Lake of the Woods - Zippel Bay Fishing Reports

[NEMPLSFisherMan]

Just got back from Zipple Bay. Fishing was pretty good for us. Checked in at noon on Friday and caught a bunch of fish. Kept 13 released about 13. Saturday was really good. We probably caught around 50 fish. Half were keepers. 5 guys, 4 of us went home with our limits and the other brought home 5. Good times. We were staying in Zipple's sleeper houses. Dead stick and buckshot spoon with a dropper hook worked the best. Anything orange was good. The house was at the far west side or Da Range st. Now I have to wait til next year to head back up there.

[Effie07]

Didn't get set up until 12:30 on Saturday, lost a few fish half way up while trying to hand the rods off to my 3.5 year old. Not fish Saturday. Started off Sunday at 10:00am with a nice 22" eye. Kept an 18", 16.5" and two nice saugers between 10:00 and 1:00 and threw back a couple saugers that didn't stretch the bucket. Missed a dozen or so fish in that same time, mostly due to my daughter being the main angler in the house. She's getting better but she won't learn unless I let her take the rods. Sounds like fishing was better on the west end of the Zipple Area this past weekend. Fishing 26 fow, green/gold and solid gold 12" off the bottom were the ticket for us. Nother on glow red for the first time this year.

[stealth3350]

fished fri and sat on boober st. fri limit from 12 till dark. not a fish before noon. sat was opposite all fish caught before noon not a single one after noon.. weird wknd... did manage a 13.5 inch perch.. and two 19 inch eyes on rattle reels both about 4-4:30 am .. lost one around 30 inches 2 weeks ago at about the same time.. like i said weird weekend

[Walleye Inn]

spent 4 days on the pond caught about 25 each day moved out to darange st. 27 fow 23"22"and a 20" were the biggest not faast an furios but enough to keep us there my wife did get the biggest purple and white glow gold and pink and today orange worked best had a eelpout come up my hole today it was messing with vex transducer hope the snow settles some so I can move around better rustysetter I haven't been right on the fish this year so who knows the seem spread out all over NEMPLSfisherman we musta been pretty close to you wish I woulda put some orange on yseterday caught some nice ones today with orange good luck to all stayed in one of zippels log cabins a little nicer than sleeeping in the walleye Inn

[Effie07]

Any thoughts on the forecast? Highs from 30 to 33 for Sunday thru Thursday next week. Coming up Thursday night and hoping my house won't be froze down. Have it up on 6" blocks. Wonder if the water will come up in the bay around all the houses that are stored there.

[Effie07]

My uncle and cousins were up using my house Wednesday thru Saturday last week in 26'. Caught 15 on Wednesday, two in the slot. Thursday was their best day, had a steady bite from 7:30am to 4:30pm. They kept 21 for the day and released 12 (3 slots and 9 too small). Friday and Saturday were a little slower, yielding 5 and 8 keepers and a mix of small saugers. All fish were caught dead sticking 2" to 2' off the bottom and color didn't matter (gold, pink, white, green, red and mixes of those colors all worked). Most slot fish were caught 18-24" off the bottom.

Heading up Thursday night to fish Friday and Saturday and maybe move the house depending on the water/slush situation. Any updates on the ice roads this week would be appreciated.

[Walleye Inn]

report for sat and sunday, sat son caught a nice 16" the first time his line went down, then a fish here and there at 10 action was pretty steady gold and pink jig was best caught and realeased 2 21"er and kept 8 more eaters at 12 slowed down and by 1:30 was slow sunday caught all small saugers about 8 or so . packed up at 1:00.Had many fish come up for it when it was slow but didn't take it just followed, switched up jigs alot to no aveil.was very nice out not much water on lake at all hope snow depth goes down so a guy can do more moving around. Effieo7 sounds like you have a good spot I wouldn't move to far.good luck to all

[bullhead93]

Was up on the pond 11th-13th. Caught around 40 fish which one of them was the fattest 25 incher i have ever seen. Weather was awesome but the beer was better, met the Walleye Inn , heck of a nice guy. I was in the black castle just north of you. heading up march 4th-7th again I cant wait. Keep the reports coming.

[Effie07]

Troubles at work, stuck in town for the weekend. Going to make a 4 day weekend starting on the 24th next week. Good luck to all who make it out this weekend, I'll drink a beer for your good luck.

[stealth3350]

any new reports from zipple? wondering hows the bite on bobber to the last road out there forgot the name... what road would be the best to fish

[Effie07]

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...ds_Fishing_Repo

According to forum Lake of the Woods Fishing Reports, better quantities of fish are being found on Perch and DaRange, that also sounds to be the area where most of the Zippel Rentals are at. I will be up next Thursday, as everything hit the fan this week at work and had to cancel my plans for today and tomorrow. I am still on Sauger just west of Main on the shore side. Will try there on the 24th and scout with the portable for a new location to set the wheelhouse if fishing is slow. Currently in 26 fow.

