In a shallow bowl, combine the cornstarch, baking powder, salt, Creole seasoning, paprika, cayenne and 1/2 cup flour. Stir in milk and beer until smooth. Place crackers and remaining flour in separate shallow bowls. Coat fillets with flour, then dip in batter and coat with crackers.
In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry fish in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Now in its 18th season, the Annual Sturgeon Tournament at Sportsman’s Lodge took place the weekend of May 3rd & 4th. With close to 200 anglers fishing, this event has become an annual spring tradition on the Rainy River.
Each year, anglers from across the Midwest compete for cash and prizes in this 2-day sturgeon fishing extravaganza. Over $4,500 in prize money has been awarded, in addition to some great prizes provided by tournament sponsors.
Tournament Co-Director Bryan “Beef” Sathre expected a great turn-out and wasn’t disappointed. “Each year seems to get better than the last. And with the sturgeon bite in full swing, our anglers had an outstanding chance to hook into a big sturgeon.” Check out this website for many many great photos: www.sportsmanslodges.com/sturgeon-tournament. Congratulations to all participants and sponsors making this event one of the best at Lake of the Woods. Thanks to Sportsman’s Lodge for hosting this event.
In addition to the angler payouts, some of the proceeds from the event were donated to the Lake of the Woods Take a Kid Fishingprogram.
These funds will be used for program expenses, as well as to purchase lifetime fishing licenses that will be awarded at their event this year in June. LOW Take a Kid Fishing is designed to promote and teach kids the lifelong sport of fishing.
This tournament is also very popular to the young anglers as it features the youth fishing category as well. What a great introduction to a great sport for a lifetime of pleasure.
This season continues through May 15th and resumes again July 1st.
Oct 1 – April 23, Catch and Release
April 24 – May 7, Harvest Season
May 8 – May 15, Catch and Release
May 16 – June 30, Sturgeon Fishing Closed
July 1 – Sep 30, Harvest Season
If you fish during the harvest season and you want to keep a sturgeon, you must purchase a tag for $5 prior to fishing. One sturgeon per calendar year (45 – 50″ inclusive, or over 75″).
According to the Minnesota DNR, roughly 100,000 sturgeon over 40 inches live in these waters. The tournament took place where the Rainy River flows into Lake of the Woods where world-class fishing is literally one of the best areas around for the ancient fish.
The waters of the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods must be perfect for reproduction of these pre-historic fish because they are in abundance. Even though the sturgeon population is growing, the MN DNR reports that it is very compatible to the walleye population.
Last spring, these fish came up river to the Clementson Rapids for their spawn. Locals and tourists swarmed the area and were able to see these monstrous fish in their display. Historically, the Laurel Indians of decades back harvested these huge fish by the hundreds and used them for heating their igloos. That’s because the sturgeon is a very oily
fish. Very interesting.
The sturgeon is considered a pre-historic fish. It differs from other species in that its body consists of cartilage and not bones. Sturgeons are long-lived, late maturing fishes. Their average lifespan is 50 to 60 years, and their first spawn does not occur until they are around 15 to 20 years old. Sturgeons are broadcast spawners, and do not spawn every year because they require specific conditions. Those requirements may or may not be met every year due to varying environmental conditions, usually in the spring with clear water with shallow rock or gravel, where the eggs can adhere, with proper water temperature and flow for oxygenation of the eggs. A single female may release 100,000 to 3 million eggs, but not all will be fertilized.
Many sturgeons leap completely out of the water, usually making a loud splash which can be heard half a mile away on the surface and probably further under water. Why they do this is not known, but suggested functions include group communication to maintain group
cohesion, catching airborne prey, courtship display, or to help shed eggs during spawning. This is a familiar site on the Rainy River. Spring and fall especially find these great fish putting on a show as they leap out of the water.
The opportunity to cook sturgeon is rare because it is a special occasion fish. You would only find sturgeon fillets in very few shops so it’s best to fish the waters of Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River because of their abundance. Sturgeon is a unique fish to cook. Check out this website for great ideas and recipes. https://recipemarker.com/best-sturgeon-recipes
Again, congratulations on a successful and enjoyable tournament. Make plans now for the 19th Annual.
On the south end… Things are shaping up nicely for the MN Fishing Opener which takes place Saturday, May 11th. Recent rain has brought up the water levels, which were low. The walleyes and saugers are in very good shape across the south shore. Expectations are high.
The goto presentation this weekend will be a jig and frozen emerald shiner or other kind of minnow. Emerald shiners are a staple in LOW and walleyes love them.
Hook the shiner through the mouth and out the gill. Push the minnow all the way up to the jig head and hook the minnow as far back as possible. This will give you a better hooking percentage.
Jig sizes and colors? This is stained water so you can get away with a big heavier jig, which is nice for those who don’t fish a lot. It enables them to have more control and feel the bottom. A quarter ounce jig is a good size for starters.
In stained water, gold, glow white, glow red, pink, orange and chartreuse, or a combo of those colors, are great places to start.
The limit of walleyes and saugers is a combined limit of six fish, up to four of the six can be walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 – 28.0 inches must be released. One fish over 28.0 inches can be kept. The possession limit in MN is one daily limit of fish.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, there will be some good pike caught this weekend. The pike season on LOW is open year round. The limit is 3 pike per day with one fish allowed more than 40 inches. All fish 30 – 40 inches must be released.
