Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Lake of the Woods and the Wigwam Resort

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! This past week has been a roller coaster ride at the Wigwam Resort and I’ve loved every minute of it. Last weekend we had a full house at the Wigwam Resort and what a time it was. The fishing was fantastic, the food was phenomenal, and the company was the best ever. I wanted to thank all of our guests for being both great and gracious guests while they allowed us to be apart of their vacations. Just as we try and make your vacation great, you make it so easy for us to want to be the best that we can possibly be, to ensure each and every one of you have a great experience up here on Lake of the Woods at the Wigwam Resort…thank you once again.

This coming weekend is New Years and I hope every one has their “New Years resolutions” all figured out…I do, and it involves trying to get out and fish as much as humanly possible…haha. No matter what it is, I hope that every one will be able to stick with it and really implement it into their lives…good luck all.

Over New Years we will be having the band “The Night Hawks” playing with us for three nights in a row…Thursday (December 31), Friday (January 1) and Saturday (January 2). We have a packed resort with over 120 people staying with us and the rumor is that every one from town is also coming to pay us a visit…it should make for a couple fun and eventful nights over here. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you out here to bring in the New Year!

The lures that have been working well are the “Stop Signs”, “Demons” and “Chubby Darters”. You want to be using anything that glows right now to get the best success possible…white, green and pink have been the best!

Announcements…If you’re looking for some great ice fishing deals, checkout the current December specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a December special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for January and February 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of December…you can’t beat them! Also, every Vikings game this season, we will have drink special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we will have sunshine and clouds mixed with wind chills may approach -10F, high 8F with winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight should be mostly cloudy skies, low -3F with winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow will have considerable clouds early, some decrease in clouds later in the day, high 14F with winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Tomorrow night should be partly cloudy during the evening followed by cloudy skies overnight, low 6F with winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Wednesday should be cloudy, highs in the mid teens and lows in the low single digits. Thursday we should see a few snow showers, highs in the mid single digits and lows -7 to -11F. Friday we should have a mix of sun and clouds, highs 2 to -2F and lows -9 to -13F. Two evenings ago (Christmas day), I had the opportunity to speak with a number of the locals as they come off the ice and I was able to pull a large amount of valuable information from them. Also I was able to get out and fish for the past few days, so now you will get a first had account of what I experienced. All the action is still taking place, west of Pine Island and north of Morris Point Gap. From 7 to 9 am you will want to be fishing in 12-16 feet of water and then after that move to 24 to 30 feet of water till 3 pm and then move back in to the shallows for the last evening bite. The fish have been moving out a little bit further every day. Another place to keep on the radar is Lighthouse Gap, right on the US/Canadian line in 22 to 28 feet of water. The lures showing the greatest success rate are the “Stop Sign”, “Demon” & “Chubby Darter” (all can be purchased at the Log Cabin Bait store approximately ¾ of a mile before the Wigwam on 172). Yesterday the bite was a tad bit slow because of the massive snow storm we had roll through are area. We anticipate it to pick up here in the next few days…it was hot and heavy until the storm started, so I hope she calms down a little bit so we can get back to the great fishing we were having pre-storm. You will want to get anything that glows right now, whether it is white, pink or green. The ice thickness out there is currently 16-18 inches. Well today I started to see a number of larger trucks pulling houses out on the ice today, so the road must be open. I have yet to get the verbal confirmation from the road management crew, but it looks as if it is open for business. Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier
Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/

Lake of the Woods Walleye Bite is Slow but Steady as We Enter the Christmas Holiday

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. I just got off the lake for my second day of ice fishing in as many days, and the bit has slowed up a bit, but some are still bringing in some great numbers and pictures that back up the talk. I had the pleasure of meeting a number of new guests this past week from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Minnesota. We had a great weekend of ice fishing and plenty of fun for all to enjoy. The best part of the weekend is that the Wigwam was filled to capacity…there was not one room available for 4 days, that’s what great fishing and excellent customer service/hospitality will do for you. I wanted to thank everyone for choosing the Wigwam Resort while they were visiting us on Lake of the Woods, and I hope everyone had a blast…there were a number of smiles at the checkout counter.

Yesterday I went fishing with my girlfriend (Jody), and as she pulled her poles out of her backpack, she was sporting the “Stop Sign” jig that everyone from Lake of the Woods is singing praises about these days. I had been waiting to see the “Stop Sign” in action for the past few weeks and it didn’t disappoint. Jody out fished me from start to finish, and that doesn’t usually happen. Maybe it was my subconscious letting her get all the fish…haha…I doubt it though. The “Stop Sign”, stopped the fish dead in there tracks and the proof is in the picture. Nice fishing Jody, way to show me up…haha.

Today I had the opportunity of fishing with a few of our guests, Shane Fukushima and Chris Sislo, whom are coaches with the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL (Waterloo, IA - where I started my Junior Hockey career back in 1993-94) and they were picking up a few fish, not a ton, but they were still having a blast just being in the element. As we sat and chatted about all the people that we played hockey with and were friends with in the hockey world, the names were very similar. Hockey makes this world very small and I feel so fortunate, now that I’m out of the game, to still have those relationships…I have truly been blessed.

As I stated in the title of this blog, the bite has been a little slower than we are used to up on Lake of the Woods this time of year, but I think that has to due with the temperature swing of 40 degrees (-20 to 20 above) we had last week. All the avid fisherman on Lake of the Woods say that it should get better here the next few days, so get ready to catch some fish!

The lures that have been working well are the “Stop Signs”, “Demons” and “Chubby Darters”. You want to be using anything that glows right now to get the best success possible…white, green and pink are the best!

