Lake of the Woods Produces the "Big Fish"

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Yesterday I was able to go fishing with a friend up in the Northwest Angle. We were able to catch Walleyes, Small Mouth Bass, Rock Bass and a big Northern Pike. A majority of the fish were caught on Rapala’s and spinner baits that we were casting. Only a couple fish were caught on a spinner with a crawler.

The lake was a little rough getting across yesterday, but once I was able to get behind Knights Island, it was smooth sailing up to the Islands. I was able to checkout some of the beautiful landscape Lake of the Woods has to offer for the first time as I drove past Little Oak Island on my way to Flag Island, and it was amazing. If you haven’t experienced it…I highly recommend it!

I was able to land the largest fish I have ever caught on Lake of the Woods while I was visiting the Northwest Angle and my heart is still pumping at twice the legal limit…haha. It was a little 38”, 17 pound Northern Pike…it was amazing! It came up once and ran, then for a second time and it ran again, each time taking more and more line…thank goodness I had my drag set at the level I had it, or it would have pulled the rod right out of my hands. It took me a good five minutes to wear it out a bit to get it into the net…I was taking my time…I didn’t want to lose this one. I caught it on a hammered gold spinner bait…I was casting it up about 5 feet from shore and pulling it back to the boat. I thought that I had a snag up until it started to move…it was a nice little surprise. I was given some insider information by one of the locals up there, “Dick Myers”, on where to wet my line and I just wanted to thank Dick personally for the “info”…I had a blast!

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!

Once again, before I go into the fishing report, I just wanted to take a second and go over all the different species of fish that we have caught this year in Lake of the Woods. I know that we are known to be the Walleye Capitol of the World, here in Baudette, MN on Lake of the Woods, but we have many different species of fish that are being caught out of Lake of the Woods that should get there day in the lime light. We have caught Monster Lake Trout, Musky, Northern Pike, Perch, Sauger, Small Mouth Bass, Sturgeon and Walleye this summer. So if you’re looking to be put on some different species of fish this summer other than Walleye, don’t hesitate to give us a call at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods and let us, PUT YOU ON THE FISH!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we will have sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds, high 82F with winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight we will have partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late, low 61F with winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow we will have variable clouds with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoon, high 77F with winds S at 15 to 25 mph…there will be a 50% chance of rain. Tomorrow night we will have scattered thunderstorms in the evening, cloudy skies overnight, low 57F with winds NW at 5 to 10 mph…there will be 50% chance of rain. Today’s fishing report will come from our guides (Tom Briggs, Billy Kloos…aka The Sniper and Kevin Olmstead) and guests. The word is that right in front of Zipple Bay is slowing down a bit, so I decided to go up to the Northwest Angle and tried to get “the one”. I have yet to fish for big Musky, but yesterday I gave it a go and was able to land a nice little Northern Pike. I was fishing around all the islands up there, casting hammered gold spinner baits almost on shore and reeled it back to the boat. It was a blast searching for “the one”, Lake of the Woods has him and I want to find him. Knights and Bridges are starting to produce some nice fish…we just had some guests that were filming a TV show (James Holst with IDOfishing.com) and they headed up there and fished the rocks…slow troll/drift…orange spinners and hammered gold spinners with crawlers…they had some great success. They caught a number of nice fish…the biggest was 25 inches. As I always say about the rocks…get ready to donate some tackle, because you will get caught up at least a few times fishing those areas. If you get the chance to go across the lake to Garden Island and Little Oak Island, you won’t be disappointed with the results. The name of the game is jigging. This week our guides have been making that a must stop…last week I was up there with a couple and we hammered them with jigs and crawlers…it was a blast! You will want to be on the Northeast side of Little Oak and the Southeast side of Garden. You can’t miss all the launches in those areas and on this occasion I have to say “follow the launches”. They are all catching fish up there and having a blast. 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 High Winds are Paying Lake of the Woods another Unexpected Visit

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Yesterday was my 35th birthday and I just wanted to thank everyone for all their well wishes and "happy birthdays" that I received through phone calls and e-mails. It means a lot to me to have so many close personal friends and family. I feel very fortunate and lucky to have met and befriended so many great people throughout the years…I am truly a very lucky person. Someone asked me if I feel 35, unfortunately from my years of hockey my body feels 45, but thankfully my mind feels 25. Thanks again to everyone and may your birthday be as wonderful as mine.

