Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing & Outdoor Report

Sportsman’s Lodge

Baudette, MN

www.sportsmanslodges.com

800-862-8602

2/3/2010

The bite…
The past week we have seen average fishing. Monday was actually an above average day, hungry fish, perfect spot or excellent fisherman? Who knows? Maybe a combination of everything.  Some houses better than others, consistent jigging and a vexilar continue to help your odds. Some anglers have said they are still getting a good suspended bite six to fifteen feet off bottom where others have said they found most of the fish right on bottom. The best tip would be to try a little of both, don’t have a vexilar in your arsenal? No problem, we rent them at the lodge give us a call to book yours.  The best depth recently for a nice pail of walleyes and saugers has been between 33’-36’ of water, on the north side of Pine Island. The hot tackle, one guest yesterday boasted about the glow buckshot, available in our gift shop if you would like to try it out.

Lots of action…strong sauger class and slot size walleye class this year

Anglers continue to have plenty of action. Lake of the Woods has one of the highest sauger counts that we have seen in years, actually double the long-term average and you can tell if you have been out fishing, they are around.  These fish are mainly from the 2006-2008 hatchings and range in size between 8”-14”, some good enough for eating, some are best to be released but plenty to keep you busy throughout the day. Another real strong class this year is the 2001 walleye hatching which is between 19 ½” to 28”. Check out the pictures from Troy, Mike and Matt from this week showing off their 23, 23 ½ and 25 inch walleyes.  These fish are defiantly fun to catch and release weighing in between four to eight pounds.  One may think that doesn’t leave much for good eaters, keep in mind these classes of fish are defiantly at a higher than normal range, but the good eater classes between 2002-2005 are still in good shape and we continue to see many nice pails of fish pass thru on a daily basis. This just means there is more competition for your tasty minnow. Lake of the Woods is in great shape for many years to come. We are reminded that fishing is defiantly a sport, some days you get lucky, some days you need just the right equipment and technique and some days you don’t. All in all it is fun to get out, enjoy some fresh air and enjoy the company of good friends.

 

Reef fishing…

The guides recently moved some houses to the northern reefs the past days to keep all the options open. We plan to start fishing some of those houses this weekend. Our goal is to keep you on the fish where ever they maybe. Stay tuned for a report after the weekend.

Ice Conditions
We continue to have 30 inches of ice in the areas that we fish and travel. If you venture on your own be sure to stay on the trails or roads to avoid the bad ice areas.

Trail Report
Lake Trails

The trails are in perfect condition! The new snow we got a few weeks ago along with cold temperatures and a good grooming have really packed the snow down nice. Our groomer is out grooming the trail from Sportsman’s to Warroad today and will be grooming from Sportsman’s to Oak Island tomorrow.  It sounds like the weather is going to be in the twenties and teens over the weekend, great for sledding!

Land Trails

Just like the lake trails, we have a real nice snow base coupled with cool temperatures that have the trails in great shape.

Superbowl Weekend Special

Book a lodge room for Saturday night and get Sunday night for ½ price! Valid for lodge room stays at the Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location Feb 6 & 7. Book your getaway today 800-862-8602.