Category Archives: Weekly South Shore Fishing Report

Jigs, Spinners, Crankbaits….lots of options

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The weather has begun to become normal again after the last few weeks and the fish are getting hungry again! The may fly hatch is in full swing but it hasn’t seemed to slow the walleyes down. A good jig bite has continued into July. 31’ seems to be the magic number out in the mud. Pink has been by far the best color. Tipping your jig with a shiner will produce but try tipping with a leech if the bite slows.

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The spinner bite continues to produce great numbers of walleyes. 7’-14’ has been the best depths. A hammered gold spinner with a crawler has far outdone any other color or bait as of late!

A great trolling bite is beginning to show itself as well. In the mornings and evenings up shallows has good numbers of active walleyes. 6’-12’ with crankbaits, trolling anywhere from 2.2 mph to 3.5 mph. During the day, 30’-32’ is holding great numbers of walleyes. Cover water and you should run into some good fish!

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You still have time!
Summer fishing is just heating up! Contact us today for a free quote for a July & August getaway. Sportsman’s has something for everyone, charter fishing, lodging, dock slips, boat rental, camping, restaurant, bar, indoor pool, lake tour, area activities and more!

You hook’em, we will cook’em!
Enjoy your daily catch fried up for FREE when you fish on one of our charter boats. Add our famous soup and salad bar for only $5 or choose from our large selection of side items.

The Guides are ready to take you out on a great day of fishing!

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As summer rolls on, so does the great fishing.  Excellent numbers of walleyes are being caught all over the lake.  Drifting or trolling spinners has been producing the best numbers of walleyes.  Hammered gold and orange spinners in the 8’-20’ have been the ticket in the last few days.  Crawlers and leeches are both catching fish at equal rates.  Speed has been the key, slow and steady!  Just enough to keep those spinners moving has been good as the water has been dirtier than usual.  With the water clearing up the walleyes should get back to being aggressive.

Reeling in some nice fish this summer!

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A good jig bite still is going on.  30’-32’ out in the mud still is kicking out good schools of walleyes.  The rocks reefs have been starting hold fish all up and down Long Point as well!  22’-26’ on these rocks is your best depth to start.  Pink jigs tipped with a frozen shiner or a leech about a foot off the bottom is the best way to go.

Check out what some of the kids from the Annual Lake of the Woods Take a Kid Fishing event reeled in! Teach a kid to fish, a sport they will enjoy for a lifetime!

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Crankbaits are starting to heat up along Pine Island.  6’-12’ in the morning and evenings has been very good.  Trolling 2-3 mph all along Pine Island and in front of the gap.  If you are bored one evening, get out and do some trolling! We will see you out there! Good Luck!

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4th of July Celebration is next week
Join us for fishing, relaxing, beach time, entertainment, fireworks and more next week. We still have some openings available and Baudette is planning lots of 4th of July fun! Check it out and contact us today.

Want to reel in a trophy walleye?  July & August are the best months to do just that.
Click here to check out our charter trips. No equipment or experience required!

Reeling in walleyes

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Storms and wind have plagued Lake of the Woods this week.  Fishing has slowed but in no way does that mean the walleyes aren’t biting.  One major key is FIND CLEAN WATER!  Fishing in mud stained water is always going to be tough.  When these storms and wind roll through it is important to slow down!  Jig and a frozen shiner still catching fish out in 28’-30’.  Pink, gold, and yellow are all good colors.

The fish are biting!

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Spinner fishing has been very good and still is.  Gold spinners drifting in 8’-18’ has been producing some nice walleyes.  Varying day to day but tipping these spinners with leeches and crawlers continue to out do minnows.  Slow down your presentation and try and find the cleanest water!  Good Luck!

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July & August is family fun time!
The weather is warm, the bite is great and Sportsman’s has plenty to keep the whole gang busy before and after a day on the lake.  Relax in our comfortable lodging, reel in some walleyes, take a splash in the indoor pool and hot tub, taste our oh so yummy walleye dishes, listen to the musical entertainment, start a friendly competition in the game room, throw a line off the dock, tour the area on our lake tour and visit our nearby attractions including an 18 hole golf course, beach, museum, skate park, playground, state park, car museum, casino and more. Sportsman’s is your family fun headquarters!  Click here to start planning your vacation today www.sportsmanslodges.com
Lots of events planned for the community 4th of July Celebration
Click here to check out the events planned and make plans to visit. Lodging, camping and guided fishing available!

