Hi guys, I’m heading up to Lake of the Woods in a few weeks and I was just wondering what lures to bring along? I have a few quiver spoons, rip n raps, and just a few tungsten jigs. I was going to pick up a few more things before I go but just wanted to see if I should get a few extra of a certain bait. Thanks Justin
Red Buckshot, gold and pink tumbler spoons were the ticket last wknd
If drilling your own holes…I’m guessing an auger extension you’ll want to have. Might very well need that.
Glo-shot spoons 1/8 and 1/4
We were up the end of January and caught the majority of our fish deadsticking. Gold, or pink and white seemed to be the preferred colors. Used either gem n eyes or a vertical hanging tungsten jig with minnows hooked in the back. Set up our rigs on Finicky Fooler tip-ups in the shack and even a few outside as we had 6 guys in a sleeper. These things are really cool, you can set them very light and the bail is left open. Would love to get on a good jig bite though. Jigging may be better getting into March.
Rapala Slab Raps, Salmo Zippers and Chubby Darters, Lindy Darters and Jigging Raps or Northland Puppet Minnows, Live Target Rattlebaits and Northland Rippin Shad have all been really good for me at times at LOTW and you never know what will be good on a particular day until you try it. Something with gold or pink in it is almost always a good bet.
On your dead rod, 1/8 oz. tungsten gold or pink/white jigs tipped with a minnow hooked through the back are hard to beat most of the time. The Clam XXL jigs are a good choice because the hooks are large enough to hook minnows.
I’m guessing an auger extension you’ll want to have. Might very well need that
If you’re drilling your own holes you WILL need an extension, if it’s in a house you may very well need 2. I have a 12″ extension on my auger and barely made it through.
If you’re drilling your own holes you WILL need an extension, if it’s in a house you may very well need 2. I have a 12″ extension on my auger and barely made it through.
What part of the lake were you on? I know a guy that was out this weekend and didn’t have an extension at all. He was in the Arneson’s/12 mile area. Fishing wasn’t very good for him.
My brother and I are going up Friday. I have 1 12″ extension and the quick attach coupler has another 12″. Hopefully I wont need both. 
The quick coupler gives me an additional 4 inches or so. That might be why my buddy didn’t need an extension this weekend too because he has one.
What part of the lake were you on?
We were drilling off Adrian’s road in 23 fow and 34 fow on the 8th, then thru Arnesen’s that weekend and the guides had 20″ extensions on, but were also drilling out houses. You may be able to sneak by without one, but with how broke up the ice is I’m sure there is a huge variance from one spot to the next.
Yeah, I thought he was pretty lucky getting by without at least one. I am going to install the 1 12″ and then if that isn’t enough extend out the quick coupler one since it just slides inside the shaft of the auger.
gold and pink tumbler spoons
X2
I went up there earlier this year and did great with a firetiger slab rap and a blue acme kastmaster, the baitshops up there were pretty scarce for shiners so you might also want to try to bring those up from the cities with you.
I’m headed up in mid March as well. Where’s the best places to get on plowed roads? Also where’s the closest bait shops as well? I do have to hit up the ice bar where is that near bye?
Thanks
red and pink Ratln’ flyer is my favorite LOTW bait. The 3/16 oz is my favorite size(but I put bigger trebles on it). Pink UV rippin rap was good for me a month ago.
We needed an extension a month ago on gull rock and 16 mile, so I’d be very surprised if you didn’t need at least one at this point.
If you are driving out, I’d suggest sticking around plowed roads. One guy last month drove out in a pickup with a 24′ ice castle like 7 miles past the end of the plowed road to get to 16 mile. A huge crack formed after he drove out. We had trouble finding a place to cross in snowmobiles, I have no idea what he ended up doing to get off the ice.
Where’s the best places to get on plowed roads? Also where’s the closest bait shops as well? I do have to hit up the ice bar where is that near bye?
Lot’s of options assuming the weather doesn’t deteriorate between now and then. Adrians, Cyrus, Morris Point, Long Point and Zipple Bay all have plowed roads I believe. I like Steve’s Lucky Bait right when you get into Baudette, but there is a huge bait shortage up there this year so if you want Shiners or Suckers you will need to get them somewhere south of LOW. I assume by Ice bar you mean the Igloo bar, which is off Zipple Bay’s road and may or may not still be out then.
My opinion on bait, unless you are doing tip-ups or something, just get fatheads. They are a lot easier to find, cheaper, stay alive better, etc.
There is a road formerly known as Babbler’s that a new guy plows, it’s right next to Arnesen’s on rocky point. That’s probably the closest road to the main reefs that get fished over there, but as of a month ago that was only plowed a few miles out into the mud, not even to gull rock reef.
There is a road formerly known as Babbler’s that a new guy plows, it’s right next to Arnesen’s on rocky point. That’s probably the closest road to the main reefs that get fished over there, but as of a month ago that was only plowed a few miles out into the mud, not even to gull rock reef.
That is Dale’s and they have roads out to North Arenson’s reef now. Sounds like the fishing this past weekend was slow everywhere out there. You still get fish, but with Adrians pushing their road all the way out to Knights and Bridges area those that got up there before are commenting that it slowed tremendously. I am thinking of just plopping down somewhere with no one else around.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>philtickelson wrote:</div>
There is a road formerly known as Babbler’s that a new guy plows, it’s right next to Arnesen’s on rocky point. That’s probably the closest road to the main reefs that get fished over there, but as of a month ago that was only plowed a few miles out into the mud, not even to gull rock reef.That is Dale’s and they have roads out to North Arenson’s reef now. Sounds like the fishing this past weekend was slow everywhere out there. You still get fish, but with Adrians pushing their road all the way out to Knights and Bridges area those that got up there before are commenting that it slowed tremendously. I am thinking of just plopping down somewhere with no one else around.
It’s amazing the pressure LOTW gets in the winter. I’m not saying that the fish don’t spread out in the mud or anything, but so much pressure on the small % of area around major reefs.
Plenty of area to explore and get out by yourself if you are on a snowmobile, but 99% of that area is like….mud, 27-33 feet deep, nothing else of note. Double extension weather isn’t necessarily the easiest time to be running and gunning, but I wonder how you’d do if you tried to be super mobile out in the mud or if you’d be better off just waiting for them to swim through.
Some years if you can get out to the reefs before the resorts or roads do it can be amazing! Of course that is often the riskiest time to be out on the lake. Arnesen’s will get people out pretty far in their Tracker’s if the ice is under 18″ but consistently over 12″ or so.
Any of you guys ever go up there for the late ice pike fishing? Hoping to do that this year!
Four of us just got back from Ballards today 2 days fishing and put 27 eyes and sauger on the ice and one 13” crappie. Guide said drilling out shacks there was 42” of ice. The hot bait was buckshot rattle spoon in blue. 2 fish were in the slot and I lost 2 slot fish. Had a good time. Fish were tight to the bottom and I would bang the bottom until I marked a fish and then twitched the spoon less than a foot above and some would take it just holding it still.There was a group of 50 on bus trip and 29” er was biggest of the group. Good luck
Gold and white swedish pimples in ALL sizes!
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