Ice Fishing Season starts Monday, Dec 12

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12/9/2011

Are you rrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeady for some ice fishing?
The ice is shaping up good! We have had some nice cool temps over the past few days.  We will start ice fishing on Monday, Dec 12 for the season!!!! We currently have 10 inches of ice on Four Mile Bay and 7-9 inches on the lake in the areas we travel and fish. We anticipate by Monday that we will have 12 inches to start safely.  We will start pulling houses out tomorrow and be ready for you on Monday, so make your reservations to arrive Sunday night to get in on some incredible early season fishing!  The guides have been out doing some pre-fishing and the results are excellent!  We have good clear water and ice. They are seeing lots of nice walleyes and saugers.  It is going to be a fun year!  Keep in mind early season is usually excellent for trophy walleyes too!

Trail Conditions
At this time we have very little snow on the land or lake trails. The land trails are closed.  Many resorts are working on getting their lake trails staked over the weekend.  The snowmobile club will start staking their trail to Warroad and across to Oak Island in a week or so based on the ice conditions.

This Weekend
If you plan to venture out this weekend, please use caution especially in the areas where the ice broke up early in the week. Light jeeps and ATV’s only are advised. As always remember the entire lake is not treated equally when it freezes so make sure you stay on the trails and know where you are going.  Keep it safe!

Latest Ice Conditions Lake of the Woods, MN 11-16-2011

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Latest Ice Conditions Lake of the Woods, MN 11-16-2011

Latest Ice Conditions
The bays are starting to freeze and we had some shore ice on the river this morning.

The forecast this week looks cold, lows in the single digits. We received a blanket of snow last night.  It is beginning to look like winter!  It won’t be long and ice fishing season will be here. At this point we are looking at Dec 10 to start our season. We just need 10 days of zero degrees and we will have 12 inches of ice to start fishing right outside of Pine Island.  First ice is usually one of the best times of year! Be sure to check out our new 5 bedroom, 4 baths Villa available starting early December on facebook!  Get your reservations in now 800-862-8602. For rates & packages click here.  

Christmas Shopping…we’ve have you covered!
Check us out online for all your favorite Sportsman’s attire, gift items and that item that always is the right color, price and size, a Sportsman’s Lodges gift certificate. Remember you can use our certificates at any of our three Sportsman’s Lodges locations.

New Years!
Ring in the New Year, Sporty’s style! We are always game for a party and this year will once again be a blast. Choose our Rainy River location or our Oak Island location for fun and relaxation.  Sportsman’s Rainy River, we will be having live entertainment, a special one night only menu, party favors, champagne and always a whole lot of fun.  How about ringing in the year island style?  Sportsman’s Oak Island will be featuring dinner specials, party favors, and champagne. Make your reservations today 800-862-8602, space is limited so don’t delay.

Frost Fest is this weekend!
Enjoy family fun at Frost Fest 2011! Saturday, Nov 19 in Baudette. Stay with us and take in the festivities. Huge Craft Fair, Turkey Bingo, Holiday Light & Fish House Parade, Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides, Magic Show, Fireworks & more! http://www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/pdfs/frostfest.pdf $39 pp per night lodging special.  Give us a call to book your stay and join in the fun! 800-862-8602 http://sportsmanslodges.com

Fall is in the air

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The nights are getting cooler and the days are getting longer here in the north woods of Minnesota.

The nights are getting cooler and the days are getting longer here in the north woods of Minnesota. You can definately tell Fall will soon be here. We have once again had another incredible year of fishing on Lake of the Woods. It is great to have such a healthy lake to enjoy.  Area bear hunters have been busy getting their spots ready, bear season opens up tomorrow.  It won’t be long and the early goose, grouse and duck season will be here as well.  The annual Lake of the Woods Duck’s Unlimited Banquet is scheduled for Sept 10 here at Sportsman’s Lodge. Tickets are limited so give us a call asap if your interested in attending. Over $8000 in hunting merchandise and guns will be given away. This event is always a good time and has relatively small attendance in comparison to many big city events so your odds of winning are pretty good.
Our fall rates start Sept 6. Lodge for just $39* per person per night through Nov 30. Fall is a great time for some good walleye, sturgeon and pike fishing at Sportsman’s Lodge and walleye, pike, muskie, bass and crappie at Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge. No boat? No problem! We have guides and boat rentals available. Relaxing in a boat in a quiet atmosphere surrounded by beautiful fall colors. AAhhhhh. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Have a great day everyone! Hope to see you soon!

*Rate is for Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location and is based on double occupancy plus tax.

Island Fish Fry Experience

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Island Fish Fry Experience

An island fish fry, an experience in itself during a day of fishing.  If your looking to catch a nice mess of good eating fish that is certainly not hard to come by right now too. Fishing continues to be very good and there is nothing better than enjoying authentic island fish fry midday during a day of fishing. Ask about booking a shore lunch when you book your next trip.  Your guide will prepare your fresh catch over an open fire including all of the fixings,  fried potatoes, beans, bread and cookies to top it off after enjoying a hearty lunch all while you take in the beautiful scenerythat surrounds you.   For more information about Sportsman’s fishing experiences click here.

