The Lake of the Woods Bite is on…Come on Over!

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. I hope everyone had a great weekend of fishing and relaxation. Yesterday I sent my brother and niece out at 7 am in one of the Wigwam Resort’s bombardiers to fish in on of the Wigwam Ice Houses. Throughout the day they caught more than 70 fish and my little 7 year old niece “Lydia” caught a majority of them…she had a blast…that puts a smile on my face from ear to ear. Lydia, was especially impressed with the “Lake of the Woods Taxi Service” (the Wigwam Bombardier)…she was so impressed that she wanted to make sure to get her picture in the Bombardier when they got back to shore, and she did!

Later on in the afternoon, I did have the opportunity to go out and visit my brother and niece at about 3 pm and the fishing didn’t disappoint at that time. When I arrived at their ice house, they had been constantly catching fish all day, and that didn’t stop for the next hour and a half until it went dead right around 4:30 pm. After 4:30 pm passed we didn’t get another bite…I guess that’s why they call Lake of the Woods a “working man’s lake (9 am to 5 pm)”. I did want to thank Doug “The Surgeon” Hagen for taking such great care of my brother and niece...they had a blast, thank you very much buddy.

Also, for all of you that have the ability to come midweek don’t miss out on our great specials for January and February. We are offering a total of 15% off for midweek packages (lodging/fishing) and (lodging/fishing/meals). I have a few groups that are taking major advantage of this deal and they’re on the FISH with the WIGWAM!

As I alluded to in the last blog, the fishing on the south side of Lake of the Woods has still been fantastic. People are still catching high quantities along with the occasional MONSTER Walleye and Northern Pike…proof is in the Wigwam Resort Photo Gallery.

The lures that have been working well are the “Gold Disco Ball Jigs”, “Stop Signs (Pink or White)” 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!

Announcements…Tami and the Bachelor will be the live entertainment this weekend (January 22 & 23). If you’re looking for some great ice fishing deals, checkout the current January specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a January special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for January and February 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of January…you can’t beat them!

Daily Fishing Report: Today will be partly cloudy, high 26F with winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight should be partly cloudy, low near 10F with winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow we should see considerable clouds early. Some decrease in clouds later in the day, high 28F with winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow night should be mainly cloudy, low 14F with winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Thursday should be cloudy, highs in the mid 20s and lows in the low 20s. Friday we should expect snow showers at times, highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s. Saturday we should expect snow showers possible, highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s. Today’s fishing report will come from me and our guides. All the action is still taking place, west of Pine Island and north of Graceton/Zipple in 32 – 36 feet of water. We have been doing well in our houses, which are only accessible by fishing with the Wigwam Resort…they are located on west side of Pine Island straight out from the “Big Pine”. Our houses are currently in 28 to 34 feet of water, and as of this morning 32 to 34 feet has been the magic depth again…the fish are deep. The lures showing the greatest success rates are the “Gold Disco Ball”, the Pink Florescent “Stop Sign” 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). You will want to get anything that glows right now, whether it is pink or white. Also give the plain gold jigs/disco balls a try. The ice thickness out there is currently 22-24 inches. Adrian’s road is open for business…trucks are going out everyday. Again, just a little reminder, if you want to fish by the Wigwam’s houses, you have to come with us. The only types of transportation that will get you out to our houses are track vehicles and snowmobiles…no trucks. 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 Lydia Tessier, my niece. She is quite a little princess and I’m glad to see that she can set a hook just as well as she spins in dance class. I hope that she had a great time out ice fishing and riding in the bombardier…I think by the smiles we got after the day was over, it was proof that she did, and that’s what it’s all about!

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

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

The Next Few Days on Lake of the Woods Shows Plenty of Promise

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Well midweek is upon us and we are looking for the fishing to start picking up here in the next few days. The temperature is staying pretty constant and the Barometric Pressure is falling, which is a sign of good fishing on the horizon. We have started offering some great midweek specials during January and February, on our website @ http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/, so take advantage of the best freshwater fishing in the world and come and visit us at the Wigwam Resort on Lake of the Woods…don’t wait till it’s to late!

