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/

The Fall Bite Continues to Impress the Masses on Lake of the Woods

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. This morning as I stepped outside to walk Vancouver (my Golden Retriever); I once again was greeted with a bright ray of sunshine in the eyes, which put a smile on my face. Even though it was a little chilly, the sun always finds a way to warm even the coolest of these late October days in northern Minnesota. I hope that this weather will follow us into the weekend while we have over 60 guests staying with us again this weekend to experience some of the best fall fishing in the world, which happens to be right in front of the Wigwam Resort.

Yesterday, one of my good friends, Doug “The Surgeon” Hagen, who I might add, has been fishing Lake of the Woods for over 30 years, told me that this is just the beginning of the great fishing that fall has to offer us. Being this is my first fall at the Wigwam Resort, I asked him to elaborate on his statement and he proceeded to tell me stories of past falls, which just made me want to go fishing as soon as possible, and not want to get off the lake. This is one of the best times of year for trophy walleyes on Lake of the Woods and it has been evident through all accounts this year from the fish that our guides and guests have been catching out in Morris Gap, Lighthouse Gap and Four Mile Bay (right in front of the Wigwam Resort). If you are a trophy fisherman or woman, please take advantage of the fabulous fishing that fall brings to 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 mostly cloudy, high near 45F with winds light and variable. Tonight we will see partly cloudy skies, low 31F with winds light and variable. Tomorrow we should have partly cloudy skies in the morning, which will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon, high 49F with winds light and variable. Tomorrow night it should be cloudy with showers, low 34F with winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 50% chance of rain. Sunday we should have a chance of showers, highs in the mid 40s and lows in the low 30s. Today’s fishing report will come from Tom Briggs and me and will be no different from the last version…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 south west side of Pine Island and Morris Gap are starting to produce some nice quantities of Walleye and Sauger right now. 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 27 feet. Last night 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 for the Weekend”. 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 would like to give Graceton Reef a shot within the next few days to see how that is right now…there are always fish in the rocks. The best method of catching those big buggers right now is anchoring and jigging. When anchoring and 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 today will go to 3 guests that stayed with us a few days ago…Jerry Amenson from Des Moines, IA, Craig Amenson from Story City, IA and Alan Cook from Roland, IA. They were able to share a great story with me and in turn I would like to share with you today…here it goes. The story starts as they were fishing in 30 foot of water out from the Light House Gap with frozen shiners, using orange/chartreuse (Alan), white (Craig) and glow in the dark (Jerry) jigs. About 30 minutes prior to catching his 29" walleye, Alan retrieved his rod/reel from the bottom of the lake. A smaller walleye surprise him and pulled the rod out of his hands while he was bringing up his line to check his bait. We were anchored and after a while Alan caught his rod and reel with the smaller walleye still on. He re-baited and proceeded to catch the 29" walleye. Three years ago, Alan lost the same rod/reel when another fish struck unexpectedly. That time, Craig snagged the rod, but without a fish on. It was suggested that Alan mount the 29" walleye, along with the rod/reel, but he chose to release the walleye, to be caught another day. We enjoyed our fishing trip and five nights in cabin #8. Thanks for your advice about using frozen shiners and going to deeper water. We are looking forward to future trips and memories from the Wigwam. What a story!!!!

I just wanted to say thank you Jerry, Craig and Alan for choosing the Wigwam Resort. I know that you can go anywhere you’d like and it means the world to me and the staff collectively that you guys keep coming back…thanks a million and keep the stories coming!

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

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

MEA Weekend Was a Success on Lake of the Woods…In More Ways Than One

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. This weekend the Wigwam Resort played host to over 70 guests, which made it for an exciting weekend here at the Wigwam Resort. There were plenty of fishing tales that were being spread over the tavern drinks on both Friday and Saturday nights respectively. I heard from more than one group that this was the best fishing experience they have had in years. There were at least three groups of guys that each day caught over 100 fish…not all monsters, but each said they had a blast and it most defiantly kept them busy.

