Up & Down
Fishing has been like jigging this week, up and down. The most successful approaches have been pulling spinners with crawlers or minnows and some jigging with a 3/8 oz. jig tipped with a minnow on the reefs in 20’-30’. The eastern side of Falcon Island and Little Oak Island has been good areas. The water temperature is 72 degrees.
Muskies & Northern Pike
Morning and evening bite has been the best. Trolling deep bays and rocky points with bucktails and top water lures have been hot. Top water crank baits and spinners have been working for pike casting in a weedy bed and rocky shorelines.
Bass
Smallmouth bass have been hitting around rock reefs in 4’-14’ using crank baits.
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Great Weather, Great Fishing
A warm weekend with light and variable winds is ahead and a cool down to the mid 70’s the rest of the week.
Looks like it is going to be a great week to get out and do some fishing. Check out the pictures of the week. Summer charter trips still available. Contact us 800-862-8602.
The Scoop
Water temperature is bouncing around in the mid 70’s this week. The best technique to reeling in walleyes has been mixed this week. Some anglers are doing really well with hammered gold, white/silver and red crawler harness, 1-2 ounces of weight and tipping it with crawler in 16’-28’. Other anglers are finding that trolling with crank baits is working the best 28’-31’ outside of Zippel Bay, Graceton Beach and the northern reefs in Big Traverse. Our guides always want to give you the best experience but if you prefer one approach over another we are happy to accommodate. Charter trips include a guide aboard a 27’ Sport Craft boat with onboard restroom, use of poles, bait, tackle, assortment of pop and water and fish cleaning. Shore lunches and box lunches available too.
Congratulations to the MTT tournament winners! The top bag was 5 fish weighing in over 36 pounds. Minnesota Tournament Trail held a tournament July 6 & 7 on the south shore of Lake of the Woods. The south shore of Lake of the Woods is host to several tournaments this year. We welcome the Cabela’s Master Walleye Circuit and North American Bass Circuit this weekend. Click here to learn more about these tournaments.
Multi Species Central
Walleyes, saugers, perch, pike, smallmouth bass and muskies a plenty. Come try them all.
Water temp is currently in the mid 70’s. Walleyes have been hungry in 24’-30’ of water on rock structures using hammered gold, silver and orange crawler harnesses and crawlers as well as jigs and a minnow. Some nice smallmouth bass have been found around rock reefs in the islands in 4’-14’ using crankbaits or lipless cranks bounced off bottom with an irregular retrieval. Huge pike have been biting along rocky shorelines and weedy bays throwing out dare devils and bucktails. Some anglers have also been having great luck long casting around humps and deep sand flats while trolling with heavy spoons. Let it sink to the bottom and reel in. Muskie fishing is also heating up. Trolling deep bays, rocky points and weedy bays using bucktails and top water lures have been successful. Don’t forget a good net! You never know when you might reel in a monster!
We have some openings left here and there this summer and through fall for lodging and guided trips. Click here for availability and rates or call 800-772-8411 and let’s have some fun.
Walleyes and a few surprises What a fun week! It was a good walleye and sauger bite. Walleyes continued to hit on spinners tipped with a leech or a crawler harness and worms in the sand in 24-29 feet of water while drifting or trolling. A few notable colors were gold, pink and white. Bright or shiny colors are always good go to colors for the stained waters of Lake of the Woods. Water temperature has bounced up to 73 degrees.
Nice mixes of walleyes and saugers have been reeled in as well as a few surprises. Captain Brent’s crew was targeting walleyes when a feisty 41 inch northern pike grabbed a hold. This fighter gave Jody quite the fight! Check out the monster in the pictures of the week video. Another crew was out fishing for walleyes and reeled in a 50 ½ monster muskie! WOW were they surprised! Check out that monster as well as some of the other catches of the week!
Sturgeon Season opened back up July 1. Now until Sept 30, anglers can keep 1 per calendar year. After September the season will go to catch and release until late April. During the keep season, fish must be 45″-50″ inclusive or over 75″. Immediately upon reducing a fish to possession, you must validate and attach your sturgeon tag. Sturgeon tags can be purchased online or by phone 24/7 by calling 1-888-MN-LICEN (665-4236) from the Minnesota DNR. Like in the spring these bottom feeders can be found swimming the bottom holes of the river and bays. A gob of minnows, a few shiners or something for smell hooked onto a 4/0 hook and a no roll sinker is all you need. Anchor up, enjoy the scenery and get ready for a heck of a fight when one takes a chomp. Several 40”-70”+ are caught in the area quite often.
Baudette does it right on the 4th of July ~ Last Minute Lodging Available!
Parade, vendors, games, entertainment, fishing, boating. Lots of events planned. Click here to check out the full schedule and make plans to join us. Lodging and guided fishing trips available.
Send us your photos. We always love seeing your pictures. If you have some pictures to share, send them our way. Email, Text 218-395-0042 or Tag us on Facebook. You might find your picture in our next fishing report, social media page or brochure!
Lodging & Charter Fishing packages starting at just $251 per person for 2 nights and 1 day. Come have some fun this summer! Click here.
*plus tax and based on double occupancy
Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge
Oak Island, MN
800-772-8411
www.oakislandlodge.com
7/2/2018
Happy 4th of July Everyone!
We wish you all a safe and fun week!
Jigs & Spinners Jigging with a minnow along rocky points and reefs in 25’-30’ and drifting sandy areas using a hammered gold spinner and leech in 23’-28’ has been working well. Lots of nice 15”+ walleyes nibbling at the line. Water temperature is about 74 degrees. The guides are ready to take you out.
