Plum Bob, Inspector Fish and I made our annual trip to the Lake of the Woods on the 4th week of October. This has been a large group (60 to 80) get together for the last 13 years for me. We made the trip up and back without any issues. Mid 16’s mpg on the way up and in the lower 14’s on the return trip with my truck and boat. I’m pleased with that.
In past years we have pulled deep diving to shallow diving crank baits. Drifted with lead head jigs tipped with shiners, minnows or worms. We have fished the river the lake or both. This year we only drifted or anchored using a jig with a leech or a 2 ½” true shiner. The rain that was forecasted for most of our stay and we eluded, with the exception of a drizzle for part of a day that included a very short shower. Air temps were cool but not cold as it can be there this time of the year. The wind stayed in check and the snow missed us again even on our trip home.
We spent the first 2 days Sunday and Monday out on the lake 20 plus miles to the north of the river gap at the Knight and Bridges Islands. Winds were out of the North around 10mph and switching to, from the South later in the day. We boxed a few football sized perch and caught several walleyes17″ to 21″ sorted through a lot of shorts but no hogs for us yet. Later in the afternoon we anchored on the drop-off near the island. Wave after wave of bait fish came crashing through and the walleyes were chasing them.
On the 3rd day Tuesday, I headed up the river put in at Vidas Landing just past Clementson 20 plus miles upriver. We fished the “Church” at the town of Pine in Canada. There is a scour hole in the middle of the river just on the US side where the water depths drop a couple of feet lower. We caught a lot of walleyes there. We boxed a few for home and tossed some more in for the group fish fry that night. I seemed to be the only one that could catch a slime ball, snot rocket, hammer handle mf northern. I dislike them as you might be able to get the drift. This is the location where Bill caught the boats largest walleye at 26 1/4″. It was an exciting catch for him to say the least and a clean release in the net as it came unbuttoned at the side of the boat however it was landed a “swish” so to speak, nothing but net to hoist her into the boat!
The 4th and last day Wednesday, I tried to head back out to the big lake again with the West winds of 5 to 10 seemed obtainable only to turn my tail and tuck it back in we headed for the confines’ of the river near our lodge, Ballard’s Resort. The mile per hour was an obtainable trip but it had the whole width of the lake to kick up the waves that greeted us. As we fished the gap, I saw only 2 boats that braved the big waters while all the rest turned around and came back in after they were greeted by the 2nd or 3rd pounding that Mother Nature was serving up that day. Fishing was fun, catching was near nil. Caught our last 2 keepers for our limit to take home, but were shorter than our previous 19″ +/- that awaited us lying in the freezer. Another football perch, short walleyes and a northern were the only catches for our last day.
This is my favorite trip of every year! Two Great friends join me and a host of others that I only get to see once a year. Lake of the Woods is fruitful with a younger year class of 10 to 14”ers a ton of bait fish to feed them. The hogs were found by others in our group. Every day 28” to 32 inchers were landed for the top 3 places. Walleye, Sauger and Perch are in our freezers from this year trip and my reservations are already made for next year.
Well I think that about sums it up so as Ballard’s Resort will say on their fishing reports,
Tight Lines and Set the Hook!
