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Posted

Hi everyone, I have learned alot about LOW from all I have read here. I am making my first trip up there on the 19th for the weekend. A large group of Veterans from my American Legion are going up together out of Ballards. I do alot of Fishing around the north Metro and also the brainerd area but never to LOW. I take it from the posts I have read that the key is to always be changing what you put infront of them...I also read alot about BIG Pike this time of year up there. I commonly take two to three trips to Brainerd on a special lake this time of year for Slab Crappies in 8-12 FOW and in between the Crappies we have to shoo off the big pike that come into either bite off our swedish pimples and euros or steal our crappies from us as we pull em up the hole. We callem "slashers" quite often you get a crappie with teeth marks all down half of it..... Since the season is closed we end up doing our best NOT to catch em and keep em away from me. However I have always wanted to go to a place that I could activly persue these Big sleds this time of year. I put together a stout jigging rod and reel combo and tested using a big dead sucker on a 1 oz short shank jig and made a short stinger.... 7 strand leader that runs off the hook shank with a trebbel...kind of like an enlarged walley jig with a mono stinger. It worked great on Millacs early ice for pike. Is what I experience in the Brainerd area simular to what happens up there this time of year? I know we will be transported out to houses and what would be the chances I will get an oppertunity to chase some of these big boys???....I hope they let me in the Transport...I am draggin everything but the ATV, Auger and my Portable up ther with me...I have a VEX, My Rod bag with 4 walleye rods, and a Ice fishing Box that my wife swears has one of every ice jig,Rig,spoon,fly,bober, ever made as well as 2 Way radios, a camera of course, flash light...extra leader making stuff for pike jigs... Thanks for info on Pike fishing up there you can share. <P>------------------<BR>Freedom comes with a price,<BR>Remeber our Veterans

Posted

Speaking from my experience at other resorts, if the resort is taking you out and putting you in their fish houses, you will not be bringing your portable with you because there won't be room in the track van or bomber. They may however let you follow them out to the house using your atv to drag your gear. I would definitely call them and ask them what your options are. You may not end up bringing your own house, but you may want to ask.

Posted

Thanks papperpimp...Actualy I am leaving the portable, and ATV at home since I only own a hand auger...Being on the move without a power auger I believe, is not a working plan for up there.<P>So unless the resort tells me to bring the ATV and Portable for some in Closer Shallow water pike chasing one of our two days and someone up there is willing to go out Pike chasing with me that has a power auger....those big items are staying home...<P>Thanks<P>------------------<BR>Freedom comes with a price,<BR>Remeber our Veterans

Posted

Hey Vet,<P> I'd bring the hand auger if you can break it down so it's more compact. With a Vex and a hand auger and some decent weather, you can move around a little bit around the area the resort drops you off at.The ice isn't as thick as it usually is this time of year because of all the snow. You'd be amazed at the difference of moving 50 or 100 feet away will do some times.<P> The perch are humungus and hungery this year! We have caught several in the 12 and 13 inch range. Just remember if your using minnow heads on a jig to sqeeze the airsack out of the body and throw it down the hole. I think the perch pick them off the bottom and will stick aroung a little longer. It's funny to se a sumo 13 inch perch come up your hole with his mouth packed full of minnow pieces and mud on his belly. <P> Don't forget to keep changing your jigs up too. Don't get stuck on the gold thing. Everybody thinks gold when they go to Lake of the Woods , but Iv'e had just as good luck with other colors too.<P> Good luck to ya

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Wanderer
      Naw, I just pushed up my glasses.         
    • leech~~
    • smurfy
      🤣 did your nose just grow a bit!😏🤭
    • Wanderer
      I hope to be fishing….  It’s so rare that I get to go, I hate passing up the opportunity. 😉   
    • leech~~
      Since the Vikings are never in it. We use it for an excuse to make some fun stuff!  Last year was a bit light. Hot cheese bean dip, hot wings and pepperoni cheese bread! 😋
    • Hookmaster
      That snow and the 15-25 mph winds on Thursday with higher gusts will be nasty drifting. I didn't go to LOW (can I say that in the this thread?🤫) this week because of it.
    • smurfy
      Who's watching the big game Sunday? More importantly what's ya'all cooking!   I like good football si I'm tuning in. Food... yea no clue yet 
    • Wanderer
      Hard to see em well enough to tell.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing is strong across the south shore of Lake of the Woods out on Big Traverse Bay.  Most anglers are targeting deep mud with others fishing structure if available where they are going out of.  There are fish in both areas.     Some ice roads are now extending more than 16 miles out, with over two feet of ice reported in most areas. Resorts and outfitters continue increasing weight limits. As a rule, fishing continues to be very good with consistent action for anglers.  Most fishing activity is taking place in 26-32 feet of water.  Anglers are finding a healthy mix of walleyes and saugers, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy fresh fish frys and bring fish home.   On the jigging line, jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head have been consistent.  Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap style lures also doing well.   On the deadstick, a plain hook or a small jig with a live minnow 6 inches to a foot off of the bottom.    You never know when the fish will move through.  Anglers fishing the entire day normally have success.  Electronics are a big help as well. On the Rainy River...  The morning and evening hours are the best for fishing walleyes. A jig and minnow combination has been a good presentation.  A jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head is also producing some fish. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is still producing some big fish through the ice.  There are two sturgeon seasons on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River, a catch and release season and a harvest season in which you can keep one fish per calendar year.    The harvest season runs from April 24th – May 7th and July 1 – Sept. 30. The catch and release season runs May 8th – May 15th and Oct. 1 – April 23rd.    Although ice conditions on the river are good, they can vary significantly due to the current, so anglers should always consult local resorts or outfitters for the most up-to-date safety information and fishing advice. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing remains good at the Northwest Angle.  Resorts continue to move their fish houses staying on fish.  Some fish houses are set up on structure while others are targeting deeper mud flats.    Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch, pike, and tullibees.  Good numbers of big crappies are still being caught in select areas and hard sided fish houses are available to target them.  Check with a NW Angle resort for info.   Jigging one line, deadsticking the second is effective.  Some days the jigging line is hot, other days the deadstick.  Some good colors have been gold, glow red, glow white, wonder bread, pink, chartreuse and orange. Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended ice fishing season with fish houses on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th. Perch, crappie, and pike seasons remain open year-round.  
    • JerkinLips
      Same story, different day (Monday).  Caught several small walleyes (biggest were 14 and 15 inches) with the best bite from 2-5pm.  Caught my record walleye this winter at 6½ (inches, not pounds).  Was wondering why the bobber kept going down a couple inches for several minutes until I finally reeled it up.  Fortunately it was just hooked in the lips.  Having a lively minnow definitely improved the action.  I put down a pike sucker for the first time this winter and got an immediate hard bite.  When I went to set the hook, the line broke just above the hook.  Don't know if it was a northern bite-off or just weak line by the hook.  May try some pike suckers next trip.   Ice conditions were very good except for heavy drifting (even with very little fresh snow).  Didn't see any vehicles traveling off road except for snowmobiles and a tracked SxS, although there weren't many people out on the lake.  Water came up around my house about 1½ inches but froze very quickly with the cold weather and no snow on top.  Will probably have to block it up again next time up.   Good luck fishing and be careful of severe drifting of snow, especially with the 3-5 inches they are predicting for Wednesday night.  
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