Yesterday I went fishing with Doug Van Stone aka “Dougie Bear” and once again we seemed to find where the fish were hiding. We took a snowmobile ride a little further out than we wanted to, but we made it to 34 feet of water and started fishing. The crazy thing is that we were catching Saugers and Walleyes mixed on the bottom and Walleyes 20 feet off the bottom…it was awesome. The only way we knew that there were suspended fish, was the fact that we were using Vexilars, which in my personal opinion is the only way to fish, but that is only my opinion. The Walleyes that were suspended were biting hot and heavy for 15 minute increments about every half hour…it was an awesome experience. The big fish for the day was a 23” Walleye…it was a great fight and I can’t wait for the next one.

I talked about this in the last blog, but it is so important when fishing Lake of the Woods that I would like to bring it up again. What I would like to touch on today is jigging when ice fishing. I’ve had the great opportunity to fish with many very experienced Lake of the Woods fishermen during my years on Lake of the Woods, and I just have one little piece of advice that they have taught me and I wish to share with you, which hopefully will be very beneficial to any level angler. The advice is this, when you first drop your jig/lure down the holes; try to bounce your jig/lure off the bottom for a few minutes. What this is doing is turning up the bottom of the lake, which in turn will bring in smaller bait fish to see what’s going on, and they will feed. After the bait fish move there way into your little honey hole, then like clock work you will start attracting the keepers, which we all look for, when fishing Lake of the Woods. This tactic has worked for me more times than not. It’s not a guarantee, but it will give you another option to lure them in…best of luck to all!

As I alluded to in the last blog, the fishing on the south side of Lake of the Woods has still been fantastic. People are still catching high quantities along with the occasional MONSTER Walleye and Northern Pike…proof is in the Wigwam Resort Photo Gallery.

The lures that have been working well are the “Gold Disco Ball Jigs”, “Stop Signs (Pink or White)” 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!

Announcements…If you’re looking for some great ice fishing deals, checkout the current January specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a January special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for January and February 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of January…you can’t beat them!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we should have sunshine and clouds mixed high 32F with winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight should be overcast with flurries or freezing drizzle possible, low 23F with winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Tomorrow we should see a few snow showers around in the morning, otherwise mostly cloudy; high around 25F with winds NW at 10 to 15 mph…there will be a 30% chance of snow. Tomorrow night should be mostly cloudy, low 11F with winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Friday it should be cloudy with occasional flurries, highs in the upper 20s and lows in the upper teens. Saturday we should have morning clouds followed by afternoon sun, highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens. Sunday we should see a mix of sun and clouds, highs in the upper 20s and lows in the upper teens. Today’s fishing report will come from me and our guides. All the action is still taking place, west of Pine Island and north of Morris Point Gap. I just heard that the bit has slowed a bit in the past few days, but with the warm weather that we should be getting here the next 4 days in a row, it should speed up the bite nicely. We have been doing well in our houses, which are only accessible by fishing with the Wigwam Resort…they are located on west side of Pine Island straight out from the “Big Pine”. Our houses are currently in 22 to 34 feet of water, and as of this morning 28 -34 feet has been the magic depth. Another place to keep on the radar is Lighthouse Gap, right on the US/Canadian line in 16 to 18 feet of water in the morning (7 – 9:30 AM) and 30 - 34 feet after 10 AM. The lures showing the greatest success rates are the “Stop Sign”, “Gold Disco Ball”, the Pink Florescent “Stop Sign” 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). Also, we did find some suspended Walleyes yesterday while doing a little exploratory fishing and they were about 20 feet off the bottom in 32 -34 feet of water. The only way we knew that they were there, was the fact that we were using Vexilars…embrace technology. As of yesterday the bite was slow in certain spots, but be sure to be patient when you’re fishing. The fish are on the move and hopefully they are nice and hungry tomorrow morning…we anticipate it to pick up here in the next few days. You will want to get anything that glows right now, whether it is pink or white. Also give the plain gold jigs/disco balls a try. The ice thickness out there is currently 22-24 inches. Adrian’s road is open for business…trucks are going out everyday. Just a little reminder though, if you want to fish by the Wigwam’s houses, you have to come with us. The only types of transportation that will get you out to our houses are track vehicles and snowmobiles…no trucks. 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 Mr. Truman Olson. Mr. Olson was a gentleman that stayed with us this past week and caught the biggest Walleye he has ever caught…a beautiful 26” Walleye (pictured). Mr. Olson was in the ice house all by himself and wasn’t able to get a picture with the fish, but he said it was so worth it anyway. I just wanted to give you a quick shout out and tell you Congratulations! Next time we’ll try to get you one even bigger! Thanks again and we are all looking forward to your return.