Bass & Pike
Smallmouth bass and northern pike are hitting around rocky shorelines casting with spinner baits. We have an incredible trophy size pike population right now.
Jerry’s Brisket is back!
Join us Saturday, July 7 for some of Jerry’s yum yum oh so good brisket!
Serving 3pm-8pm (or sold out). Come early!
We always love seeing your pictures. If you have some pictures to share, send them our way. Email, Text 218-395-0042 or Tag us on Facebook. You might find your picture in our next fishing report, social media page or brochure!
Hammered gold, white and orange spinners tipped with a leech has been working good this week in the sand in 24’-29’ of water. Anglers have also been using some worms and minnows too but it seems leeches have started to take the edge. Areas outside of Pine Island, Zippel Bay and several areas in northern Traverse have been good spots. Water temperature is currently 71 degrees.
Baudette does it right on the 4th of July
Parade, vendors, games, entertainment, fishing, boating. Lots of events planned. Click here to check out the full schedule and make plans to join us. Lodging and guided fishing trips available.
Lodging & Charter Fishing packages starting at just $251 per person for 2 nights and 1 day. Come have some fun this summer! Click here
*plus tax and based on double occupancy
Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge
Oak Island, MN
800-772-8411
www.oakislandlodge.com
6/27/2018
Rocky shorelines and points have been good areas to find some nice walleyes this week in 22’-26’of water using a jig and a minnow. Also, areas in the sand using a hammered gold spinner and leech has been decent too. Water temperature is about 70 degrees.
Bass & Pike
Smallmouth bass and pike fishing continue to be good in shallow around rocks casting with spinner baits.
Jerry’s Brisket is back!
Join us Saturday, July 7 for some of Jerry’s yum yum oh so good brisket! Serving 3pm-8pm (or sold out). Come early!
Come have some fun this summer! Click here to start planning your trip today.
Great Weather and a Good Bite Drifting with hammered gold spinners and worms, leeches or a minnow and some anchored jigging with gold, orange and white jigs tipped with a minnow have been popular tactics this week for walleyes and saugers. Shallow and deep depths have both been working well 11’-16’ and 26’-32’ outside Pine Island, Zippel Bay and northern spots of Big Traverse. We had mayfly hatch about a week ago. The spinner bite is getting to be more and more favorable. Mix of sizes for the walleye and saugers. Some beautiful 25”+ walleyes as well as nice sizes for a fish fry. Water temperature is currently 71 degrees.
Lots of sun in the forecast.
Come have some fun this summer! The guides are ready to take you out!
100% Walleye Guarantee It’s back! 9th year in a row. Fish for two full days on one of our charter boats and we guarantee you will leave with your limit of walleyes or we will pay you $10 per walleye short of your limit.
*Fish eaten during your stay count towards your limit.
4th of July Celebration is just around the corner!
Beautiful summer week. Anglers have found an active walleye bite this week. Captain Evan and his crew reeled in over 70 fish yesterday. Anglers have been finding a nice size mix of walleye and saugers. Jigging with a gold, white, pink or green jig tipped with a minnow along shorelines and structure has been working good. Some have had good luck spinner fishing with a gold spinner and a leech or crawler in 23’-28’in the sand. We had a mayfly hatch last week and water temperature continues to warm up, currently hovering around the 70 degree mark. Flag Island flats have been a hot spot.
Pike and bass fishing have been good in the nearby bays just 4-5 miles away from the lodge. Casting for pike and bass with spoons that have a shine to them seem to be doing best. A few muskies have been found but the bite should really to start to snap in a week or two.
Spend the 4th of July with us! We still have a few openings for the week of the 4th of July. Jerry will be firing up the smoker and cooking up some of his famous brisket on Saturday, July 7. You won’t want to miss that! Give us a call 800-772-8411 these openings won’t last long.
Fishing is on fire!! Beep, beep, beep, beep…..yes that is the sound I hear when I know fishing is on fire! That’s the sound of text message after text message of pics sending to my phone from the guides out on the water yesterday. Great fishing and beautiful weather!
The summer bite is in full swing! Check out the pictures of the week.
Reeling them in…. Anchored and jigging with a jig and a minnow as well as drifting with spinners tipped with a minnow, leech or crawler are all great choices this week. Water temperature has jumped up a few more degrees this week, currently at 67 degrees. Sandbars and some rock piles have been hot spots. Gold, orange and pink jigs and spinners have been working well in 17’-26’ of water. Lots of slot sized walleyes (19.5-28 inch) as well as plenty for the frying pan are flipping in the boats. Good action! That is the sign of a great summer of fishing ahead of us!
Father’s Day is this Sunday
Looking for a something for dad? How about a gift card or a trip to Sportsman’s Lodge this summer? Two nights lodging and 1 day guided charter fishing no equipment or experience required packages starting at just $251* per person. Click here now to contact us about availability or here to purchase a gift card online today.
*Plus tax and based on double occupancy.
Fish, Eat & Be Merry Enjoy a meal of your fresh catch during a midday shore lunch is a must! Take a break from all of the action midday and stop on a nearby island where your guide will prepare your morning catch along with all the fixings. There is nothing better than fresh fish and breathtaking scenery. Ask about our “shore lunch” option when you book your guided trip today. OR enjoy a your catch fried up after a day out on the lake in the Sandbar or try it in our Riverside Dining Room five different ways including our Award Winning cheesy garlic, broiled or gently fried lemon pepper, garlic, cajun and of course our very own delicious deep fried breading.
