Tag Archives: lake of the woods fishing

Few more days of ice fishing

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Few more days of ice fishing
We have 40-50+ inches of ice on the lake in the areas we fish and travel right now.  Ice fishing trips available through Saturday.  Give us a call if you are interested in getting one last blast in! If you are planning on venturing out on your own, some of the public ice roads are getting pretty beat up so be sure to call ahead for current conditions. Adrian’s, Morris Point and Zippel are some of the ice roads near us.

Check out these pictures!

The Bite
Not too many changes from last week. Mix of jigging and dead sticking in variety of depths between 16’-31’ using gold and pink jigs,  Glo Shots, red hooks, Buckshots tipped with a minnow has been working the best for walleyes and saugers. Big pike are coming up the holes in shallow waters on the lake and bays using live suckers.  Log Cabin Bait just a mile away from us has suckers for sale.

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/what they are allowing out with the road maintainer before venturing out.

Walleye season is open through April 14 on Lake of the Woods.
When walleye season closes for a few weeks, 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 at Birchdale 36 miles east of us and the Birchdale landing opened yesterday for boats.  Frontier landing will be the next landing to open. I would expect that to open within the next week at this rate, then Vidas Landing near Clementson (6 miles east of Baudette (18 miles east of us)) Timbermill in Baudette and then Wheeler’s Point shortly after. Click here for more information about spring river fishing and stay tuned for updates.

Spring Specials
Lodging starting at $43 per person per night and guided river trips available April 1-May 23! Come see us!

*plus tax and based on double occupancy

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.

Off and Running!

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Walleye season is finally here and we couldn’t be more excited!  We had an awesome first weekend with boats pulling in a lot of nice fish!  Fish are being caught all the way from 14’ to 23’.  Do not be afraid to move around and look for fish!  Jig tipped with a shiner seemed to be the best way to target them with the hot colors being Lake of the Woods classics, pink and gold.  With temps remaining in the high 50s low 60s fishing is looking to stay good this week!  Hope to see you out there!

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What a tough day for Captain Mike.  Trying to take a nice picture but cannot seem
to keep people from catching fish in the background!

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Captain Wes off to a hot start this year with a cooler of nice fish!

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Nice Catch!

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vanstrom

Many of you know Mike Vanstrom, a guide who has been with us in the fall and winter seasons for the past 3 years. When Mike is not at Sportsman’s, Mike can be found in the southwest region of Alaska.

Mike has a love for the outdoors and in the summer season guides outdoor enthusiasts brown bear and moose hunting and king salmon fishing 300 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska on the Nushagak River the world’s largest run of king salmon. You may have recently seen the 9′ bear that is in our lobby Mike guided a customer to bag recently. If you are looking for an Alaska adventure check out Mike’s website.

Sturgeon and pike fishing is heating up!

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We have already seen some huge sturgeon and nice pike reeled in this year and this is only the beginning! Sturgeon seasons run through May 15 and pike season is open year round. The spring sturgeon catch and release season runs through April 23 and May 8-15. You can keep one sturgeon per calendar year April 24-May 7, between the size of 45”-50” inclusive or over 75” with a sturgeon tag.  Sturgeon tags can be purchased at the lodge for $5 or at any place that sells Minnesota fishing licenses.

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Come and get in on the fun
Water temp is 45 degrees today.  Some of the best sturgeon fishing is just minutes away from our dock. Sturgeon like to hang out in deep holes of the river bottom. One of the best techniques to hook into one is to set up anchored just in a hole or outside of a hole using a 4/0 or 5/0 hook, 2-10 oz. no roll weight depending on the current for that day and tip it with a gob of minnows. The best places to find pike this time of year is in the bays. Throwing dare devils or jointed rapalas usually do well. Hundreds of bays along the river and lake are open now. Guided trips also available too. The lake continues to open up more every day. As soon as the cloud cover clears we will post a satellite picture on our facebook page, stay tuned.

Check out what others have caught this week!

Get on the fish with a Guided Trip
Whether you are looking for sturgeon, pike or walleye we have trips available this spring. Contact us for more information 800-862-8602.

11th Annual Sturgeon Tournament is May 5 & 6. The tournament is full this year but everyone is welcome to stop in and check out the action from our docks or in the bar. The tournament takes place right out in front of the lodge over a 1 mile stretch. Annually we see over 100 sturgeon caught over the two day tournament. Stop by for great fishing stories, food, drinks and entertainment Friday and Saturday evenings. The tournament runs from 8:30 to 4pm Friday and 8:30 to 3pm Saturday.