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 Virgin…A Virgin No Longer

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. I hope all of you had an event filled weekend that brought you many smiles, on and off the lake. This past weekend we had the pleasure of catering to a group that had one person that had never been to Lake of the Woods and had never caught a Walleye, ever…I know, it’s hard to believe, but it’s true…haha. Well I’m here to inform you that he’s no longer a Lake of the Woods, or Walleye virgin…Congratulations Jerry! I hope that each of you guys had a great time and we look forward to seeing all of you back here in the near future.

This afternoon I had the pleasure of going out to the lake on my snowmobile and checking on our guests. There wasn’t one unhappy camper…everyone was catching fish, not a lot of them, but some nice sizers. One of our guests had the great fortune of catching and releasing the biggest Walleye he’s ever caught…a 26” Walleye…that’s awesome! This gentleman is Mr. Truman Olson. Mr. Olson gave me the pleasure this summer of taking him fishing while he spent a day on Lake of the Woods. During that beautiful summer day, we had a great time and I told him if he liked the summer fishing so much, he should for sure come back in the winter…so, he did. Truman caught this big bugger all by himself, which as any fisherman knows, a small feat in itself. Even despite getting wraped up in his second line, he managed to seal the deal. I just wanted to congradulate you on the great catch. I hope you had a great time and I look forward to seeing you back again in the very near future.

One thing I would like to touch on today is jigging when ice fishing. I’ve had the great opportunity to fish with many very experienced Lake of the Woods fishermen during my years on Lake of the Woods, and I just have one little piece of advice that they have taught me and I wish to share with you, which hopefully will be very beneficial to any level angler. The advice is this, when you first drop your jig/lure down the holes; try to bounce your jig/lure off the bottom for a few minutes. What this is doing is turning up the bottom of the lake, which in turn will bring in smaller bait fish to see what’s going on, and they will feed. After the bait fish move there way into your little honey hole, then like clock work you will start attracting the keepers, which we all look for, when fishing Lake of the Woods. This tactic has worked for me more times than not. It’s not a guarantee, but it will give you another option to lure them in…best of luck to all!

As I alluded to in the last blog, the fishing on the south side of Lake of the Woods has still been fantastic. People are still catching high quantities along with the occasional MONSTER Walleye and Northern Pike…proof is in the Wigwam Resort Photo Gallery.

The lures that have been working well are the “Gold Disco Ball Jigs”, “Stop Signs” 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!

Announcements…If you’re looking for some great ice fishing deals, checkout the current January specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a January special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for January and February 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of January…you can’t beat them!

Daily Fishing Report: Today we will see sun and clouds mixed high 16F with winds light and variable. Tonight will be partly to mostly cloudy, low 7F with winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow we should see considerable cloudiness, high near 30F with winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow night we should have considerable cloudiness, low 16F with winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Wednesday should be mostly cloudy, highs in the low 30s and lows in the mid teens. Thursday should be cloudy with flurries, highs in the upper 20s and lows in the mid teens. Friday we should encounter a few snow showers, highs in the mid 20s and lows in the upper teens. The fishing report will come from me and our guides today. All the action is still taking place, west of Pine Island and north of Morris Point Gap. I just heard that the bit has slowed a bit in the past few days, but with the warm weather that we should be getting here the next 4 days in a row, it should speed up the bite nicely. We have been doing well in our houses, which are only accessible by fishing with the Wigwam Resort…they are located on west side of Pine Island straight out from the “Big Pine”. Our houses are currently in 22 to 30 feet of water, and as of this morning 26 – 28 feet has been the magic depth. Another place to keep on the radar is Lighthouse Gap, right on the US/Canadian line in 16 to 18 feet of water in the morning (7 – 9:30 AM) and 24 – 28 feet after 10 AM. The lures showing the greatest success rates are the “Stop Sign”, “Gold Disco Ball” (pictured with Wigwam Ice Guide/Instructor Shane “I’m working on a nickname” Burk)& “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). As of yesterday the bite was slow, but be sure to be patient when you’re fishing. The fish are on the move and hopefully they are nice and hungry tomorrow morning…we anticipate it to pick up here in the next few days. You will want to get anything that glows right now, whether it is pink or white. Also give the plain gold jigs/disco balls a try. The ice thickness out there is currently 20-21 inches. Adrian’s road is open for business…trucks are going out everyday. Just a little reminder though, if you want to fish by the Wigwam’s houses, you have to come with us. The only types of transportation that will get you out to our houses are track vehicles and snowmobiles…no trucks. 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/