Today we have some blistering high winds that are tearing across Lake of the Woods at close to 35 mph. Thank goodness we have Rainy River to escape those high winds to do some Northern Pike fishing. Two days ago I was very fortunate to be able to take out Don and Terry O’Connor from the Twin Cities area for a couple hours in the afternoon. They were up visiting Nina Briggs (Tom’s wife) to work on their business “World Ventures” for a couple days. We were able to go out for less than 4 hours and catch a number of Northern Pike...most of them were small, the biggest being about 7 pounds. It didn’t matter what size they were, we were catching them and having a blast. I just wanted to personally thank Don and Terry for being such great fishing partners. Don, I look forward to seeing you and your son Ryan here in very near future to do some more fishing on the best freshwater fishery in the world, 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 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!

Once again, before I go into the fishing report, I just wanted to take a second and go over all the different species of fish that we have caught this year in Lake of the Woods. I know that we are known to be the Walleye Capitol of the World, here in Baudette, MN on Lake of the Woods, but we have many different species of fish that are being caught out of Lake of the Woods that should get there day in the lime light. We have caught Monster Lake Trout, Musky, Northern Pike, Perch, Sauger, Small Mouth Bass, Sturgeon and Walleye this summer. So if you’re looking to be put on some different species of fish this summer other than Walleye, don’t hesitate to give us a call at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods and let us, PUT YOU ON THE FISH!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we will have considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers, high 62F with winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph…there will be a 60% chance of rain. Tonight will be cloudy with showers, low 54F with winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph…there will be another 60% chance of rain. Tomorrow we will have a shower or two around the area in the morning, and then partly cloudy in the afternoon, high near 65F with winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph…there will be a 30% chance of rain. Tomorrow night we will have clear to partly cloudy, low 48F with winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Today’s fishing report will come from our guides (Tom Briggs, Billy Kloos…aka The Sniper and Kevin Olmstead) and guests, and be no different than yesterdays report. With crazy high winds we are having today I don’t know if you’ll be able to get out in front of Zipple Bay, where the fishing the past few days has been very good. These past few days, our guides and guests have been reaping the rewards of the Zipple Bay hot spot for monster Walleye…don’t miss out! Our guides and guests have been catching fish by anchoring and jigging, and downrigging, but as of right now I think your best bet is still anchoring and jigging in that spot. You will be fishing in 29 to 30 feet of water. Another place to keep on your radar is Knights Reef…we just had some guests that were filming a TV show (James Holst with IDOfishing.com) and they headed up there and fished the rocks…slow troll/drift…orange spinners and hammered gold spinners with crawlers…they had some great success. They caught a number of nice fish…the biggest was 25 inches. As I always say about the rocks…get ready to donate some tackle, because you will get caught up at least a few times fishing those areas. If you get the chance to go across the lake to Garden Island and Little Oak Island, you won’t be disappointed with the results. The name of the game is jigging. This week our guides have been making that a must stop…last week I was up there with a couple and we hammered them with jigs and crawlers…it was a blast! 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 James Holst and the all the boys from IDOfishing.com. James and two of his crew members were up here taping a TV show for an upcoming episode on Lake of the Woods. They asked the Wigwam Resort if they could help them out and we jumped at the opportunity to help a great guy, tell a great story, about our backyard and the best freshwater fishery in the world “Lake of the Woods”. I just wanted to personally thank James and his crews for letting the Wigwam Resort participate in with the show. I hope to someday be able to go fishing with you on one of your Lake of the Woods adventures. Thanks again and please give my best to your entire team at IDOfishing.com, especially Brian Klawitter, who has been very influential in promoting the Wigwam Resort…thanks a ton Brian! May all your fishing adventures be numerous and plentiful!

