finally) and yes I bagged my Merriam (wild turkey) in South Dakota.  I should have had my two birds in the bag by 4:00 p.m. opening day but one of them came in silent and I wasn't able to drop him on the fly.  Next up is my Minnesota hunt, hopefully that will be a success as well.  I have a couple new friction calls thanks to Flash.  The most recent call he made for me is a glass call with a photo of my bird from last year (under the glass).  He also made my daughter a couple of friction calls, one of which had a photo she took on our first hunt together.  We had a guide meeting tonight and had some good discussion.  At this point, we are going with 4 regulars (myself, Tim Hanske, Toby Kvalevog and Bruce Meinz) and will then work with our list of fill-ins.  The trips are starting to roll on in and it looks like we will be having another busy season.  Bruce had asked if we have had any crappie trip inquiries and the answer was no.  But, I told him I would mention it in my report and hopefully some of you will get the crappie itch and want to come on up once the ice breaks.  Oh, oh the Avalanche just scored twice (3-1).  Let's go Wild!!  I am going to plant myself in front of the television for the last 6 minutes and see if I can cheer them on.  Call or email if you are interested in booking your open water crappie or walleye trip.

Good night,

Walleyedan

Hello, how she go?  I hope all is well with you, things are just fine here in the woods of Lake Shore, Minnesota.  Except the fact that we still have snow on the ground and the reports say there is more to come!  Let's hope they are wrong.  It's kind of tough to say we don't want it because we certainly need more water in our lakes and that is very, very important....thanks God.  I have not been on the water or the ice for quite some time because of my schedule here on land.  I was over in Green Bay, Wisconsin last Thursday and Friday for the Mills Fleet Farm sport show.  It was cool, and not only did I get to work in the friendly confines of Lambeau Field, I got to meet a lot of people (including jumpin John Gillespie) and was able to listen in and learn from some of the gurus from Garmin, Hummingbird, Berkley, Minn Kota, Lowrance and others.  Overall it was a great experience and I hope to be at the fall show.  I have heard a lot about the new Rapala Subwalk and now I have some to check out on those monster smallies over on Mille Lacs come June.  The opener is only 30 some odd days away and it will be time to get things rockin once I go bag a couple of Toms (turkeys).  I can not wait!!  Yesterday I was digging through some of my gear and of course my son "wanted some stuff".  I gave him one of my mouth calls and he is making sounds and probably isn't too far away from a yelp.  He is only 5 years old, so don't tell me you can't use a diaphragm call. It's a good thing to learn when that wily gobbler is in tight but you need him to move a hair or two in a certain direction.  I will be anxious to call in my first bird with one of my Flash calls.  They are homemade and Flash is a call making machine.  Things are busy around here and there seems to never be a dull moment in the business world.  I want to thank Mills Fleet Farm, Nisswa Marine (BuyARangerBoat.com) and the Mills Auto Group for there support.  I also have many, many more people to thank including the folks at KFAN radio for giving us the plugs.  They will be up at Grand View Lodge for the opener and we will be providing some gear and possibly a guide.  I will be involved in the Governors Opener up at Breezy Point. The area will be buzzing to the max that weekend!  For now, it's off to a meeting at G.V.L..

Have a great day,

Walleyedan

Hi, how's it going?  It's 9:35 p.m. and all is well.  Just got done watching the Big Give.  Normally I do not watch television, but my wife was talking about this show so I figured I would hang with her and check it out.  It was pretty good, it's an Oprah show.  Any way, that's my story about that.  It was a nice day up here in Lake Shore today and I didn't do much, and you're not supposed to on Sunday.  Although I did gather a number of my open water rods and started to do a little inventory.  I also went on a little bike ride with the kids and maybe this is something I should keep doing with the turkey season right around the corner.  Last year when I went to South Dakota turkey hunting it was not a good situation as far as my out of shape body, my legs wore out and I ended up having to back down the hills because my quad muscles were tore.  I am getting absolutely psyched and can not wait to hear my first gobble of the '08 season.  There are a lot of things going on and it's just going to get busier as we approach the open water season.  I spent a couple of days last week at some of the Mills Fleet Farm stores (Oakdale, Brooklyn Park, Hudson, WI and Lakeville) and enjoyed my time talking with a number of the employees on hunting and fishing.  Saturday I was on the road again and road tripped down to Owatonna for two seminars at the Home and Recreation Show at their Four Seasons Center.  Great people, long drive.  I did meet Joy and Darcy, who own Bear Paw Lodge near Armstrong, Ontario.  They were very nice as well and I think I am going to try and get the family up there for a week this summer.  I would love to bring the new Ranger up there and do a little exploring, we'll see.  This is going to be another busy week and it is going to be capped off by Tim and Kaarins' wedding.  Just got word that we have a little weather moving in tomorrow, not sure if I want it to be rain or snow.

