EARLY ICE ON LAKE OF THE WOODS

EARLY ICE EARLY ICE

ON LAKE OF THE WOODS

EARLY ICE EARLY ICE

ON LAKE OF THE WOODS

By: Keith Kavajecz

As I begin my preparations for my annual trip up to Baudette MN and Lake Of The Woods, I started thinking about what makes Lake Of The Woods (LOTW) a great ice destination for walleyes. The obvious first factor is fish! There are literally thousands and thousands of fish, sauger and walleye, making LOTW a high target environment.

Now, are all the fish trophies? No, but with an abundance of small fish, plenty of good eating size fish and the excellent potential, every day, to catch a 26 to 30 inch trophy - that is more than enough potential to keep the anticipation high every time a mark cruises onto the sonar.

North of Baudette the Rainy River enters LOTW at Wheelers Point. There are many resorts in that area. The one I’ve stayed at for years is Adrians. I use to fish tournaments against Brian Ney – he is an excellent angler. Brian and his brother Corey (and the rest of their family) run the resort and are great resources for bait, fishing information, guided trips, etc. Although one of the original resorts, Adrians’ has gone through many renovations the last couple of years and now has some of the nicest lodging. It still has a great lodge/ restaurant and has two of the best/ fastest fish cleaning young ladies I’ve ever witnessed!

I choose this area because, in the fall, shiners come into the Rainy River by the millions – they are closely followed by walleyes. This fall migration also draws many walleyes into Four Mile Bay and the Basin area just outside of Pine Island (a barrier island). Because LOTW is so far north it also is one of the first larger lakes to get good ice.

Usually by mid-December there is safe ice to traverse with snowmobiles and ATV’s. There is an Ice Road across Four Mile Bay (maintained and managed by Adrians Resort) that takes you out over Pine Island to the main fishing area. Note, there are vehicle weight limits so trucks and wheel houses will have to wait until the road is thick enough – check with Adrians for latest conditions. Once you cross over Pine Island you will see literally a city of resort shacks. Plowed “roads” will lead you out onto the sea of brightly colored shacks. These shacks are rented by the resorts (each resort has a color scheme). They are heated, come with bait and are moved often to keep clients on fish. The resorts provide transportation to get you out to your shack for a day of fishing. This is a really nice Turn-Key option to experience LOTW ice fishing.

Personally, I like the versatility of staying mobile. Give me my snowmobile pulling my Clam X200 Portable shelter and let

me explore. Most of the water being fished is a basin area. It slowly tapers from shore. The walleyes can be in 10 feet, 30 feet or any depth in between. There is no real structure or “spots” to fish – it is basically a flat area. I think the walleye slowly mill around looking for food. Often if you can find a school you will have good action for the day (or even days) in the same area.

As the season progresses past first ice, you will notice the resorts “leap frogging” rows of their shallower shacks out to deeper water. One thing I always check out is the outskirts of the resort shacks (typically deeper). Sometimes staying one step ahead of them can produce. I also look for areas inside the pack with less activity. At times I cross some rough ice to get to a patch of smooth ice that has not been fished. Also remember, there are times when the numbers of fish move out deeper, but the big girls stay in shallower or move shallower in low light conditions. By staying mobile – I can check out all the situations.

One note - early ice conditions can be rough. If the wind blows hard when the ice is forming, it often pushes up “shoves” and shards of ice. Make sure if you are using a portable shack it has a tough tub. Often some of the unfished areas require a rough pull through ice fields in frigid conditions – you don’t want to crack your tub. I’ve used the Clam X200, the Clam Voyager and the Clam XL Thermal (one man) in these conditions and all have held up great. I recommend using the Clam Pro Series Tow Hitch on all of these shacks – toughest hitch system out there!

One of the big advantages of LOTW is that it is stained water. That means that the fish can bite all day. Unlike most clear lakes, where the bite is only dusk or dawn, at LOTW the fish stay much more active – even

during midday. I would say seeing a fish every 10 minutes on the fish finder is not uncommon – now getting them all to bite – well that’s what makes it fishing.

I use a variety of lures on LOTW. Jigging spoons, glide baits and lipless cranks are what ends up on the business end of jigging rod. Gold and red are always great choices for colors (glow red is particularly good in low light). One little trick on jigging the basin areas of LOTW is to pound the bottom frequently. I think the sound of the pound and the puff of debris it creates can draw fish to your presentation. Once you see them, work the bait above them to entice them to bite.

Another great option is using a dead rod – simply a limber rod with a jig

ONE OF THE BIG ADVANTAGES OF LOTW IS THAT IT IS STAINED WATER. THAT MEANS THAT THE FISH CAN BITE ALL DAY. UNLIKE MOST CLEAR LAKES, WHERE THE BITE IS ONLY DUSK OR DAWN, AT LOTW THE FISH STAY MUCH MORE ACTIVE

and a live shiner. 1/8 to ¼ ounce white, pink and gold jigs set in a second hole in your shack about 2 feet off the bottom catch a lot of fish. Often the action of the lure on your jigging rod will draw fish in – the enticing movement of a live minnow a couple feet away will finish them off.

One final option is to fish for suspended fish. Similar to a dead rod in the shack, I typically use a jig and minnow. But like in summer – basin fish will often cruise around suspended half way up the water column (or even higher). For these fish, I like to set up a JT Outdoors Hot Box away from my shack. Suspended fish are spooky, so sounds on the ice in the shack can push them down. The Hot Box keeps the hole clear of ice and allows me to instantly set the hook and fight the fish with a spinning reel – thereby landing more fish than say a typical Tip-up.

Lake of the Woods is a premier early season ice destination. Great facilities, lots of fish, chance for a trophy – a great place to get – The Next Bite!

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