Sportsman’s Lodge Fishing Report – 9/18/2018

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The shiners are running now!!
Check out our Facebook page for the crazy bubbling shiners video. They are active and the jig bite is picking up!  It’s that time of year. The weather is cooling off; it’s time for fall fishing.  The water temperature jumped up the past week but now has dropped 4 degrees again in just the past 2 days, currently sitting at 66. Based on the weather forecast for the week I would expect this to dramatically fall this week.

Its Transition Time
Anglers are reeling in some nice walleyes using a variety of methods. If you are not getting into some good fishing, change it up. Drifting with spinners and worms or minnow as well as trolling with crankbaits in 28’-32’ in the basin and jigging with a minnow in 17’-26’ outside of bays have all been producing some nice walleyes. Gold and pink have been hot jig and spinner colors. Silver, white and red have been popular crankbaits. Some huge sturgeon are being reeled in in the deep holes of the bays and river bottom using a 4/0 hook, few ounce no roll sinker, gob of crawlers and topped with a shiner.

More fishing……Pike & Smallmouth Bass- Give a jerk baits a try when fishing for pike in the fall in cabbage weeds adjacent to rock structure.  Pike often hang out on the fringe of cabbage weeds.  Best approach has been starting at 10’-12’ and work to deeper water off reefs and points using a spinnerbait or a jig and a minnow.

Great Fall Fishing Deals
Lodging and Charter Fishing packages up to 20% off now through October 31 & Lodging starting at only $43* per person per night through Nov 30!
Click here now to start planning your trip.
*Plus tax and based on double occupancy.

Ice Fishing on your mind?
A little over 2 months and we will be drilling holes and putting fish houses out.
Do you have your reservations in yet?

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge – 9/18/2018

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The temperature is falling
Jigs, Crankbaits & Spinners…..it is a mixed bag of techniques right now, the season is changing.  The weather is cooling off and the water temperature is moving down the old thermometer.

Current water temperature is 64 degrees and falling daily. The crappie bite is picking up jigging with a minnow in 25’-30’ around structure. A variety of methods are working for walleyes. Mud flats 17’-26’ and 23’-29’ around reefs. We should see the shallow bite start picking up soon. Gold, bright yellow and pink have been hot tackle colors.  Muskies are hot after the top water baits in the weedy bays.

Get into the Fall Bite
We have October openings. Click here to plan your trip and give us a call 800-772-8411.

Sportsman’s Lodge Fishing Report – 9/12/2018

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Leaves are Changing and Walleyes are Biting
It has been a great bite this week. If you have never experienced fall fishing on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River it is a must do! There is lot of action, great scenery and endless fishing spots to explore.  The bite this week has been the best in the main basin of Big Traverse in 30’-34’ using crankbaits and drifting with spinners and a crawler.  Current water temp is 66 degrees.  The shiners are showing up in the river though so you can definitely tell we are at the start of transitioning into fall patterns. It won’t be long and the walleyes will start to move in shallower making shorelines, bays and the river a hot bed for a good jig and a minnow bite.

Great Fall Fishing Deals
Lodging and Charter Fishing packages up to 20% off now through October 31 & Lodging starting at only $43* per person per night through Nov 30! Click here now to start planning your trip.
*Plus tax and based on double occupancy.

Sturgeon, Pike, Smallmouth Bass
Fall is a great time to reel in not only walleyes but multi-species as well. The sturgeon fishing in the river is incredible. We see so many 50”+ get caught it is crazy.  To gear up for sturgeon a 4/0 or 5/0 hook, 1-3 oz. no roll sinker and a gob of minnows is a good approach. Anchored in or near a hole in the river bed or channel is a good spot to find them.  To lure in the bass and pike, throwing out top water baits in weedy bays with some rock structure is good approach.  There are hundreds of spots along the Rainy River and bays along the south shore to fish these fish.  Not sure how to do it or don’t have the equipment? No problem! We have guided trips available via our 18’and 20’ boats, great for groups up to 4 plus the guide. For more information about guided trips click here.

Cabela’s National Walleye Tour Championship Wrap Up
Thank you Cabela’s, anglers, sponsors and guests for visiting us on Lake of the Wood’s for the 2018 Championship Tournament this week. What a blast! We certainly enjoyed having you and look forward to having you visit again soon.

Congratulations Max Wilson 2018 Pro Champion, Scott Matthson 2018 2018 Co Champion, Brett King 2018 Pro Angler of the Year and Terry Hora 2018 Co Angler of the Year! Lots of great fishing went on during this 3 day tournament. The winning 3 day bag total was 45.83lbs. Over $280,000 was given away in cash and prizes. To learn more about the tournament and results click here.

