Larry Smith of Larry Smith Outdoors is an accomplished angler, guide, farmer and TV Host. Yep, he is busy! He had always spoken about getting on a Lake of the Woods charter boat some day. Well, we made that happen and to nobody’s surprise, it was a hoot.
Charters are a great option for many. A licensed charter captain really leads your day. Just about everything is provided, a nice, comfortable charter boat, rods, reels, tackle, bait and even the fish cleaning. As the saying goes, there are only two things you need to think about when fishing on a charter, “what should I wear and what should I eat.” Just step aboard.
It really makes it nice for families, groups of friends and corporate groups as charters can take up to 6 anglers per trip. Some call it a 6 pack trip. The magic number 6 has to do with how the Coast Guard licenses are issued and what they allow.
The normal routine if you are fishing on a charter boat is to wake up, have a nice breakfast which can be on your own or at a resort and step aboard a charter boat just before 8am. The boats normally depart around 8am and come back to the docks at 5pm.
Some resorts will make lunch if you pre-arrange it which really makes life easy. Otherwise, many will bring a small cooler with their lunch and refreshments.
Don’t forget to dress in layers. This is northern Minnesota, hence, some mornings can be cool and afternoons warm. Sunglasses, sunscreen, a good hat and some rain gear just in case there is a passing shower. The boats do have a hard top or soft top over part of the boat but it is nice to be prepared. Usually, there is plenty of room in the cuddy cabin below deck in the bow of the boat.
To book a charter, contact your favorite Lake of the Woods resort. Some will book lodging and charter. Others, if they are staying at a resort with food and beverage, will do the American Plan where the lodging, fishing and meals are all included in one price.
Fishing on a charter is surprisingly reasonably priced. Every resort is a little different, but when you figure out what it is per person for a quality fishing experience and the opportunity to truly relax, it is a bargain.
Larry Smith always bring great energy and insight to every adventure he is on. This adventure was no different. A man of good character and a very hard working person, check out this week’s episode!
Although we caught fish both jigging and pulling spinners, just like the title of this show indicates, pulling spinners was the hot technique and will continue to be as waters warm up. You can use a variety of bait on a snelled spinner, otherwise called a crawler harness. Crawlers are by far the most common in the summer. Using a two or three hook harness, the majority of the crawlers is covered in hooks which allows the walleyes not to bite off the end of the crawler and not get hooked.
First tip: Pinch your crawler off after the last hook so there is only 2 – 3 inches of tail. Why? The walleyes will still hit the presentation and you will hook a larger percentage of fish.
Second tip: Use enough weight to maintain a 45 degree angle. Often, the magic weight is a 2 ounce weight. Some use inline weights otherwise, bottom bouncers are good, especially when around rocks.
Third tip: 1.25 mph is the go to speed. You can go a bit less or a bit faster, but 1.25 is golden.
Fourth tip: On Lake of the Woods, there are a few colors that are pretty consistent. Gold, pink, and orange or a combo of these colors are pretty consistent. Other colors such as glow white or chartreuse are also good.
Fifth tip: Don’t drag your weight on the bottom. Rather, touch bottom so you know you are down there, but keep it just off.
Pulling spinners during the hot summer months is a deadly and proven technique on Lake of the Woods. It is relatively easy to do and will put a lot of walleyes in the boat as it did in this episode of Larry Smith Outdoors.