Announcements…If you’re looking for some great ice fishing deals, checkout the current December specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a December special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for January and February 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of December…you can’t beat them! Also, every Vikings game this season, we will have drink special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Tonight should be partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight, low 4F with winds light and variable. Tomorrow we should have more clouds than sun, high around 20F with winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow night should be cloudy, low 11F with winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Wednesday we should see scattered snow showers during the morning, and then partly to mostly cloudy for the afternoon, high 24F with winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 30% chance of snow. Thursday should show us some snow showers in the morning, highs in the mid 20s and lows in the mid teens. Friday we should see a few snow showers, highs in the low 20s and lows in the low teens. This evening I had the opportunity to speak with a number of our guests as they come off the ice and I was able to pull a large amount of valuable information from them. Also I was able to get out and fish for the past few days, so now you will get a first had account of what I experienced. All the action is still taking place, west of Pine Island and north of Morris Point Gap. From 7 to 9 am you will want to be fishing in 10-14 feet of water and then after that move to 18 to 28 feet of water till 3 pm and then move back in to the shallows for the last evening bite. The fish have been moving out a little bit further every day. Another place to keep on the radar is Lighthouse Gap, right on the US/Canadian line in 24 to 28 feet of water. The lures showing the greatest success rate are the “Stop Sign”, “Demon” & “Chubby Darter” (all can be purchased at the Log Cabin Bait store approximately ¾ of a mile before the Wigwam on 172). Today the bite was a tad bit slow until I juiced up the “Stop Sign” with a little light so it would glow…not even 1 minute after I dropped it down the hole I had set the hook on my first Walleye of the day…nice. You will want to get anything that glows right now, whether it is white, pink or green. The ice thickness out there is currently 15-17 inches. We are still only recommending small vehicles only (Geo Trackers, etc.), 4 wheelers and snowmobiles out on the ice as of right now. I had the opportunity to speak with the people that maintain the road yesterday and they anticipate letting people out with larger vehicles after Christmas. We look forward to seeing all of you up here very shortly. Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

My shout out today will go to all the guests that we had stay with us over the weekend. I would like to thank everyone for letting us show you our northern Minnesota hospitality while you stayed, dined, fished and visited the bar. All I heard this weekend were positive comments and I will be sure to share that with the entire staff. Thanks again for being such gracious guests and we look forward to seeing you all back again in the very near future.

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier

Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/

Ice Fishing on Lake of the Woods is something the Whole Family Can Enjoy

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. This week we saw another diverse crowd visit us for there fishing excursions/vacations, and one in particular group caught my eye. This group was the Lloyd Group from Laporte, MN, which consisted of 3 generations of fishermen (Jack (Grandfather), John (Father), Ray (Son) and Ben (Son)). It was a pleasure to see fathers and grandfathers fishing with their children and grandchildren. It reminded me of my childhood days back on Rainy Lake, when I was able to go fishing with my father and grandfather. I carry many of those fabulous memories with me always and I hope that the two youngsters (Ray and Ben) that were fishing with dad and grandpa will also carry those great memories for years to come.

Fishing has been absolutely phenomenal this first ice, as it usually is on Lake of the Woods this time of year, and we don’t anticipate the fishing to slow a bit. This morning as I spoke with guests that were checking out after their stay with us, the common anthem was that the bit was currently solid, but it had been a little light the past few days…music to this fisherman’s ears that the fish are hitting better. Even thought the fish the past few days had been biting very lightly, there was still plenty of action. When you have a very light bit, we recommend using about half of a minnow and setting the hook quickly when you do get that light bite.

The lures that have been working well are the “Stop Signs”, “Demons” and “Chubby Darters”. You want to be using anything that glows right now to get the best success possible…white, green and pink are the best!

Announcements…If you’re looking for some great ice fishing deals, checkout the current December specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a December special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for January and February 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of December…you can’t beat them! Also, every Vikings game this season, we will have drink special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we should have scattered flurries and snow showers, high near 20F with winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 30% chance of snow. Tonight should be cloudy, low 6F with winds light and variable. Tomorrow should be cloudy with a few flurries are possible, high 19F with winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow night we should see some flurries during the evening hours, then cloudy skies overnight, low near 5F with winds light and variable. Saturday should be cloudy, highs in the mid teens and lows in the mid single digits. Sunday we should see snow showers at times, highs in the mid teens and lows in the mid single digits. Monday it should be cloudy with flurries, highs in the mid teens and lows in the low single digits. Yesterday our houses that we have on the southwest side of Pine Island produced some great quantities of Walleye and Sauger once again. About 95% of the ice fishermen that I had the opportunity to speak with yesterday had great success, which was consistent with the few previous days. All the action is taking place, west of Pine Island and north of Morris Point Gap. From 7 to 11 am you will want to be fishing in 14-18 feet of water and then after that move to 18-24 feet of water till dark. A few days ago, one of our ice guides/instructors (Jake “of the Woods” Magness) was fishing in 18-20 feet of water, directly out from Morris Point Gap, which is right where we have our houses at this time, and he was having some great success. The ice thickness out there is currently 12-14 inches and growing every hour. I hope to get out fishing Sunday, the resort will be swamped this weekend, so I might not be able to head out till after the weekend rush. I hope to be able to experience what are guests are experiencing. We look forward to seeing all of you up here very shortly. Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier
Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/

Lake of the Woods Deep Freeze Doesn’t Scare the Fishermen or the Fish

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Things are starting to really heat up on Lake of the Woods and those things only have to do with fishing. Last night we had another deeeeeeeeeeeep freeze (-25 F) on Lake of the Woods and the ice is really strengthening up. As of yesterday, we just started driving our people movers out of the Wigwam, instead of having to drive off the point to get out to our ice houses, and things are starting to come together very nicely. The fishing is amazing and our guests are getting to experience the best of what Lake of the Woods has to offer during early ice. From the excitement in each of their voices, it looks as if Mother Nature is delivering no disappointments.