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

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

As the Heavens Open Up, So Does Lake of the Woods...Offering up Some Awesome Walleyes

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. This weekend we were doused with more rain than we know what to do with, but that didn’t stop the Walleye bit here on Lake of the Woods. Our guests still were able to experience top shelf fishing on Lake of the Woods by a couple different techniques. Some of our guests were bait fishing by anchoring and jigging, and some others were downrigging, and both methods caught fish. Tami and the Bachelor played both nights, Friday and Saturday, at the Wigwam Resort and had the crowd was jumping and singing along both nights...it was a blast.

Billy Kloos one of the Wigwam Resort’s very experienced guides, had some great success on both ends of the lake this weekend. Friday he headed up north and put people on the fish, Saturday he took our guests out in front of Zipple Bay in 29 – 30 feet of water, and he didn’t disappoint on either day…Billy put them on the fish…that’s what Billy does well. Maybe that’s by Billy is our most requested guide. Billy’s call on the lures and bait out in front did the trick…jigs with frozen shiners and jigs with crawlers, hooked right through the middle of their bodies. Once again, Billy was able our guests n the fish…NICE CALL BILLY, NICE CALL! If you’d like Billy to “put YOU on the fish”, just give our office a call at (800) 448-9260, and a knowledgeable staff member will help you with your reservation.

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!

Once again, before I go into the fishing report, I just wanted to take a second and go over all the different species of fish that we have caught this year in Lake of the Woods. I know that we are known to be the Walleye Capitol of the World, here in Baudette, MN on Lake of the Woods, but we have many different species of fish that are being caught out of Lake of the Woods that should get there day in the lime light. We have caught Monster Lake Trout, Musky, Northern Pike, Perch, Sauger, Small Mouth Bass, Sturgeon and Walleye this summer. So if you’re looking to be put on some different species of fish this summer other than Walleye, don’t hesitate to give us a call at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods and let us, PUT YOU ON THE FISH!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we will have rain likely with a few thunderstorms; high around 70F with winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph…there will be a 90% chance of rain. Rainfall will be near a half an inch. For all of you how fished today…you will be saying to yourself, no kidding guy…ha-ha. Tonight will be partly cloudy skies, low 52F with winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow will be partly cloudy in the morning…increasing clouds with periods of showers later in the day, high 64F with winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph…there will be a 40% chance of rain. Tomorrow night the sky will be overcast with rain showers at times, low 48F with winds W at 10 to 20 mph…there will be a 40% chance of rain. Today’s fishing report will come from our guides (Tom Briggs, Billy Kloos and Kevin Olmstead) and guests. Out in front of Zipple Bay is HOT-HOT-HOT…if you don’t want to make the journey across Lake of the Woods, keep Zipple Bay on your radar. These past few days, our guides and guests have been reaping the rewards of the Zipple Bay hot spot for monster Walleye…don’t miss out! Our guides and guests have been catching fish by anchoring and jigging, and downrigging, but as of right now I think your best bet is still anchoring and jigging in that spot. You will be fishing in 29 to 30 feet of water. Another place to keep on your radar is Graceton Reef…I took my brother fishing there a couple days ago and we were able to get on some nice Walleyes in the rocks. As I always say about that spot…get ready to donate some tackle to the rocks, because you will get caught up at least a few times fishing that area. There were also a number of Sturgeon jumping around us…it was an awesome sight! If you get the chance to go across the lake to Garden Island and Little Oak Island, you won’t be disappointed with the results. The name of the game is jigging. Last week I was up there with a couple and we hammered them with jigs and crawlers…it was a blast! 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 our “Catch of the Day” winner for August 16th, 1009…Alex Osland. Alex was visiting us with his Grandfather, Carl Olson, and Carl’s friend, Robert “Hoss” Reige (Carl and Hoss are longtime patrons of the Wigwam Resort). Alex…Congratulations on that nice little “30 INCH 11 LB. WALLEYE”…awesome catch buddy! That wasn’t his only nice fish of the day…Alex backed up his first catch with another awesome one…a 27 inch Walleye. Alex was fishing out in front of Zipple Bay in 29-30 feet of water, and he was fishing with a white #5 ShadRap, by Rapala. White was the trick today…that’s an awesome fish buddy…I hope you keep that memory for many years to come…congratulations again.

