Sportsman’s Lodge South Shore Fishing Report

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Sportsman’s Lodge South Shore Fishing Report

1/15/2014 Afternoon bite has been best lately. We saw a dip in the fishing success over last weekend but now that the weather has evened out, the bite is getting better by the day.  The best fishing has been in 24-30 feet of water. Lots of suspended fish are being found and tend to be the slot and larger sized walleyes.  Bring or rent a vexilar to have the most success at catching these walleyes.  Mid-season is upon us and that usually means more saugers.  We are seeing a nice amount along with slot walleyes.  Check out all of the big fish on our Facebook page.  The best tackle has been pink stop signs and glow jigs.  Some anglers are swearing by the minnow head and others the full minnow.Ice Conditions: Currently we have 28-30 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel.

Trail Conditions: The lake and land trails continue to be groomed 1-2 times a week. Get out and enjoy the trails today!  For more information about specific trails click here. Fish House Rentals available until March 31! The weather stays cooler in the northland and remember, the state law allows us to have our houses on the lake until March 31. Give us a call to book your winter getaway 800-862-8602! Like us on Facebook to view more big fish pictures.

27.5 inch walleye
27.5 inch walleye caught and released by Zach on a gold jig
24 inch walleye
24 inch walleye caught by a member of the Mike Scheel group in one of our sleeper shacks. (released)
25 and 24 inch walleye
Joe Hannan reeled in and released a nice 25 and 24 inch walleye. Joe is pictured here with the 25.

Lots of Big Walleyes

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Lots of Big Walleyes

We have been seeing a large amount of slot walleyes in the 24”-26” range this week. So pump up your arms!

Anglers are still getting some nice eater sizes too, but definitely lots of big ones to catch and release.  The best bite has been in 24-27 feet of water. The water is clear for Lake of the Woods standards. Anglers also finding several suspended walleyes 3-4 feet off bottom so bring the vexilar!

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 20-22 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel.

Trail Conditions
Groomer was out today grooming the trails around the Northwest Angle. A fresh grooming will be done today from Wheeler’s Point to Oak Island, Wheeler’s Point to Warroad and the following day from Wheeler’s Point to Baudette. Most lake trails are groomed 1-2 times a week based on conditions and traffic.

Plowed road from Young’s Bay to Oak Island.
Road is in great shape! Take a ride out!

Don’t let winter pass you by! Give us a call to book your winter getaway! 800-772-8411 or request online at www.oakislandlodge.com.

Lots of Action

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Lots of Fishing Action at Sportsman’s Lodges

Lots of sauger and walleye slot fish action.  We are catching lots of suspended fish 3, 4, even 7 feet off the bottom. A vexilar/fish finder is very helpful in increasing your success rate. The best approach is to jig one pole and dead stick with the other, see what works best for that day and take it from there. The best bite has been in 24-31 feet of water. Deeper houses are catching more saugers and a 10am-3pm bite. The shallower houses are seeing a good morning and evening run and more walleyes. The best jig colors have been glow, pink/gold and gold, orange/gold in 1/4 oz. size. Jigs tipped with a chub minnow or shiner minnow has been the most successful bait option. We still have some openings this winter. Give us a call to get in on the excitement! We can have our fish houses out until March 31. Only have time for a quick trip? We have some specials on select dates for 1 night/1 day packages. Give us a call 800-862-8602 or request your reservation online.

25 inch caught on a pink and gold lure by Shelly Bush of Fargo, ND

25 inch caught on a pink and gold lure by Shelly Bush of Fargo, ND

27 inch (2nd 27 inch) walleye Doug and Dan Loos

27 inch (2nd 27 inch) walleye Doug and Dan Loos

Chad Benson, Litchfield, MN light green glow jig 27.5 inches

Chad Benson, Litchfield, MN light green glow jig 27.5 inches

John Bush with 22 inch walleye caught with pink and white tear jig

John Bush with 22 inch walleye caught with pink and white tear jig

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 21-25 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. Lake Safety Tip –If you venture out on your own, consult local guides before going out. The entire lake does not freeze equally.

Trail Conditions
The trails are in good condition. A fresh grooming will be done today from Wheeler’s Point to Oak Island, Wheeler’s Point to Warroad and the following day from Wheeler’s Point to Baudette. These lake trails are groomed 1-2 times a week based on conditions and traffic. Land trails continue to be groomed as needed. Click here for more information. As always watch for caution areas especially on the lake trails with the dramatic temperature change coming up. Sounds like the weather this weekend is going to be great! Get out and enjoy the trails!

Nice size walleyes!

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Nice size walleyes at Sportman’s Lodges!

70% Walleyes, 30% Sauger mix in ‘21-25’. Walleyes have been real nice size, 17”-19”. A few nice perch and pike have been found too.  The bite was real active on Saturday, slowed a bit with the fierce cold front that has been moving through, but anglers have still catching some nice fish. Good runs reported between 8am-10:30am and 2:30pm-5:00pm.  Pink 3/8 oz jigs tipped with a minnow has been the hot lure.