Summer Rolls On!

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Summer rolls on and so does the great fishing!  Walleyes have been aggressive and hungry, being caught using several different methods.  The jig bite continues to be consistent but you have to look deeper.  27’-30’ has been the best depth, but the fish should continue to push deeper.  Don’t be afraid to get out to 31’-32’ this week!  Gold and pink with a frozen shiner seems to produce the most bites.

The mid-June spinner is on too!  No need to go out and get an assortment of different colored spinners though, hammered gold is all you will need!  The best depths have been 10’-14’, but fish are caught as shallow as 7’ and as deep as 20’ depending on the day.  Drifting at 1 mph has been the magic speed as of late, but if you marking fish but they refuse to bite, slow down! Just enough to keep that spinner moving!  As far as bait, an even mix of crawlers and leeches.

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Captain Matt and Captain Bob had a crazy few days of fishing with the Lindsay group! Awesome fish!!

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Captain Travis Campbell and the Hien group slaughtered the walleyes jigging this week and even a bonus sturgeon!

But live bait isn’t your cup of tea, get on the troll!  Just off of Pine Island and up the shore to Long Point has been kicking out good numbers of shallow water walleyes!  Trolling crankbaits in 6’-10’ has produced very well!  This bite is better in the morning and late evening but can be very good!

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Father’s Day is this weekend
Treat dad to a fishing getaway in June or a gift card at Sportsman’s! Weekend getaway guided fishing packages starting at $249 per person. Click here to start planning your trip today.
*plus tax and based on double occupancy

Looking for a bachelor or bachelorette party idea?
Reel in some walleyes and relax at the lake at Sportsman’s Lodge. Day or weekend trips available. Guided fishing (no equipment required or experience required), Lodging, Camping, Live Bands, Bar, Restaurant, Indoor Pool and more! Contact us for a free quote and ask about our package deals for groups of 12 or more.

Fishing continues to be hot!

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Fishing continues to be hot!  Walleyes are being targeted and caught using a variety of tactics.  Gold and pink jigs tipped with a frozen shiner are still producing very well.  27’-30’ has been the best depths the past few days.

Like I said last week, the spinner bite will be picking up and that has held true!  8’-20’ with a hammered gold spinner tipped with a minnow, leech, or crawler produced good numbers of quality walleyes!  Drift speed is very important when spinner fishing. The best speed right now is .7-1.2 mph.

The third bite that has been producing is pulling plugs.  This is a method that doesn’t usually pick up steam until the dog days of summer but there has been a few boats doing well.  If you look to try this tactic look shallow.  Troll the breaks from 5’-10’.  Since the water is still warming up, the slower you can run your plugs and keep them in the strike zone the better!

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Captain Matt and the Neimi Group had an unbelievable day filled with a ton of multi-species action!

 

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Looking for a place to have a bachelor or bachelorette party this summer?
Sportsman’s Lodge is a great place! Lodging, fishing (no experience or equipment required), musical entertainment, indoor pool, hot tub, camping and relaxing await you. Make it just a day or weekend trip!  Contact us today for a free quote!

Celebrate Dad the month of June at Sportsman’s!
Lodging & Charter Fishing packages available starting at $249 per person or make it a gift card. Gift cards are always the right color, size and price.  Click here to contact us about a trip and click here to order a gift card online now.

The Season Is Heating Up!

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Water temperatures continue to climb, currently we are at 56 degrees and walleyes are beginning to get more aggressive.  Jigs tipped with a minnow still are producing good numbers of quality fish.  20’ to 26’ seems to be the best depth to be in.  Gold jigs continue to be the best color, but chartreuse and orange have put some good numbers in the boat as well!

Jigging isn’t the only tactic that has produced though!  As those water temps keep getting warmer and warmer, drifting spinners will produce great walleyes.  That time of year is vastly approaching and I am beginning to hear of a few fish being caught on spinners.  If you do decide to experiment and try drifting, gold spinners from 12’ to 20’ is a great place to start!  Leeches, crawlers, or minnows can all work on spinners, and especially this early any one of them could be the hot bait that day!  The spinner bite will only get better through this next month of the season so don’t be afraid to try it!  Good luck and we will see you out there!

Fathers Day is June 18.

Treat dad to a getaway this June at Sportsman’s Lodge. Lodging and charter packages starting at only $249 per person plus tax. (Based on double occupancy) Contact us today 800-862-8602.