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

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

Even With Muddy Conditions, Zipple Bay Still Produces Monster Walleyes

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Yesterday was a hard day for me…it would have been my Fathers 62nd birthday and all I wanted to do was take him fishing. I know that I don’t write much about personal feelings, but it is tough not talking about the person that was, and still is, the single most influential person in my life. My Father was the reason I had the opportunity to experience fishing and hunting for the first times and for that I am forever thankful. For all you Fathers and or sons out there that want to make an impact in your families lives…take them fishing…talk about life and let them know how important they are to you…it’s an awesome feeling that I wish I could experience with my Dad right now…I miss that little bugger.

Today I am going fishing with my little brother later this afternoon, if the weather cooperates. The word on the street is that the fishing right out in front of Zipple Bay is HOT-HOT-HOT! If you don’t want to drive across Lake of the Woods to Garden Island or Little Oak Island, you should have your eyes set on Zipple Bay. Last night we had some guests that were fishing over there and they were limited out within 3 hours. That was after throwing back approximately 10 slot fish around 26 – 28 inches…they were downrigging. I also talked to some gentlemen that were fishing in that same area that weren’t downrigging and experiencing the same luck. If you don’t have downriggers, don’t worry, just remember to bring your jigs and frozen shiners…you will want to be anchored or slow drifting/trolling and jigging off the bottom and you should get on the FISH!!!! I will be using either white/light green or white/gold 3/8 oz. jigs…I will let you all know how we fare tomorrow.

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!

Once again, before I go into the fishing report, I just wanted to take a second and go over all the different species of fish that we have caught this year in Lake of the Woods. I know that we are known to be the Walleye Capitol of the World, here in Baudette, MN on Lake of the Woods, but we have many different species of fish that are being caught out of Lake of the Woods that should get there day in the lime light. We have caught Monster Lake Trout, Musky, Northern Pike, Perch, Sauger, Small Mouth Bass, Sturgeon and Walleye this summer. So if you’re looking to be put on some different species of fish this summer other than Walleye, don’t hesitate to give us a call at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods and let us, PUT YOU ON THE FISH!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today will be mostly sunny…a stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible, high 91F with winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight will be partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms possible, low 63F with winds SE at 5 to 10 mph…there will be 30% chance of rain. Tomorrow we will have sun and clouds mixed with a slight chance of thunderstorms during the afternoon…it will be warm again, high 86F with winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph…there will be a 30% chance of rain. Tomorrow night we will have variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms, low 64F with winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph…there will be a 40% chance of rain. Today’s fishing report will come from me and our guides (Tom Briggs, Billy Kloos and Kevin Olmstead). We are still fishing up by Little Oak Island and hammering the Walleyes. We are were slow trolling and jigging with crawlers as bait. As I alluded to a couple days ago, the downriggers have just come out. Yesterday I heard again that people were up at Little Oak again downrigging and they are limiting out in about 2 hours…nice. Also yesterday, I heard that Zipple Bay is HOT-HOT-HOT…if you don’t want to make the journey across Lake of the Woods, keep Zipple Bay on your radar. My sources were downrigging, and also, anchoring and jigging…both methods were successful. Tom, Billy and Kevin have been going to the southwest side of Garden Island, northeast side of Garden and northeast side of Little Oak…they are still hammered the fish. They are using hammered gold spinners with crawlers and jigs with frozen shiners (they were hitting on every color). Last night I headed over to Morris Gap to checkout my own advice. The bit was a little slow because of dirty water, but the fish are most defiantly there. As soon as it clears up, watch out, the bit will be on. 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 the Gordon Anderson Group that just spent the past three days with us, fishing, lodging and eating so much food they all packed on a few extra pounds…it was like three days of Thanksgiving. I hope that all your expectations were exceeded while staying with us at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods. I just wanted to thank all of you personally for choosing the Wigwam Resort for your fishing vacation destination this summer. I know that you all are planning to come back and the entire staff is looking forward to seeing you guys in the very near future. I know that Billy had a great time with you guys also…thanks for being such great guests!

