Lake of the Woods Needs a Freeze…I Think We Might Just Get It

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Well let me get right to the business at hand…I’m sure that all of you are wondering about ice conditions…here we go. The good news is, the ice thickness is holding up, the bad news is, we are going to have at least one more day of above freezing temps. Thursday we should start seeing some cooler temps visiting us in the evenings, which should give us a couple good freezes. At least enough to keep us going through the rest of March…April is still up in the air; we are at the mercy of “Mother Nature”. I will keep posting ice conditions in each blog.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity of fishing in one of the Wigwam Ice Houses, just on the West side of Pine Island, in Lighthouse Gap, in 25 feet of water. For the first 2 hours, I didn’t even get a bite, but as the clock struck 4:45 the light went on. For the next 45 minutes I was only able to fish with one line…what a great time. Patience is truly a virtue. I won’t be going out for a few more days, but I can’t wait to get back out there already.

Today’s “Quote of the Day”..."My motto was always to keep swinging" – Hank Aaron. This quote resonates with me each and every day, whether I’m on the lake, at home, or at the resort. Everyday is new opportunity to try and do something better each and every time you do it. Yesterday I went fishing in one of the Wigwam Ice Houses, and for the first 2 hours I didn’t even get a bite, but the experience gave me the opportunity to try a few new lures. I didn’t get discouraged, but must have gone through 6 different jigs before I found the one the Walleyes were after. During the next 45 minutes I wasn’t able to fish with more than one pole…that’s why you keep “swinging” and trying new lures and techniques. Keep a positive attitude and throw a few different looks at them, and it will increase your Walleye catching abilities. Keep your tips up, lines tight and every time you’re fishing, remember the above quote. I hope this will brighten your day and bring you happiness to your life, on and off the lake!

Just a little FYI, if you’re looking to book a midweek or weekend Ice Fishing trip with us at the Wigwam Resort, you had better call and reserve your rooms/cabins today. There is very limited space available during the weekends till the end of March, book now or forever hold your peace. If you’re looking to come midweek (Sunday night – Thursday morning), which we do have more availability, please give us a call today, we are offering up to 15% off all fishing packages (only) in March (only applicable to new reservations). All the packages can be accessed on our website at http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/.

The lures that have still been working well are the “Gold Disco Ball aka “Strobe Jigs” (made by JB’s Tackle)”, “Stop Signs (Pink or White)”, “Macho Minnows (Pink, Green or White)” “Glow Pink Charmers (made by Tom’s Tackle locally in Baudette), which just happens to be my favorite lure to date” and “Chubby Darters/Rapala Rattling Jigs”. You want to be using anything that glows right now to get the best success possible…white and pink have been the best! All these items can be purchased at Log Cabin Bait and Tackle, which is about ¾ of a mile south of the Wigwam on 172. Remember that Vexilars are not required, but they help immensely when fishing off the bottom and marking suspended fish, which has been a common occurrence these days on Lake of the Woods. So, where I’m going with this one is, get a Vexilar today…you won’t be disappointed!

Announcements…Poor Boys will be the live entertainment this weekend (March 5th & 6th). Also, for all of you that have the ability to come midweek don’t miss out on our great specials for March. We are offering a total of 15% off for midweek packages (lodging/fishing) and (lodging/fishing/meals)…these are applicable to reservations made after March 1, 2010. The Bikini Ice Fishing Team will be here on March 18, 19 & 20. If you’re looking for some great ice fishing deals, checkout the current February specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a March special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for March 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of March…you can’t beat them!

Daily Fishing Report: Today will be cloudy with periods of light rain, high 41F with winds light and variable…there will be a 70% chance of rain. Tonight we should have rain and freezing rain this evening with freezing drizzle continuing overnight, low 29F with winds light and variable…there will be a 60% chance of rain. Tomorrow we should have cloudy skies early with a few showers developing later in the day; high near 40F with winds NE at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 30% chance of rain. Tomorrow night we should have rain showers in the evening then a mix of rain and freezing rain overnight, low 31F with winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 40% chance of rain. Thursday we should be looking at light rain and ice in the morning, highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 30s. Friday should be mostly Cloudy, highs in the low 40s and lows in the mid 20s. Saturday we should have more clouds than sun, highs in the mid 40s and lows in the mid 20s. Today’s fishing report will come from me and our guides. Pink, White and Gold are still the magic colors on Lake of the Woods. Vexilars are not a must, but suggested…I won’t even fish if I don’t have a Vexilar these days. Today our houses outside of Lighthouse Gap in 16 – 24 feet of water are starting to pick up some better numbers, so keep that on your radar this week and weekend…you don’t have to go as far for good fishing. Because of the light rain we had this morning we decided not to head to the Reefs today, but we anticipate being back there in a few days when we get a little cooler weather at night to harden up the trail. The lures showing the best success rates are the “Gold Disco Ball aka Strobe Jig by JB’s Tackle”, “Charmer Jig (Pink) by Tom’s Tackle, the Pink or White Florescent “Stop Sign”, “Macho Minnows” and “Chubby Darter/Rapala Rattling Jig” (all can be purchased at the Log Cabin Bait store approximately ¾ of a mile before the Wigwam on 172). Use anything that glows right now, whether it is pink or white. Also give the plain gold jigs/Disco aka “Strobe” balls a try. The ice thickness out there is currently 32-34 inches on the big body of water and 24-28 inches in Four Mile Bay. Adrian’s road is open for business, but with the weather, I would only bring something with 4 wheel drive. Fishing has been a tad bit slow the past few days during the mid day hours, but smoking hot from 4:15 to dark. As anyone who has fished before knows, it can’t be gang busters all the time. I hope that the great continued bite will be back in the next few day, but I’ll keep you posted. 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/