This morning, I walked by the fish cleaning house, and there in front of my eyes was the proof of a fantastic day of fishing on Lake of the Woods (Wigwam Resort’s back yard), sitting in front of me were 12 boxes of frozen fish guts. Last night I was told by more than one guest, well really more than 30, that they caught a number of fish a piece, average more than 40 each and only taking the lake limit of, no more than 4 Walleye a piece. In my mind, that is phenomenal fishing and great conservationism working together very nicely. With Lake of the Woods current Walleye and Sauger populations estimate form the DNR; this fabulous fishing will continue for years to come…we are truly lucky to have this as our back yard. Anyone who hasn’t come to visit should immediately fill up the tank and V-line to Lake of the Woods as soon as humanly possible. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you here very soon.

Announcements…If you’re looking for some great ice fishing deals, checkout the current December specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a December special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for January and February 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of December…you can’t beat them! Also, every Vikings game this season, we will have drink special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today will be bitterly cold with sunshine and clouds mixed, high -4F with winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight will be partly cloudy this evening with a few snow flurries after midnight, low -11F with winds light and variable. Tomorrow will be cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day, high 12F with winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow night we will have snow flurries possible to start, then snow showers becoming more likely later at night, low 2F with winds light and variable…there will be a 50% chance of snow. Thursday we should see snow showers, highs will be in the mid teens and lows will be in the upper single digits. Friday should be cloudy, highs in the upper teens and lows 1 to -3F. Saturday we should have times of sun and clouds, highs in the mid teens and lows in the mid single digits. Yesterday our houses that we have on the southwest side of Pine Island produced some great quantities of Walleye and Sauger once again. About 95% of the ice fishermen that I had the opportunity to speak with yesterday had great success, which was consistent with the few previous days. All the action is taking place, west of Pine Island and north of Morris Point Gap. From 7 to 11 am you will want to be fishing in 14-18 feet of water and then after that move to 18-24 feet of water till dark. Yesterday one of our ice guides/instructors (Jake “of the Woods” Magness) was fishing in 18-20 feet of water, directly out from Morris Point Gap, which is right where we have our houses at this time, and he was having some great success. The ice thickness out there is currently 11-12 inches and growing every hour. Tonight again should be nice and chilly to add a couple more inches. I was hoping to get out fishing today, but I don’t think I will be able to make time…the resort is still very busy, so I don’t mind not being able to get out. I hope to be able to experience what are guests are experiencing this coming Sunday afternoon when I plan on getting out there and wetting a line with Jody and Vancouver. We look forward to seeing all of you up here very shortly. Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

My shout out today will go to each and ever guest that we have had this past week, weather you were fishing with us, staying with us in the lodge or cabins, getting some food from our dining room, or wetting your whistle in the bar. I wanted to thank you for being such great and gracious guests. I hope each and every one of you enjoyed the time you spent catching fish, eating, sipping down a few beverages and telling fish tales while you visited with us. Thanks again and I look forward to having you each back to visit very soon.

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier
Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/

Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing Has Lift Off!!!!

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. As I woke up and made myself coffee this morning I glanced out the window at the outdoor thermometer I have nailed to the tree, and I had to take a double take at it…it read -25 below. After I shivered just from the sheer thought of that temp, I started to smile and thought we must be making some great ice on Lake of the Woods right now. I was right, as of last night we made about 2 more inches of ice…nice!

We just sent out a special to all our contacts for December 20th – 23rd, which gives new reservations only a $50 savings for 2 Night 2 Day Packages, $75 savings for 3 Night 2 Day Packages, and $100 savings for 4 Night 3 Day Packages. If you would like to get more information on this sweet deal, please call the office at (800) 448-9260 and ask for Jean-Paul (JP), Colleen or Stephanie.

As of this morning we have started to move our ice houses out to the lake…there is 9 to 10 inches of ice on the big lake and we will be ready to begin ice fishing our guests tomorrow. Just this afternoon I drove some lunch to a few of our current guests who are fishing on there own, and the fishing is “off the hook” right now. They are catching Walleye and Sauger one right after the other…that’s just what I like to see. It is starting to look like a small city out there right now, that means the word is out! I haven’t gotten an up to date size report on the Walleyes, but I will get that info tonight and hopefully I will be able to get out and do some fishing on Sunday to give everyone a first hand look at the conditions and the fish…come on Sunday!

Announcements…If you’re looking for some great ice fishing deals, checkout the current December specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a December special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for January and February 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of December…you can’t beat them! Also, every Vikings game this season, we will have drink special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Tonight should be variably cloudy with light snow flurries possible, low 1F with winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow we should see some snow flurries or snow showers, high 12F with winds light and variable. Tomorrow night should be variably cloudy with light snow flurries possible, low -4F with winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Sunday we should have snow flurries early; cloudy with a few snow showers possible later in the day, it will be cold, high 7F with winds NW at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 30% chance of snow. Monday we should see snow showers at times, highs in the upper single digits and lows -4 to -8F. Tuesday we should see a few snow showers, highs in the low single digits and lows -9 to -13F. As of today we start moving the houses out on the lake (west side of Pine Island). The fishing report today will come from one of our ice guides/instructors (Jake “of the Woods” Magness, and he is currently out fishing as I’m writing the report and I just got off the phone with him. He is having great luck fishing in 18-20 feet of water, directly out from Morris Point Gap, which is right where we plan on putting our houses at this time. The ice thickness out there is currently 9 inches and growing every hour. Tonight again should be nice and chilly to add a couple more inches. I will hopefully be out fishing this Sunday, so I will have a first hand report and pictures on Monday. Please keep checking the report daily, because things always change, but as of this morning this is what we are anticipating. We look forward to seeing all of you up here very shortly. Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

My shout out today will go to Tom Briggs (the owner of the Wigwam Resort) and Tom’s family. Tom’s father, Mr. Barney Briggs (pictured on the right), is having congestive heart failure and not expected to make it much longer. Tom is currently with his father in Nisswa, MN for his final days. I wanted to let Tom, Barney, and the entire Briggs family know that all our thoughts and prayers are with you guys right now. May this tragic time be a time to reflect on all the joyful memories that you all have had from years past…these memories will be what you will carry with you for years to come…God Bless.

