Fishing Report 1/13/2020

Sunset Lodge Walleye

Ice Conditions-Excellent.

On the south end…  Ice conditions on LOW are excellent.  Some great walleyes and saugers caught this week.  Fishing was up and down with cold fronts, -31 air temps, etc.  Plenty of fish for fish frys, some trophy walleyes, big sturgeon, some jumbo perch, an occasional pike, crappie or tulibee and plenty of sauger in the mix.  Most anglers fishing 25 – 30′ if on structure, 30′ – 36′ over mud.  Resort houses continue to follow fish and are moving constantly.   Best colors gold, pink, glow red and UV glow colors.  Both jigging line and deadstick with a live minnow producing based on mood of walleyes.  Electronics very helpful.  Watch for suspended walleyes.  Rattles and noise effective.

On the Rainy River…   The river is frozen over with some snowmobile traffic on marked trail.  Current has dropped some, but still strong.  Extra caution is always needed on the river.  Thin ice near International Bridge in Baudette and thinner ice on stretches of the river.  Work through resort if ice fishing for safety.

Up at the NW Angle…  Good fishing continues with a mix of walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch, pike and eelpout.  Cold fronts can affect bite from day to day, adjust to mood of fish.  Downsize if finicky, keep minnow active on deadstick.  Snowmobile trails from south end to Angle groomed and in good shape.  Stay on trails as there are ice chunks on lake.  Fish houses on LOW on the ice through March.  A complete list of lodging and ice fishing options available at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging

The Igloo Bar-an Ice Fishing Favorite

Igloo Bar Lake of the Woods

The Igloo Bar-an Ice Fishing Favorite on Lake of the Woods is placed and in full swing with the season. Ice fishing, snowmobiling and other winter activities keep the area in buzzing activity.  Most are ice anglers and snowmobilers looking to celebrate, escape the house, and have some fun during a season some would rather not deal with winter.  In these parts, winter is celebrated and welcomed.  Ice fishing is an absolute culture on Lake of the Woods.  Anglers from all ability levels and all walks of life come up to partake in some of the best ice fishing in the world. The Igloo Bar-an Ice Fishing Favorite

Visitors to the Lake of the Woods area who come to ice fish arrive with many different expectations.  Whether you are a hard core angler, appreciate the social part of ice fishing or possibly somewhere in the middle, there is one spot that catches most anglers attention, the Igloo Bar.  Expectations when entering this famous structure on the ice are usually about having fun and now is the time!

With over 1,000 square feet, you can imagine this structure demands some thick ice, 15″ or more to be exact.  The Igloo Bar-an Ice Fishing Favorite is located on the frozen Lake of the Woods out in front of Zippel Bay.  setting up the igloo bar 123117 1 300x225 It is transported out in two pieces and bolted together.  It is loaded with big screen TV’s, electric lights, running water, a bar, limited hot food menu, and heated portapoddies that look like little igloos.  The restrooms on the ice are heated for those who enjoy the little extras in life!  I asked Nick Painovich who owns Zippel Bay Resort along with his wife Deanna about the heated portapoddies.  “Some of the ladies were giving me a hard time about the cold toilet seats so I heated them.  Then, all of the guys started using the ladies restroom so I had to heat them both!”

I had mentioned to Painovich that things get pretty festive when someone catches a fish in the bar.  “You should see what happens when someone loses one,” he said with a smile.

The Igloo Bar-an Ice Fishing Favorite There is a barrel with burning wood on the ice for those who enjoy a little heat while stepping out of the bar for some fresh air. It’s unlike anything else most have experienced.  For many, it is the perfect storm of enjoying the Minnesota winter.  Ice fishing in a bar, what else you one ask for?

All are welcome!  Regardless of what resort, hotel or sleeper fish house you stay at while up at Lake of the Woods, the Igloo Bar is open to the public.  There is an ice road well marked, plowed and maintained coming from Zippel Bay Resort if you are coming via truck or car.  If by snowmobile, a “spur” of the trail goes right to the bar from the Zippel Bay State Park trail as well as the trail on the lake.

The atmosphere is fun and festive and you are welcome to join in.

 

Eelpout-Poor Man’s Lobster

poor mans lobster

By Paul A. Smith of the Journal Sentinel

 

Eelpout is a fish known by many names. To those who have eaten the fish, however, there is only one description: delicious.

The fish, related to cod and haddock, is also known as “poor man’s lobster.” eelpout

Here’s a simple recipe for eelpout (burbot) that results in fine dining.

 

Ingredients: One liter of Sprite or 7-Up soda (not diet); eelpout; melted butter.

Directions:

  1. Fillet the fish, focusing on getting two long, bone-free sections of backstrap.
  2. Remove the skin from the muscle.
  3. Cut each fillet into 1- to 2-inch cubes.
  4. Boil a liter of Sprite or 7-Up.
  5. Drop eelpout cubes into boiling soda.
  6. Remove cubes when they float and turn white, about 2 or 3 minutes.
  7. Dip pieces of cooked fish in melted butter.
  8. Enjoy a native bounty.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ8vsPPB58U

Fishing Report 1-7-2020

walleye lake of the woods

On the south end…  Lots of ice fishing happening on the big lake this week.  Overall, good reports with a mix of saugers and walleyes.  Some very small fish, lots of eaters, some huge fish.  Most common depths 28-31 feet of water.  Best colors gold, pink, glow red and UV glow colors.  Use combo jigging line and deadstick with a live minnow.  Electronics very helpful.  Watch for suspended walleyes.  Rattles and noise within lures can be effective.

On the Rainy River…   The river is frozen over but little traffic overall.  We encourage working through a resort on river if ice fishing.  Current has dropped some, but still strong.  Extra caution is always needed on the river, most sticking to lake so far.  The snowmobile trail on the river was marked this week for snowmobiles, nothing heavier.  Stay on trail, still areas of thinner ice on parts of the river.

Up at the NW Angle…  Fishing remains excellent with a mix of walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch, pike and eelpout.  Snowmobile trails from south end to Angle are being groomed and in good shape.  Stay on trails as current is high and there are still some areas needing more inches of ice.  Fish houses on LOW on the ice through March.  A complete list of lodging and ice fishing options available at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging