We started out on a small lake that is known for having some some good sized sunfish. After all my years of chasing fish through the ice and open water it still amazes me the amount of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety that I get from the start of a new day of fishing. I pray those feelings stay with me forever! We worked really hard to find the fish on this lake but it didnt pan out. We easliy drilled a couple hundred of holes with our Strikemaste solo's from one end of the lake to the other looking for these fish. What a pleasure it has been this year cutting holes with this auger. It has allowed me to be much more mobile and willing to find active fish instead of waiting for them to find me. At 10am with only a few smaller sunfish caught our group decided to pull the plug and ... [ Read More ]

Sometimes you just have to take a chance and explore some new water. This past weekend my wife Wanda and I decided to fish some small hidden gems that generally don’t get a lot of attention in the Chippewa National Forest . I had spent some time checking out the Minnesota DNR’s Lake Finder site for the area we were staying in looking for any clues to a possible hidden gem. Many of the lakes listed on the Lake Finder site do not have a “modern” access. Some have no access at all which really limits the pressure these lakes receive. These lakes are often more easily accessed in the winter with a snowmobile or ATV. Wanda and I picked a lake we had fished before a few years ago with some success. We had a recent warm spell that melted much of the nearly 3 feet of snow that had ... [ Read More ]

Big Muskies, big pike, big cats, big sturgeon, big walleyes, what angler doesn’t want big fish? Many of us hit the ice with the thought that today I’m finally going to get the big one. That one big fish that will make us complete. The movie “Grumpy Old Men” summed it up, 2 guys on a quest for the fish. The one fish they’ve been after for a lifetime, “Catfish Hunter.” They did what they had to do to get a shot at the infamous catfish. If I can only do battle with the big one is what a lot of anglers think. But take a step back, pause for a minute, and ask yourself, “Does size matter?” Over the years I’ve learned that no matter what we do for fun, we all eventually find our niche. I have plenty of friends whose quest is for the 32 inch walleye. Other good pals of mine are on a mission to ... [ Read More ]

After Saturday’s “truck trip” to Upper Red Lake for another shot at the walleyes, it was time to get back to doing what I do best, catching crappies. This meant there would be no easy-driving plowed road to travel on. We would make it out there by snowmobile, maybe. I had heard far too many horror stories this season about snowmobiles being bogged down and left out on the ice. Maybe I should say left in the deep snow and slush, as that’s normally the demise of many an unprepared fishing trip. I’ve been there and done that. Some of them have been stuck so bad that they had to be cribbed up and left, with hopes that the slush wouldn’t rise any higher. Meanwhile, waiting for the trail to freeze up, snowmobile owners would indulge in the daily ritual of trying to pack the trail, in ... [ Read More ]

New York Mills, Minn. (January 31, 2011) – Competitive anglers have been captaining Lund Boats ever since the first wager for “most” or “biggest” walleye was made across a poker table in the late 1940s. Decades later, competitive, professional anglers continue to reap cash rewards from modern day Lund boats. And now, Lund Boats continues this legacy of supporting professional walleye fishing tournaments. For the 2011 season, Lund will offer a $5,000 contingency bonus* for each of the four AIM Pro Walleye Series™ tournaments. The formula is simple for tournament players. Run a Lund. Win (the challenging part). And start filling out your bank deposit slip. Above and beyond the call of duty, Lund will award the AIM Angler of the Year a juicy $10,000** for being the big man or woman on ... [ Read More ]

One of the most exciting late season patterns is sight fishing for panfish which includes angling right below the ice over shallower water where you can actually see the bottom and see the fish. It’s a great a late season pattern although it can produce all season long. Going eyeball to eyeball with fish that are directly below your feet and just under the ice is what we’re talking about and is a real gas when it all comes together. If you haven’t had the pleasure you don’t know what you’re missing and is definitely worth a shot. The key to it all is location and the pattern doesn’t setup everywhere. Some of the hottest hotspots are current areas where you can still find some standing green weeds. Current means more oxygen and a better chance for some of the weeds to survive. ... [ Read More ]

During the early 2010 -2011 Ice Fishing Season on Lake of the Woods we’ve found many suspended Walleyes deeper than we’ve ever experienced this early in the season before. Is there any rhyme or reason to it? I honestly don’t know, but as my father always used to say, “It is what it is, and we’ll have to deal with it”. So, if you’re not rocking a Lowrance, Vexilar, MarCum, or a Humming Bird sonar system, you might just be experiencing some very tough Walleye fishing, but if you’ve one of these remarkable devices, you are in for a real treat this winter on Lake of the Woods. This is one reason why we have been given this technology to use, so those elusive suspended Walleyes wouldn’t travel around without being noticed out there in our massive body of water. There are many different ... [ Read More ]

When it comes to ice fishing in MN, it is tough to argue that the Walleye truly is king. Ask 10 people what they are chasing and its a good chance that 8 of them will say walleye and really you cannot blame them, especially when it comes to the table, walleye is fantastic, but for myself personally though, I've decided to think outside the walleye and target a less common species known as the Channel Catfish. Huh? Did he just say Catfish? When I tell people this, I get a lot of mixed reactions. Everything from, "hey that's cool", to "well,why would you do that?". For the naysayers, this is what I tell them. When I go out on the ice, I first and foremost want to have fun, second I want to catch some fish, third I like a fish that will challenge my gear, and lastly, if I want to ... [ Read More ]

Whenever I get downwind of a product involving electronics and computers combined with fishing, my ears stand up straight and I take notice. I will come straight out and say this is the future of fishing. To find out what 'this' is just keep on reading. When we need to gain that added edge for an upcoming fishing trip checking up on the latest fishing reports at HSO comes first and then many of us hit the “Big Box” outdoors and sporting goods retail stores. You may have noticed that some things are and have been changing. What used to be displayed next to Lindy Little Joe spinner rigs might require a little more needed knowledge than when it comes to tying a Uni or Polymer knot. Mapping, data, tracking, logging and GPS computer software programs have taken the place where handwritten logs, ... [ Read More ]

Even though the ice season is fresh upon us, I already felt the need to try my hand at a different species. Having been out on the ice a number of times this year, the crappies, for the most part, have proved to be more than willing biters and have been nice in size. Never-the-less, a change was in store and that’s where Big Winnie walleyes come in. A call was made to Ryan Peterson of “Ryan Peterson’s Guiding”. Fairly new to the guiding scene, Peterson has been taking people fishing, off and on, for the past four years during the open water period. A painter by trade, his business slows down enough in the winter to allow him a winter guiding business. Focusing on the south end of Big Winnie, he has three rental units, which include a day house and two sleepers. Although Peterson ... [ Read More ]