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Posted

On the main basin (Big Traverse Bay).  A cold week with temps getting down to -26.  Ice fishing began starting to heat up a little as weather warmed.  Sunday yielded some nice pales of fish in the cleaning shacks for many anglers. Picking multiple fish out of active schools was key. Patience is a must. Electronics and working every fish key.  Smaller presentations are working better. Decent late afternoon bite starting around 4 p.m. Ice averaging 15-22 inches on the basin. Many resorts have moved over 10 miles out past Pine Island. Fishing in 27-35’. A few houses in the shallower areas (10-20’) producing some nicer fish mornings / evenings.  Overall, mainly saugers with eater and slot walleyes mixed in. Most ice roads are letting out half-ton pickups with 20’ houses or 3/4 ton pick-ups with portable and small houses. Contact your specific resort for more information.

The Rainy River is iced over and being fished mainly by locals who know the ice. A late afternoon/evening bite in about 16’ is producing a few fish. Mainly walleye of all sizes with a few pike and eelpout mixed in. For safety, work through resorts. Safety first. Most anglers fishing the lake.

Up at the NW Angle, fishing up and down this week on the Minnesota side. Ice is averaging 22” where resorts fish. A mixed bag of fish are being caught. Fishing is best around 30-33’ in the mud. Reefs around 26’ are producing some fish. Pike, jumbo perch, and eelpout mixed in. Good crappies are being caught around the 33’ mark with guides on the Ontario side. Ice fishing through March on LOW.  

25 inch walleye.jpg

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Posted

I can't read this....something about a BMW????

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Posted

something is goofy here....Doesnt look serious. I will notify Rick

 

Posted

Here's my attempt at fixing it so it's readable:

 

On the main basin (Big Traverse Bay).  A cold week with temps getting down to -26.  Ice fishing began starting to heat up a little as weather warmed.  Sunday yielded some nice pales of fish in the cleaning shacks for many anglers. Picking multiple fish out of active schools was key. Patience is a must. Electronics and working every fish key.  Smaller presentations are working better. Decent late afternoon bite starting around 4 p.m. Ice averaging 15-22 inches on the basin. Many resorts have moved over 10 miles out past Pine Island. Fishing in 27-35’. A few houses in the shallower areas (10-20’) producing some nicer fish mornings / evenings.  Overall, mainly saugers with eater and slot walleyes mixed in. Most ice roads are letting out half-ton pickups with 20’ houses or 3/4 ton pick-ups with portable and small houses. Contact your specific resort for more information.

The Rainy River is iced over and being fished mainly by locals who know the ice. A late afternoon/evening bite in about 16’ is producing a few fish. Mainly walleye of all sizes with a few pike and eelpout mixed in. For safety, work through resorts. Safety first. Most anglers fishing the lake.

Up at the NW Angle, fishing up and down this week on the Minnesota side. Ice is averaging 22” where resorts fish. A mixed bag of fish are being caught. Fishing is best around 30-33’ in the mud. Reefs around 26’ are producing some fish. Pike, jumbo perch, and eelpout mixed in. Good crappies are being caught around the 33’ mark with guides on the Ontario side. Ice fishing through March on LOW.  

Posted

Embarrassing to, with 8 guys for two days catch nothing more that 14" saugs and walleyes out of Zipple, And then the group starts to call them keepers....10-14 inches!!!!

Take awhile to get me back. 

Posted

This report though is more accurate that last weeks.  You really do have to work for every fish that shows, bobber bites are few and far in between.  I was able to find  my limit of 16 inch with a few 17 inch walleye and saugers this last weekend but it took two days, no slot fish and I did have to keep 2 14 inch saugers (fishhook34 I know that's embarrassing but it does make a good meal).  Overall I still love it but it is a slow year.  I caught about 25 in two days to get my 8 so quite a few of 13 inch and below fish but at least I was doing something some of the time!  I am hoping the slot fish show up more before the year ends. 