On the Rainy River… Sturgeon fishing on the Rainy River has been excellent. The catch and release season is May 8 – 15. The keep season starts up again July 1st.
FYI, there will be some nice walleyes in the Rainy River for the fishing opener. Lots of sturgeon anglers are reporting big walleyes being caught on sturgeon rigs!
Up at the NW Angle… Angle resorts are ready to roll for the opener. As many of you know, this is the area of LOW where the islands begin. Lots of structure.
Go to spots for walleyes, neck down areas, shoreline breaks, points and bays which will have warmer water. In true NW Angle form, be ready for a mixed bag of fish. In addition to walleyes and saugers, pike, jumbo perch, crappies, and even a few smallies and muskies will be caught.
Again, the goto presentation will be a jig and minnow. Slow trolling a crankbait will also produce fish if need be.
Lodging, fishing packages, small boat guide trips, charter trips and summer trips are available at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.
A fishing tradition can come in many forms. Opening day destinations, family vacations and more. This fishing tradition, as shared by Prairie Sportsman, is about a group of guys who were co-workers. The core group started fishing together in the 1970’s, with others joining the tradition in the 80’s. Decades of friendships, memories and lots and lots of stories!
Traditions are different things to different people. The most important part to creating a tradition, good times and wonderful memories is someone taking the lead to create it. It takes a leader to start the conversation and pull things together.
Lake of the Woods is home to world class fishing, a wide variety of resorts and lodges with amenities such as full service guided fishing, charter boats, fish cleaning, food and beverage. A perfect location to create good times and memories.
It has been spoken in many circles, happiness in life doesn’t come from things, it comes from experiences. For many, traditions are a big part of that happiness.
Preheat oven to 425°. Peel and cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/2-in.-thick slices; cut slices into 1/2-in.-thick sticks.
In a large bowl, toss potatoes with oil and pepper. Transfer to a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, stirring once.
Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, mix flour and pepper. In another shallow bowl, whisk egg with water. In a third bowl, toss cornflakes with cheese and cayenne. Dip fish in flour mixture to coat both sides; shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture, then in cornflake mixture, patting to help coating adhere.
Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake 10-12 minutes or until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork. Serve with potatoes and, if desired, tartar sauce.
The 27th Annual Ice Out Northern Pike Tournament on Zippel Bay took place on the weekend of April 27-28 this year at the famous Lake of the Woods. Anglers had planned well for the event and the success didn’t disappoint. There were 77 teams participating this year and what weekend it was!!
The tourney is made up of two person teams and is a two day tournament based on weight. This is a fun tournament for locals and visitors alike coming together to target big toothy.
Most teams troll and cast crankbaits. Others use dead bait under a bobber in 1 – 8 feet of water. Most years, dozens and sometimes hundreds of pike are weighed in and many more caught in the slot (30-40 inches) that were not weighed in but immediately released.
The mantra of this year’s tournament was “great timing and lots of big pike”. According to Zippel Bay Resort owner Nick Painovich, “It was a really good year. The big females were done spawning and were in the bay eating and gaining strength back.” With that said, there were big fish in the Bay and a lot of nice fish caught.
Ron and Paul Wickham
1stPlace Winners this year were Jeff Wohl & Glenn Johnson weighing in with a total of 57.11 lbs of fish. 2nd Place was taken by Ron and Paul Wickham with 38.14 lbs. 3rd Place came in with 38.07 lbs by Cody Johnson and Aaron Wakawitz.
Jeff Wohl & Glenn Johnson
Congratulations to the winners and all the participants. The total weight of all Northerns caught during the tournament was 956.03 lbs. Wow! That’s a lot of fish!!!
Cody Johnson and Aaron Wakawitz.
Pike season on Lake of the Woods never ends. As we are border water with Canada, our pike season is continuous or another way of saying it is it goes all year long. This gives anglers a fantastic opportunity in April and early May to take advantage of monster pike who are somewhere along in their spawning ritual. And in Lake of the Woods, there are a lot of big pike!
Pike anglers pull nice pike out of various bays on the lake all spring and Zippel Bay is definitely a go to spot. Sometimes mother nature can throw some cold curve balls in the spring month but that’s what makes this stretch of water so special. Zippel Bay is quite secluded from the main lake, making it easier to hide from cold winds, and anglers don’t require the larger boats like on the main lake.
Lake of the Woods has a year round season on pike and a length limit as well. Anglers are allowed to keep three per day. Fish between 30-40 inches must be released with anglers able to keep one fish over 40 inches. This slot limit is one of the many reasons Lake of the Woods is a trophy northern pike destination.
Pike don’t receive a ton of attention on Lake of the Woods as the walleyes garner most of the love. March tip up fishing and a little bit of spring fishing is when anglers target these green spotted predators most often. They are in good abundance, are usually willing to bite and are great to eat once you get the “Y” bone out.
According to the MN DNR, there is often a pattern of lakes in MN that have big walleyes and pike have something in common, a good population of tulibees. Lake of the Woods fits the bill in this regard. When both walleyes and pike get to be larger, tulibees become a staple part of their diet. They also cause fish that eat them to get big quickly.
Congratulations goes out to Zipple Bay Resort for hosting and running this tournament each year.
For more information see: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com
For lodging see: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging
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