Tag Archives: fishing minnesota

Sportsman’s Lodge South Shore Lake of the Woods Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 1-26-2017

January 26, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Fishing Time!
It has been a strong bite overall this week at Sportsman’s Lodge. Lots of nice walleyes and saugers coming through the ice holes as well as a few northern pike, jumbo perch and eelpout. Successful anglers have found that vexilars definitely increase your catch rate, jigging a small spoon, just a plain hook or a 3/8 oz. gold jig tipped with a minnow is working well. The best bite has been in varying depths between 19’-31’ in the mud.

Joe Hraban 27.25 inch walleye caught 1-24-2017. Sportsman’s Sleepers

Michael Cline one of our guides was out fishing on his day off and reeled in a nice 25 inch walleye on a charmer.

Michael Cline tackle 25 inch walleye

Poor Man’s Lobster! Krista Kappes,Thunder Seed group reeled in this huge eelpout on a bright green and yellow chartreuse lure

Kaylee Bjorklund reeled in this nice 29.5 inch walleye this week on a gold jig. Nice fish Kaylee!

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 20-24 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We run a groomed trail to get to our houses. We received 4-5 days of highs in the mid to upper thirties last week but the weather has since cooled down and we are back to making more ice. Over the warm days we experienced a lot of slush but we did not lose any ice. If you are looking to go out on your own, Adrian’s road is a good choice located at the Wheeler’s Point/Four Mile Bay area off Hwy 172. They are allowing up to 1 ton trucks and wheel houses up to 28’.

Trail Report
Area lake and land trails are being groomed weekly. For more information click here for the Baudette area or here for the NW Angle & Islands.

Need a Vexilar?
They are available for rent at the lodge. Call ahead to reserve 800-862-8602.

Join us for the Big Game Feb 5!
12 Big screens, free apps, giveaways and great drink specials. Specials start at 3!

Ice Fishing trips available through the end of March
On Lake of the Woods we can have our fish houses out until March 31. Fishing and lodging packages still available starting at $191* per person. We have midweek stays open in February and weekend and midweek stays open in March. Book your trip today! *plus tax and based on double occupancy

Spring, Summer, Fall
It is never too early to start planning your spring, summer or fall trip. Get the gang together and contact us today. Click here to learn more about our packages.

NW Angle/Oak Island Lake of the Woods, MN Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 1-18-2017

January 18, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Steady Bite
The guides at Oak Island report a steady bite of mostly walleyes, few saugers, perch and northern pike. Nice 14” walleyes, few large ones and plenty of small ones to keep you reeling arm in shape. A good indication the lake is healthy! A gold, glow in the dark or pink 3/8 or smaller jig or buck shot lure tipped with a minnow or minnow head is working the best in 20’26’ of water. Best technique is to dead stick with one rod and jig with the other. Really pounding the bottom 4-8 inches off bottom has been successful. Morning and evening is best but some houses have been reporting a steady bite all day too. Don’t let winter pass you by. Give us a call to get a winter trip in. We are open for ice fishing until late March 800-772-8411.

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

Trail Report
We have a couple feet of snow on the trail and they are in great shape. Trails are marked and groomed. Click here for more information for the Northwest Angle & Oak Island area. Click here for the Baudette area.

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

January 11, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

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.

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

January 11, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

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!

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!

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!

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!

January 4, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

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.

winter-2016-2017-collage

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

Dipping below freezing

November 16, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Let’s cool things down and make some ice! The forecast is looking more promising. History has told us it doesn’t take long for the weather to change and for ice to build. Stay tuned to reports here and on our Facebook page and gets your reservations now for the best selection of dates. Many weekends are filling up fast!

No Equipment Required!
Ready to go ice fishing but don’t have the equipment? No problem! We supply the fish house warm and ready with your holes drilled. Jig sticks, assortment of jigs and bait is waiting for you. Hungry for lunch? We can deliver that too and clean your fish. So what are you waiting for? Give us a call to book your winter ice fishing trip today 800-862-8602 or contact us online.

FREE ICE FISHING TRIP!
Who wants a free ice fishing trip? Click here to enter our contest now for a chance to win a day of ice fishing for you and 3 friends! Contest ends soon!

Cooling Off and Catching Fish

September 14, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Temperature dipped down to 37 degrees here this morning. Fall is here! Water temperature has dipped 5 degrees this week down to 64. We expect to start seeing some shiners show up in the river within the next week. Once the shiners start to run the walleyes are soon to follow and it makes for some great fall fishing on the Rainy River! Fall soft water fishing is typically really good right until freeze up.

Good fishing this week!
Check out some of the pics from Captain Travis Madrazo this week! Guided charter (27’ boat holds up to 6 passengers plus guide) and guided outfitter trip (18’-20’ boat holds up to 4 passengers plus guide) are still available through late October. We have some great fall deals going on too! A mix of bait fishing using gold jigs and shiners and trolling with crank baits has been the best approach this week although the guides are starting to remove the downriggers and turning over to only bait fishing. Nice walleyes are being found along shore lines and on the reefs in varying depths along Pine Island, Long Point and Bridges.

