Gary Engberg Outdoors

gengberg February 24th, 2010

Lake of the Woods South Shore
Fishing, Ice Conditions & Trail Report
Sportsman’s Lodge
Baudette, MN
www.sportsmanslodges.com
800-862-8602      2/24/2010

Good Fishing
This week we saw some good fishing. We saw quite a few nice walleyes caught in the fifteen to twenty-five inch range. Many anglers enjoyed lots of action and a nice limit to bring home. The most successful anglers with odds of three to one have been using a vexilar. We have really seen this device consistently increase the catch rate for anglers all winter long. We also continue to see several suspended fish, usually one to fifteen feet off bottom is common, but we also talked to some recent guests that caught some twenty-five feet off bottom!! Wow! Without a vexilar, we would never have known about these lurking walleyes. I know these devices can be expensive, but if you would like to give one a try, we do have some available for rent at the front desk for your convenience.

We are currently finding the best luck about 8-10 miles out of Pine Island on Lake of the Woods in the 28′-36′ range. The best tackle has been gold and glow in the dark jigs, swedish pimples and buck shots. The mild weather did a dip the past few days to some below zero temps however it looks like starting tomorrow we will go back to the highs in the twenties and plenty of sunshine. The walleyes love mild weather! We are looking forward to an active end of the ice fishing season.

Pictured below on the left is Jason Urbaniak from Kennedy, MN this was Jason’s first time “ice fishing” and he pulled in a nice 28.5 inch walleye and released it Feb 13, 2010. Pictured on the right is Mike Kylen, from Hastings, MN with his 27 inch walleye he caught on a recent trip Feb 7.

Reef Fishing
We have tried some houses up on the northern reefs for the past 2-3 weeks and still are not seeing real good results like the reefs are known for. For the near future, we plan to move some houses off the reefs to some better fishing spots that are producing until we see this change.

Pictured below is Nick Kylen from Hastings, MN with his 25 inch walleye he recently caught Feb 7, 2010.

Ice Conditions
We currently have good ice conditions. The current ice depth is around 32 inches in the areas we fish and travel.

Trail Report
Lake Trails
We have plenty of snow and the trails are being groomed as I type this and are ready for another week. Get ready for our Sportsman’s Oak Island Snowmobile Rally March 12 & 13. The trail is groomed, staked and marked from Warroad or Baudette right to Sportsman’s. This is just an hour ride across the lake on a nice fast trail. Come on up!
Land Trails
The land trails are in great condition. If you ever have the chance to take the trail south of Baudette to Birchdale or Waskish, it is beautiful riding and great shelters too! Lake of the Woods trails are jewels of the north, well maintained and not much traffic. Come enjoy them before the season ends!

March brings you a Winter Walleye Special!
Come up in March on a Sun - Thurs stay and book a 2 night 2 day fishing package or better and receive $25 off your package (on the already lower midweek rates) and a free $20 voucher for food, beverages or gift shop items. Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River dates available are March 7-11, 14-18, 21-25 & 28-31. Oak Island dates March 14-18. Got a group of 8 or more? We will double the vouchers to $40 per person! www.sportsmanslodges.com

Lake of the Woods Oak Island
Fishing, Ice Conditions & Trail Report
Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge
Oak Island, MN
www.oakislandlodge.com
800-772-8411

2/24/2010

Excellent Fishing…
We have really seen the catching pick up in the past three weeks. Many nice walleyes and saugers have been caught. We are currently seeing the best results along some structure in depths between twenty-four to thirty feet of water just outside of Oak Island. Oak Island always boasts more walleyes than saugers and good fishing just two miles away. The best presentation has been gold, pink and orange jigs tipped with a chub minnow.

Hot Lunch delivered to you..
We may be on an island, but we don’t believe in “roughing it”. Enjoy a hot lunch prepared and brought right to your fish house midday.

Snobear Trip
One group enjoyed a Snobear trip recently and pulled in an unusual winter catch for us, a nice big Smallmouth Bass. These fish are usually more predominant in the fall. Check out this beauty pictured on the left below caught by Kory Misialek from Grafton, ND on February 20, 2010. Great walleye fishing was also had by this group too. If you like to do a little trolling on the ice and go to places virtually untouched in the winter this is the way to go. Enjoy a day out with two friends and a guide for excellent winter fishing. Also pictured below on the right is Ryan Schjenken from Sacred Heart, MN with his 26 inch walleye he caught February 20, 2010.

Ice Conditions
We currently have good ice conditions. The current ice depth is around 32 inches in the areas we fish and travel.

Trail Conditions
Lake Trails
The trails are groomed and ready to go. Ride the trails today! Excellent snow and grooming conditions.
Land Trails
Excellent snow depth and grooming. The trails are in great shape.
Plowed road to island
The road is in good shape and continues to be plowed regularly.

Coming Soon….Annual Snowmobile Rally
March 12 & 13
Fun Run, Radar Run, Games, Polar Splash, Live Entertainment, Food, Drinks & More
www.snowrally.sportsmanslodges.com
3244 Bur Oak Rd NW • Baudette, MN 56623

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