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier
Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/

Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing is Almost Ready for Take Off

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Hello all…I’ve been waiting for ice now for over 8 months, and it is finally here! The temps have dropped to “ice making levels” and we are a making ice. As of yesterday we had about 4-1/2 inches just off of the Wigwam docks, and one of my friends yesterday took a drive on a hovercraft out past Pine Island on the “Big Lake” and found 4 inches and ice as far as the eye can see. As of today conditions aren’t as harsh, but they are still very nice and cold. We are not supposed to break out of single digits and negative temps for the next week at least. This is very good news for all you ice fishing fanatics out there.

Tom (the owner of the Wigwam) is currently anticipating starting to move our houses out on the lake on Friday now, which is even a change from yesterday, because of the current change in weather conditions and we are making some great ice. We will be monitoring the condition very closely, but as stated, we are looking to now move our houses out on Friday/Saturday and start fishing on Sunday. Please follow the Daily Fishing Report, as I will be updating it daily from here on out.

I also wanted to share this with you…Tom and I yesterday attended a meeting with the DNR and got some great, that might be to lite, FANTASTIC news about the Walleye and Sauger populations and year classes that we will be fishing for this winter and years to come. The fact is, the Walleye population is on the rise and the Sauger population is through the roof. This is great news for all Lake of the Woods lovers and anyone looking for the best lake to fish. We are very excited about this and I believe this will drive many to Lake of the Woods for years to come. I would like to thank the DNR, all the people associated with the MN Fishery, and most of all the guests that come to fish Lake of the Woods. With the current slot size and current limits, Lake of the Woods will thrive for years and years. It is up to all of us to make sure that we are a contributing factor to its success…this is awesome news for all anglers alike!

Announcements…If you’re looking for some great ice fishing deals, checkout the current December specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a December special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for January and February 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of December…you can’t beat them! Also, every Vikings game this season, we will have drink special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we will have scattered flurries and snow showers…cold, with wind chills approaching -15F…there should only be a high 6F with winds N at 10 to 20 mph…there will be a 30% chance of snow. Tonight should be cloudy and cold, with dangerously cold wind chills as low as -25F, low -11F with winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow we should see snow flurries or snow showers…very cold, high 6F with winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow night we should have on and off snow flurries are possible along with variably cloudy skies, with wind chills approaching -25F, low -7F with winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Friday should again be cloudy with flurries, highs in the low single digits and lows 1 to -3F. Saturday we should have a few snow showers, highs 2 to -2F and lows -8 to -12F. Sunday we should have times of sun and clouds, highs in the upper single digits and lows -2 to -6F. As of this morning we are currently looking to start moving the houses out this Friday/Saturday and start fishing on Sunday. We plan on moving our houses out on the big lake and plan on catching some nice Walleyes out there. Please keep checking the report daily, because things always change, but as of this morning this is what we are anticipating. We look forward to seeing all of you up here very shortly. Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

I do have one shout out and that will go to my little brother (Ryan) who just had back surgery. I wish you a speedy recovery so you can get back to work and most importantly so you can be my fishing partner this winter. Take care; we are all praying for you!

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier
Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/

Lake of the Woods…Come On Ice!!!!

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Well, as I’m sure all can tell, we are awaiting ice to start producing on Lake of the Woods, we need more cold weather and we need it now! I think that we will be fine to start fishing on the ice come the second week of December, but I was hoping, more like praying, that we would see it for the first week (December 4th), but I don’t think we are going to get that lucky unless we get a cold/low pressure cell coming down from our friends up north (Canada). So please buddies from up north…send it our way!

Fall cleaning has commenced at the Wigwam Resort, and as if like clock work, the reservations are starting to be called in for winter ice fishing, one right after the other. Just yesterday Colleen and Stephanie (my Wigwam co-workers) took a total of 8 group reservations…I am so pumped and excited for this ice fishing season to start, I can hardly contain myself. If you’re waiting to make your personal/groups reservations for winter ice fishing, don’t wait to long. I had a disappointed ice-fisherman on the phone yesterday that waited to long to make his reservation and we were all sold out the weekend he wanted to come…don’t let that happen to you.

I will bring this up every day until we are there, but just a reminder to all of you that want to stay with us this up coming winter during ice fishing season…we are starting to fill up. If you want your places reserved at the Wigwam Resort, book now, or forever hold your peace. We are looking forward to a record breaking ice fishing season, for the amount of fish that will be caught on Lake of the Woods, don’t miss out on all the fun. Remember, every night during the winter is like a Saturday night. Be apart of all the excitement, only at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

Announcements…If you’re looking for some great ice fishing deals, checkout the current November specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a November special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for January and February 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of November…you can’t beat them! Also, every Vikings game this season, we will have a “Kill the Keg” special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today will be partly cloudy skies with near record high temperatures, high 48F with winds light and variable. Tonight will be generally clear skies, low 27F with winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow we should have, except a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny, high 51F with winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Tomorrow night should be partly cloudy during the evening followed by cloudy skies overnight, low 36F with winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Sunday we should see an occasional shower, highs in the mid 40s and lows in the upper 20s. Monday we should see a mix of rain and snow showers, highs in the mid 40s and lows in the low 30s. Tuesday we should see snow showers at times, highs in the mid 30s and lows in the low 30s. Today’s fishing report will come from Tom Briggs, Jake Magness and me…the fish are still hanging out in the same places and they are gulping down all the shiners making their way into the Rainy River, which is plumping them up very nicely. Knights Reef is still producing some great looking Walleyes right now. My good friend Jake “of the woods” Magness was fishing out in Lighthouse Gap yesterday afternoon and got into some nice looking Walleyes. He was fishing in 28 feet of water using a gold 3/8 oz jig with a frozen shiner as bait. Jake stated that he didn’t catch anything under 17 inches and the biggest was 26 ½ inches. I had an opportunity to get up to Knights on two separate occasions a couple weeks ago and it was very impressive. The word on the street is that it’s still producing. We found a majority of bigger fish hanging out around the reefs in 18 to 24 feet of water. The jig of choice was a 3/8 oz. Chartreuse jig. If you don’t feel like going that far, or can’t drive the boat 20 miles to Knights, you will still do great on the south west side of Pine Island and Morris Gap. The Morris Gap washout in 12 to 14 feet has also been producing some nice Walleyes. The best method of catching those big buggers right now is jigging. When jigging, you will want to be using 3/8 or ½ oz. jigs. The Shiners are still being caught in the river, but the majority of success has still been on the lake right outside the gaps (Morris and Lighthouse). The Shiner run will last till throughout November, so if you don’t want to travel far and you want to catch some big fish, book today at the Wigwam Resort and experience some of the “BEST FISHING IN THE WORLD”! Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier
Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/

