Red River monster ‘eyes By Larry Myhre
Dan Rowe, holds a 31-inch walleye. (Submitted photo)
Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal
SELKIRK, Manitoba — The mighty Red River spills out of the Lockport Dam and rushes north to massive Lake Winnipeg, about 14 miles away.
Below this dam exists a fishery unlike any, anywhere in the world.
The stretch of river from the dam to the north is called “The Miracle Mile.”
It is along this stretch that miraculous catches of big fish have long been routine.
The area draws hundreds, if not thousands of fishermen each fall in pursuit of massive walleyes which come in from Lake Winnipeg and mill below the dam.
These fish, fresh from the shallow, 9,000 square mile inland sea, are known as greenbacks because of the emerald coloring of their dorsal regions.
It is here that a 10 pounder is “just a nice fish.” When someone lands a 12 pounder, that is worth noting. However, walleyes of 14 to 15 pounds are caught nearly every year.
These big fish have drawn Sioux City angler Dan Rowe and friends to the Red every year for the past 10 years.
They have caught some nice fish every year, but this trip was special.
“It was the best year we’ve ever had up there,” Rowe said. “And we’ve been going there for 10 years.”
His group consisted of Keith Kelly and Ron Sherril, both of Sioux City, Jim Goede, Dakota Dunes, and Greg Sherril of Akron.
They fished from Sept. 2 to 10.
“Between the two boats we were catching and releasing between 40 and 60 fish a day,” Rowe said. “We had six fish over 28 inches in my boat alone. Our best was 31 inches and that’s a 13 pound fish.”
While they did catch a few walleyes trolling crankbaits, it was the jig and salted minnow that the big fish wanted.
Yes, that’s right. A salted minnow.
And the presentation, get this, was fishing straight down over the side of the boat anchored crosswise with two anchors in the current.
They used 1/4 to 1/2-ounce jigs, depending on the current and wind. It was cold all week and water temperatures dropped each day.
“They seemed to like fluorescent yellow and orange jig heads the best,” Rowe said.
The Miracle Mile? Well, Rowe’s group’s miracles happened farther north, away from the crowds.