Being that it was MEA Weekend, we were blessed with a number of enthusiastic youngsters, who were following in their fathers’ and grandfathers’ footsteps by fishing…it was great to see. It was even more encouraging hearing the excitement from each of the youngsters as they told their own fishing tales through their own eyes…I think we gained a few more life long fishermen this weekend. It reminds me of my childhood and the fishing trips I used to take with my father…they stick with you for life and mold you into the young men/women we become down the road. It brings a smile to my face from ear to ear, and I know that my father is grinning and giving me a big thumbs up from up above. I hope that all the fathers and youngsters had a blast…make sure that it is part of your lives for years to come and we will all be better for it.

Well our weather forecast roller coaster ride has been as active as ever. This weekend we were supposed to have two days of semi-clear skies, but unfortunately we got about half of one day that was as it should have been, per weather.com, but we all have learned to roll with the punches and have a great attitude no matter what type of weather is thrown our way. This weeks forecast doesn’t look any better, but we should be getting at least clear sunny skies this weekend…all we can do is hope and pray.

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 should have sun and clouds mixed, but I have yet to see the sun, high 48F with winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Tonight should be partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight, low 34F with winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow should be overcast with showers at times, high 46F with winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 60% chance of rain. Tomorrow night we should see rain showers early mixing with snow showers late, low near 35F with winds NE at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 60% chance of precipitation. Wednesday we should have a chance of a few snow showers with highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper 20s (Burr). Today’s fishing report will come from Tom Briggs and me. The south west side of Pine Island and Morris Gap are starting to produce some nice quantities of Walleye and Sauger right now. 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 27 feet. Last night 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 for the Weekend”. 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 would like to give Graceton Reef a shot within the next few days to see how that is right now…there are always fish in the rocks. The best method of catching those big buggers right now is anchoring and jigging. When anchoring and 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 today will go to Adam Gibson of Wilmer, MN and Delbert Spink of Park Rapids, MN (Adam’s Father-In-Law). I had the great pleasure of taking these gentlemen fishing this weekend and I just wanted to thank them personally for the great fishing experience. All three of us were able to stay busy out there catching fish, which was a great thing, because it got a little chilly…haha. Thank you Delbert for the gloves…they will work perfectly down the stretch. I hope that both of you had a great time staying and fishing with us. I look forward to seeing you guys in the near future, and I wish you both the best of luck with all your endeavors and I hope you and your family enjoy the fish!

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

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

The Cold Weather isn’t Stopping Trophy Walleyes from Being Caught on Lake of the Woods

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Well everyone, does it feel like winter yet? Yesterday we had our first good snow fall at the Wigwam Resort and it blew me away. I remember as a kid getting ready for Halloween in International Falls, and I would have to say at least 60% of the time we were just getting our first look at snow on the night of the infamous “trick or treat” (October 31st). I vividly remember dressing up as a hockey player probably 80% of the time, because I was always on my way to hockey practice…I’m sure that made it a little bit easier on my parents dressing up in the gear that I wore everyday from there on out, at least till the hockey season was completed in March. Where I’m going with this is, I can’t believe we got a nice snow fall on October 13th…that’s just crazy to me, but I am living in northern Minnesota now, where anything can happen on any given day, with respect to the weather that is. I hope that everyone enjoyed it as much as I.

Yesterday I was able share a few fishing stories with a few of our guests, and it looks as if the Walleyes are starting to plump up very nicely. The Walleyes have been moving there way further and further into Four Mile Bay and the Rainy River with each passing day. Along their journey into the Rainy River, these Walleyes are not missing out on any meals, that’s for sure. I have been able to see with my own eyes some very nice fat Walleyes, and every time I see one it makes me salivate. It just makes me want to fish even more and that I don’t need any help when it comes to motivation about fishing…just ask Tom Briggs…haha. If anyone is on the fence because of the weather, bundle up and get up, down or across to come fish Lake of the Woods…you won’t be disappointed.

I have been bouncing something off the staff at the Wigwam Resort and I would now like to bounce it off the readers of the blog, would anyone be interested in an “Ice Bash” this coming February…lets say February 19th & 20th? I would like to rap together an ice fishing tournament along with a boot hockey tournament, to be held at the Wigwam Resort. I have gone through a legal note pad already with ideas for sponsors, prizes, meal specials, etc., but with a ton of work putting it together still in front of me, I want to get “your” opinion on the idea. Please let me know what you think about it by sending me an e-mail to jp@wigwamresortlow.com. I look forward to hearing your ideas.