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

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

The Lake of the Woods Heat Wave Heats up the Bit

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Yesterday for a couple hours in the evening I had the opportunity to go out and do a little Small Mouth Bass fishing…it was awesome as usual. I took full advantage of my remote border crossing and Ontario fishing license and crossed the border into Canada to catch a couple beauty Small Mouth. I was no further than 30 feet away from shore, using a gold spinner bait. I was casting about 1 foot from shore and reeling it back to the boat…about every third cast I’d have a fighter on the other end of my line…it was truly awesome! If you get the opportunity to come to Lake of the Woods and you’re looking to get into the Small Mouth Bass, give me a shout and I’ll tell you exactly where to go for all the action you can handle.

I wanted to also congratulate Tom Briggs (Owner of the Wigwam Resort) and Rick Amundson on their First Place victory at the MTT (Minnesota Tournament Trail) Fishing Tournament this past weekend on Lake Winnibigoshish. I don’t have the pictures yet, but I will have them soon. This allows them to compete in the 2009 Championship which will be held on Lake of the Woods next month (September 18th & 19th). I want to wish them the best of luck as they fish for the MTT Championship.

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!

Once again, before I go into the fishing report, I just wanted to take a second and go over all the different species of fish that we have caught this year in Lake of the Woods. I know that we are known to be the Walleye Capitol of the World, here in Baudette, MN on Lake of the Woods, but we have many different species of fish that are being caught out of Lake of the Woods that should get there day in the lime light. We have caught Monster Lake Trout, Musky, Northern Pike, Perch, Sauger, Small Mouth Bass, Sturgeon and Walleye this summer. So if you’re looking to be put on some different species of fish this summer other than Walleye, don’t hesitate to give us a call at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods and let us, PUT YOU ON THE FISH!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today will be very sunny with near record high temperatures, high 89F with winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight will be mostly clear, low 62F with winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow we will see some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm in the afternoon…it will be warm, high 88F with winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph…there will be a 30% chance of rain. Tomorrow night will be partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms, low 62F with winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph…there will be another 30% chance of rain. Today’s fishing report will come from me and our guides (Tom Briggs, Billy Kloos and Kevin Olmstead). We are still fishing up by Little Oak Island and hammering the Walleyes. We are were slow trolling and jigging with crawlers as bait. As I alluded to a couple days ago, the downriggers have just come out. Yesterday I heard again that people were up at Little Oak again downrigging and they are limiting out in about 2 hours…nice. Tom, Billy and Kevin have been going to the southwest side of Garden Island and they are still hammered the fish. They were using hammered gold spinners with crawlers and jigs with frozen shiners (they were hitting on every color). They were catching fish from 18 feet to 10 feet of water while drifting in our 27’ Sportscrafts! Last night I headed over to Morris Gap to checkout my own advice. The bit was a little slow because of dirty water, but the fish are most defiantly there. As soon as it clears up, watch out, the bit will be on. Last week, Jake Magness and I went fishing in Four Mile Bay, about 100 yards west of the green marker, right out in front of the Wigwam Resort and we found some Walleyes. We caught about 15 fish in the period of about an hour; the biggest fish was 26-1/2”. We were slow drifting and trolling using hammered gold spinners with crawlers and metallic red spinner jig with frozen shiners. I went fishing over there last night and the fish are piling up over there. I was marking so many fish, but very slow bite. I anticipate that to start heating up here within the next few days. 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 Downrigging Has Finally Started on Lake of the Woods

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. I’m sorry for being absent for the past few days, but I was on a nice little vacation with my girlfriend, who took me fishing for my birthday…I know I liked her for some odd reason…haha. We went up to the northeast part of Lake of the Woods and went fishing for Northern Pike and Small Mouth Bass, and we got into both…it was a blast and I wanted to thank Tiff again for surprising me the way she did…I’m one lucky guy. She looks a lot better than I do with a fish so today you don't have to look at my ugly mug...haha.

