First time Ice fishing Lake of the Woods

I’m taking my first trip north to Lake of the Woods in late Feb. Looking for any tips on baits, sizes, colors if anyone has any that would be great.

Colors: gold, gold and gold.
Did I mention the walleyes like gold

Firetiger, gold and glow red. I think if you have spoons and jigs in those three colors you’ll be covered.

Here’s a video filmed late in the ice season on Lake of the Woods that might give you some ideas for your trip.

Thanks for the help. Thank god for dvr on my t.v. now I’ll never miss another show it’s my favorite.

This one was filmed back a couple winters ago but the patterns are a constant and should help you put some nice fish on the ice.

Hopefully your taking along some type of electronics, keep a look out for marks coming in up high, Go after them those are alot of the time big fish . I let the fish tell me what they want, I start out with a jigging rod and a dead stick, then I switch the other one to what’s working the best.
Color gold can always be good, glow red and glow pick can work also, Good luck and lets hear a report when you get back, we’re heading up on the 2/18

If you can, buy shiners and fatheads. Sometimes they like one more than the other.

I like 1/4 or 1/8th oz. Buckshot Spoons and Go-Devels and Demon spoons.

#5 jigging raps and shad raps.

On my dead stick I like Demons or gold hammered Gem N Eyes with a full minnow.

On the deadstick try hooking the minnow under by the bunghole. They struggle to right themselves – more movement is better.

If fishing is slow keep changing jigs (types, colors and sizes) and use fresh minnows and minnow heads.

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If you can, buy shiners and fatheads. Sometimes they like one more than the other.

I like 1/4 or 1/8th oz. Buckshot Spoons and Go-Devels and Demon spoons.

#5 jigging raps and shad raps.

On my dead stick I like Demons or gold hammered Gem N Eyes with a full minnow.

On the deadstick try hooking the minnow under by the bunghole. They struggle to right themselves – more movement is better.

If fishing is slow keep changing jigs (types, colors and sizes) and use fresh minnows and minnow heads.

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The Shorty Hillman minnow trick! Nice! Maybe it wasn’t Shorty’s to begin with, but everytime you buy bait from Hillman’s on Upper Red, he takes a minnow out of the tank and hooks it that style for you to see.

I’ll give it to him, URL, LOW, or just about anywhere, that minnow hooking technique keeps the bait incredibly lively. It can hurt you however when fish are in a sluggish mood, as the minnow can’t point his head in a different direction and avoid the strike. Let the fish tell you which method they prefer, but give it a try!

Joel

Thanks for all the advise and tips. I’m sure I’ll try them all, and when I get back there will be a full report. We’re going Feb. 20th-24th. I can’t wait.

Just like any other lake one of the keys is to be versatile. We were up there a couple weeks ago and the reports were that most people were catching fish in 28 ft. on jigging spoons in gold. We did well in 20 ft. and dead sticks outpreformed the jigging about 8 to 1. Pink was the best color for us which we didn’t expect. GOOD LUCK!!

I just got back from up there a few days ago.One day set lines did better next day jigging was better.Fatheads were just as good as shiners but we were up north on the reefs.Be versitile and try different things if they arent biting.Seems like the nicer weather has the bite improving and the longer days should help.

Up date, we just got back yesterday we had a great time. I did catch my biggest perch ever 13 incher. I and one other buddy caught huge eelpouts that was a first for me and it was blast to catch, when it was on I wished for a huge eye but it was not meant to be. Most of our fish where caught on dead sticking with gold Gem-n-i’s hooking fatheads through the bunghole.