Saturday 12/13 report

[curt quesnell]

We had 4 portables w 9 people out Saturday<BR>over Pine. Fishing had been sooooooo good<BR>all week everyone was really pumped.<P>We set up pretty far to the east, but not<BR>real near the border. I thought we would<BR>be in about 20 feet of water but it turned<BR>out to be 23 feet. There were lots of <BR>houses out deeper than us (including the<BR>Old Guide).<P>None of us were doing great, but MY house<BR>was sitting on a skunk still at noon. So <BR>we moved out a little deeper. We Angel Eyed<BR>, Buck Shot Rattled, plain hooked, Glow Deviled and it just seemed that there werent<BR>that many fish around. We caught most of the<BR>fish that came onto the flashers.<P>It was a little breezy but it was warm and<BR>decent, I worked out some logistic problems<BR>about storing stuff in the portable and where<BR>everything should go, got a lot of visiting<BR>done, took 15 calls on the cell phone, wound<BR>up keeping 6 Walleyes and Saugers and one<BR>GIANT PERCH. <P>The other houses did better than us but none<BR>were "windmilling" fish the way I thought the<BR>day would go.<P>All the equipment worked the way it was <BR>supposed to, no body suffered injury worse<BR>than a hook in the palm of the hand, the<BR>adjustment we made put a few fish in the<BR>shack so the day was a good one on Lake of <BR>the Woods.<P>There were several trucks on the ice, not<BR>counting the little trucks the resorts use.<BR>This was not good thinking.<P>That's it!<P>------------------<BR>Curt Quesnell<BR>NorthCountry Outdoors Radio

[JHansel7]

Just curious how other people did, my dad and some guys were up over the weekend and said fishing was slow. Any replys would be great

[Eyewitness]

Wow Curt, sounds like you just had bad luck on where you set down. Two of us in seperate houses absolutely pounded fish on Saturday. In the neighborhood of 200-250 fish between both of us with too many 12-15" eyes to count. Maybe 50-60? Lost one pushing 6-7# at the hole (transducer trouble), and missed a few others that were dandys. We went shallow early and late (7-9AM and 2:30-5:30PM) and caught around 50 eyes between us for the shallow bite with a lot of 14-16"ers and a few that went up to 21". During the day we went out to 26 ft. and other than about a 45 minute lull from 12:45 to 1:30 all we could do was fish one rod. Gold early and late, firetiger glow devils and buckshot rattle spoons during the day, and the all glow red after dark. Angel eyes accounted for a big majority of our fish. Heads or tails, and emeralds outfished rainbows 20-1 easily. All in all, probably one of the top days I've had through the ice on the big pond in the last 20 years. I can't wait to see those 14"ers grow another inch or so this next season. With the amount of 10-12"ers coming in behind them, the next couple of years is going to be simply awesome.

[hunt4food]

Fished from noon-4:30 on Thursday. Did great. 3 of us kept 17 eyes and saugers that all went at least an inch over the width of the 5 gal. pail and 2 jumbo perch that went 12" and 14". We ate like kings that night and Schuster's really knows how to fry fish!! Friday was even better. We caught 67 fish and kept roughly 1/2 of them. Another great meal of fish Friday night! Saturday, we went out knowing that we could only keep 10 fish to stay legal on our posession limits. It took us nearly the entire day on Saturday to catch those 10 keepers. It was a lot slower. The biggest Walleye we caught went 21 1/2". No huge ones, but overall, we caught 147 fish including about 10 burbot in 2 1/2 days of fishing. It was awesome. I guess all I can say to the guys that fished Saturday, is "you should have been here yesterday."

[JHansel7]

This amazes me, My dad and friends went up, and usually always catch the most fish at the resort, and this year it was extremely slow. And im going up next weekend, hopefully it will be good still by then...

[Bobber Stopper]

I was out over pine out from the lone pine in eighteen feet east of the big group by a couple hundred yards and did great. Line was put in the water at eight and was done at Ten. Smallest caught was fourteen inches largest twenty six with many more in between. Pink and Purple Angle Eyes,Hammered gold jigs. What a day!!

[icatcher]

Bobber Stopper,<BR>Sounds great. Going up on Friday morning. Did you use machines to get out or did you drive vehicles. If not, wondering if they will be driving out by Friday?

[Kostoglotov]

Fished Friday and Saturday.<P>Friday was good with the action hot at dusk. Saw a 11+ lb caught that afternoon.<P>Saturday had good action all day. Morning/Sunrise fishing was the best, but we caught fish pretty constant throughout the day. Fish shut off around 4:00.<P>We fished in 20-23' of water.<P>Anything gold seemed to work.

