Tag Archives: baudette minnesota

7 Days left!

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7 Days left!
The ice is good on the lake, 40-50+ inches in the areas we fish and travel right now.  We have just lost snow up to this point and evening temps remain below freezing.  Guests have been catching some nice fish. We have some openings available this week. Come have some fun!

Check out the pictures of the week!

The Bite

Mix of jigging and dead sticking in variety of depths between 17’-31’ using Hyperglides, gold jigs, Glo Shots, red hooks, glow green  and glow red Buckshots have been catching some walleyes and saugers this week. A lunker 15lb eelpout was caught on a buck tail. Big pike are coming up the holes in shallow waters on the lake and bays using live suckers.   Electronics help catch rates! Bring them a long or call ahead to rent.

Ice Conditions
We lost some snow this week, but not changes in the ice conditions. We have 40-50+ inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We run off of our private access.   If you are looking to venture out on your own, there are a number of plowed roads in the area. Be sure to stay on marked trails and roads and check current conditions with the road maintainer before venturing out, conditions vary.

Trail Report
Zero to a foot of hard packed snow is on the ice right now, more the farther north you go and varied amounts on the land trails.

For more information check out these links:
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

Walleye season is open through April 14 on Lake of the Woods.
Once we end our ice fishing season we will be getting ready to hop in boats on the river for a few weeks of walleye fishing. When walleye season closes, pike and sturgeon fishing heats up in the river and bays. The Rainy River and Lake of the Woods is home to an abundant amount of trophy size lake sturgeon and northern pike.

River Report
We have plenty of ice on the lake to keep us fishing safely for the next week and there will probably be quite a bit of ice on the lake for a while after March 31 this year.  Despite the cool temps there are signs of spring popping up.  The Rainy River is starting to open up to tour east.  Currently the river is open to nearly Birchdale, 38 miles from the lodge and 26 miles east of Baudette.  I would suspect in a few days the first boats will start sliding over the ice chunks into the water. After Birchdale, it will only be a matter of days before the rest of the landings start to open up.   There is a public landing at Birchdale, two between Birchdale and Baudette, a couple in Baudette and one at Wheeler’s Point.  Click here for more information about spring river fishing and stay tuned for updates. We will start checking landings on a regular basis next week and post updates on our website and Facebook pages. Stay tuned!

21st Annual Mardi Gras Party is tomorrow night!
Visit us for great fishing and a whole lot of fun! Entertainment, beads, free hurricanes, food and drink specials, lip sync and costume contest win $100 CASH and much more. Click here to check out all of the fun we have planned and book your stay and play package today!

Reel in a deal 25% off all Lodging March 25-31!
Give us a call 800-862-8602 or click here to book.

Fishing Away!

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Check out the pictures of the week!

The Bite

Single red hooks,  gold jigs, pink/blue Clam rattle spoon and red Glo Shots tipped with a minnow or two some guests said worked well for them mainly dead sticking was the best approach this week.  Although, I wouldn’t count out jigging.  It is always a good idea to do a mix of jigging and dead sticking and see what works for you.  Lots of saugers,  nice 15”+ walleyes, few eelpout, perch and more tullibees and pike this week than we have been seeing in previous weeks.  Best depth has been 17’-30’. The guides have been running and gunning chasing after active schools.  Electronics help!  This is the last weekend for our sleepers but we will continue to have day houses out for a few more weeks, give us a call 800-862-8602.

Walleye season is open through April 14 on Lake of the Woods. Once we end our ice fishing season we will be getting ready to hop in boats on the river. During the time walleye season is closed, there is an abundant amount of trophy size lake sturgeon and northern pike moving around in the river and bays. Fun time of year!

Ice Conditions
We lost some snow this week, but not changes in the ice conditions. We have 40-50 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We run off of our private access.  If you are looking to venture out on your own, there are a number of plowed roads in the area. Be sure to stay on marked trails and roads and check current conditions with the road maintainer before venturing out, conditions vary.

Trail Report
For more information check out these links:
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

21st Annual Mardi Gras Party is March 24
Visit us for great fishing and a whole lot of fun! Entertainment, beads, free hurricanes, food and drink specials, lip sync and costume contest win $100 CASH and much more. Click here to check out all of the fun we have planned and book your stay and play package today!

25% off all Lodging March 25-31
Give us a call 800-862-8602 or click here to book.

Spring River Fishing
It’s just around the corner. Lodging specials and guided trips available.
Click here to learn more.

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge – Better bite this week

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Check out the pictures of the week!