Posted

I must be fishing the wrong depths or using the wrong presentation.  My Vexliar is marking fish but I can't seem to get them to bite...using everything from buckshot minnows tipped with a shiner head to sutton spoons to a dead stick with a live chub.  Any hints from you vets? :)

Posted

I was out on tuesday fished from 10 am to 5:15 and ended up with 16 caught.....and kept 7 walleyes and one sauger.... the smallest eye was 15 and biggest was 19 the sauger was 14 inch....in 22 ft of water mid day was slow so we went walking around drilling holes a caught a few that way...

 

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Posted

otterman 10-4 that is the million dollar question and maybe a good discussion here.  I mainly only use a buckshot glow red lure, medium sized but I bounce it off the bottom consistently. Most times full minnow.   Now I have been marking a lot that will not bite as well but I seem to get a majority that show (wish more would show).  I also think I can see a difference when it is a walleye or a sauger being marked by how fast they move, swear walleyes this year are moving at it slower than a sauger but hit it hard when and if they decide.  (who knows if that's true but I guess pretty close to correct before they bite at least the biters anyway) 

The question I always have is there a trick?  I tend to jig very aggressively and either in large jigs or shaking the jig hard.  My buddies and some guides say that scares them most times but I always seem to find when I jig less aggressive I can never get them off the bottom. So I do scare some away.   Mainly it takes patience which is very frustrating and days I hate my vexilar.  I just feel better jigging aggressively  

Does anyone else have a pattern or tips to how they jig?

Posted

I think part of the trick is, a lot of those fish your marking and not catching are tullibee.  Bring some wax worms and work some of those non-biters, I bet you catch a few.  Just a guess, it has been what we have found in the past.

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Posted

Tullibee act much differently on the graph than eyes and sauger. They move much faster generally and will chase up and down like a laker. They're easily caught on walleye gear and love red lures.  

When it's a slow bite I slow it way down or get way more aggressive, often both. Put on a lure that makes a lot of noise/vibration to call the more aggressive fish in. Dropper rigs work well for less aggressive fish. So do full smaller minnows hooked thru the back on smaller lures like charmers. 

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Posted

Also those "fish" you see come and go on the flasher up off the bottom quite bit can also be schools of bait fish so thick that they show up and red marks that change colors and consistancy.  When your bring your spoon up through them they just spread out and disappear.  There are huge schools of what I suppose would be shiners roaming all over the lake this winter.

Posted
On ‎2‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 11:20 AM, 401TE said:

Tullibee act much differently on the graph than eyes and sauger. They move much faster generally and will chase up and down like a laker. They're easily caught on walleye gear and love red lures.  

When it's a slow bite I slow it way down or get way more aggressive, often both. Put on a lure that makes a lot of noise/vibration to call the more aggressive fish in. Dropper rigs work well for less aggressive fish. So do full smaller minnows hooked thru the back on smaller lures like charmers. 

It has been a difficult bite up there from all parties I've talked to. It does get extremely frustrating when you see them on the graph but, no matter what you do, they won't bite. One thing that worked for me last week was to make a racket with a rattle jig in one hole, dead stick in the other.... then just leave them alone for a couple of minutes. Oftentimes this would get fish on the dead stick. We finally went down to a minimum size of 13" for keepers...pretty pathetic, but we had guides cleaning our fish, lol. Still took home bags of fillets- certainly a slow year by LOTW standards, but a blast nonetheless. 

Posted

Puffing the bottom a few times and then raising slowly up will get curious fish to strike most of the time, also I have gone to 2 crappie minnow heads and that triggers fish as well. Try rigging 2-3 poles with different jigs and keep rotating, they seem to react differently with multiple looks every 15 minutes. You might catch a couple fish then they go lockjaw, throw something different and they hit that for a couple fish.

Posted
22 hours ago, CANOPY SAM said:

As for a "trick" to jigging....remember

Sam,

This is a well written piece here.  There is no way I would even attempt this.  I do have the following to add though:

1.  Practice your variety of jigging motions with your rig in the hole so you can see what each presentation looks like.  

2.  Jigging with an up-down motion, 1 inch, slowly i.e. 2 to 3 seconds per motion. 

3.  Shake the bait as hard as you can with it up 4 or 5 feet from the bottom to get the most sound and vibration effect across a larger area.

3.  Troll a little - move your bait from one-side of the hole to the other.  Sometimes horizontal motion will trigger a bite.  It make take 10 to 20 seconds for your lure to float (catch-up) under your rod tip.  

