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Walleye Opener 2012 in 9…8….7…. days and counting!
We are enthusiastically waiting for Walleye Opener 2012! Opener this year is Saturday, May 12. We have had very good fishing the past three years and are looking forward to once again another excellent year here on Lake of the Woods. The DNR has done a great job at maintaining and growing our fishery over the years. Many long time guides continue to say they have not seen the fishing like this in years if ever. The walleye and sauger population is in great shape and continues to thrive. The large lake specialist, Tom Heinrich from the DNR said in a recent St Cloud Times article that the sturgeon population in his estimation is one of the largest in the country. We also have one of the highest trophy pike populations in the state as well. We are very happy with where the fishery is at and headed at this time and are looking forward to another great summer!
Walleye Fishing Opener & Mother’s Day Weekend is soon here!
Does your Mom like to fish or relax? Treat her to a trip to Sportsman’s Lodge Mother’s Day and Walleye Fishing Opener Weekend, May 11-13. Walleye Opener is Saturday, May 12 and Mother’s Day is Sunday May 13. Enjoy walleye fishing, food, entertainment, indoor pool, hiking, relaxing, boating, shopping and our Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch on Sunday, May 13.
Rainy River & Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report 4-25-2012
Rainy River & Lake of the Woods South Shore
Fishing Report 4-25-2012
It’s Sturgeon Time! Limited Time Only! Only 20 days left! Don’t miss out!
Check out this picture of one of the healthy sized ones caught recently. Riley Tarsi guided by Captain Keith reeled in and released a nice 61 inch sturgeon this past weekend.
Check out this entertaining video of the sturgeon action Jake & Aaron from Bemidji Outdoors had recently.
The details…..
Areas from one mile up river from the lodge through Four Mile Bay have been producing some nice sturgeon. Quite a few are being caught right out in front of the lodge. It is a blast watching from our front window these prehistoric monsters being caught daily. The water temperature has come up a little bit over the past week; we are sitting around 45 degrees right now, typical for this time of year. Even though it was a early spring the weather the past few weeks overall has been quite cool keeping the temperature water low.
The depth to hook into one of these monsters is all over the board really 16′, 21′ and 40′. Depth doesn’t seem to be the biggest factor, than finding a hole in the river bottom is. Sitting at the edge of a hole so the current will pull your hook into the hole where the sturgeon lurk seems to be a successful approach. If after a half hour or so you are not getting anything adjust your anchor by moving closer or further away, even sometimes 3 feet can make all of the difference. Once you hook into a good one you better have ate your Wheaties, they will fight you for it, sometimes up to 1-2 hours. Size 5-6 circle hooks and a 2 oz no roll weight works best tipped with night crawlers work best to lure them in. Only 20 days left of the spring season, April 24-May 7 you can harvest one within size limits if you purchase a sturgeon tag (only $5) along with your Minnesota fishing license and May 8-15 you can catch and release before the season ends for a month and half time reopening July 1 again. We anticipate the bite to be good right through to the end of the season. We still have some openings for lodging, camping and guided trips too! Give us a call! 800-862-8602 or contact us online here.
Check out the recent article in the St. Cloud Times more about the phenomenal sturgeon we have here. According to local DNR Large Lake Specialist, Tom Heinrich, in his estimation Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River has one of the largest sturgeon populations in the country!
Read all about it here….
Pike Bite
The best pike bite continues to be in the Zippel Bay & Four Mile Bay area lately. Anchored with dead bait has been best.
6th Annual Sturgeon Tournament is next weekend!
May 4 & 5 is our annual sturgeon tournament. One boat spot remains available. Give us a call to book your spot. Entry fee is only $70 per person and includes a prime rib awards banquet dinner. Live Entertainment and prizes up to $4800 in mostly cash will be given away over the two days. Always a great time!
Sportsman’s 14th Annual Mardi Gras Party
Sat March 31
Mardi Gras ~ Sportsman’s Style
Beads, Games, Contests, Food & Drink Specials, Entertainment and a whole lot more!
VIP Packages
Sportsman’s Lodge
Baudette, MN
For more information click here http://www.mardigras.sportsmanslodges.com
See you at the party!