Walleye Opener is just around the corner
May 13 is walleye opener. Lodging starting at $46 per person and lodging/charter fishing packages starting at only $249 per person. Click here to choose your package. *plus tax and based on double occupancy

Mother’s Day Brunch
Treat mom to some great fishing, relaxation and Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch at Sportsman’s May 14. From walleye, to salads to mimosas and more click here to check out the menu we have planned and make your reservations today.

Record Breaking Catch & Release Sturgeon

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When you are fishing for walleye and you reel in a record breaking sturgeon!!

What an experience!
When three friends, Taylor Schroeder, Tyler Hill and Paul David from Virginia, MN area set out March 30, 2017 on the Rainy River to get into some walleyes, they had no idea what was going to be in store for the that day.

Check out Taylor’s story……Two friends and I set out to catch some walleyes last Thursday morning. We started the day with a nice 25″ fish, but then the fishing slowed, so we decided to move. We anchored in a new spot and soon after I hooked into a sturgeon. The sturgeon decided to bolt down river. I had to put a little pressure on my drag to make sure I had line left to fish with for the rest of the day. Of course, that resulted in my line breaking. I retied, and started fishing again.

Meanwhile, my friends, Tyler Hill and Paul David, started to catch some walleyes. I then felt weight again, so I set the hook, another sturgeon. This time, we pulled up anchor and went for a ride. Having only six pound test and a medium light rod, I didn’t know how long the fight would last. I assumed it would end with me tying on another jig. That was not the case!  It ended up taking around an hour of boat work and drifting to eventually get the fish off the bottom. When we first saw the fish, it became clear we had a BIG one. After wrestling with it at boat side, we found it impossible to lift the fish out of the water by hand, so we grabbed some rope and lassoed the tail. It took two of us to get the fish up and into the boat. When the chaos was somewhat over, we looked at the fish and noticed that it had two of my jigs stuck in its mouth. It was the same sturgeon that broke me off half an hour earlier!

Taylor Schroeder 69 inch sturgeon

After a few pictures and a good measurement, which required all three of us to accomplish, we released the fish. It was about an hour later, when my curiosity caused me to look up the state record (catch & release). I couldn’t believe it when I saw the numbers. Our fish topped the current record by an inch and a half. Unfortunately, we lacked one of the pictures required for it to be considered as a state record fish.  One picture away from a state record, will probably haunt me for a while but in reality, we were just fortunate to have experienced it. In the end, it’s a story of what could have been, but an amazing story nonetheless.

Taylor Schroeder 69 inch sturgeon March 2017
What a catch! 69 inch sturgeon caught on medium light rod, 6lb test, pink and white jig tipped with a rainbow minnow by Taylor Schroeder and assisted by Tyler Hill and Paul David.

Sturgeon season catch and release season is open on Lake of the Woods Oct 1 through April 23 and May 8-15. You can harvest one 45″-50″ inclusive or over 75″ May 8-15 and July 1-Sept 30 with a sturgeon tag purchased from the DNR.

Rainy River update!

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Rainy River Update!

3/23/2017
Frontier and Vidas landings now open to all boats! The Rainy River is open within 5 miles east of Baudette and open water spots within 3 miles of Baudette. Vidas, Frontier, Birchdale and Pelland landings are all open to all boats. Timbermill should open up in a day or so and Wheeler’s Point next. River has opened up 15 miles since Sunday. 16 miles left until it hits our docks! Won’t be long!

Lots of good fishing reports coming in! Jigging with gold jigs, rainbows or shiners. Tag us in your photos. We would love to share them!

Click here for an access map http://sportsmanslodges.com/…/7…/Rainy_River_Access_Map1.pdf

$99 Lodge rooms and 20% off cabins/villas this weekend.  20th Annual Mardi Gras Party is Saturday! Join us! 800-862-8602

For more information and reports like us on Facebook!

Vidas Landing Rainy River 3-23-2017

Vidas Landing on the Rainy River 3-22-2017

Frontier Landing Rainy River 3-23-2017

Frontier Landing Rainy River 3-23-2017

 

Bring on the cold!

