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3/5/10
Hello again from the “Great
sheet of the North” we call Lake of the Woods.
March has ascended upon us and our timeline for ice
fishing is counting down. There have been years in
the past that you could have been out on the river
in a boat by this time, but as for me I have been
enjoying the consistent winter weather that we have
been having this year. It is that time of year when
all inland waters are closed to walleye and pike
fishing and thus brings more anglers up to Lake of
the Woods. Fishing has slowed, but for the most
part that is typical of later season ice fishing.
My theory is that a lot of the lake has had enough
fishing pressure for an extended period of time that
it takes its toll. Some may argue that you could
not fish out Lake of the Woods and that may be true,
but every fish taken out of a fishery is one less
available to catch next time. Keep in mind we are
referring to a comparison scale also; although I may
have said that fishing has slowed some it still may
very well be the best bite in the state.
First of all
when fishing the lake right now, I would try and
distance myself from other traffic. I have had some
great late season action just by getting off the
beaten path a mile or so onto ice that hasn’t had
that much pressure. In the cold months of winter a
fish’s metabolism slows dramatically and thus they
do not move as much as they will in the summer. As
mild as the weather has been, I would also recommend
moving during the day if you do not find any fish.
I might give a spot an hour, but that would be about
the max if I’m not marking any fish activity. Also,
this is the time to set up on the shoreline breaks
for both sunup and sundown activity. Have patience
because this can be an all or nothing type of
venture. Don’t move on the break line once you have
set up. Let the commotion settle down and the fish
to come to you. I always use one jigging pole and
one stationary set up here. Last note for the
walleyes, fish will start to migrate into the river
system also. The “gap” as it is called is also a
good spot to try this time of year. Note, current
is strong so adjust your tackle accordingly.
Other
adventures on the big lake this time of year are
tip-up fishing for pike in the shallow bays, and the
walleye fishing on the rainy river when accessible.
Note: if you plan on trying to fish the rainy river
by boat in the spring before season closes and you
have never been here before, have patience. There
are always a lot of anglers coming to fish, and the
accesses as well as the river traffic can be
congested. Also beware of floating ice chunks as
well as timber floating down the river. This type
of fishing can be very hard on your brand new ranger
fishing boat! Take care, and as always stay safe.
Travis
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