Meet five fishing guides who cover a lot of Minnesota water

Billy Dougherty, Rainy Lake

At a glance

Billy Dougherty's grandfather bought the Kettle Falls Hotel in 1918 for four barrels of whiskey and $1,000. The hotel bridges Kabetogama and Rainy lakes. Dougherty, 68 years old, first showed up at the hotel when he was 9 to guide anglers to Rainy's abundant walleyes, smallmouth bass and crappies.

Decades later …

Billy — part of the Dougherty family that owns Rainy Lake Houseboats — is still on the water, fishing walleyes with clients just now, in May, while preparing for Rainy Lake's legendary smallmouth bass bite that extends into July. The huge border lake features great smallie fishing on its U.S. and Canadian sides, with the Canadian portion perhaps best. "Many Minnesotans know Rainy for its walleyes, but bass attract anglers from throughout the nation, many carrying fly rods," said Dougherty, a 2018 Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame inductee.

Tip

Anglers can't use live bait on Rainy's Canadian side. "You'll want to bring surface and sub-surface artificials for bass. And bring a No. 13 Rapala," Dougherty said, adding that Gulp! can be a quality live-bait walleye substitute.

Contact: rainylakehouseboats.com

Nancy Koep, Glenwood

At a glance

Nancy was perhaps fated to be a noted angler because she bears the name — Koep — of one of Minnesota's most celebrated fishing families. A recent inductee to the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame, Koep, 51, no longer actively guides. Instead, over many years she has promoted fishing by coaching the Minnewaska High School fishing team, volunteering in DNR's Becoming an Outdoors Woman program, guiding military veterans to memorable walleye catches, volunteering at Kamp KACE — Kids Against Cancer Everywhere — and teaching in MinnAqua, the DNR's angling and aquatic education program.

Want to be a guide?

"You have to really know the lakes you fish," Koep said. "I research new lakes before I fish them, using DNR fish population data and also lake structure maps. A fishing guide has one job: to put clients on fish. When that happens, and you see the smiles, it's all worth it."

Tip

"If you're fishing Minnewaska for walleyes, go to the tip of High School Bar, where you can jig or Lindy rig live bait. Also, fish the weedlines in front of the Starbuck beach. Walleyes hang out there."

Mark Schutz, Twin Cities

At a glance

"I grew up in Brooklyn Park and did a lot of fishing as a kid on the Mississippi River," Schutz said. "That's how I learned to love bass fishing." The river bass he chased as a kid were smallies, while his targets most often today are Lake Minnetonka's largemouth bass. "I also guide for walleyes, crappies and muskies on 'Tonka," he said. "But bass are my favorite."

The joys of guiding

"Guides are in the fish business, but they're also in the smile business," Schutz said. "That's what my business is, making people smile. It might be a father and son, or a mother and daughter. My job is to make their lives better by taking the stress out of their days."

Tip

"If you're fishing Minnetonka for bass, change up your baits or move if you're not catching anything. The lake has a ton of bass. Meanwhile, if you want crappies, it's as good as it gets on Minnetonka right now. They're in shallow."

Contact: markschutzfishing.com

Brandon Nyquist, Belle Plaine

At a glance

Growing up alongside the Snake River, Nyquist learned early the joys of wading in, and casting to, moving water. "I started guiding in 2012, and honestly, I did it to show people the kind of fishery the Snake has, with both kinds of bass, northern pike, catfish, sturgeon and, yes, walleyes." Nyquist subsequently branched out to the Rum, St. Croix and Minnesota rivers, with the latter being a favorite for channel and flathead catfish. "For cats I usually start fishing around 3 p.m. and end about midnight," he said.

A whale of a fight

Most Minnesotans, Nyquist said, don't get to catch big, strong fish. "Oftentimes clients who come to me just want to change up their fishing," he said. "They've caught walleyes and bass, now they want to try catfish." Channel cats in the Minnesota River can run 20 to 30 pounds, while flatheads can go 30 to 40. "We rig with 80-pound test and 10/0 or 12/0 hooks, because oftentimes we have to pull them out of cover while fighting current." Nyquist deploys a jet-powered outboard on a G3 johnboat. "We run shallow and there are a lot of obstacles in the river," he said.

Tip

"The Minnesota River can be fished from shore for catfish. Cut suckers are good baits. Look for a current seam between quiet water near shore and faster water a short distance out. You'll need a 4- to 6-ounce weight to hold the hook and bait to the bottom."

Contact: nyquistoutdoors.com

Mel Hayner, Preston

At a glance

"I'm originally from Oregon, and learned to fly fish from my grandpa," Hayner said. About 40 years ago he moved to Luverne, Minn. for work and subsequently discovered the bluffs and streams of southeast Minnesota. "I didn't even know they had trout fishing here," he said. Now he owns a fly shop in Preston called the Driftless Fly Fishing Company.

Surprise, surprise

"The big surprise for me about the southeast was how beautiful it is," Hayner said. "The other surprise is that you can catch big fish in the region's small streams." His clientele comes from throughout the nation, and even other countries. "Also, a lot of our clients are people we taught to fly fish," he said. "We have a beginner's school every other Saturday. We wader them up and head for the river, where some even catch fish on their first day."

Tip

"The big thing about fishing southeast streams is that you have to be stealthy. Especially in low and clear water, you want to approach from downstream to make your cast and get a good drift."

Contact: minnesotaflyfishing.com