By Jean-Paul Tessier
September and October make way for one of my favorite times on Lake of the Woods, our gorgeous fall. The transformation is absolutely beautiful to witness first hand, and I feel very blessed to be a part of it, in what I call “God’s Country”. Each and every year as the miraculous transformation takes place, Lake of the Woods becomes a jigging fisherman’s paradise. This past week I was able to partake in one of the best jigging event known to man, Walleye fishing on Lake of the Woods. I was out with a few of our guests, and let me tell you, the bite is on! We will be jigging on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River until we get ice in either late November or early December this year, so buckle up and get ready.
As the world famous Rainy River Shiner run starts, the Walleyes will follow their breakfast, lunch and dinner into the river. I use the example to our guest as follows: Imagine that you’re out of beer and the last beer truck on the face of the earth is driving past you, what will you do? I bet 99.9 % of beer drinkers will follow the truck and that’s the same thing that’s happening to those Walleyes with the shiners during the shiner run. The only exception is that they aren’t the only shiners in the lake. Currently the Walleyes are staging in the mud bowl in 32 – 28 feet of water right out from Lighthouse Gap and Zipple Bay just waiting for the shiners to make their run. This means the jig is back on, so bring your anchor, rope, jigs and frozen shiners. For those of you familiar with Lake of the Woods, you will know this to be the fact.
Most Walleye fisherman have jigged before, but there are a few that I take out on occasion that are jigging for the very first time. If this sounds like you, and you’d like to get caught up on jigging for Walleye’s on the Walleye Capitol of World, here’s a couple tips for you. Many Lake of the Woods fishermen know this already, but bait is very important, and the best bait hands down this time of year will be the frozen shiner (the Walleyes primary food source). Regardless of time of year out on the big body of water, or with current in the river, the 3/8 oz jigs have served me best. I use a number of different colors, but 90% of the time I have some hint of gold on the jig. My all time favorite color on Lake of the Woods is Pink and Gold. Throughout the years there has been one constant while jigging and that is make sure you’re 3 to 6 inches off the bottom. In my personal experiences that’s where the Walleyes are at, and my father always said, “it is what it is”, thanks Walleyes…haha.
Some days with the windy conditions, it makes for a challenging experience, but the Walleyes can still be caught in the rollers, even with a little bit more than your typical “Walleye Chop”. This season has thrown us an unexpected curveball with respect to the “Walleye Chop”. In years past I would have to say if the wind calms and the lake turns to glass you have to start trolling, but this fall season has proved me wrong with that one. Just last week I was out with Jody and a few of her friends/relatives and it was gorgeous with very little wind, if any, and we still whacked the Walleyes…I love it when that happens. When jigging you don’t want to move, so make sure you have a good spike anchor with at least 100 foot of rope to ensure you’re holding your position.
Once you’ve got your anchor to hold and you’ve hooked your frozen shiner it’s time to bang him off the bottom for a bit to try and attract the Walleyes in the general vicinity. Each and every time I drop the anchor in a new spot I bang my jig off the bottom for about 5 minutes to try and attract the fish. After that I will keep my jig off the bottom at least 3 to 6 inches and jig away for about 30 seconds. Then for the next 30 seconds keep it positioned between the depths of 3” to 2 feet off the bottom, continue this as you see fit. Each day will bring you new challenges and curveballs, so keep your spirits up and your jigs jigging. Good luck in search for the Mighty Walleye of Lake of the Woods, and I hope to see you all up here enjoying our tremendous fishery.
Fishing on Lake of the Woods this season has been a Walleye fisherman’s dream come true. Many anglers have made Lake of the Woods their permanent vacation spot for all season. This has helped many resorts and the community in a whole, and for that we thank everyone who has visited us this summer. Come find out why so many have made Lake of the Woods their “permanent summer vacation spot”, and experience paradise without a passport on beautiful Lake of the Woods, the Walleye Capitol of the World.
In conclusion, I want to state this fact, like anything in life that’s great, it takes practice to make it perfect. So you’re going to have to get out there and do your homework. I’ve asked a million questions, but nothing has taught me more than just going out there and pushing the envelope for myself. Happy fishing and God Bless!
Wigwam Resort
3502 Four Mile Bay Drive NW
Baudette, MN 56623
www.wigwamresortlow.com