Sturgeon, Bass & Pike
The sturgeon bite has been really picking up this week in the Rainy River and Four Mile bay. A gob of worms on a 4/0 or 5/0 hook and 2 oz. no roll sinker works best. Deep holes in the river where current is found are hot spots for sturgeon. Throwing top water baits for smallmouth bass and northern pike in the bays has been the best approach to lure in these fish. We have a rental boat and guided trips available now through late October.

Ice fishing season is 82 days 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.

Walleyes Are Biting!

August 31, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Lake of the Woods continues to have a great summer season. Walleyes are biting from Long Point to Zippel Bay in 29-32 feet of water. Anchored and jigging with worms or trolling with crank baits have been working well. Hot tackle colors have been silver, white, red and orange. Around Pine Island in 25-30 feet of water is another hot spot. For those anglers heading to the north end of the lake, Garden Island and Little Oak are still producing nice limits of fish. The current water temperature is down a few more degrees from last week at 71. The forecast looks great so now’s the perfect time to visit.

49 inch sturgeon caught by Larry Deacon. Guided by Travis M

28 inch walleye caught by Molli Burns and guided by Captain Matt

Openings still available for this weekend!
If you are looking for a place to relax this weekend, give us a call! Lodging, Camping, Guided Fishing Trips and dock rental available. [email protected] or call 800-862-8602

Sturgeon & Bass
The sturgeon are starting to bite. Holes in the river bottom anchored using a 5/0 size hook, 1-2 ounce no roll sinker and a gob of minnows has been working good for sturgeon. The bite should only get stronger as the water starts to cool. Keep one season runs until Sept 30 and Oct 1-April 23 is catch and release season. Guided trips available! The smallmouth bass bite has been good around shallow rocks casting spoons in the river and around reefs.

Walleyes and a Muskie!

August 23, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

A good bite this week and a surprise! A group was down rigging with crankbaits this week in the mud targeting walleyes and reeled in to their surprise a 41 inch muskie! The northern islands are known for excellent muskie fishing but this was an unusual area to find this guy. What a fun experience!

41 inch Muskie caught by Mike Westerberg while targetting walleyes. Guided by Captain Mike

Water temperature is starting to cool. We are down a few more degrees this week to 72 degrees. Trolling with crank baits in 11’-18’ in the mud and along the northern reefs has been good. Drifting with spinners or anchored and jigging tipped with a minnow or worm has been fair too in 24’-32’ of water. Go to spots have been outside Zippel Bay, Lighthouse Gap and Little Oak Island. Gold, orange and silver have been the hot colors. August & fall lodging and guided trips still available!

22.5 inch walleye caight by Josh Westerberg. Guided by Captain Mike

21 inch walleye caught by Mike Westerberg. Guided by Captain Mike

Welch Group Guided by Captain Mike

Rainy River
The fall river bite is only a few weeks away. Small mouth bass and a few sturgeons have been hitting lately. Walleyes and a stronger sturgeon bite are just around the corner. Sturgeon “keep” season is now open until Sept 30. We have guided outfitter trips available great for river fishing. Give us a call 800-862-8602.

Fall is around the corner
We are roughly 4 weeks out from the legendary “Emerald Shiner Run” which normally occurs in late September on the Rainy River and Four Mile Bay. This event normally brings in thousands of walleyes to the Rainy River as they chase the shiners upstream. Get your reservations in now and take advantage of lodging starting at only $40 per person lodging. Up to 20% off summer lodging and charter fishing packages too! Good fishing, good food, guided outfitter trips, guided charter trips, dock slips, boat rental, indoor pool, hot tub and entertainment await you.

Minnesota Fall Hunting Seasons announced
Beltrami State Forest is just out our back door with over 67,000 acres of land along with one million acres of Lake of the Woods to explore. Come enjoy some great hunting for bear, small game, goose, grouse, waterfowl, whitetail deer, fox and much more. This is a hunter’s paradise.

Hot Summer Walleye Fishing

August 3, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Anglers are reeling in some nice walleyes in 20’-30’ of water jigging on the reefs with a 3/8 ounce blue or gold jig tipped with a minnow or leech and using gold or blue spinners with a few ounce sinker tipped with a minnow or a worm on the edge of the reefs. Areas around the east and northern side of Falcon and Massacre Islands have been hot spots. The water temperature is 78 degrees.

Muskies & Pike
Top water spinners and jerk baits have been working the best in bays of 7’-15’ with a fast tapering bottom. Working point to point is a good method to find the sweet spot!

Fall Rates start September 15.
Great walleye, muskie, pike, crappie and bass fishing, incredible scenery and great rates! Click here for more information.