The Northern Minnesota Fall Toss Up…Hunting or Fishing?

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. This past weekend was all about fishing, and yesterday was all about hunting, at least for me. For a combined 4 days last week I was fishing Rainy River and Lake of the Woods, but the only place we really got into the big Walleyes was the lake, Knights Reef in particular. Yesterday I had the opportunity to go deer hunting, which was an enjoyable experience, even though I didn’t get a deer (I saw 1 doe and threw up a hail marry, but it was to far away).

Last week and weekend I had the pleasure of fishing with Steve Fuchs (repeat guest) and his guests, Brian Lingle of Worthington, MN, Tom Lang of Clarks Grove, MN and Mark Werner of Northfield, MN. Fishing was a little tough because of the high windy conditions that didn’t allow us to get on the big body of water (Lake of the Woods), where all the fish are at, in my personal opinion. So, with less than desirable conditions we had to bide our time on Rainy River while the wind blew, and when the time came to get out on the lake, we did. For two days we were able to brave the conditions and we were able to finally get on some bigger Walleyes out by Knights Reef, which is about an 18 mile boat ride from the Wigwam…we found it worth the boat ride. I wish we could have spent all four days there…we were reading some nice fish and catching a few more. The biggest Walleye of all the trips was 26 ½ inches, but there were many caught that were just shy of that mark.

When we were stuck on the river for two days though, Tom Lang was able to latch into a nice Sturgeon, which put up a good 30 minute fight. Mark Werner latched into another nice Sturgeon, but we were unable to get it more than 5 feet off the bottom without it diving right back down and taking all the line back that Mark had gotten during the fight. This happened time and time again…Mark fought this fish for over 2 hours, but we were unable to see it before it got away. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we were trying to lift a 60 plus pound fish, off the bottom of the river with 6 pound test line and a walleye fishing rod and reel. You need something a little bigger to get those big buggers off the bottom, but it was fun to watch.

I will bring this up every day until we are there, but just a reminder to all of you that want to stay with us this up coming winter during ice fishing season…we are starting to fill up. If you want your places reserved at the Wigwam Resort, book now, or forever hold your peace. We are looking forward to a record breaking ice fishing season, for the amount of fish that will be caught on Lake of the Woods, don’t miss out on all the fun. Remember, every night during the winter is like a Saturday night. Be apart of all the excitement, only at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

Announcements…Every Vikings game this season, we will have a “Kill the Keg” special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we will have plentiful sunshine, high around 55F with winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight should be partly cloudy skies during the evening giving way to a few showers after midnight; low near 40F with winds S at 15 to 25 mph…there will be a 30% chance of rain. Tomorrow we should see showers in the morning, and then partly cloudy in the afternoon, high 51F with winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph…there will be a 50% chance of rain. Tomorrow night we should have cloudy skies early with showers later at night, low 42F with winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph…there will be a 40% chance of rain. Thursday we should have showers possible, highs in the upper 40s and lows in the mid 30s. Friday we should have occasional showers possible, highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper 20s. Saturday we should have mix of sun and clouds, highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 30s. Today’s fishing report will come from Tom Briggs and me…the fish are still hanging out in the same places and they are gulping down all the shiners making their way into the Rainy River, which is plumping them up very nicely. The Walleyes are slowly moving there way into the Rainy River, but there are a few other places producing some great looking fish and those are as follows: Knights Reef is producing some great looking Walleyes right now. I had an opportunity to get up to Knights on two separate occasions last week and weekend and Knights was very impressive. We found a majority of bigger fish hanging out around the reefs in 18 to 24 feet of water. The jig of choice was a 3/8 oz. Chartreuse jig. If you don’t feel like going that far, or can’t drive the boat 20 miles to Knights, you will still do great on the south west side of Pine Island and Morris Gap. Because of the high winds we had last week the lake is a little dirty, but you can anchor up in clean water by the Morris Gap washout in 12 to 14 feet and get into the Walleyes. I was just there the past few days and it produced some nice fish. We were using Chartreuse jigs with frozen shiners as bait. The frozen shiners are out fishing live bait 3 to 1…that is my experience. The best method of catching those big buggers right now is jigging. When jigging, you will want to be using 3/8 or ½ oz. jigs. The Shiners are still being caught in the river, but the majority of success has still been on the lake right outside the gaps (Morris and Lighthouse). The Shiner run will last till throughout November, so if you don’t want to travel far and you want to catch some big fish, book today at the Wigwam Resort and experience some of the “BEST FISHING IN THE WORLD”! Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

My shout out will go to Steve Fuchs and the group of customers he brought up last week and weekend, which consisted of Brian Lingle, Tom Lang and Mark Werner. I just wanted to thank all of you for braving the cold and windy conditions to stay, fish, eat and drink with us at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods this November. It was a great pleasure for me to meet all of you, and I look forward to seeing you all back again in the very near future. Thanks again for giving the Wigwam Resort the opportunity to cater to you during your stay. I enjoyed all the stories and general conversation, it was most definitely my pleasure to fish with you all...thanks again for everything.