On Saturday I had the pleasure of taking the Bernards for Grand Rapids, MN out fishing and we were able to get into some of those nice Walleyes I keep writing about. The Bernards call Lake Winnibigoshish their second home, but have been fishing Lake of the Woods for the past few years. I feel very fortunate and thankful that we had the opportunity to meet. At the beginning of the day Mr. Bernard wanted to pull out the downriggers, but we didn’t need them…we were fishing with jigs and half a crawler. Mr. Bernard had some great action with his Chartreuse jig, Mrs. Bernard was pulling in some nice fish herself with her white/blue jig and even I got to get in on some of the excitement with my white/light green jig. They were able to go back home with some nice Lake of the Woods Walleye to feed themselves for a couple days. I just wanted to personally thank the Bernards for coming with me and making my day so enjoyable…thank you two…you made my day! I hope that you both had a wonderful trip and I look forward to hearing from you again in the future…thanks again.

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!

Once again, before I go into the fishing report, I just wanted to take a second and go over all the different species of fish that we have caught this year in Lake of the Woods. I know that we are known to be the Walleye Capitol of the World, here in Baudette, MN on Lake of the Woods, but we have many different species of fish that are being caught out of Lake of the Woods that should get there day in the lime light. We have caught Monster Lake Trout, Musky, Northern Pike, Perch, Sauger, Small Mouth Bass, Sturgeon and Walleye this summer. So if you’re looking to be put on some different species of fish this summer other than Walleye, don’t hesitate to give us a call at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods and let us, PUT YOU ON THE FISH!!!!


Daily Fishing Report: Today we will have plenty of sunshine, high 77F with winds light and variable. All I have to say about this is, FINALLY!!!! Tonight we will be generally clear, low near 55F, with winds light and variable. Tomorrow we will see mainly sunny skies, high 84F with winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow night will be mostly clear skies again, low 61F with winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Today’s fishing report will come from me and our guides (Tom Briggs, Billy Kloos and Kevin Olmstead). On Saturday I had the opportunity to take Mr. and Mrs. Bernard out fishing and we had a blast. We were fishing up by Little Oak Island and hammering the Walleyes. We were slow trolling and jigging with crawlers as bait. Saturday was the first time this year that I had seen with my own eyes, downriggers dropped and people actually starting to catch fish using that method. Today I heard that people were up at Little Oak again downrigging and what I heard is that they had limited out in about 2 hours…nice. Tom, Billy and Kevin have been going to the southwest side of Garden Island and they are still hammered the fish. They were using hammered gold spinners with crawlers and jigs with frozen shiners (they were hitting on every color). They were catching fish from 18 feet to 10 feet of water while drifting in our 27’ Sportscrafts! If you don’t have the boat to head up north, you will want to keep Morris Point in front of the washout and the west side of Pine Island in your crosshairs. Last week, Jake Magness and I went fishing in Four Mile Bay, about 100 yards west of the green marker, right out in front of the Wigwam Resort and we found some Walleyes. We caught about 15 fish in the period of about an hour; the biggest fish was 26-1/2”. We were slow drifting and trolling using hammered gold spinners with crawlers and metallic red spinner jig with frozen shiners. I went fishing over there last night and the fish are piling up over there. I was marking so many fish, but very slow bite. I anticipate that to start heating up here within the next few days. 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 the St. Arnold Group that stayed with us this past weekend. I just wanted to give you a big Wigwam THANK YOU for choosing us as your resort destination on wonderful Lake of the Woods. I hope that all of you had a blast, and I also wanted to say it’s great to see that Fathers are taking their sons fishing. It reminds me so much of my childhood…maybe we have found the next great professional fisherman? I just wanted to thank you guys personally for choosing the Wigwam Resort and I hope that all your expectations were exceeded while staying with us here at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods. I look forward to seeing all of you back again very soon…THANKS AGAIN!!!!

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

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

As the Wind Calms, the Bit Heats Up on Lake of the Woods

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Last night I had the opportunity to go fishing with another Wigwam Resort employee, Jake Magness and we found the Walleyes in Four Mile Bay and Morris Point Gap washout. The Walleyes are stacked up nicely in those two areas and they are starting to bit…I love it! This just means that we don’t have to go more than 3 miles from the Wigwam Resort to catch an abundance amount of nice Walleyes...NICE!!!!