Gotta go,

Walleyedan

Good morning to you.  It is Easter weekend and I'm sure you are getting ready to go to grandmothers house or you are getting your house ready for grandmother.  We are having Easter at our little house in the woods.  We went to Good Friday service at church last night and it was a good one.  I hope all of you have a nice Easter weekend with the family.  I had a busy week and visited 4 of the Mills Fleet farm stores (Fargo, Fergus Falls, Alexandria and St. Cloud).  It's pretty neat to see all of the different stores and meet some of their personnel.  I will be working with Mills Fleet Farm in a variety of situations and I am extremely happy to be working with such an awesome family run business.  If you haven't shopped Fleet Farm for your sporting goods in the past, I would say that you have been missing the boat.  They have an awesome selection of fishing and hunting gear.  And of course everything else under the sun.  If you are heading out into the woods to hunt turkeys this spring or are getting pumped to wet a line in the Rainy River, you should make a stop and check out the latest in products.  One product that I am going to load up on is the new perch colored Northland Fireball jig.  As far as the turkey scene, the new Skinz that go over your decoy are really a hot commodity.  The Skinz make your decoy look like the real deal!  My last time out on the ice was Tuesday when I fished one of my favorite pan fish lakes.  The "bite" was on and I had a blast catching crappies and sun fish.  We ate some sunfish last night and the kids gobbled them up, I guess I need to escape for another outing very soon.  Well, I guess for now that is about it and I will have to get back to you when I have something else to say. 

Go gophers (hockey)!

Walleyedan

Good morning.  It is 8:44 a.m. and we woke up to a light dusting of snow up here in Lake Shore, Minnesota.  It's spring break for the kids and two of the three stayed up with me last night to watch the gophers beat the Minnesota State Mavericks from Mankato.  Wow, was that a series.  I'm hoping the Pohl boy is doing o.k. this a.m..  I did not fish this weekend, instead we headed up to to Cross Lake to watch the St. Patrick's Day parade.  We stayed overnight at the Whitefish Lodge and Suites.  What a nice place, the kids were loving the bunk beds and of course the pool, hot tub and sauna.  The home made waffles were a big hit on Sunday morning.  I would highly recommend a stay at this hotel, they have it all and are also walking distance to Rafferty's Pizza and to Cross lake, which is on the Whitefish Chain of lakes.  The snow is still hanging around up here in the north country, so you sno-birds might want to stick it out for another week or two.  But, when you get back it might be a good idea to call and book your fishing trip, we are starting to get a fair number of bookings.  The walleye season will be kicking of on the 10th of may this year and it will be a very exciting opener and Mother's Day!  Governor Tim Pawlenty will open up the season on Pelican Lake in Breezy Point, Minnesota.  Hopefully I will have my new Ranger boat by that time (buyarangerboat.com).  I have talked with a number of people and everyone is getting pretty pumped up for the open water season.  I was in Fleet Farm the other day shopping for the Arts In Bloom auction the other day and it got me in the mood for open water.  The Fleet Farm shelves are looking pretty well stocked and once again they look to have the largest selection of Rapala lures on the planet.  I best be going, the list of to do's is long.

Have a great break!,

Walleyedan

Good morning,

How are you?  I am a bit relieved, our computer issues are being resolved and it is starting to make me feel better.  I got some help this a.m. from Antonio and I think he may be the most intelligent person out there, or maybe I should say the second most intelligent person out there besides God.  He really did ease my mind on this computer stuff.  So anyway, winter is over!  Thank goodness.  I fished a couple of times this weekend and struggled on both occasions.  Once with Toby and Tim and the other was with the Inglemans.  Both trips were fun, but the fish did not want to cooperate.  I am hoping that with the nice sounding forecast that things will really start shaping up under the ice.  We have a lot going on in our lives, but I think with a warming trend things will go that much smoother because we are going to feel better mentally.  It's been a pretty long winter in the woods.  I went hiking with the family yesterday and it was nice to be out breathing some fresh air.  After the family walk, Alex (my oldest daughter) and I went on another hike back in the woods.  We brought her new pellet/bb gun that she won at the turkey banquet.  She is a pretty good shot.  We saw a lot of turkey tracks and I can not wait for some of this snow to melt so we can go back and get some birds to respond to our calls.  In the meantime, if any of you readers would like to fish we are more than ready to get on a good pan fish bite.  We will continue guiding on the ice until it is no longer safe to do so.  It sure does seem that a lot of people are ready for spring, we have been booking a fair amount of open water trips already.  One thing we would like to do this spring is more pan fish trips out of the boat.  If you would like to chase some crappies around, call and book a trip.  I would guess that the best times are going to be the 10 days leading up to the walleye opener (May 10).  I hope all of you have a nice week and I will be talking with you soon.  Congrats to Hill Murray on being the 2008 state highs school hockey champs.