Hunter’s Big Walleye Weekend

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6/15/2011

7 year old really Hunter hunts down the walleyes at Sportsman’s Lodge
7 year old Hunter was here fishing with his dad and boy did he have some good luck! He caught and released a 27 ¼ inch walleye and a 26 inch

For more pictures become a Sportsman’s
fan on facebook and check it out click here!
Check out a few of last years catches.

27.25 inch Walleye, released
Hunter age 7
June 4, 2011
 

24.25 inch walleye, released

Another one of Hunter’s catches!
June 5, 2011

 
 

walleye on his first day of fishing and then on his second he caught and released a 26 inch and a 24 ½ inch! Way to go Hunter!! Always great to see kids enjoying fishing. Check out these pictures!

Excellent Fishing, Camping, Entertainment, Cabins, Pool, Lots of Things to do….at Sportsman’s Lodges this summer all at affordable rates.

Lake of the Woods Fishing Report May 25, 2011

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5/25/2011

Early Season
Walleye fishing has been pretty good this past week. Anglers have had plenty of action, a few meals and a limit to go home, so I

For more pictures become a Sportsman’s
fan on facebook and check it out click here!
Check out a few of last years catches.

29 inch, 9 lb Walleye
Released by Curt Herwers
Curt caught this on a 1/4 oz chartreuse jig & minnow 
 

 Curt releasing his walleye

would say the season is starting out well.  The water temperature continues to increase. This past week the surface temperature increased about five degrees now hovering around the upper fifties right now.  We are starting to see the walleyes push a little deeper. The best fishing this past week have been in the 23′-26′ range although some anglers have done best fishing deep early in the day and moving shallower as the day warms up.  Some current hot spots have been around the Lighthouse Gap, Morris Point and Zippel Bay.  The best technique and presentation continues to be anchored and vertical jigging with a gold or orange jig, tipped with a minnow. It looks like it will be in the mid 60’s for the next 3-5 days, full sun for a few days, cloudy Friday and maybe a threat of rain on Saturday and Sunday. The guides are all geared up; give us a call to book your trip today.  Don’t have a group of 6 or more? No problem we have affordable rates for you too.

Summer 2011 Outlook
According to the MN DNR we have a strong and moderate year class of walleyes reaching the size of 13-17 inches this year.  We also have the same amount of trophy sized walleyes swimming like the past few. The past few years have been exceptional for both good eating and trophy walleye fishing; many guides have been known to say it is some of the best fishing they have seen in years!  Lake of the Woods also has one of the largest northern pike populations in Minnesota.  We are looking forward to another excellent fishing season. Come fish with us and explore Lake of the Woods this summer.

Keep those boats, rods and anchors clean
Are you transporting your boat from lake to lake this summer? Make sure you spray off your boat and gear before entering a new body of water. Those pesky spiny water fleas are known to follow. These fleas compete for the same food the fish do, so do the right thing and give that boat a spray.

2011 Fishing Seasons & Notable Dates
Minnesota
Walleyes –  May 14, 2011-April 15, 2012
Northern Pike  – Continuous
Muskie – June 18-Nov 30
Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass – Continuous
Lake Sturgeon – July 1-Sept 30, Oct 1-April 23, 2012
Crappie – Continuous

May 30 – Memorial Day
June 10-12  – MN DNR Take a Kid Fishing Weekend – MN residents 16 and older fish free with children younger than 16.
June 19 – Father’s Day
July 4 – Baudette’s Annual 4th of July Celebration
Aug 25-28 – Sportsman’s Take a Kid Fishing Weekend
Sept 5 – Labor Day

Lake of the Woods Oak Island Fishing Report Lake of the Woods 5-25-2011

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5/25/2011

A good start to the season
Anglers have been finding some nice stringers of walleyes this week. The weather has been fair for this time of year with temperatures in the lower 60’s. The water temperature has increased a few degrees this week.  Some of the best bites continue to be around shallow shorelines 10′-20′ in depth. A brightly colored jig or hammered gold spinner tipped with a minnow has worked well.  A few anglers have also been out in search of the bass and are finding a few.  Casting with a shad rap in the weedy bays have been the best locations just 3-5 miles away from the lodge and around the Oak Island area.

Summer 2011 Outlook
According to the MN DNR we have a strong and moderate year class of walleyes reaching the size of 13-17 inches this year.  We also have the same amount of trophy sized walleyes swimming like the past few. The past few years have been exceptional for both good eating and trophy walleye fishing.  Many guides say the past few years has been some of the best fishing they have seen in years!  Lake of the Woods also has one of the largest northern pike populations in Minnesota.  We are also a hot spot for incredible muskie fishing in the late summer and fall.  We are looking forward to another excellent fishing season. Come fish with us and explore Lake of the Woods this summer.

2011 Fishing Seasons & Notable Dates
Minnesota
Walleyes –  May 14, 2011-April 15, 2012
Northern Pike  – Continuous
Muskie – June 18-Nov 30
Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass – Continuous
Lake Sturgeon – July 1-Sept 30, Oct 1-April 23, 2012
Crappie – Continuous

Ontario
Walleyes –May 21-Dec 31
Northern Pike – Continuous
Muskie – June 18-Dec 15
Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass – Continuous
Lake Sturgeon – Closed
Crappie-Continuous

May 30 – Memorial Day
June 10-12  – MN DNR Take a Kid Fishing Weekend – MN residents 16 and older fish free with children younger than 16.
June 19 – Father’s Day
July 4 – Independence Day
Sept 5 – Labor Day