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A wonderful day on Captain Darryl’s boat with slot fish and limits of fish! Awesome job guys!

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Getting’ Jiggy With It

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Fishing is HOT!! Week one of the walleye season and the walleyes are in full feed mode! All of our guides are pulling in limits of fish and more! Rain, wind, or sunshine did not seem to matter to the fish. Fish are being caught anywhere from 17’ to 24’ outside of Pine Island. All jig colors have been producing but green, pink and gold seem to be doing a little better than the rest. The best jig size has been 3/8-5/8 oz. As far as bait, emerald shiners continue to produce very well, but fish can be caught on chubs and we’ve even caught wind of a few fish caught on leeches! Get out, be mobile and don’t be afraid to try something different! Also, make sure you stop and share your fish stories! See you all out there!
Memorial Weekend Packages still available!
Lodging starting at $125 per room night and Lodging and Charter Fishing starting at $249 per person per night.

Click here to book now or call 800-862-8602.

The Fredrickson group had a wonderful few days with Captain Matt, boating over 10 slot fish in one day! Here is just a few of them!

Father’s Day is June 18. Celebrate Dad all month long at Sportsman’s Lodges!
Fishing trips and gift cards available. Click here

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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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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.

Opener is right around the corner!

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Temperatures are up and the fishing is heating up too!  With water temps scratching 50 degrees, pike are in full swing and aggressive.  Casting spoons and spinnerbaits in the tributaries and at any shallow weeds that may be beginning to grow is the best and most efficient way to target them.  Sturgeon have begun to spawn and are stacking up in rapids and fast flowing shallow water. Best areas to target these monsters is to concentrate on deep holes adjacent to these spawning areas.

Walleye Opener
With the walleye season beginning this weekend, great places to begin the season is just outside the Lighthouse Gap, the north side of Pine Island and Four Mile Bay.  A jig tipped with a shiner is always the best bet to kick the season off.  As far as colors to start with, chartreuse, pink and gold are great choices!

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Sturgeon fishing has been hot! 3 days left of the season until July. Get into the action!

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Unreal! Two hours into these gals sturgeon careers they haul in a 68″ monster!

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Take a Mom fishing
Mother’s Day is May 14.  Treat mom to some great fishing, relaxation and Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch at Sportsman’s next weekend.  She will love our cozy accommodations, indoor pool, hot tub, beautiful views, excellent fishing and delicious food.  Click here for our spring lodging and fishing packages and here to check out our Mother’s Day menu.

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.

Sportsman’s Lodge South Shore Lake of the Woods Fishing Report 5/3/2017

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With air temperatures dropping in the low 30s we all knew the water temperatures were not far behind. Water temperatures dipped all the way to 40 degrees.  And with cooling water almost always means fishing slows, especially in the spring time! This does not mean there are not fish to be caught! As far as sturgeon, get in high percentage areas and camp.  With the water cooling those big dinos will be lethargic but they will bite if they are there.  When targeting pike, if you are casting work those baits as slow as possible.  Although it may take some more patience, dead baits under a float or on the bottom may be the better bet.  As far as location, creek mouths and any areas of slack water are great areas to target! Good luck and we will see you out there!

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Walleye Opener is only 10 days away! Do you have your reservations in?
SPRING FISHING SPECIALS ~ Two nights lodging in your choice of a lodge room or cabin and one day charter fishing aboard a 27’ boat with onboard restroom, experienced guide, use of poles, bait, tackle, assortment of pop/water and fish cleaning package starting at only $210 per person. Two Night/Two Day starting at $323 and Three Night/Three Day starting at $369.  Lodging, boat rental and dock slips also available. Click here to learn more and book your stay today 800-862-8602. *plus tax and based on double occupancy

The man, the myth, the legend is on the board with his new personal best sturgeon… 59.5″.. It was even tagged.. Great job Blue Olson. Great battle.
Guide Bryan “Beef” Sathre

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Check out this nice 39.5 inch pike!

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Charter boats are ready for opener!

Take a Mom fishing
Mother’s Day is May 14.  Treat mom to some great fishing, relaxation and Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch at Sportsman’s next weekend.  She will love our cozy accommodations, indoor pool, hot tub, beautiful views, excellent fishing and delicious food.  Click here for our spring lodging and fishing packages and here to check out our Mother’s Day menu.
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.


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.