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier
Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/

Fall Fishing on Lake of the Woods Heats Up Before Early Ice

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Everyone in northern Minnesota is putting the boats away and beginning to clean the cobwebs off their guns for deer hunting season. Even though people are starting to get ready for deer hunting, the fall Walleye bite is starting to pick up, with regards to the “Big Ones”. Also, we are starting to get more and more phone calls for Ice Fishing season, but we still have openings and if you want to ice fish where all the fun is, book your trip today.

The past few days I had the opportunity to take a repeat guest, Steve Fuchs and one of his guests fishing. It took some work to find the big walleyes, but we finally found them. Two days ago we had to start off fishing in the Rainy River, because of the windy conditions we were having on the “Big Lake” Lake of the Woods. The river was not producing and it was getting me frustrated…I don’t know why the Walleyes hadn’t moved there way into the river yet. At 12 pm we decided to come back to the Wigwam and have lunch and warm up. While sitting down and inhaling down a great roast beef sandwich, the winds calmed just enough to let us try Morris Point Gap when we returned to the lake. While fishing in the “clean” water, we were able to get into the walleyes for a while (about an hour), we were catching them one right after the other, it was a blast! Yesterday the winds were low and we wanted to try the lake, but again, there was dirty water, but we traveled across to Knights Reef and found the big Walleyes. Our first two fish were over 25 inches and the smallest fish we caught there was 18 inches, that’s where the big ones are at in my opinion. Steve and a couple more work associates will be coming back this weekend and I hope the wind treats us well so we can head right back over there to Knights Reef to get back on the Big Walleyes.

Next week I will be sending out our November newsletter and it will contain some great ice fishing specials, so be sure to take a look at it and take advantage of all the specials the Wigwam will be offering.

I will bring this up every day until we are there, but just a reminder to all of you that want to stay with us this up coming winter during ice fishing season…we are starting to fill up. If you want your places reserved at the Wigwam Resort, book now, or forever hold your peace. We are looking forward to a record breaking ice fishing season, for the amount of fish that will be caught on Lake of the Woods, don’t miss out on all the fun. Remember, every night during the winter is like a Saturday night. Be apart of all the excitement, only at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

Announcements…Every Vikings game this season, we will have a “Kill the Keg” special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we will have a mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon, high 48F with winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight will be cloudy early with some clearing expected late, low 39F with winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow should be mainly sunny, high 52F with winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow night we should have clear skies with a few passing clouds, low 34F with winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Sunday we should have a mix of sun and clouds, highs in the low 50s and lows in the mid 30s. Monday we should see a mix of sun and clouds, highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper 20s. Tuesday we should have plenty of sun, highs in the mid 40s and lows in the mid 30s. Today’s fishing report will come from Tom Briggs and me…the fish are still hanging out in the same places and they are gulping down all the shiners making their way into the Rainy River, which is plumping them up very nicely. The Walleyes are slowly moving there way into the Rainy River, but there are a few other places producing some great looking fish and those are as follows: Knights Reef is producing some great looking Walleyes right now. The word is that there were a few launches up on Knights Reef and they caught 60 slot fish (fish that had to be thrown back 19-1/2” to 28”)…very impressive. If you don’t feel like going that far, or can’t drive the boat 20 miles to Knights, you will still do great on the south west side of Pine Island and Morris Gap. Because of the high winds we had last week the lake is a little dirty, but you can anchor up in clean water by the Morris Gap washout in 12 to 14 feet and get into the Walleyes. I was just there the past few days and it produced some nice fish. We were using Chartreuse jigs with frozen shiners as bait. The frozen shiners are out fishing live bait 3 to 1…that is my experience. The best method of catching those big buggers right now is jigging. When jigging, you will want to be using 3/8 or ½ oz. jigs. The Shiners are still being caught in the river, but the majority of success has still been on the lake right outside the gaps (Morris and Lighthouse). The Shiner run will last till throughout November, so if you don’t want to travel far and you want to catch some big fish, book today at the Wigwam Resort and experience some of the “BEST FISHING IN THE WORLD”! Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier
Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/

Lake of the Woods Welcomes November with Open Arms

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Today we welcomed November to northern Minnesota with open arms. This past weekend brought us first timers to the Wigwam Resort, whom wanted to experience some of Lake of the Woods great fishing this time of year, and I wanted to thank all of you for giving us the opportunity to show you our northern Minnesota hospitality first hand, here at the Wigwam Resort.

Even thought the wind was blowing and fishing conditions were a little less than desirable this past week and weekend, I was still able to experience some great fishing. I had the pleasure of taking out a couple of fishermen on Saturday and we were able to get into some fish, even though a number of fisherman were having trouble finding the fish, because of the high winds and rough conditions that we had a few days prior to Saturday. The biggest Walleye we caught was 25 inches, which was brought in by Jeff Decker of Wyoming, MN. We did get robbed quite a bit also by those sneaky fish, there were three times we set the hooks and we had hooking into “nice fish”, but we weren’t able to hook into them well enough to bring them up…I guess that’s why they call it fishing, not catching.

This week we have some special guests coming to visit us (Steve Fuchs and his VIP customers), and I just wanted to say that we are really looking forward to taking them fishing and catering to them this week and weekend. These gentlemen are guests that visited us this summer for the first time and enjoyed the “Wigwam” experience so much; they wanted to visit us again before winter. If you haven’t experienced the Wigwam Resort before, don’t wait any longer, make your reservations today to experience our awesome northern Minnesota hospitality, and by the way, arguably the best freshwater fishery in the world on “Lake of the Woods”.