Better bite this week

Depths in 22’-28’ around structure using gold and pink jigs, Glo Shot spoons, Buckshots, Charmers and flashy small spoons tipped with a minnow has been working to catch the attention of the hungry walleyes and saugers this week.  Some guests have reeled in a limit by noon. Mix of vertical jigging and dead sticking. Lots of good ice on the lake and according to the forecast we will have plenty for a while. We will be open through March 18 here and Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River will have ice fishing trips available through March 31. So if you are looking to make one more trip, give us a call! March is a fun time to be out!

Ice Conditions
We have 40+ inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel.

Trail Report
We have 18-24 inches of snow in the area right now.  Grooming continues. For more information about the trails click on these links:
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

Ice Road from Young’s Bay to Oak Island
The ice road is in good shape. Follow the signs and take a ride. It is about 10 miles out.  The gravel road to the Northwest Angle has been a little sloppy. Use caution.

Time to book your spring and summer trip.
It is never too early to start planning your spring trip!  Come visit the islands this spring and get into some hot soft water action. Spring lodging specials available May 11-25! Contact us today.

Lots of ice, ice fishing trips available through March!

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Check out the pictures of the week!

The Bite

Sporadic fishing this week. Some doing better than others. Mix of sizes. Walleyes, saugers, few perch and pike coming up the holes.  Best bite has been using electronics and mix of jigging and dead sticking using pink glow, green/glow and gold jigs and small spoons tipped with a chub minnow in 19’-26’ of water. Hugging bottom or reeling up just a few inches and jigging have been a successful approach.   As we move closer to spring, the warming weather should only heat up the bite!

Walleye season is open until April 14 on Lake of the Woods and we have ice fishing trips available until March 31. Come see us! Lodging and fishing packages starting at only $215 per person.

*Plus tax and based on double occupancy.

Ice Conditions
No changes in the ice conditions, lots of ice. We have 40-50 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel on the groomed trails at this time. Forecast says the freezing will continue.  If you are looking to venture out on your own, there are a number of plowed roads in the area. Be sure to stay on marked trails and roads and check with local resorts before going out.

Trail Report
Trails are groomed and staked. For more information check out these links:
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

21st Annual Mardi Gras Party is March 24
Visit us for great fishing and a whole lot of fun! Entertainment, beads, free hurricanes, food and drink specials, lip sync and costume contest win $100 CASH and much more. Click here to check out all of the fun we have planned and book your stay and play package today!

25% off all Lodging March 25-31
Give us a call 800-862-8602 or click here to book.

Ice Fishing is Going Strong!

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Check out the pictures of the week!

The Bite
Mix of vertical jigging and dead sticking in 17’-31’ using Buckshots, Glo Shots, green, gold and yellow jigs and orange and green glow spoons tipped with a chub minnow have been bringing in some fish.  Few nice fish suspended 3’-12’ off bottom too.  Mix of walleyes, saugers, northern pike, tullibee and jumbo perch coming up through the holes.  We have had lots of weather fluctuations again this week.  It looks like the forecast for the week ahead is going to stabilize. That should help the bite!  We consistently see Vexilars or Fish Finders of your choice help catch rate.   Rentals are available if you would like to try one, be sure to call ahead to reserve.

Walleye season is open until April 14 on Lake of the Woods. We plan to have our day houses out until March 31.  You still have time!

Ice Conditions
We have 40+ inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel at this time.  If you decide to venture out on your own, as always be sure to stay on marked trails and roads and check with local resorts before going out.  The entire lake never freezes equally. Stay safe and have fun!

Trail Report
Trails are groomed and staked. For more information check out these links.
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

21st Annual Mardi Gras Party is March 24
Visit us for great fishing and a whole lot of fun! Entertainment, beads, free hurricanes, food and drink specials, lip sync and costume contest win $100 CASH and much more. Click here to check out all of the fun we have planned and book your stay and play package today!

Making ice for March

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Check out these pictures! 

Making ice for March ice fishing
Cold temperatures have once again blown in this week. The good news is we are making more ice to allow ice fishing to run right through the end of March. Lake of the Woods has a unique season most other lakes in Minnesota do not have, an extended walleye season through April 14 and due to it’s location a much better chance at cold temps to keep good ice right until March 31. The DNR also allows anglers to have houses on the lake overnight through March 31. We have both weekends and midweek trips available in March.  Make your spring break ice fishing plans today.

The bite this week has been a finicky this week. Some anglers doing better than others in varied shallow and deep depths 16’-30’. Warm temps coming in this weekend should help.   Successful anglers have been using a light jigging technique using pink and glow jigs or a plain hook tipped with a minnow. Sometimes a minnow head has been successful too. Vexilars and Fish Finders of your choice help. Anglers have been seeing lots of fish on electronics.   Mix of varied sized walleye and sauger mainly with a few big pike, sturgeon and a guest this past week even caught a crappie, not something we usually see in our area in the winter.