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge – 9/12/2018

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Set the hook!
Nice keeper walleyes and a few larger are biting at the line this week. Anglers are finding the best walleye bite in 25’-30’ pulling gold spinners with a minnow or worm as well as a jig and a minnow along the edges of points or on top of reefs.  Water temperature is currently 65 degrees. Come get into the fall action!

Muskies, Pike, Bass
These fish are starting to move to the rocks but you can still find them in the weeds.  So be sure to check out both of these spots right now.  Throwing top water baits has been the ticket.

Crappies
Fall is one of the best times of the year to reel in these sweet flavored fish on Lake of the Woods. Anglers are starting to reel in some nice crappies and once the water starts to dip in the next few weeks, the bite should only get more aggressive.  Using a 1/4 ounce jig or smaller tipped with a minnow works well in areas with structure.

Perch
Jumbo perch are on the reefs. Grab some minnows and a 1/8 ounce jig and jig away.

Not sure where to go?
Take a guide! Sit back relax and reel in the fish. With nearly 1 million acres to explore, Lake of the Woods can be overwhelming, leave the guess work out of a fun fishing trip and take a guide.  For more information about our guided trips click here.

Sportsman’s Rainy River Fishing Report – 9/6/18

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Catching some nice Walleyes

We have been holding on to the 70’s during the day but the evenings are definitely starting to feel like fall! 35 degrees this morning!

Looks like a chance of rain later in the week, Sunday and Monday but overall it continues to be dry like most of our summer has been.  Water temperature has dropped a couple degrees from 69 to 67. Deep water trolling with shad raps continues to be good in 30’-34’ along with a good spinner bite drifting using hammered gold tipped with a crawler. We are starting to see bait move into the Lighthouse gap and Rainy River. Walleyes will be on the move soon.  The jig and minnow technique should start ramping up later in the month.
Cabela’s National Walleye Tour Day 1 on Lake of the Woods

We are proud hosts of the 2018 Cabela’s’ National Walleye Tournament Championship this week. Click here for the latest information and results. Stay tuned to Facebook for another live weigh in Sept 6 and 7. Good luck anglers!


Fall is here! Guided Trips Available

2 nights and 1 day charter packages starting at only $207* per person. Give us a call 800-862-8602 or email for rates and availability. [email protected].
*plus tax and based on double occupancy

Oak Island Fishing Report – 9/6/18

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The Leaves are turning

Cool evenings are really making it feel like fall. Walleye anglers are having the most success on rocky structures and drop offs drifting with spinners and jigs tipped with a minnow or crawler. It won’t be long and the fish will be on the move towards the shores. Some nice muskies are being boated; we expect the activity to increase as we move through the fall. The crappie bite should be picking up as we move to the end of September and through the fall too.

Check out our Great Fall Rates
Click here or call 800-772-8411.

Sportsman’s Lodge Welcomes the Cabelas National Walleye Tour Championship Event

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Sportsman’s Lodge welcomes the Cabelas National Walleye Tour Championship Event
to Lake of the Woods

Cabela’s National Walleye Tour Ends Season with Championship Event on Lake of the Woods at Baudette, Minnesota, September 5-7
Over 100 percent payback plus significant boat and engine contingencies available
 

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (August 22, 2018) – Competitive walleye anglers will converge on Lake of the Woods at Baudette, Minnesota, for the Cabela’s National Walleye Tour championship event on September 5-7. The championship will feature some of the country’s best walleye anglers in a pro-am style format and guarantees over 100 percent payback, including three fully rigged Ranger boats.

 
The championship event begins Tuesday, September 4, with tournament registration from 2-4 p.m.at Sportsman’s Lodge (3244 Bur Oak Rd. NW, Baudette, MN 56623) and a mandatory pre-tournament meeting set to start at 5:00 p.m. Pro- and co-angler pairings will be announced at the pre-tournament meeting.
 
Anglers will launch each morning at 7 a.m. from Wheeler’s Point with anglers returning to Sportsman’s Lodge for weigh-ins each day. After the first two days’ action, the field will be cut to the top 10 pro- and co-anglers. Weigh-ins will start at 3:00 p.m. each day.
 
During each day of competition, Triton Boats and Mercury Marine are offering free demo rides in the acclaimed 216 Fishhunter. The demo rides will take off from the boat launch.
 
The National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA) will also host a “Future Angler” program for children after Thursday’s weigh-in, approximately at 4:30 p.m., featuring an educational seminar and training for youth from top-notch NPAA members. The youth-orientated event will include a free rod/reel combo or “Future Pro” t-shirt for the first 150 children who attend the educational program. Smokey the Bear will also be on hand during this time.
 