4.  Shine up those glo jigs/spoons using the light from your shelter window.  When I miss one or have sort of a drive-by, sniffer, I immediately check my bait, give the lure a shining, and right back down.  

5.  Drive-by and sniffers - I usually do not change lures.  I change the bait.  I start with one head, then go to two heads, then go to no heads and whole fathead hooked in the back, and then go to whole fathead hooked in the head.  I go back to a single head when I start loosing fish on the way up.  

Again, nicely written piece here.

Posted

Great additions, Hoey!  I completely agree, and exercise many of the points you make!  And thank you for the compliment.   I enjoy writing, and I've always loved helping fellow anglers catch more fish since I was a young man. ;)

Some days keeping that jig/spoon/lure "glowing" makes ALL the difference!  You can pick up a small, intense laser light for glowing jigs for only a couple bucks.  I keep one hanging on a lanyard around my neck, along with a depth finder (clip on lead), and a nail clipper, whenever I'm ice-fishing.  It's handy that way to simply "light up" a jig or spoon whenever I add a fresh minnow to a bait.

I love your tip about testing your jigging methods in the ice hole, just below the water's surface.  One thing I've noted over the years is just HOW MUCH action just a tiny bit of jigging adds to a bait!   Just a little vibration in that rod tip can make a jig hop all over the place 20+ feet down!

One thing I would encourage people to remember, particularly at this time of year, is that the water is as cold as it's going to get for the entire year.  Really active, aggressive jigging can certainly get a fish's attention from a distance away, but as a rule I typically only impart very subtle jigging once I have a fish beneath me.  This time of year I would imagine most critters below the ice are all moving in super slow motion.  A jig dancing all over, sweeping up and down over several feet, just isn't very realistic, and at least in my experience really aggressive jigging usually just scares fish off.

Really hope these tips help a few of you put a few more fish on the ice!  Please let us know if these tips, or others you try are helping make these late winter, sluggish fish, a little more hungry! ;)

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Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, CANOPY SAM said:

One thing I would encourage people to remember, particularly at this time of year, is that the water is as cold as it's going to get for the entire year.  

Once there is ice on the lake, the temperatures below the ice change little throughout the winter.  The ice is the least dense at 32 degrees (that's why it floats) and the warmest or densest water will be at the bottom of the lake at about 39.2 degrees, with a slow temperature gradient in between.   It'll vary slightly but generally physics won't let it change a lot. It really stays that way all winter, with warmer water at the bottom and colder on top until the ice melts or breaks and current or wind cause it to mix. It was likely as cold when the ice formed as it is now.  That's one of the unique characteristics of water because of water's hydrogen bonds.  It's denser at 39.2 degrees than when it's a solid at 32 while most compounds are the densest when they are solids.

If you think about it, if the water gets colder underneath the ice, instead of the cold going down which would turn a lake into a solid block of ice, the temperature decrease will just cause more ice to form on the surface instead since it has reached 32 degrees or the temperature where water turns into a solid. 

Edited by kfk
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Posted

Great points in this thread all around, thank you. 

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Posted

I could agree more!  

Lots of great info and opinions in this thread, this is what FM is all about!

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Posted (edited)

I wanted to add that some times(summer too)dead bait ciscos/tullibees work as good or better than any live minnows.I've had times when pike/walleyes would only take a dead minnow off bottom!!!!Don't forget to keep a bait just below the ice,half way down and suspeded off the bottom.Keep moving till you find what they want.Just when you get one dialed in they will switch gears and keep you guessing!!!!!Also another trick is clip off the tail of a live minnow so it mostly swims in place.I think we forget(atleast I do)that these fish are all from different genes and react different than their cousins do!!!On any given day I've been schooled by young and old on the ice and the boat!!!!!!!I Never kick a gift horse in the mouth.(Anymore,I used to all the time.)Good luck to all will be up for four days next week will report back.Thanks to all who post here.Want to say thanks to Canopy for the words of wisdom as it's obvious his love for writing/fishing/sharing his knowledge!!!!Oh yea one last thing,Rule number one in fishing:there are no rules!c63

Edited by chris63
added text
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Posted

Great sage advice.  Thank you

Posted

Great comments guys and Well written Canopy Sam!  I never thought of the quick dropping jig, I now realize I do that more than I should as it sure does spook em some day. Thinking more about it I always thought it was my jig up that spooked them but in hindsight I get frustrated and just drop it down and they leave.   