[goose89]

We just got back and did well out in 32' off of Jackfish. Wednesday afernoon was real good for numbers and size, esp the saugers, along with a few walleyes as well, up to 18". No "overs". Thursday was a bit slower, but still good action, and saugers were bigger than what we're used to.

[mnhunter 3815]

moved my house a little farther east on bobber tried 24ft range pretty slow.managed to catch about 30 fish with a fat 26 1/2 inch eye. im gonns give it another week there then keep on movin.the bite out in the deep stuff been pretty good but i'll stay down in the 23ft range.way to many ppl out deeper.

[stealth3350]

slooow wknd.. house has been on bobber for 6 weeks . last 2 weeks slowed down alot.. moved out of perch st.. for last day did ok couple nice 16-18 inchers.. but otherwise slowest wknd ive experinced.. sure it had alot to do with cold front.. be back this wknd .. most fish were caught jigging few on rattles.. last few weeks it was other way around. marked lots of fish

[goose89]

. marked lots of fish

Last wed & thursday, we marked TONS of suspended fish. Assuming mostly tulibees since that's all I caught lifting up to them, but most of the times we'd catch several saugers / walleyes on the bottom when they showed up, which was often.

Several occasions I thought my vex must be misreading...absolute clouds of baitfish for up to 2 feet up from the bottom. Couldn't see the jig whe dropped into them. Got one tully down there as well. Unreal amounts of food in that area....

[tjhookem]

Fished on Saturday on the east side of DaRange. A few nice walleyes and a handful of saugers is all we could muster. Two of us fished hard from 9 to 5:30 in 28'. Marked a decent amount of fish on the bottom. Not a lot came off the bottom. Enjoyed the house we rented from Zippel Bay Resort..big windows and clean. I think the holes were 5 or 6 inches.....was glad we didn't land a big one.....wouldn't have made it through the hole!! Is that normal for a rental??

[goose89]

Nope. Never have seen that before. Zippel is usually pretty good about moving houses, and I've never had holes that small. Could be the banking snow melted a bit during those warm days, letting Fridays cold air under the house, and freezing the holes a bit. Houses have always been warm when we've entered, as well. Definately a rare happening.

[Hoey]

Two of us fished Saturday and Sunday on DaRange. Left with our full limit of eyes and saugs. Fishing seemed to be better than average/expected for this time of the year. We were pretty pumped.

Remarkables:

Eyes 2 @ 19" and a bunch at 15" to 16". One 20"er throwback.

Saugs 1 @ 16.5" and another at 16".

This trip included my first visit to the Igloo. Very interesting.

It was 50/50 Dead Sticks with red glow jigs, jiggin poles with red glow Rattling Flyers seemed the best with full fatheads. Shinners did not produce

Looking forward to the next trip. This was the 5th trip of the year..

[Boar]

How deep is on Derange hoey?

[bullhead93]

Is Jackfish the furthest road out? And what is the depth range.

[Effie07]

I believe depth on DaRange varies from 28-31 from the reports I have read. I am heading up tomorrow to relocated my house off sauger if I can find an open spot to move my wheelhouse to on DaRange or Perch. Good luck this weekend boys and girls.

[stealth3350]

i moved my house of perch last wknd after a slow day on bobber.. really slow.. only got fish in new spot few hours.. some nice 18s but very few .. had the cold front move in and we had to leave and get back to cities before dark and the big snow storm hit.. looing forward to fish in new location.. when do they stop plowing roads?

[Walleye Inn]

bullhead 93 are you the guys from Perham ? I will be up sat and sun still have house on darange but might check out jackfish/?Zippel plows til they move the houses and leave an area they usually put up signs in advance to let you know they won't be plowing an area anymore.I wish a weekend would come with steady weather once this year.boar darange where I am is 28 ft, good luck to all

[Boar]

Thanks terry got some freinds going that way, trying to give them a little heads up, think I'll make my eway back there next year, not sure. sure is nice to come off the lake an your in warroad. Boar

[bullhead93]

Hey walleye Inn i am from the area. must be some fish still on DeRange that your still there eh? Im leaning towards Jackfish next time i head up. how did you do last time up, or did ya get a good report out deep? was there any driveways open on DeRange by you, im in a pickle on what to do for next friday.

[Effie07]

Leaving for LOW in less than 3 hours! Should be pulling onto the ice by 3:30. Will post a report on Monday.

[Hoey]

Boar,

If I recall correctly, and read my vex correctly.... 28 to 29 FOW to top of ice.

[Walleye Inn]

bullhead93, my sons friends went out deep and did very good all day sounds like hoey did well on darange last weekend so might try where I am and then take portable and check out other spots if unsuccesfull in the walleyinn will post report on sunday evening. wondering how snow conditions are hard as a rock is my guess but how deep?good luck to everyone!!

[bullhead93]

Good luck this weekend Walleye Inn. hope ya find the mother load! thanks for the update.

[stealth3350]

heading up after work for 8th trip of the season report back mon.. good luck to every one