Anglers who have fished all three regular season events, in addition to the top points leaders, will qualify for the three-day, entry-fee championship. The championship event is a pro-am style format and guarantees over 100 percent payback, including two fully rigged Ranger boats for first and second place in the pro-angler category and a Ranger VS1682DC with 115 horsepower Mercury 4-stroke, valued at $27,295 for the first-place co-angler.
 
The NWT Angler of the Year Awards is also up for grabs at the championship. The pro- and co-anglers with the most points earned after the championship will be awarded custom rings and paid entry fees for the 2018 season.
 
The NWT would like to thank Lake of the Woods Tourism and the area for their support of this event.
The Cabela’s National Walleye Tour includes unmatched television and media coverage, allowing a national audience to watch the action unfold from each event throughout the season. Airing on multiple networks, the NWT will be seen on the Pursuit Channel, CBS Sports Network, Fox Sports Net North, Comcast Chicago SportsNet, WildTV Canada and the World Fishing Network.
For more details, anglers are encouraged to call 612-424-0708 or 501-317-7548 or check out the new website at www.nationalwalleyetour.com. From here, site visitors can register for events, view the contingency programs and TV schedule and learn more about what’s in-store for2018.
 
2018 NWT scheduled events:

Championship – September 5-7 – Lake of the Woods (Baudette, Minn

Summer’s Last Blast – 8/29/18

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Walleye anglers are having lots of fun. A good bite in 26’-34’ of water in the mud and reefs drifting with spinners tipped with a crawler or trolling with shad raps has been the best method to reeling in the walleyes this week.  Silver, gold, white, red and orange have been popular colors of tackle. It looks like it is going to be a nice weekend to be out on the lake.

Fall is in the air, the water temp has dropped to 69 degrees this week.

Sturgeon
The sturgeons are biting.  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 well.   Keep one season runs until Sept 30 and Oct 1-April 23 is catch and release season.  Guided trips available!

We welcome the Cabela’s NWT Walleye Tournament Championship Sept 5-7 to Lake of the Woods.
Sportsman’s Lodge is proud to be the tournament headquarters for this year’s event. The tournament will feature some of the country’s best walleye anglers in a pro-am style format and guarantees over 100% payback.  For more information about this tournament click here.

Thank you Veteran’s!
We sure had fun this week during the 2018 Pay it Forward event. Thank you veterans for visiting Lake of the Woods and more importantly, thank you for your service. We were honored to have you visit. The Pay it Forward event is a 3 night/2 day fishing extravaganza bringing in 60 injured and disabled veterans to honor, recognize and celebrate leading to healing and happiness. The event was put on by Walleye Master Charity Events, Lake of the Wood’s Tourism Bureau and many volunteers and businesses. For more information about the event, click here.

Fall at Sportsman’s starts Sept 4
Up to 20% off summer lodging and charter fishing packages. Visit us this fall!

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge – 8/29/18

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Rock reefs and points in 18’-30’ using red/white and gold 3/8 oz. jigs tipped with a minnow or a spinner with a night crawler has been a successful method for reeling in the walleyes. Water temperature is cooling down, currently 70 degrees.

Muskies and Pike
Working point to point in weedy bays with structure using top water and jerk baits is luring in the muskie and pike. Come have some fun this fall.

Crappies
The crappie bite has been good in 24’-30’ on structure using a jig and a minnow.

Fall is just around the corner
Guided soft water trips available through mid-October at Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and through late October at Sportsman’s Lodge. Give us a call 800-772-8411.

Fall Is Creeping In

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The evening and morning temperatures have started to dip into the 50’s and daytime highs in the 70’s. Water temperature is currently 72, down from the upper 70’s earlier this week. Anglers caught some nice fish this week. The best bite this week has been in the deep mud 32’-34’ and in Little Traverse 14’-18’. Drifting with spinners tipped with a shiner minnow or crawler and trolling with crankbaits have been the most successful techniques. Gold, white and pink have been hot colors. Areas around Garden Island and Long Point have been bringing in some nice walleyes too. Check out the pictures of the week! Late summer trips available, contact us to get in on summer’s last blast.

Fall is just around the corner!
Get in on the great fall rates. Lodging starting at just $43 per person per night Sept 4-Nov 30, 2018 and up to 20% off summer lodging and charter fishing packages Sept 4-Oct 31, 2018. Click here to contact us today or call 800-862-8602.

Check out the pictures of the week!  Fall is just around the corner.