Over the past few days we have had some special guests staying with us at the Wigwam Resort, the Powells (Mr. Dick Powell, and his sons, Sam and John Powell), from Beloit, Wisconsin. They came to the Wigwam Resort to catch some nice Walleyes, and that’s exactly what they did. Their week with us started off a little ruff, because of the high winds we were experiencing on Lake of the Woods, but fortunately that only lasted one day, and the lake settled down enough for the Powells to make their journey across to Little Oak Island for two consecutive days of great fishing. Mr. Powells son’s, Sam and John, were full of energy and excitement…giddy to catch fish. Mr. Powell seemed to gather energy from his kids excitement, it was a great pleasure seeing how a family interacts when they are having a blast…it’s just old fashion fun!

As they fished with the Wigwam Resorts own Billy Kloos, Sam and John were able to reel in some nice fish (Walleye and Perch), but there was one species that eluded them this time around, the monster Sturgeon, which is on Johns “to catch list”. John, the youngest, as he was leaving was saying all he wants to do next time is catch a big Sturgeon. I believe that we can make that become reality for you when you come back this October, or next April for the Sturgeon Excursion, which is put on by IDOfishing.com and the Wigwam Resort. It will be my personal promise to you to land you a monster Sturgeon when you return!

Just seeing the Powells interact reminded me so much of my youth, when I was fishing with my brother and father. I’m so happy that I now work in an industry that is part of family bonding…it makes me feel as if I’m doing my part to help people enjoy life…I feel so lucky. I just wanted to personally thank the Powells, Dick, Sam and John, for letting us at the Wigwam Resort take care of them while they fished the best freshwater fishery in the world…Lake of the Woods. I know you guys just left this morning, but I’m already looking forward to your return…I wish you guys the best of luck with work (Dick) and school (Sam and John). Keep fishing and having fun…that’s what life is all about!

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!

Once again, before I go into the fishing report, I just wanted to take a second and go over all the different species of fish that we have caught this year in Lake of the Woods. I know that we are known to be the Walleye Capitol of the World, here in Baudette, MN on Lake of the Woods, but we have many different species of fish that are being caught out of Lake of the Woods that should get there day in the lime light. We have caught Monster Lake Trout, Musky, Northern Pike, Perch, Sauger, Small Mouth Bass, Sturgeon and Walleye this summer. So if you’re looking to be put on some different species of fish this summer other than Walleye, don’t hesitate to give us a call at the World Famous Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods and let us, PUT YOU ON THE FISH!!!!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we will have a mix of clouds and sun, high 67F with winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Tonight we will have a few clouds, low 47F with winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Tomorrow we will have partly cloudy early followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers later in the day, high 69F with winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph…there will be a 30% chance of rain. Tomorrow night we will have a few showers in the evening, then clear overnight, low 48F with winds light and variable…there will be a 30% chance of rain. Today’s fishing report will come from me and our guides (Tom Briggs, Billy Kloos and Kevin Olmstead) and will be no different than yesterday. Last week, Jake Magness and I went fishing in Four Mile Bay, about 100 yards west of the green marker, right out in front of the Wigwam Resort and we found some Walleyes. We caught about 15 fish in the period of about an hour; the biggest fish was 26-1/2”. We were slow drifting and trolling using hammered gold spinners with crawlers and metallic red spinner jig with frozen shiners. Tom, Billy and Kevin have been going to the southwest side of Garden Island and they are still hammered the fish. They were using hammered gold spinners with crawlers and jigs with frozen shiners (they were hitting on every color). They were catching fish from 18 feet to 10 feet of water while drifting in our 27’ Sportscrafts…still no downrigging! Yesterday Billy went back to those spots and hammered the fish again…is there no end to the great fishing? I hope not!!!! If you don’t have the boat to head up north, you will want to keep Morris Point in front of the washout and the west side of Pine Island in your crosshairs. I went fishing over there last night and the fish are piling up over there. I was marking so many fish, but very slow bite. I anticipate that to start heating up here within the next few days. 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/