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 should see some snow showers with temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s with winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 40% chance of snow. Tonight should be variably cloudy with snow showers; low near 30F with winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 60% chance of snow. Tomorrow we should have variable clouds with snow showers that will mix with rain showers later, high around 40F with winds SE at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 60% chance of precipitation. Tomorrow night we should see rain and snow in the evening transitioning to snow showers late, low 32F with winds S at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 50% chance of precipitation. Friday we should see both rain and snow, highs in the upper 30s and lows in the upper 20s. It should start to slowly get constantly warmer for a few days to follow. Today’s fishing report will come from our guides (Tom Briggs, Billy “The Sniper” Kloos and Kevin Olmstead) and be no different than yesterday’s report, besides for this. The south west side of Pine Island is really producing some nice looking fish. You want to be about 200 yards directly west of the “Big Pine” in 14 to 18 feet of water…anchor and jigging with Chartreuse, White/Gold or Gold jigs with frozen shiners as bait. The balance of the report will match yesterday’s report, so here we go. The fishing has been turned down a notch with this cold weather we have been experiencing of late. We have been finding some nice looking fish from Lighthouse/Morris Gap all the way through Four Mile Bay and into the Rainy River. The best method of catching those big buggers right now is anchoring and jigging. When jigging you will want to be using a 3/8 or ½ oz. jig and orange, chartreuse and white with frozen shiners have been the golden ticket! Shiners are being caught in the river, so they’re here and the Walleyes should also be there. I think we may just have to let this cold front take its course and the fishing should be rocking again in no time. With this cold weather the fish will be moving out of the deep water looking for a little bit warmer water and rocks to feed. As I always say though, when fishing the rocks, be ready to donate some tackle…risk and reward! The Shiner run will last till the middle of 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 today will go to John M. Carr "aka Jack" and Bud Vedder. These fine gentlemen are both longtime patrons of the Wigwam Resort and just visited us again a few days ago. They both were able to hook into some nice fish and it seemed as if they were having a blast, despite the cold weather. I just wanted to personally thank both of you for your loyalty and support towards the Wigwam Resort. I know that it is easy for anyone to choose any resort they want, but it’s very rewarding knowing that no matter what you are always faithful to the Wigwam. I hope that all your expectations were exceeded while visiting us on Lake of the Woods…THE BEST FRESHWATER FISHERY IN THE WORLD!!!!

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

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

Could a Cold Fall Bring Us an Early Winter on Lake of the Woods?

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. I spent all this last week recovering from a little cold that I was struck down with...I hope that everyone else has been able to elude the cold and flu bug so far this year. With the horror stories the media is throwing at us right now, it’s better to be safe than sorry, so take good care of yourselves this fall and stay healthy.

Since I didn’t get the opportunity to congratulate the winners of the Fall North Star Classic Walleye Tournament last week, Clayton Keister and Robert “Hoss” Riege…here we go. Congrats guys…I would like to personally congratulate you both for your victory in the 11th annual event. This duo has been long time patrons of the Wigwam Resort and we are all looking forward to both their returns this winter. Congrats again guys!

This week should be a cold one, but this weekend has a little more promise…on Saturday and Sunday, we should have temps in the mid to high 50’s (I never imagined being so happy about the 50’s). After this weekend it looks as if we will start to decline a little bit back into the 40’s, so if you have the chance to get out this weekend and do a little bit of fishing, do it! I also have been hearing some good things about what the locals are predicting for the fishing this fall on Rainy River, everyone is very excited. I can’t wait to get back out there and brave the cold to find some big Walleyes...there out there. Who’s planning on joining me?

With the bitter cold weather we have been having of late, it got me thinking about an early winter. I don’t know the possibilities of it happening, but I know that people around here wouldn’t be that upset…winter is our BUSY SEASON! Some of the locals are predicting the possibility of being out on the ice by the 1st of December…that would be awesome! If you haven’t made your reservation, what are you waiting for?