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • mbeyer
      i'd like to read about your lake trout trips....do you post them somewhere?
    • smurfy
      🤣 not fer some of us!!!!!!!!!!
    • smurfy
      i couldnt find it.....but maybe???
    • leech~~
      Looks great! Thought we started a smoker thread?  🤔
    • leech~~
      Well, that's not getting 10 years old now is it!  🥱🥱
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing remains strong across Big Traverse Bay, with resorts and outfitters still in full swing offering both day houses and sleeper fish houses. The bite in February has been excellent, with lots of fish being caught and plenty of opportunities for fresh fish fries. Some ice roads are now extending over 20 miles out, keeping anglers on productive schools of walleyes and saugers. Ice conditions continue to build, making this one of the best late-season ice years in recent memory. If you’re fishing on your own, bring an auger extension, as ice thickness is significant. Most fish houses are positioned over deep mud, while some remain on or near structure. As always, expect to sort through some smaller fish, but that’s a good sign of a healthy fishery. With fish houses allowed on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th, the extended season on Lake of the Woods offers plenty of time to plan your trip. Pike fishing never closes, and with the thick ice conditions, this year is shaping up to be fantastic for targeting trophy pike. March: The Go-To Month for Trophy Pike March is prime time for big northern pike, as these aggressive predators begin staging for the upcoming spawn. Lake of the Woods is loaded with pike over 40 inches, and tip-up fishing can be lights out this time of year. Anglers targeting pike should set baits under tip-ups in shallow water (6-15 feet) near pre-spawn areas, weedy areas, river mouths, or back bays. Current Fishing Depths & Patterns: Most fish are being caught in 26-32 feet of water. Walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch, eelpout, pike, tullibees, and even some crappies are in the mix. Suspended walleyes are showing up—watch electronics closely. Plenty of limits are being caught, with many anglers taking home bonus perch this season. Best Techniques: Jigging Line: Jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head continue to be the top producer. Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap-style lures are also working well for aggressive fish. Lures with built-in lights have been very effective in the stained water (Reminder: In Minnesota, lighted lures are legal as long as the battery is mercury-free and the hook is attached directly to the lure, not on a dropper line). Deadstick: A plain hook or small jig with a live minnow, set 6 inches to a foot off the bottom, continues to catch neutral or less aggressive fish. Time of Day: Bite windows vary daily. Some days, mornings are best; other days, the afternoon bite turns on. Walleyes can move through at any time, so staying patient and watching electronics is key. On the Rainy River...  Mornings and evenings continue to be the best times for targeting walleyes. A jig and minnow or jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head remains the go-to presentation. Sturgeon fishing has been solid, with some giants being iced (Reminder: The current sturgeon season is catch-and-release). Safety Note: Ice conditions on the Rainy River are good, but they can change rapidly due to current. Always check with resorts or outfitters before heading out. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing remains excellent throughout the islands region of Lake of the Woods. Resorts are moving fish houses regularly, keeping guests on active schools of walleyes. Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch, pike, and tullibees. Big crappies continue to be caught just over the border in Canada. If you're interested in targeting crappies, check with a NW Angle resort for guide services and ice conditions. Plan Your Ice Fishing Adventure! Lake of the Woods offers an extended ice fishing season, with:  Fish houses allowed overnight through March 31st  Walleye & sauger season open through April 14th  Pike season never closes—March is prime time for trophies!  Perch and crappie seasons open year-round Whether you’re looking for a day house rental, a sleeper fish house, or comfortable lodging at a resort with or without a meal plan, there’s still time to plan your late-season ice fishing adventure.    
    • smurfy
      Off da smoker!😉
    • smurfy
      At least he's got a shirt on! 😊🤣😜
    • leech~~
      Sounds like a nice last day.  I like how you photoshop a different shirt on that same picture the last few years!  🤣
    • JerkinLips
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