I will bring this up every day until we are there, but just a reminder to all of you that want to stay with us this up coming winter during ice fishing season…we are starting to fill up. If you want your places reserved at the Wigwam Resort, book now, or forever hold your peace. We are looking forward to a record breaking ice fishing season, for the amount of fish that will be caught on Lake of the Woods, don’t miss out on all the fun. Remember, every night during the winter is like a Saturday night. Be apart of all the excitement, only at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

Announcements…Every Vikings game this season, we will have a “Kill the Keg” special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today will be cloudy and windy with a few snow showers this afternoon, temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s with winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph…there will be a 30% chance of snow. Tonight will be partly cloudy, low 24F with west winds at 10 to 20 mph, diminishing to 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow should be mostly cloudy with a mixture of light rain and snow developing in the afternoon, high 41F with winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph…there will be a 50% chance of precipitation. Tomorrow night we should see rain and snow in the evening, overcast late, low 28F with winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 50% chance of precipitation. Wednesday should be mostly cloudy, highs in the mid 30s and lows in the mid 20s. Today’s fishing report will come from Tom Briggs and me…the fish are still hanging out in the same places and they are gulping down all the shiners making their way into the Rainy River, which is plumping them up very nicely. The Walleyes haven’t moved into the Rainy River as they have in past years, but there are a few other places producing some great looking fish and those are as follows: Knights Reef is producing some great looking Walleyes right now. The word is that there were a few launches up on Knights Reef and they caught 60 slot fish (fish that had to be thrown back 19-1/2” to 28”)…very impressive. If you don’t feel like going that far, or can’t drive the boat 20 miles to Knights, you will still do great on the south west side of Pine Island and Morris Gap. You want to be right out from Morris Point Resort and about in the middle of Morris Gap in 19 to 24 feet of water. The method of fishing will be anchor and jigging. The best colors have been Orange and White jigs with FROZEN SHINERS as bait. The frozen shiners are out fishing live bait 3 to 1…that is my experience. The other hot spot is Lighthouse Gap where I have been able to catch fish in 19 feet to 31 feet. A few nights ago, I had the opportunity to go fishing with Tom Briggs, and 27 feet right on the US/Canadian line was the “Golden Ticket”. We were catching 18” Walleyes one right after the other from 4 PM to 6 PM. Everyone should mark that one on their radar. The most successful jigs were Orange and Chartreuse…as always we were using frozen shiners as bait. I went to Graceton Reef and gave that a shot this weekend and we got on a number of nice Small Mouth Bass hanging out in the rocks. The best method of catching those big buggers right now is jigging. When jigging, you will want to be using 3/8 or ½ oz. jigs. The Shiners are still being caught in the river, but the majority of success has still been on the lake right outside the gaps (Morris and Lighthouse). The Shiner run will last till throughout November, so if you don’t want to travel far and you want to catch some big fish, book today at the Wigwam Resort and experience some of the “BEST FISHING IN THE WORLD”! All this great fishing will take place right in front of the World Famous Wigwam Resort, in Four Mile Bay, right at the mouth of the Rainy River! Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

My shout out will go to Joe Wagner of Rosemount, MN and Jeff Decker of Wyoming, MN. I had the opportunity to take these fine gentlemen fishing on Saturday and even though it was a little chilly, we had a blast. Even with terrible conditions (very windy) we were able to catch a few nice fish. I just wanted to thank you two for being such great and gracious fishing partners. I hope that all your expectations were met while staying with us at the Wigwam Resort this fall. I am looking forward to seeing you both back here in March…take care and best wishes till then.

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier
Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/

Lake of the Woods…Here Come The Big Ones!!!!

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Two days ago I had the distinguished pleasure of bring my little brother to the back specialist in Fargo for an evaluation, and it wasn’t the outcome that we wanted to hear, but they can fix him up good with a little surgery. The positive was that the 9 total hours in the car gave us some well needed one on one. We talked about anything and everything under the sun and it was very welcomed…thanks for the great conversation Ryan. I hope you get better soon little brother...I need a fishing partner.

On the fishing front, yesterday I was able to hear on the marine band radio of more than one happy fisherman out on Lake of the Woods. People are starting to get into bigger and bigger Walleyes as we inch closer and closer to first ice. Not only big Walleyes are being caught, but also some massive Perch (15”), for all you Perch lovers out there.

I will bring this up every day until we are there, but just a reminder to all of you that want to stay with us this up coming winter during ice fishing season…we are starting to fill up. If you want your places reserved at the Wigwam Resort, book now, or forever hold your peace. We are looking forward to a record breaking ice fishing season, for the amount of fish that will be caught on Lake of the Woods, don’t miss out on all the fun. Remember, every night during the winter is like a Saturday night. Be apart of all the excitement, only at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

Announcements…Every Vikings game this season, we will have a “Kill the Keg” special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we will have a morning rain followed by a mix of rain and snow in the afternoon, high 41F with winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph…1 to 2 inches of snow expected. Tonight will be windy with snow this evening will transition to snow showers overnight, low near 30F with winds NW at 15 to 25 mph…there will be a 70% chance of snow 70%...1 to 2 inches of snow expected. Tomorrow should be overcast, temps nearly steady in the mid 30s with winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Tomorrow night should be cloudy with snow showers developing after midnight, low 29F with winds S at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 40% chance of snow. Sunday we should have rain and snow showers, highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 30s. Today’s fishing report will come from Tom Briggs and me…the fish are still hanging out in the same places and they are gulping down all the shiners making their way into the Rainy River, which is plumping them up very nicely. Knights Reef is producing some great looking Walleyes right now. The word is that there were a few launches up on Knights Reef and they caught 60 slot fish (fish that had to be thrown back 19-1/2” to 28”)…very impressive. If you don’t feel like going that far, or can’t drive the boat 20 miles to Knights, you will still do great on the south west side of Pine Island and Morris Gap. You want to be right out from Morris Point Resort and about in the middle of Morris Gap in 19 to 24 feet of water. The method of fishing will be anchor and jigging. The best colors have been Orange and White jigs with FROZEN SHINERS as bait. The frozen shiners are out fishing live bait 3 to 1…that is my experience. The other hot spot is Lighthouse Gap where I have been able to catch fish in 19 feet to 31 feet. A few nights ago, I had the opportunity to go fishing with Tom Briggs, and 27 feet right on the US/Canadian line was the “Golden Ticket”. We were catching 18” Walleyes one right after the other from 4 PM to 6 PM. Everyone should mark that one on their radar. The most successful jigs were Orange and Chartreuse…as always we were using frozen shiners as bait. I went to Graceton Reef and gave that a shot this weekend and we got on a number of nice Small Mouth Bass hanging out in the rocks. The best method of catching those big buggers right now is jigging. When jigging, you will want to be using 3/8 or ½ oz. jigs. The Shiners are still being caught in the river, but the majority of success has still been on the lake right outside the gaps (Morris and Lighthouse). The Shiner run will last till throughout November, so if you don’t want to travel far and you want to catch some big fish, book today at the Wigwam Resort and experience some of the “BEST FISHING IN THE WORLD”! All this great fishing will take place right in front of the World Famous Wigwam Resort, in Four Mile Bay, right at the mouth of the Rainy River! Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