Ice Conditions
We have 32-36 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel at this time.

You still have time! Ice Fishing trips available through March 31!
Walleye season is open through April 14 on Lake of the Woods and we ice fish until March 31. Come see us! We have weekend openings in March and midweek openings in February and March.

Trail Report
Trails are groomed and staked. For more information check out these links.
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

Snuggle up with our sweetie this Valentine’s Day at Sportsman’s!
Lodging & Fishing Packages starting at $215 per person and two nights of dining specials Feb 14 & 15.
Sportsman’s gift cards make great gifts!
Click here

“We had another excellent trip up at Oak Island”

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We had another excellent trip up at Oak Island on Jan. 25-28, 2018. Wack and all the guys took great care of us, getting on the fish and cleaning them for us. We sure appreciate their hard work. The meals at the Lodge were fabulous as always.

Each of us caught some nice note-worthy fish.

Group: Kusilek
Name: Mike DeMarce
Fish: 22.5” Walleye
Date: 1/27/2018

Group: Kusilek
Name: Mark Stenseth
Fish: 20” Walleye
Date: 1/27/2018

Group: Kusilek
Name: Chad Young
Fish: 18.5” Walleye
Date: 1/27/2018

Group: Kusilek
Name: John Balk
Fish: 13.5” Perch
Date: 1/26/2018

Group: Kusilek
Name: Jim Kusilek
Fish: 13” Perch
Date: 1/26/2018

We hope to make it back up again next year, and look forward to seeing you all then.

Thanks.
Kusilek Group

Going Deep

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Fish are on the move.  Guides are busy moving and grooving to 25’-29’ of water. Gold and pink jigs and buck-shot rattling spoons tipped with a minnow have been good tackle along with a plain hook this week. A combo of dead sticking and jigging is the best approach. Electronics definitely help! Bring your own or call ahead to reserve. Mix of walleyes, saugers and an occasional pike or perch have been coming up the holes this week.

Ice Conditions
24-30 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. Walleyes season is open until April 14 on Lake of the Woods. Looking good for ice fishing right through late March. March trips are available!

Trails
Grooming away! Groomers caution riders to stay on the trails especially this year with how rough the lake froze; there are a lot of ice chunks sticking up off the trail.  Click below for the latest conditions and more information about the Lake of the Woods area trails.
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

Ice Road
The ice road from Young’s Bay to the lodge is in good shape! Come on out!

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall we have a fishing adventure for you!
Check out our packages for every season and make plans to escape to Oak Island this year.

 

Fishing for walleyes and BAM! A Monster Sturgeon!

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Targeting walleyes and saugers is always our #1 priority in the winter, but Lake of the Woods is an incredible fishery and you just never know what might be looking for something to munch on. Lake of the Woods is home to not only walleyes and saugers but also northern pike, lake sturgeon, tullibee, perch, eelpout, muskie, bass, lake trout and crappies.  Check out some of the pictures from the past week and two monster sturgeons! It is quite a rush to see a 45+ inch fish come through an ice fishing hole!

Bite
The weather continues to be mild and it looks like it will continue for at least through the weekend at this point.  The bite has been fair the past week.  Anglers have been having the most success jigging and dead sticking glow and gold colored jigs, small rippin raps, glo-shots and forage minnows tipped with a minnow. 8am-11am and 2pm-4pm have been some of the best times in a range of depths 16’-29’.  The best depth has really been changing frequently.  The guides are always moving houses and doing their best to stay on the best bite.  If you have electronics, bring them along. We consistently see a lot of success with folks who use them. If you don’t have your own, give us a call ahead of time, we have a few vexilars available to rent.

Ice Conditions
We have a good base of ice of over two feet, 28-32 inches in the areas we fish and travel.  Looking good for March ice fishing! Remember walleye season is open through April 14 on Lake of the Woods and we plan to keep our houses out until the end of March.

Trails
Grooming is in full swing. Groomers caution riders to stay on the trails especially this year with how rough the lake froze; there are a lot of ice chunks sticking up off the trail.  Click below for the latest conditions and more information about the Lake of the Woods area trails.
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

Join us for the BIG GAME and GREAT FISHING!
Feb 3-6 Trips available! Click here

Snuggle up with your Sweetie in February at Sportsman’s.
Two night lodging and fishing packages starting at just $215 per person. Can’t make it in February? Sportsman’s gift cards make great gifts! Click here to order yours.
Come see us! 800-862-8602 or [email protected]
*plus tax and based on double occupancy.