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It looks like the brief winter warm up is finally going to end after today and boy are we excited!  Enough of the warm weather, what was Mother Nature thinking we still have a month of ice fishing left! LOL!

Currently we have 23-27 inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish. We have made some changes to where we are accessing the lake and have been playing in some sloppy conditions the past few days but other than that we are still fishing, checking ice often keeping safety #1 and looking at the forecast we plan to keep fishing until late March.

If you are looking to venture out on your own we can’t stress enough to please work through resorts and outfitters. Check conditions before going out and stay on the trail.  The conditions are not the same over the entire lake and now with very little snow left on the lake many people may think they can go anywhere.  That is not the case.  That is not the case even in the coldest of winters and the winters when we have 4’ of ice.  On a good note once we start to cool down we should build ice quicker without the snow.  So stay safe and come join us for some great late season fishing!

Fishing Action
Gold and pink spoons jigging or dead sticking with a plain hook tipped with a minnow has been working the best in 26-32’.  Overall some anglers doing better than others depending on the day, hour, weather, depth, approach and mother nature.  Electronics users seem to do better than those without. Still seeing some suspended fish in various depths from a foot off bottom to 15 feet.  Bite has been mainly made up of walleyes and saugers for the pan or throwback with an occasional slot walleye (19.5”-28”) or larger.  Best tip is to try some different techniques and talk with your guide for the best approach for the day. March usually considered an active month for fishing. Come visit us!

Check out what some of the guests have been reeling in this week!

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Winter pike
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Trail Report
Due to the warm weather we recently been having most of our snow has melted. Trails are marked and groomers will fire back up as soon we get another shot of snow!

Walleyes Are Biting!

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Lake of the Woods continues to have a great summer season. Walleyes are biting from Long Point to Zippel Bay in 29-32 feet of water. Anchored and jigging with worms or trolling with crank baits have been working well. Hot tackle colors have been silver, white, red and orange.  Around Pine Island in 25-30 feet of water is another hot spot. For those anglers heading to the north end of the lake, Garden Island and Little Oak are still producing nice limits of fish. The current water temperature is down a few more degrees from last week at 71.  The forecast looks great so now’s the perfect time to visit.

49 inch sturgeon caught by Larry Deacon. Guided by Travis M

49 inch sturgeon caught by Larry Deacon. Guided by Travis M

28 inch walleye caught by Molli Burns and guided by Captain Matt

28 inch walleye caught by Molli Burns and guided by Captain Matt

 

 

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Openings still available for this weekend!
If you are looking for a place to relax this weekend, give us a call! Lodging, Camping, Guided Fishing Trips and dock rental available. [email protected] or call 800-862-8602

Sturgeon & Bass
The sturgeon are starting to bite. Holes in the river bottom anchored using a 5/0 size hook, 1-2 ounce no roll sinker and a gob of minnows has been working good for sturgeon. The bite should only get stronger as the water starts to cool. Keep one season runs until Sept 30 and Oct 1-April 23 is catch and release season. Guided trips available! The smallmouth bass bite has been good around shallow rocks casting spoons in the river and around reefs.

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Warm Water Walleyes

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Lake of the Woods is at its peak temperature for the year right now. The temperature is between 74-78 degrees. Where is the best place to find the walleyes? Deep! Depths between 28-32 feet have been best. Anchored jigging and pulling spinners tipped with a leech or minnow has been producing some eyes and saugers but the most action has been using the controlled depth approach pulling crank baits. Red, gold, white and silver have been hot colors. Anglers are reporting several healthy sized walleyes and saugers. Some anglers have also been finding some nice perch, crappies and smallmouth bass fishing in the river using jigs and buck tails. Lots of fishing opportunities going on!

 Stefanich Group with Captain Ralph
 Stefanich Group with Captain Ralph
 Stefanich Group with Captain Ralph August 2016
 Stefanich Group with Captain Ralph. August 2016
 Logan and some nice perch!
 Logan and some nice perch!
 Crappies right off the dock
 Crappies right off the dock
 Bryan “Beef” Sathre found some nice smallies this week
 Bryan “Beef” Sathre found some nice smallies this week

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Fall Fishing is just around the corner
A few more weeks and we will start to see fall creep in. Fall fishing is phenomenal on Lake of the Woods, walleyes, saugers, sturgeon, bass, crappies, pike, perch and muskies abound. Boat rentals, dock slips and guided trips available through late October. Click here to learn more.