Help! Trip to Lake Winnibigoshish

Myself, along with 9 other friends are heading up to Lake Winniebigoshish on February 25th through February 29th. We went up there last year at the beginning of February and had a great time.

I have a few questions that hopefully some of you can help me with.

Early Feb last year we were pretty close to needing auger extentions. Are they going to be needed this year?

How are the roads on the lake? Last year many of the roads blew shut with a good amount of hard packed drifts and the resort owners broke their trucks trying to plow. So getting around was challenging at times.

Any hot colors that the perch are hitting? Anyone have any good jigs/spoons that are working?

Last year we fished a lot on the North and East sides of the lake. Are there areas of the lake that are producing that we should focus on this year?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Woody

ill send you a pm with the guy that has the info

don’t have any first hand knowledge from this year, we always would head up about the same timeframe as your crew, but moved the trip back a few weeks due to some really bad storms, and really bad fishing. We now go the second week in March. All I can say is that we have had to adapt our fishing to not just be happy with letting Winni kick our butts. If the bite is slow, move, drill, drill, drill, move…..If they aren’t going to bite head to one of the many small lakes in the region. Some of our best fishing has been off the beaten path or fishing shallow when eveyone is deep. Also there are some gem lakes you drive right on by on the way to Winni. Might want to try at least one new lake a year and broaden your crew’s knowledge. That’s what has saved more than one trip for our crew. Get a map of the county, go to the DNR lake finder and go get ’em.

Woody, are you are staying at Tamarack Lodge? I know the owner would be more than happy to help you out. They have all the current hot bite info.

They’re banner is in the Winni forum.

I havnt been up there but most lakes are real close to needing an extension so put one on,it will save your back!!

After the rain a week ago there isnt much snow on the lakes and everything refroze so you should be able to drive almost anywhere with a 4 X 4.

Like I said I havnt been up there so I would still call one of the resorts for up to date info.

Heading up tonite!
From what I’ve found out ice is currently 30-36″ and after the big melt getting around on the lake is no problem-roads or cross-country.
I will post a report after the weekend.
Ingy

Winnie has been a tough body of water this year but the walleye action has been good. As for perch, drill drill and drill until you find the mother load. Often times on that lake if you are on smaller fish move deeper and you should find a few bigger ones. Jigging spoons along side of a dead stick has been productive.

Thanks to everyone for the advice so far.

I went out and bought an auger extension, for $24, you cant go wrong.

Our group stays at a resort that is on a little lake next to Winnie, then we just drive 15 minutes every day to get there and fish out of our portable shacks.

I am getting the feeling that I will need to pack extra 2-cycle gas after all the holes I will need to drill.

Is it true that this weekend is the last days you can keep Walleye and Northern before the season closes? I guess if the walleye bite is good on Winnie it will be just catch and release, no catch and eat.

Was a pretty good weekend for perch, but couldn’t buy a walleye. Every one we talked to said walleye had been slow for a few weeks.

We didn’t need an extension, but it was getting pretty close. We found the perch at 30′ off of shoreline breaks with deep water nearby. Most perch were 9-11″, biggest was 12 3/4″. All the perch we caught were spitting bugs everywhere-big mayfly nymphs and little wiggly worms.

Travel was no problem with 4-wheel drive, there are some pressure ridges but nothing too bad.

My go-to jig was this one with a minsk head or waxies, in the sunrise color.

jig

Ingy