MARCH MADNESS ON LOTW

Ufda we survived the frigid winter doldrums of Northern Minnesota. It was stinkin’ cold this year but warmer winter days are upon us and some of the best bites on Lake of the Woods are here! I will break down some of my favorite late season bites up here on LOTW that will hopefully inspire you to try and take advantage some epic ice fishing memories.

The late season Walleye Lake of the Woods is best known for the amazing walleye action it provides through out the season. With that comes lots of angling pressure so as an angler you have to plan accordingly. This is the time of year I love to be ultra mobile looking active for schools of walleyes that patrol the shallow rocks. It seems most permanent houses move out to the mud this time of year leaving the shallow rocks (10 to 22 feet) untouched. The mud seems to provide great sauger action but my best walleye bites have come shallow this time of year. With my Clam Fish Trap in tow I hop on my sled and map out a section of the lake with shallow rock structure. There are many spots so just look at a map and focus in on one section. I key in on the gradual drop offs that lead up onto the reefs or rock saddles between two really shallow spots. This time of year the walleyes seem to very aggressive. This provides a great time to use one my favorite presentations, the Leech Flutter Spoon tipped with a Maki Spikki. This really allows me to be ultra efficient when the school moves through not having to re-bait my hook every time I catch a fish. Be willing to fish multiple reefs to find the reef with a large school. I use the middle of the day to try and provide clues so during primetime, last three hours of daylight; I’m set up where I think the largest school is. If you get it right it’s game on.

Schooling Lake Trout

The Lake Trout as many of you know is one of my favorite species to chase through the ice. On Lake of the Woods it’s a pure adventure hoping on the snowmobile and ripping through the islands. March provides warmer weather that allows you to don your Ice Armor by Clam suit, which keeps me warm when fishing outside fishing spot to spot to spot. The Lake Trout this time of year are actively feeding and you usually you can find larger schools of fish located in basins off of reef structures or long expansive points. Really the success comes from being mobile. Develop a system on your snowmobile so moving from spot to spot is seamless and not a big chore. I can’t express how important this is. It’s far too often I fish with someone and we set up on spot and here comes all of the stuff. Keep it simple. Be able to drill a hole, drop your transducer, grab your rod, fish a location and if nothing is there pack up and move. Again, my favorite lure of choice is the Leech Flutter Spoon but not too far off is the Tikka Minno, which has proven the last few years to catch some of my larger Lake Trout. I prefer a longer rod to absorb the big head shakes and a good reel that when the Lake Trout decides to make a run it will be smooth and forgiving. The Lake Trout are pure fighting machines and if you have never chased them I would highly recommend the adventure. My favorite base camp is with my friend Robert Tolen and his Resort, Vic & Dots Camp, located on Whitefish Bay.

Flag up

Ok lastly some of my most memorable fishing in March on Lake of the Woods has been getting a group together to set some flags, cook some hotdogs, play a little on ice games and catch a giant pike. It’s something I have personally enjoyed for many years. It’s in March when the Northern Pike make a push shallow for the pre-spawn feed. Which means large amounts of huge pike are available to put your hands on. It’s a great time for catch and release so that means being prepared with all the release tools at hand when the flag goes up. All you need is a simple system of utilizing a tip up, some dead bait to set up in the shallows and hold on tight. The key is simply trying to locate the depth the larger fish are holding. Sometimes it’s 12 to 15 feet and then there are times they are up in 2 feet. This is also a bite that is wonderful for the younger generation. Lake of the Woods has giant pike and when you see a young angler pull one through the hole it couldn’t be more rewarding. It also allows for them to have some fun on the ice while waiting for a flag. We play lots of fun games including a game we made up called Scoop but that’s for another time. The Bigtooth Zero rig tipped with a deadbait has proven to be my favorite presentation for hooking the fish in a safe way for not only the angler but also the fish. IceTeam has done a great job with many articles on the nuance of chasing pike with flags so look back at previous magazines and you will find all the details needed.

Lake of the Woods is truly a magical place for the ice angler and I wanted to share some of my favorite late season bites. My intent was to only inspire you the reader to look at some of the opportunities out there. If you find that inspiration to chase a species or bite mentioned which is new to you there are many details to dive into to find success. You can look back through the many great articles I have written along with the very talented IceTeam members on each specific bite to get down to the nitty gritty.

Good luck the rest of the season and make a great memory on the ice!

Jeff “Jiggy” Andersen Leisure Outdoor Adventure Fishing Guide YouTube: Jeff Andersen Fishing

THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR I LOVE TO BE ULTRA MOBILE LOOKING ACTIVE FOR SCHOOLS OF WALLEYES THAT PATROL THE SHALLOW ROCKS.