Ice Conditions
17-20 inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish right now. All of our houses are just off our groomed snowmobile trail.

Trail Conditions
Lake Trails
Fresh trail grooming will be done this week on the trails from Wheeler’s Point to Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and Wheeler’s Point to Warroad. As always, watch for the caution areas.

Ice Road
Ice road from Young’s Bay to the island is in good shape.

Happy New Year! From the Sportsman’s family to yours, we wish you a healthy and happy 2014.

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Catching holding strong! It has been a great December for walleye and sauger fishing in our neck of the woods. A very active bite and many big fish and big catch days.  The best bite right now has been in 23’-28’ jigging with gold or pink jig, stop sign or #32 macho minnow tipped with a whole minnow or some anglers are swearing by just the minnow head.  Drop your line to about 6 inches off bottom and bring along or rent a vexilar for the best experience.  Vexilar rentals are available at the lodge, but are in high demand so be sure to call ahead to reserve.  Try jigging with one pole and dead stick with the other to see what technique works best for you.

Ice Conditions
Current ice depth in the areas we travel and fish is 20-23 inches. Our houses are situated just off of our groomed snowmobile trail.

Jaedin Johnson 8 years old caught this 27.5 on a shiner and a pink jig

Landen Johnson 4 years old caught another keeper on a gold jig dead sticking! He loves ice fishing!

25 inch walleye Travis Herber and Alex Williamson They also caught some nice eaters few 22 inch and 26 inch walleye. What a trip!

Trail Conditions
Lake Trails
Fresh trail grooming will be done this week on the trails from Wheeler’s Point to Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and Wheeler’s Point to Warroad. As always, watch for the caution areas.
Land Trails
Continue to be groomed and are in decent condition.  Click here for more details.

Don’t let winter pass you by! You still have time to make your winter ice fishing reservation. We ice fish until March 31.  www.sportsmanslodges.com 800-862-8602

The bite continues to be very active!

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Lake of the Woods South Shore Current Ice Conditions & Fishing Report    Sportsman’s Lodge Baudette, MN www.sportsmanslodges.com 800-862-8602
12/27/2013

Happy Holidays Everyone!

23’-26 feet of water jigging with a gold 3/8 oz jig, gold buck shot or red stop sign lure tipped with a minnow has been working well. Vexilar users have the edge, so be sure to bring yours along or rent one at the front desk. They are in high demand, call 800-862-8602 to reserve. Check out this report and pictures from a recent guest:

These fish were caught on a trip to the Sportsman Lodge stay Dec. 16th thru the 20th. Both fish were caught in house #41 on the 19th of Dec. The 30 1/2 incher was caught by Tom Kubik from Cresco, Iowa around 11 am. The 28 1/2 incher was caught by Scott Butikofer from Cresco, Iowa also within 2 hours of Tom’s trophy. Both fish were returned back to the water so more people could enjoy the fish of a lifetime. We already booked our trip for next year!!!!!!!!!!!! In those 3 days of fishing we caught 180 walleyes and saugers we landed. Not to say the fish that got off. What a trip, best fishing in the winter we ever had. Our guide was Troy and he took excellent care of us. We will request him on next year’s trip also.

Scott Butikofer
Tom Kubik Cresco IA 30.5 inch walleye, released.  Nice one Tom! 
Scott Butikofer
Scott Butikofer from Cresco IA 28.5 inch walleye, released Nice walleye!  

Ice Conditions Currently we have 18-21 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We are building more every day!

Trail Report Lake Trails We currently have 12-15 inches of snow on the lake. The trails are in fair condition.  The plan is to start grooming early next week from Wheeler’s Point to Oak Island for sure.  Ice checks from Wheeler’s Point to Warroad and Wheeler’s Point to Baudette will be done over the weekend to determine when grooming can start on those trails. Everything is staked and has sufficient ice for snowmobiles; we are just waiting on a few more inches of ice for the groomer.  Like always, watch for caution areas especially during days like today when the temperature fluctuates a wide range. Land Trails Most of the trails are groomed. Get out and take a ride today! http://www.lowdrifters.org/trail_condition.htm

Four Mile Bay Ice Road Report The ice road out of Four Mile Bay near Wheeler’s Point is open to full size vehicles and fish houses up to 21’. Currently there is 14”-15” of ice just off the trail and 18”+ on the trail.

Get out and enjoy the winter! Give us a call today to reserve your winter ice fishing vacation 800-862-8602 or online at www.sportsmanslodges.com

Lots of nice walleyes!