100% Ice Guarantee – Sportsman’s Lodge
Book an ice fishing package at Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location for dates thru March 31, 2012 and we will guarantee we will have good ice for ice fishing or we will not charge you for ice fishing and discount your lodging 50%!. No Worries! If we don’t have ice you get to come and stay for 50% off. Relax, eat, drink, enjoy the hot tub and pool, sight see, hike and enjoy the area.
No two special offers may be combined. Fishing package must be reserved with full deposit before the final date of the season is announced. Sportsman’s Lodge determines the last day of fishing for the guarantee. Not valid at the Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge, Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge or Sportsman’s Sleeper Division.
Remember your sweetie this Valentines Day!
Looking for something different to do this Valentines Day? How about snuggling up with your best guy or gal and heading to Sportsman’s Lodges where you can enjoy lodging, food, live entertainment, dancing, indoor pool and hot tub and excellent winter ice fishing? Sound sweet to you? We have fishing packages available starting at $180 per person that includes 2 nights lodging and 1 day full service ice fishing, you do not have to bring a piece of equipment. Poles, bait, tackle and fish cleaning are provided. Transportation to and from will also be provided and the holes will be drilled and the house nice and cozy warm when you arrive or your day of fishing. We can also provide you with a delicious hot lunch midday delivered right to your house if you choose too! So do something different this Valentines Day and make plans to visit us at Sportsman’s Lodges 800-862-8602.
Can’t decide on the dates yet? How about a gift certificate? Available to purchase online.
Sportsman’s Rainy River will be offering dinner specials for 5 nights Sun Feb 12 – Thurs Feb 16. Check out the specials and more sweet deals here.
Henry from the Bergstrom group with a nice catch (even though he lost his IPOD touch down the hole,oops! I hear it was worth it). The Annual Bergstrom Family vacation at Sportsman’s has a touching story along with it http://www.for-petes-sake.org/# A reminder to all of us how precious family is.
New Years Party this weekend!
Lots of fun planned! We will be hosting our annual New Year’s Eve Party this Saturday. Special one night only menu will be featured in the Riverside Dining Room, live entertainment by Crazy Keys, party favors, champagne toast and a whole lot of fun. Lodging is full but we have ice fishing and dining available. Give us a call to reserve 800-862-8602.
We just had our brand new villa open up for Thursday, Friday & Saturday night if your looking for lodging for a large group! It has 11 beds + 2 hide a beds. Beautiful new villa! Give us a call 800-862-8602! http://sportsmanslodges.com/rainyriver/groups/
Fishing Report from Sportsman’s Lodge Lake of the Woods 12-26-2011
12/26/2011
Happy Holidays Everyone! We hope everyone had a nice Christmas! Fishing has been great!
We had another great week of fishing last week here on Lake of the Woods. Many excellent and over the top action days! 50-100+ fish per days, not bad, not bad at all! Some of the best fishing we have seen in years! The past few days we have seen the bite slow a bit but still very good! A nice pail of walleyes by the end of the day is still a great day! We are seeing about a 60% sauger and 40% walleye ratio right now. The best depth has been in 22’-27’ of water just outside of Pine Island. Stop signs, Buckshots and the glass pink and orange jigs have been hot this week. A little shine to your tackle in our waters tend to really do well. Anglers using Vexilars/Fish Finders have had even better luck. Vertical jigging with a minnow has been the best technique at this time.
Ice Conditions
We currently have 14-16 inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish just outside of Pine Island at this time. If you plan to venture out on your own please remember, ATV’s and light vehicles only are advised at this time and allowed out on the trails and roads. Please check with local resorts before going out as the entire 950,000+ acre lake does not freeze equally or at the same time.
Trail Report
As of today we only still have just a dusting of snow and not a whole lot in our forecast at this point maybe a little shot on Wednesday. It is a strange start to your season here in the northland. The land trails are closed and only the trails to fish houses are marked at this time.
Looking to rent a Vexilar or hot tackle?
Check out our gift shop open 6am – 11pm daily located next to our front desk. Vexilar rental is in high demand, we suggested calling to reserve prior to your arrival.