My shout out will go to Leo Pachel, who works with us at the Wigwam Resort. His wife Colleen is our Office Manager, and one of their daughters, Stephanie, also works with us in the office. The reason for this shout out is, Leo was rushed to the Fargo hospital two days ago, and was thankfully there while he was having a massive heart attack. The doctors were able to put two stints in one of his major arteries that was 99% blocked, which undeniably saved his life. Leo isn’t out of the water yet, but I just wanted to let him and his family know that all our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Pachel family at this time…get better soon and we look forward to seeing you around the resort in the very near future.

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier
Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/

Fall Walleye Fishing Will Get You Hooked on Lake of the Woods

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Well we had another fantastic weekend of fishing here at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods. With a total of 8 guided launches leaving our docks this weekend, we are starting to see that great fall fishing many have become accustom to over the past few years here on Lake of the Woods. Even I was able to partake in the weekend fishing festivities, and let me tell you, it was awesome.

While out fishing this weekend I had the pleasure of catching a number of different fish species. In one day I was able to catch, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Small Mouth Bass, Perch, Eelpout and even a Bullhead. The diversity of species in Lake of the Woods and Rainy River still amazes me, especially on days that you latch into all of them. It’s a real eye opener and I feel great pleasure to have the ability to experience this on a daily basis.

The sizes of the Walleyes being caught are starting to increase as we slowly move into November. A week ago, we were catching fish one right after another, but the size was a little under what I was expecting. This weekend I personally saw the size increase, and it put a nice big smile on my face. The biggest Walleye of the weekend for me personally was 24” (which Vancouver helped get in the boat, so he got to be in the picture), but I was able to catch and release a number of Walleyes between 19” to 23”. The fishing is hot and heavy right now, it felt as if I was dropping my lure down to the bottom, giving it a few jigs and setting the hook…it was a blast and I look for it to only get better as we get closer and closer to early ice, in December.

I will bring this up every day until we are there, but just a reminder to all of you that want to stay with us this up coming winter during ice fishing season…we are starting to fill up. If you want your places reserved at the Wigwam Resort, book now, or forever hold your peace. We are looking forward to a record breaking ice fishing season, for the amount of fish that will be caught on Lake of the Woods, don’t miss out on all the fun. Remember, every night during the winter is like a Saturday night. Be apart of all the excitement, only at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

Announcements…Every Vikings game this season, we will have a “Kill the Keg” special, specials on our bar dining menu, and prizes to give away. This will make for some pretty crazy Sunday afternoon/nights and Monday nights…LETS GO VIKINGS!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today will be mostly cloudy, high 52F with winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight we will have cloudy skies, low 39F with winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Wednesday we should have cloudy skies, high around 50F with winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Thursday should be cloudy again with highs in the low 50s and lows in the low 40s. Today’s fishing report will come from Tom Briggs and me…the fish are still hanging out in the same places and they are gulping down all the shiners making their way into the Rainy River, which is plumping them up very nicely. I heard today that Knights Reefs are producing some great looking Walleyes right now. The word is that there were a few launches up on Knights Reef and they caught 60 slot fish (fish that had to be thrown back 19-1/2” to 28”)…very impressive. If you don’t feel like going that far, or can’t drive the boat 20 miles to Knights, you will still do great on the south west side of Pine Island and Morris Gap. You want to be right out from Morris Point Resort and about in the middle of Morris Gap in 19 to 24 feet of water. The method of fishing will be anchor and jigging. The best colors have been Orange and White jigs with FROZEN SHINERS as bait. The frozen shiners are out fishing live bait 3 to 1…that is my experience. The other hot spot is Lighthouse Gap where I have been able to catch fish in 19 feet to 31 feet. A few nights ago, I had the opportunity to go fishing with Tom Briggs, Rick Amundson and Scott Olmstead, and 27 foot right on the US/Canadian line was the “Golden Ticket”. We were catching 18” Walleyes one right after the other from 4 PM to 6 PM. Everyone should mark that one on their radar. The most successful jigs were Orange and Chartreuse…as always we were using frozen shiners as bait. I went to Graceton Reef and gave that a shot this weekend and we got on a number of nice Small Mouth Bass hanging out in the rocks. The best method of catching those big buggers right now is jigging. When jigging, you will want to be using 3/8 or ½ oz. jigs. The Shiners are still being caught in the river, but the majority of success has still been on the lake right outside the gaps (Morris and Lighthouse). The Shiner run will last till throughout November, so if you don’t want to travel far and you want to catch some big fish, book today at the Wigwam Resort and experience some of the “BEST FISHING IN THE WORLD”! All this great fishing will take place right in front of the World Famous Wigwam Resort, in Four Mile Bay, right at the mouth of the Rainy River! Don’t miss out on this great fishing that we’re having on Lake of the Woods…come visit us today at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods!

Happy Fishing to all, and to all a good day!

Wigwam Fisherman aka Jean-Paul Tessier
Wigwam Resort
http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/