Tag Archives: baudette mn

Good bite yesterday!

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The bite yesterday was great, but overall spotty this week. Nice buckets of fish came in with a variety of walleyes and saugers.  Best depth has been in 23-31 feet of water. Gold and pink jigs, rattle spoons and macho minnows have been working well tipped with a minnow.  Mix of jigging and dead sticking is the best approach. Electronics users tend to do the best.

Ice Conditions
We have lost snow but not much ice if any. Weather is cooling off starting tomorrow. Back to ice making!

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Trail Report
We have lost most of our snow so the trails are rough. Groomers will start again as soon as we get another shot of snow.

Ice Road from Young’s Bay to the Island
The ice road is in good shape. The landing is pretty muddy so trucks only. Cars will probably not make it out. Cooler weather is coming back tomorrow!

Bring on the cold!

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It looks like the brief winter warm up is finally going to end after today and boy are we excited!  Enough of the warm weather, what was Mother Nature thinking we still have a month of ice fishing left! LOL!

Currently we have 23-27 inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish. We have made some changes to where we are accessing the lake and have been playing in some sloppy conditions the past few days but other than that we are still fishing, checking ice often keeping safety #1 and looking at the forecast we plan to keep fishing until late March.

If you are looking to venture out on your own we can’t stress enough to please work through resorts and outfitters. Check conditions before going out and stay on the trail.  The conditions are not the same over the entire lake and now with very little snow left on the lake many people may think they can go anywhere.  That is not the case.  That is not the case even in the coldest of winters and the winters when we have 4’ of ice.  On a good note once we start to cool down we should build ice quicker without the snow.  So stay safe and come join us for some great late season fishing!

Fishing Action
Gold and pink spoons jigging or dead sticking with a plain hook tipped with a minnow has been working the best in 26-32’.  Overall some anglers doing better than others depending on the day, hour, weather, depth, approach and mother nature.  Electronics users seem to do better than those without. Still seeing some suspended fish in various depths from a foot off bottom to 15 feet.  Bite has been mainly made up of walleyes and saugers for the pan or throwback with an occasional slot walleye (19.5”-28”) or larger.  Best tip is to try some different techniques and talk with your guide for the best approach for the day. March usually considered an active month for fishing. Come visit us!

Check out what some of the guests have been reeling in this week!

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Winter pike
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Trail Report
Due to the warm weather we recently been having most of our snow has melted. Trails are marked and groomers will fire back up as soon we get another shot of snow!

Check out these nice walleyes!

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The afternoons have been favoring the mornings this week. Gold and pink jigs and spoons have been working well tipped with a minnow. Anglers have been having good luck in 23’-29’ on and off the reefs. It has been a 60% walleye/40% sauger bite. If you are looking to increase your catch rate we highly recommend using a fish flasher. They really help you pin point at what depth the fish are at. If you don’t have one, call us ahead of time to reserve one to rent.

23 inch walleye caught by the Prudhomme Group Sportsmans Oak Island Lodge

23 inch walleye caught by the Prudhomme Group Sportsmans Oak Island Lodge

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Kevin Coye 23.5 inch walleye caught on a gold jig and minnow Sportsmans Oak Island Lodge


Ice Conditions
Currently we have 20-24 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We run a groomed  trail to our houses. Forecasted highs this week are a little warmer than we like to see this time of year but with the lows below freezing we should only lose some snow.  I am sure Mother Nature will be blowing in some subzero temps again soon.

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Trail Report
Area lake and land trails are being groomed weekly. For more information on the NW Angle & Islands area click here. For the Baudette area click here. The NW Angle club will be hosting their annual Snowmobile Rally March 4 in the NW Angle area. Check out their Facebook page for more information.


Ice Road
The ice road is open. Take the 9 mile drive out from Young’s Bay to the lodge. Signs are posted.

NW Angle/Oak Island Lake of the Woods, MN Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 1-11-2017

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Great bite!
We are seeing lots of nice 15”-16” walleyes along with a few saugers. Jigging about a pop can length off bottom with gold, pink or macho minnow #29 in 22’-29’ of water has been the ticket tipped with a minnow. Anglers have also had success dead sticking.  We recommend trying a little of each and don’t forget your vexilar or reserve one from us. They really help your success!  Great fishing is only a few miles from the lodge. Choose our meal plan or order a lunch the night prior for a hot lunch delivered right to your house. It’s prime time ice fishing time! Give us a call to reserve your trip now through late March.

Ice Road from Young’s Bay to Oak Island
The ice road is in great shape and marked. Watch for our signs. Take the 9 mile venture out and come for a visit.