[Ears]

I second the question on if we will be able to drive this next weekend. I have a F-150 and a 6.5 X 14 ft house.

[Royal Dutchman]

Drilled 12-14" but had guys in that moved a lot & they said they ran into some 6" stuff! <P>Lots of full sized pick-ups & had 1 Suburban about 50 yds. from us. I kept looking out the window to see if it was still there!<P>Driving out would be a lot easier than sleds & 4-wheelers but I just don't like cold water that well!<P>

[fishnut2]

We fished Saturday in front of Morris Point in the morning and got 14 keepers before noon and only some small fish after that in 23 feet. Sunday we went out in front of Pine in 27 feet of water and picked up 14 more by noon and had to leave. One perch went over a pound. Got a 22 inch walleye on Saturday, just eaters on Saturday.

[Captain B.R.K]

So you guys that did REAL well...great!<P>I'm heading up there this Wednesday (12/17) so hopefully we don't sit on skunk hill <P>Where did most of you go out of? Over Pine Island??<P>Help from the guys that did WELL would be appreciated. <P>-B

[Bobber Stopper]

icacatcher, I went out from Adrians. There were alot of us parking on the ice right at the access and then going out with sleds or fourwheelers. The ice question, Who knows? If I said I had ten inches were I was at I'd be stretching it. It would have to make alot of ice before I felt comfortable driving all the way out there because I think the ice thickness is varrying a little. I'd say keep in touch with Adrians or one of the other resorts throughout the week.

[srj]

Couldn't fish Saturday but we made it on Sunday. Set up in 25 feet towards the west end of Pine. Finally got lines down about 10 and it was close to non-stop until 1:30. Lots of 10-12" walleyes but a fair number of 13-16 too, with one 24". Not too many saugers but most were 13-14" nice ones. Buckshot rattlespoons with a shiner head worked very well. On set lines fatheads didn't work well at all. The fish really wanted river shiners it seemed. The first couple times this year fatheads worked as well as shiners. About 10" of ice. Gotta love the early bite.

[Captain B.R.K]

You guys/gals (to be politically correct ) are doing great earlier ice. I sit here listening to you all talk up your great trips to LOTW. <P>Figured I'd go during the week with less activity on the ice (ATV, light trucks, holes being drill, etc.) <P>I've got my fingers crossed.<BR>

[Captain B.R.K]

For everyone, when is the best time to be on the ice??<P>SRJ- What happen after 1:30pm, did the bite teeter off??<P>How about everyone else??

[hunt4food]

hardly a bite before 8:00AM and only 1 pout after 4:30PM. It's amazing how those fish strap on the feed bags between 9:00-12:00 and again from 1:00-3:00. I not referring to only this most recent trip, but the several years past has been pretty close to the same pattern. I have spoken to quite a few people that fish all night in sleepers, but it seems like catching anything other than Burbot out there after dark is pretty rare. I am always in a rental shack so I can't move around, but from what I hear, it wouldn't pay off to move anywhere after dark except back to the bar. Anybody agree??

[iffwalleyes]

hunt your exactly right unless you plan on catching only pout there really isn't much point to staying out in a house after dark. Some of the reefs will bite earlier and later into the evening but not very late. I never stay on the lake over night I get off so I can go to the hotel and get a warm show and meal. Like you say really the only thing you are going to catch at night is a buzz..<P>------------------<BR>Grip it and Rip it<P>IFFWalleyes<BR>I Fish For Walleyes<BR>[email protected]

[LOWinEYEin]

The 2 above know their stuff,the only $.02 talk to the guides, they know the bite. Regardless, just ask they are more thean willing to help.

[JHansel7]

I agree 100%, fishing after dark and before right when you get out is pointless. You guys are exactly right. Even a pout is hard to come by at night! <P>Jordan

[srj]

Captain B.R.K., the bite for me usually tapers off considerably during the mid-day hours--but it didn't on Sunday. It about killed me having to leave because it was such an awesome bite and I wanted to move shallow for the evening but I had someone interested in the Accord I'm selling so I had to get back to Bemidji to clear the snow off etc. They didn't take it!!

[Finlander]

The people who only catch pout at night fish too close to the bottom. I always put my minnow on a rattle reel about 1-2' off the bottom and catch walleyes at night.<BR>Granted it's not fast and furious as the day bite, but it's better than most lakes during the peak twilight period.<BR>And I always use a rattle lure that glows to atract them to the area. I see them on the locator then all of a sudden my rattle reel starts spinning. Plus instead of wishin I was fishun at the bar with a beer in my hand, I am fishing and catching with a beer in my hand! Gotta Love it!