New Year, Same Story…Great Fishing on Lake of the Woods

Good morning to all!

Welcome to another edition of the Wigwam Fisherman’s Blog. Sorry for the absence, but the Wigwam Fisherman has been feeling a little under the weather the past few days. I’m feeling much better now and ready to get back to the resort…I’ve really missed it the past few days. I guess that it’s in my blood lets say…haha. This past week before I was struck down, I did get the opportunity to do a little fishing up north. Jody (my girlfriend) and I rode our snowmobiles up to Tom’s cabin up on Little Oak for a few days. The fishing was less than stellar, which made me appreciate the south side of the lake that much more, but the company made up for the fishing, and isn’t that really what it’s all about, having fun and enjoying the company? I believe that’s the case for me.

The fishing on the south side of Lake of the Woods has still been great. People are still catching high quantities along with the occasional monster Walleye. Just 2 days ago I received a picture, via my phone, from one of our ice guides/instructors on his “day off”. Shane was on the phone with Colleen at the Wigwam, giving her a fishing report, he was telling her that the fishing earlier had been awesome, but it had slowed up the past 20 minutes. As soon as he said that he told Colleen to hold on, because he thinks that the fish are back. Shane set the hook and reeled in a nice fat 29.5” Walleye…NICE! That’s what you get on Lake of the Woods, just when you least expect it, it shows up. Will you be ready?

The lures that have been working well are the “Stop Signs” 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 January specials we are offering on our website http://www.wigwamresortlow.com/. We are running a January special that will give you a discount on packages purchased for January and February 2010. The specials will only last through the rest of January…you can’t beat them!

Daily Fishing Report: Today will be variably cloudy with light snow flurries possible, cold, dangerous wind chills may approach -25F, high 1F with winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight we should have considerable cloudiness, low -14F with winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow we should see sun and a few passing clouds, high 1F with winds light and variable. Tomorrow night should be partly cloudy, low -22F with winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Saturday we should see a few clouds, highs in the mid single digits and lows in the low single digits. Sunday should be cloudy, highs in the mid teens and lows in the low single digits. Monday should be partly cloudy, highs in the low teens and lows in the upper single digits. 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. 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 rates are the “Stop Sign”, “Disco Ball” & “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 steady, be sure to be patient when you’re fishing. The fish are on the move and hopefully they are nice and hungry this morning…we anticipate it to pick up here in the next few days. You will want to get anything that glows right now, whether it is white, pink or green. Also give the plain gold jigs and disco balls a try. The ice thickness out there is currently 20-21 inches and growing everyday with these sub zero temps. Adrian’s road is open for business…trucks are going out everyday. Just a little reminder though, if you want to fish by the Wigwam’s houses, you have to come with us. The only types of transportation that will get you out to our houses are track vehicles and snowmobiles…no trucks. 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 a great man that just passed away over the Christmas Holiday week…Mr. Barney Briggs (on the right). I just wanted to say that all our thoughts and prayers are with the whole Briggs family at this time. I didn’t know Barney well, but from hearing all the stories from Tom and his friends, Barney was a great man that was always larger than life…may he rest in peace.

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

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

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/