Snow & Trail Report
Currently we have 14-18 inches of snow in the area. The lake trails are being maintained weekly and the heavier groomers will be out as soon as we get more ice. The trail from Oak Island to Baudette is marked with black stakes.

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We ice fish until late March!
Make your reservations today 800-772-8411 www.oakislandlodge.com

Sportsman’s Lodge South Shore Lake of the Woods Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 1-11-2017

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Bouncing off Bottom
Guides report it has been a good bite for the 11”-17” walleyes and saugers this week. A few big walleyes and another large eelpout were reeled in too.   Varying depths between 19’-26’ jigging Rapala slab raps, gold and pink jigs, silver blade spoons and flutter spoons have been working well.  Dead sticking a rock and roll jig or a red has also proved to be successful.  Anglers found that bouncing off the bottom to churn up some lake bottom to get the attention of the fish at least 4-6 inches and sometimes even up to 2’ was a successful approach. Chub or shiner minnows are the live bait of choice.

Another big eelpout! The Albiston Group a group of 4 gals reeled in this 12lb and 30 inch eelpout while fishing in the Sportsman's Sleepers. What a fish!

Another big eelpout! The Albiston Group a group of 4 gals reeled in this 12lb and 30 inch eelpout while fishing in the Sportsman’s Sleepers. What a fish!

Doug Loos caught this 25.5 in walleye just over 7lb on a Gold Rapala Slab Rap guided by Troy

Doug Loos caught this 25.5 in walleye just over 7lb on a Gold Rapala Slab Rap guided by Troy. Doug and his son Dan caught over 90 fish on their recent trip to Sportsman’s!

What a nice walleye!

What a nice walleye!

Ice Depth
17-20 inches of ice on the lake in the areas we fish and travel right now.  The bombardiers are ready to bring you out fishing!

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Adrian’s Ice Road
If you are planning to go out on your own, Adrian’s ice road out of Four Mile Bay near Wheeler’s Point 12 miles north of Baudette is a good option.  As of Jan 1, they were allowing ½ ton trucks pulling up to 17’ wheel house and smaller vehicles pulling up to 21’ houses. ¾ ton and 1 ton trucks can drive out not pulling houses.

Trail Conditions
We have 15”-20” of really nice snow in the area. The lake trails are in good shape and being maintained weekly. As soon as we get more ice the heavier groomers will be out. The trails are staked across the lake with black stakes from Baudette to Oak Island and Wheeler’s Point to Warroad.  Come enjoy our over 100 miles of lake trails and 500 miles of land trails!  For area land trail information click here to contact the Lake of the Woods Drifters Snowmobile Club.

Ice fish with us until March 31!
Ice fishing packages available through March 31. Click here to learn more and book your trip today.

Short on time? Take a quick trip!
One night/one day trips available including lodging, ready to go fish house, transportation to and from the fish house, use of jig sticks, jigs bait and fish cleaning starting at only $144* per person. One day fishing only trips $115* per person.  Available: Jan 12, 18, 19, 22, 26, 29, Feb 1, 8,12,16,19 & 22.
*plus tax and based on double occupancy.

Happy New Year! We can build a snowman now!

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Good ol’ Mother Nature decided we needed more snow so she threw down 12 inches the past few days J.   The guides have the bombardiers out in full force getting guests to the fish houses, moving houses and chasing down the best bite.  We aren’t slowing down…..just another day in the north land. Come see us!

The latest bite
What a great start to the year!  14lb walleye, a few 50”+ sturgeons, 19.67 lb. eelpout and many other nice fish caught.

We are seeing many nice pails of walleyes and saugers and a few nice 25”+ walleyes this week.  Jigging pink, gold or red glow 1/8-3/8 oz. jigs tipped with a minnow head or full minnow has worked well.  Some anglers are finding the smaller jig and minnow head is working best to entice the fish and set the hook with better success.  The bite is on the move deeper, 18’-29’now.  Check out some of the pictures.

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Ice Conditions
Current ice conditions are 17-20 inches in the areas we travel and fish.  We run a private groomed trail. If you looking to venture out on your own, check out Adrian’s Road report below.

Adrian’s Road Four Mile Bay near Wheeler’s Point Access
As of January 1, ½ ton trucks pulling up to 17’ wheel houses and smaller vehicles pulling up to 21’ wheel houses are allowed out. ¾ ton and 1 ton trucks can drive out but cannot pull a wheel house.

Trail Report
Lake trails are marked from Baudette on the Rainy River all the way around Wheeler’s Point to Lake of the Woods  and 40 miles north across the lake to Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge. The trails are also marked from Wheeler’s Point to Warroad. The crew is dragging the trails now and as soon as we get a few more inches of ice they will start grooming. This new snow has really improved trail conditions.  The land trails are being groomed often.  For more information about the land trails check out the Lake of the Woods Drifters Snowmobile Club.