Walleyedan

Talk to you soon,

Walleyedan 

Good Sunday Morning,

It's 8:10 a.m. and myself and Daisy (our goldendoodle) are the only ones up in this household.  It's not the norm, but yesterday was a very long day and our little guy has the nasty croopy cough going on so the more sleep the better.  We were at the section swim meet in Grand Rapids yesterday and that gets to be a long day.  The swimmers did very well and a lot of them qualified for the state meet which is held at the U of M aquatics center in two weeks.  I was last on the ice on Friday.  We had a couple of trips on Gull Lake, one big one (25 people) and I finished up the day fishing with Glenn and Sandy Cook out of the Sno Bear.  The Otto Bock group trip was pretty slow going, but the people had a good time and seemed quite happy just being out on the ice.  We didn't get skunked, the one gentleman won the whole pot for the first, most, biggest and smallest!  Not quite sure what he got for his accomplishment, but he did catch the only walleye!  The trip with Glenn and Sandy went better, they each caught a couple of walleyes and we had opportunities at a number of more fish.  Fun outings.  The walleyes we caught were roaming the "edge" in about 15 to 16 feet and they seemed pretty hungry when they showed up.  The Jigging Shad Rap was doing the trick as were the tip-ups with a Creep Worm and a small shiner.  The weather has finally mellowed out a little and now that we have a couple of feet of ice we should be good to go for the remainder of the season.  Hey, it's super bowl day.  I do plan on watching the game on the Ericksons  70 inch big screen, should be fun.  My guess is that it will be a good game but I think Randy Moss will be the deciding factor late in the 4th quarter.  If you would like to schedule a late ice crappie trip up to Red Lake, let's line it up now.

Have a nice week,

Walleyedan
www.walleyedan.com
218-839-5598

I am a year older today (40), but on the bright side we are a day closer to the 18th annual Brainerd Jaycees ice fishing extravaganza.  In fact we are really close, the gun goes off tomorrow (Saturday) at noon.  I'm pretty certain most of you readers know what I am talking about, but if you want to read more, go to icefishing.org.  I will be out on the ice tomorrow and will also be trying my skill/luck.  So far in my 16 years of fishing, I have not scored any prizes.  I have caught fish (walleyes and perch, but I haven't caught anything big enough to get on the board.  We will just have to see what is in the cards for this year.  Maybe my lucky t-shirt will do the trick.  If you want one, we will have some for sale at our Sno Bear (and also at our shop) so make sure you come by and pick one up!  We also have some fancy new stocking caps in many colors including pink.  If you are looking for something to do before the contest, swing on into Grand View Lodge tonight for the pre-party.  I look for fishing to be pretty good this wekend with the warm weather coming in.  We spent some time on Gull and Whitefish this week.  The fishing wasn't awesome, but we did catch some fish.  The largest was caught by Shawn Ryan of Rosemount who caught a beautiful 21 inch walleye on a jigging shad rap.  If any of you are interested in a pretty cool ice fishing excursion, sign up for a guided trip in the Sno Bear.  Take a look at the fishing page if you want to see a picture of the Sno Bear, it's wild!      

Walleyedan

Walleyedan's Guide Service
Dan and Shelley Eigen
9287 Anderson Rd.
Lake Shore, MN. 56468
www.walleyedan.com
218-839-5598

Hey we're at 0 degrees, we're having a heat wave.  I was thinking that we would be at 20 inches of ice by Saturday the 26th, but with this most recent blast of cold air, I think we might be at 2 feet!  The furnace went out a couple of times over the weekend when the temperature was 20 below, not really the best situation.  But we did survive!  I am hurrying and scurrying to get all things situated for my p.m. Sno Bear trip with Marc Ryan and his son who are heading up for the evening "bite".  I think I might head up north and check out one of the honey holes that I fished this fall.  The Brainerd Jaycees ice fishing extravaganza is 5 days away and the excitement is going to be building by the minute.  I plan on having the Sno Bear set up in the vendor area and we will be selling some goodies, make sure you find us and check things out.  If you want some warm clothing, this might be the week to check out our line of Arctic Armor.  My last trip to the ice was on Friday night when Keith and Michelle Hennen (from Jordan) were out with me.  We set up the bear on the Bow Tie and caught 1 walleye and had another tip-up that we didn't score on.  Let's just say that the cold front is to blame for that slow bite.  I better get my rear in gear, isn't it amazing how the time fly's.  If you our up here in our neck of the woods, make sure to stop by our new shop in Nisswa and check things out.    

Walleyedan

Walleyedan's Guide Service
Dan and Shelley Eigen
9287 Anderson Rd.
Lake Shore, MN. 56468
www.walleyedan.com
218-839-5598