ONE BIG TRAILER; ONE BIG NORTHERN
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| The most memorable fish of this trip didn't make it into the group photo. |
THE BASICS --
Dates: March 7-10, 2013
Water: Lake of the Woods
Location: Baudette
Outfitter: Chris Ford
Fishermen: Michael Collins, John Groppoli, Eric Kraus & Nick Schwarz
Accommodations: Sleeper (nice four-man with adjacent 4-man day house 50 yards away)
FISHING STATS --
Waypoint: ~3.5 miles offshore
Depth: ~36'
Approximate Number Caught: 116 total (nearly all saugers and perch); first year for "clickers"
Notable Catches: ~45 keepers (all saugers & perch); MC caught first LOTW northern (35” & ~14-lbs) – only suspended fish caught on trip (4’ off bottom); jigging red/glow buckshot w/ minnow head
Never overly fast action, but pretty consistent; caught ~30 walleyes but ALL under 10” (many 6” or smaller); Keeper saugers were mainly 11-13” (tried to use self-imposed 12” minimum); Largest sauger was ~17” (caught by MC) – couple others in the 14/15” range; Caught 4-5 perch (all jumbos); Caught 3-5 tulibees; Caught 1 small eelpout (ELK) -- <20”; deadstick may have outfished jigging 2 or even 3:1; plain hook under bobber pretty consistent; caught some fish on Chubby Darters and seemed to attract even more to the dead stick.
General Fishing Report – Spotty overall; lots of houses in area but according to Chris, we did as well or better than about anyone on ice; very few quality walleyes being reported anywhere; entire season has been roller coaster.
Ice Conditions – 36”+ with as much snow as we’ve ever seen on the lake (at least 12-18”); yet to have any meaningful thaw; anticipate hard water fishing for at least another few weeks, if not more
Other Highlights/Notes:
FISHING STATS --
Waypoint: ~3.5 miles offshore
Depth: ~36'
Approximate Number Caught: 116 total (nearly all saugers and perch); first year for "clickers"
Notable Catches: ~45 keepers (all saugers & perch); MC caught first LOTW northern (35” & ~14-lbs) – only suspended fish caught on trip (4’ off bottom); jigging red/glow buckshot w/ minnow head
Never overly fast action, but pretty consistent; caught ~30 walleyes but ALL under 10” (many 6” or smaller); Keeper saugers were mainly 11-13” (tried to use self-imposed 12” minimum); Largest sauger was ~17” (caught by MC) – couple others in the 14/15” range; Caught 4-5 perch (all jumbos); Caught 3-5 tulibees; Caught 1 small eelpout (ELK) -- <20”; deadstick may have outfished jigging 2 or even 3:1; plain hook under bobber pretty consistent; caught some fish on Chubby Darters and seemed to attract even more to the dead stick.
General Fishing Report – Spotty overall; lots of houses in area but according to Chris, we did as well or better than about anyone on ice; very few quality walleyes being reported anywhere; entire season has been roller coaster.
Ice Conditions – 36”+ with as much snow as we’ve ever seen on the lake (at least 12-18”); yet to have any meaningful thaw; anticipate hard water fishing for at least another few weeks, if not more
Other Highlights/Notes:
- Borrowed MC’s uncle’s monster trailer (comically huge)
- Fishing Platt Lake outside of Brainerd on way up (four crappies, a walleye, and ~10 small perch in 8-12’ of water north of larger island); got tip from woman working bait shop in Pierz; fished two portables behind MC’s two sleds; blew piston on black sled and had to limp back to shore and abandon going mobile at LOTW (still trailered sleds up and back to save time)
- Stayed at Walleye Inn in Baudette Thursday night (arrived about 12:30AM)
- Two SOLID fish dinners (with redskin potatoes and the works) on the ice
- Solid donut performance by MC
- Very even, comfortable heat in sleeper (except when Norm turned it off over the first night and almost froze Grops to death)
- Lost an hour on Sunday to daylight savings time
- Easy commutes in both directions; Red Lake area down past Walker had received 6-8” of fresh snow over the weekend – gorgeous drive back
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