Good ol’ Mother Nature decided we needed more snow so she threw down 12 inches the past few days J. The guides have the bombardiers out in full force getting guests to the fish houses, moving houses and chasing down the best bite. We aren’t slowing down…..just another day in the north land. Come see us!
The latest bite
What a great start to the year! 14lb walleye, a few 50”+ sturgeons, 19.67 lb. eelpout and many other nice fish caught.
We are seeing many nice pails of walleyes and saugers and a few nice 25”+ walleyes this week. Jigging pink, gold or red glow 1/8-3/8 oz. jigs tipped with a minnow head or full minnow has worked well. Some anglers are finding the smaller jig and minnow head is working best to entice the fish and set the hook with better success. The bite is on the move deeper, 18’-29’now. Check out some of the pictures.
Ice Conditions
Current ice conditions are 17-20 inches in the areas we travel and fish. We run a private groomed trail. If you looking to venture out on your own, check out Adrian’s Road report below.
Adrian’s Road Four Mile Bay near Wheeler’s Point Access
As of January 1, ½ ton trucks pulling up to 17’ wheel houses and smaller vehicles pulling up to 21’ wheel houses are allowed out. ¾ ton and 1 ton trucks can drive out but cannot pull a wheel house.
Trail Report
Lake trails are marked from Baudette on the Rainy River all the way around Wheeler’s Point to Lake of the Woods and 40 miles north across the lake to Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge. The trails are also marked from Wheeler’s Point to Warroad. The crew is dragging the trails now and as soon as we get a few more inches of ice they will start grooming. This new snow has really improved trail conditions. The land trails are being groomed often. For more information about the land trails check out the Lake of the Woods Drifters Snowmobile Club.
Lake Sturgeon
Anglers have been reeling in a few lake sturgeons lately. Most sturgeon have been caught on a jig and minnow while targeting walleyes however this has raised several questions I thought I would take the time to address. Can I target sturgeon now? Can I use the same large hook, sinker and worm method as I do in the spring? Does Sportsman’s have fish houses available that target sturgeon? Yes, you can target sturgeon anytime July 1-May 15. The season to keep one is April 24-May 7 and July 1 – Sept 30. The rest of the season is open to catch and release. The only time you cannot target sturgeon is when the season is closed May 16-June 30. Yes, you can use the same method to catch sturgeon in the winter as you do in the summer using a large 4/0 or 5/0 hook, no roll sinker and a gob of minnows however worms can be hard to come by this time of year so many people use shiners. Sportsman’s does not have houses that we use to primarily target sturgeon but as we know the sturgeons are out in our fishing areas and it is not that uncommon to sIf you are looking for a soft water trip to target these prehistoric dinosaurs, our guides would love to take you out. Click here for more information.
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