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 this morning with a few snow showers developing during the afternoon, high 39F with winds light and variable…there will be a 30% chance of snow. Tonight should be cloudy early with some clearing expected late…it will be cold, low 19F with winds light and variable. Tomorrow should be partly cloudy, high 43F with winds light and variable. Tomorrow night we should see scattered flurries and snow showers, low 27F with winds light and variable…there will be a 50% chance of snow. Wednesday we should see snow showers possible, highs in the upper 30s and lows in the upper 20s. It should start to slowly get constantly warmer for a few days to follow. Today’s fishing report will come from our guides (Tom Briggs, Billy “The Sniper” Kloos and Kevin Olmstead) and be no different than yesterday’s report. The fishing has been turned down a notch with this cold weather we have been experiencing of late. We have been finding some nice looking fish from Lighthouse/Morris Gap all the way through Four Mile Bay and into the Rainy River. The best method of catching those big buggers right now is anchoring and jigging. When jigging you will want to be using a 3/8 or ½ oz. jig and orange, chartreuse and white with frozen shiners have been the golden ticket! Shiners are being caught in the river, so they’re here and the Walleyes should also be there. I think we may just have to let this cold front take its course and the fishing should be rocking again in no time. With this cold weather the fish will be moving out of the deep water looking for a little bit warmer water and rocks to feed. As I always say though, when fishing the rocks, be ready to donate some tackle…risk and reward! The Shiner run will last till the middle of 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/

Fall North Star Classic Fishing Tournament…Game On

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Well the fish officially have lock jaw…this cold front has slowed down the bite and awesome fishing we were having the past month, but this will only be a small little bump in the road. This weekend the Wigwam Resort will be welcoming all the participants for the Fall North Star Classic Walleye Tournament to Lake of the Woods. A majority of the participants are present and accounted for, and they are currently pre-fishing. I just wanted to wish all the contestants the best of luck and STAY WARM…it will be a little chilly this weekend.

I have been hearing some positive news about the bite this morning. The word on the street is “Pine Island” on the southwest side in about 14 to 18 feet of water. One of our guests just got in off the lake and is all smiles from ear to ear…he was able to get on the Walleyes. He said that they caught a number of Walleyes between 23 & 29 inches…NICE! I’m glad to hear that after the cold front has moved in that people are still able to get on the fish…go get those Walleyes guys and gals!

Just a couple announcements…this weekend October 2nd & 3rd will be the Fall North Star Walleye Classic Fishing Tournament…Poor Boys will again be blessing us with their presence on those respected Friday and Saturday nights. Finally, for 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!!!!

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 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!

Daily Fishing Report: Today will be mostly cloudy and windy, high 58F with winds SE at 20 to 30 mph. Tonight we will have considerable cloudiness, low 38F with winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow we should see intervals of clouds and sunshine, high 51F with winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow night again should be considerable cloudiness, low 38F with winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Saturday we should see some showers, highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 30s. Today’s fishing report will come from me and our guides (Tom Briggs, Billy “The Sniper” Kloos and Kevin Olmstead. The fishing has been turned down a notch with this cold front that we have had move in the past few days, but I just got some great news this morning. One of our guests has found some nice Walleyes on the southwest side of Pine Island in 14 to 18 feet of water, directly west of the “Big Pine”. The best method of catching those big buggers right now is anchoring and jigging. When jigging you will want to be using a 3/8 or ½ oz. jig and orange, chartreuse and white with frozen shiners have been the golden ticket! Lighthouse Gap and Morris Gap are also places to keep on your radar…the Shiners are being caught in the river, so they’re here and the Walleyes should be also be there. I think we may just have to let this cold front take it’s course and the fishing should be rocking again in no time. As soon as the wind dissipates a little bit, I will be trying North Graceton Reef…I think that with this cold weather the fish will be moving out of the deep water looking for a little bit warmer water and rocks to feed. As I always say though, when fishing the rocks, be ready to donate some tackle…risk and reward! Again this morning there were more and more boats fishing right out in front of the Wigwam Resort also (about 20 total)…what this means is that the Shiners have started their annual run into the Rainy River…we all know what that means…BIG WALLEYES ARE ON THE WAY! I have been talking to local fisherman that catch their own Shiners and they are out every night getting them…game on! The Shiner run will last till the middle of 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 and 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/