Lake Sturgeon
Anglers have been reeling in a few lake sturgeons lately.  Most sturgeon have been caught on a jig and minnow while targeting walleyes however this has raised several questions I thought I would take the time to address.  Can I target sturgeon now? Can I use the same large hook, sinker and worm method as I do in the spring? Does Sportsman’s have fish houses available that target sturgeon?  Yes, you can target sturgeon anytime July 1-May 15. The season to keep one is April 24-May 7 and July 1 – Sept 30. The rest of the season is open to catch and release.   The only time you cannot target sturgeon is when the season is closed May 16-June 30.  Yes, you can use the same method to catch sturgeon in the winter as you do in the summer using a large 4/0 or 5/0 hook, no roll sinker and a gob of minnows however worms can be hard to come by this time of year so many people use shiners.  Sportsman’s  does not have houses that we use to primarily target sturgeon but as we know the sturgeons are out in our fishing areas and it is not that uncommon to sIf you are looking for a soft water trip to target these prehistoric dinosaurs, our guides would love to take you out. Click here for more information.

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Ice fishing is here! Book your trip today!
Lodging & fishing packages starting at only $191 per person. Click here to learn more.
*plus tax and based on double occupancy

Here they come! River fishing is heating up!

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We have seen a real big change this week in the movement of the walleye schools.  We are seeing more walleyes in shallower, in Four Mile Bay, Lighthouse Gap and the Rainy River.  The shiners are pushing through and the walleyes are chasing!  Anglers have found a really hot bite this past week in 16’-24’ using bright colored 3/8 oz-1/2 oz. jigs tipped with a shiner minnow.   Many boats reported a very aggressive bite and anglers have been enjoying hours of catch and release action or a limit in just a few hours. The water temperature has dropped 7 degrees this week, currently at 53 degrees.

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One of the nice fall walleyes caught recently. 23 inch walleye caught and released by Joy

One of the nice fall walleyes caught recently. 23 inch walleye caught and released by Joy

 

More than just walleyes
A good northern pike, smallmouth bass, lake sturgeon and perch bite have also been a hot topic this week.  Pike and bass are in good supply in the river and bays in cabbage weeds adjacent to rock structure. Jerk or spinner baits or a jig and a minnow starting out in 10’-12’ and working deeper have been the best approach.  Lake sturgeon are roaming in the deep pockets of the river and bays where there is current. A 4/0 hook, 2 oz. no roll sinker and a gob of worms topped off with a minnow or two is working well. Right now lake sturgeon is catch and release through April 23.  Mixed into where the walleyes have been found, a large amount of sweet jumbo perch have as well. Lots of fishing action! We have lodging and docking available through freeze up and guided trips and boat rentals available through October.

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Crappies! A few of our guides went out the other day and brought in a nice bunch!

 

Halloween Party is Oct 29!
Throw your costume in the tackle box and join us for our annual Halloween party 7pm-1am. $200 Cash prize for best costume, free witch’s brew 7pm-8pm, $3 shots, $2 can beer, entertainment and much more! Lodging specials starting at $45 per person per night! Click here
*plus tax and based on double occupancy

Ice fishing season is less than 2 months away!
We offer no equipment required, hassle free ice fishing trips.
Check out our Sportsman’s Lodge & Sleeper House packages here.
For our island locations on Oak Island, Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge click here.

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Water temperature is down a few more degrees and more shiners are showing up

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The water temperature dipped a few more degrees this week to 61 right now.  We are seeing more shiners in the river every day.  The big walleye schools are moving but not quite to the river yet.  The best fishing continues to be in 22’-26’ of water outside of Pine Island, Graceton Beach and on the northern reefs. It won’t be long and the walleyes will be moving into the bays and river.  Jigging with a gold or pink ¼-1/2 oz. jig tipped with a shiner or gold spinner, 1-2 oz. sinker and a night crawler is working well.

 

22 inch walleye caught and released by the Lyman Group. Guided by Captain Travis M

22 inch walleye caught and released by the Lyman Group. Guided by Captain Travis M

 

26 inch walleye caught and released by the Lyman Group. Guided by Captain Travis M

26 inch walleye caught and released by the Lyman Group. Guided by Captain Travis M

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Sturgeon- The sturgeon bite continues to be good in deep holes of the river and bays where there is current. A 4/0 hook, 2 ounce no roll sinker and a gob of minnows works well.

Time to start thinking winter reservations!
For the best dates and accommodations, book your winter trip now! 800-862-8602 or online here.

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