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NW Angle/Oak Island Lake of the Woods  Fishing, Ice Conditions & Trail Report    Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge Oak Island, MN www.oakislandlodge.com 800-772-8411
12/27/2013

We have had a great start to our ice fishing season. Nice 14”-18” walleyes with a mix of a 21”-25” once in a while too. 19’-23’ of water jigging using gold and chartreuse 3/8 oz jigs has been working well tipped with a minnow. Swedish pimples, stop signs and buck shots have also done very well in shades of gold and pink. Come for a visit and wet a line!

Ice Conditions Currently we have 16-20 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We are building more every day!

Trail Report Lake Trails we currently have 12-15 inches of snow on the lake. The trails are in fair condition.  The plan is to start grooming early next week from Wheeler’s Point to Oak Island for sure.  Ice checks from Wheeler’s Point to Warroad and Wheeler’s Point to Baudette will be done over the weekend to determine when grooming can start on those trails. Everything is staked and has sufficient ice for snowmobiles; we are just waiting on a few more inches of ice for the groomer.  Like always, watch for caution areas especially during days like today when the temperature fluctuates a wide range.

Young’s Bay to Oak Island Ice Road Report The ice road out of Young’s Bay is open. Drive on out. Signs are posted.

We Open for the Season Tomorrow!

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Ice Fishing at Sportsman’s Lodges Starts Tomorrow!

Fishing
Pre-season reports are great! Water is clear and the bite is active. We have had a hot bite between 8am-10am and late afternoon between 3pm-5pm in 21’-23’ of water. Pink Swedish pimples and 3/8 oz long shaft gold jigs tipped with a minnow have been working well. Nice 13”-18” walleyes have been found.

Ice Conditions & Trail Report
Currently we have 10”-15” inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish and 14-15 inches of snow. The snowmobile trail from the Northwest Angle/Young’s Bay has been marked. The ice road has been plowed just today but vehicles are not allowed out for another 4-5 days once we get a few more inches of ice. The snowmobile trail is also marked from Baudette to Oak Island. This trail will be dragged tomorrow and grooming will begin as soon as we get a few more inches of ice.

 

Fantastic Fishing

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The early season bite continues to be excellent! A very active walleye and sauger bite has been taking place the past few weeks. Some of the most successful anglers report, jigging using a vexilar tipped with a frozen shiner has worked best in 21’-25’ of water. Some of the most active times of day have been between 9am-11am and 3pm-4pm. Gold and pink chubby darters, macho minnows, buck shots, and round jigs have worked well. On the clear and sunny days, white has been a very popular tackle color. Vexilar/fish finder users always seem to have even better luck. If you do not have one of those devices, but would like to try one out, we do rent a few. Call to reserve yours 800-862-8602. Check out some of the latest photos here and on our Facebook page. Give us a call or click here to book your winter getaway! We ice fish until the end of March.

11-year-old Manford reels in a nice walleye

11-year-old Manford reels in a nice walleye

Chad Zeman 23.5 inch walleye caught on red hook at 2:30pm and released

Chad Zeman with 23.5 inch walleye caught on red hook
at 2:30pm and released

Chad Jansen from Zimmerman, MN with 27 inch walleye caught with a gold and orange buck shot in 25 feet of water; released

Chad Jansen from Zimmerman, MN with 27 inch walleye caught with a gold and orange buck shot in 25 feet of water; released

Nice One! 26 inch walleye Kackman Party; released

Nice One! 26 inch walleye Kackman Party; released

Recent Angler Comments:
“The Zeman party had a very successful two days of fishing on Monday 12/16 & Tuesday 12/17. I caught a 25″ walleye on Monday at 10:30 am using a glow hook. Tuesday at 2:30 pm I reeled in a 23.5″ walleye using a red hook. Both fish were a blast to land. This has been the best fishing our group has had in years.”

“140 fish, 3 guys, pink and gold….we need more minnows! Incredible fishing! Time of our life!”

Ice Conditions
Current ice conditions in the area we fish and travel is 12”-14”. About 12-14 inches of snow lies on the ice. 

Ice Road
According to Adrian’s, who maintains the ice road going out of Four Mile Bay near Wheeler’s Point, they currently they have 10-11 inches of ice on the Bay and 11 ½-14 on the lake. ATV’s and snowmobiles are only allowed out at this time. A few more inches of ice are needed until trucks will be allowed. The large amount of snow we received a few weeks ago all at once, has slowed the ice making process down a bit. Stay tuned!

Trail
The lake trail is marked from Four Mile Bay/Wheeler’s Point to Oak Island. Plan to pull a drag on the trail tomorrow and start grooming as soon as we get a few more inches of ice. Watch for the ice ridges like always, especially when the temperature fluctuates 15-20 degrees. The lake trail from Four Mile Bay/Wheeler’s Point to Warroad and Four Mile Bay/Wheeler’s Point to Baudette will be marked today. More and more land trails are now groomed. For more information on the trail conditions, click here.