LAKE OF THE WOODS

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE CURRENT ICE CONDITIONS ARE AT LOW(SOUTH SHORE)? DO THE RESORTS HAVE ANY FISH HOUSES OUT YET? THANKS IN ADVANCE.

[Jon_J]

Go to the Walleye Central home page and click on "Updates". The is a LOTW ice report there.

J.

I was there on Tues. the 21st. Went on at Wheelers Point. 4 mile bay had about 6 inches in most places. There was one opening close to Pine Island but it froze enough for ATVs that morning. The big lake had 8 inches and the resorts were bringing there houses out. We fished several depths and the ice was consistently 8 inches. Im sure they are driving out with bombadiers and suburbans today!

[AquaMan]

Just returned last night from the In-laws. My father-in-law and I went out on Thursday AM to check the route to Gull rock and beyond for his plowed road. 14" all the way to 16 Mile reef. One spot was 11" and one 12" crack with open water. He started plowing Sunday Afternoon as we left.

Arneson's resort has about 40 houses at the Islands and there were just starting to move some out to Gull, 8 mile and 16 mile. They were not catching much for fish. Mostly sauger and small northers. 3 guys were there for 5 days and only had half a 5 gal. bucket of fish.

Give it till this weekend and you will be able to get to more spots.

Good luck

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'll be up there in Feb. with a couple buddies, any tips on location that time of year?....Good to see you on the board pal.

Set the Hook!!

Lundman

[AquaMan]

<center><font size="1" color="#ff0000">LAST EDITED ON Dec-29-99 AT 05:01PM (EST)</font></center>

Good day Lundman...good to see your still here, too. I dropped the MarshMan, WoodsMan and IceMan for a consistant handle. I'm AquaMan from here out!

I, too, will be up there in Feb. We make the homage to LOTW with about 6 related guys (if thats what we can be called that after a box or two of Macanudos and about 8 cases of beer).

To be honest, I don't know the lake real well outside of the Rocky Point area. Thats where the wife's Parents live and I would never insult them by going somewhere else. Her father plows his own road from the shore to several hot spots. For $5/car/day, you can drive to any of 4 great spots and set up a portable or tow your frame house. If that is your kind of fishing than e-mail me for details. That beats paying about $100-200/day to rent an ice house from the resorts.

However.....I have heard good things about Wheelers Point and Zipple Bay. I know that most of the resorts around Baudette run to that area. I have a buddy that swears by Jeff's Ice-ominiums out of Baudette.

If you want to get to the middle of the lake where I fish, Arneson's Rocky Point Resort can offer the turn key fishing trip. They supply everything. Cabin, meals, transportation to and from the 'biting" spots via heated track vans into a heated ice house with open holes and all the creature comforts. They will even bring you more bait if you run out and the fish are bitting. In the evening, you can dine and sip brandy in their bar/restaurant that overlooks the lake. It is a first class operation, but you will pay dearly for all that.

You might want to call them or look them up online. Don't have either the number or address, byt everyone knows the Arneson's in either Warroad or Baudette.

Might meet ya up there if we happen to be there at the same time. We usually are doing well at 16 Mile Reef in the AM at about 12-15 feet and are moving back toward shore to 8 Mile Reef or Arneson's Reef in 15-20 feet by sundown. After that the lake is dead. I don't care what anyone says, after the sun goes down on LOTW US side...the fishing is done and the cocktails are made. Gull rock is a good stand by if the car traffic is low. But since every vehilce that goes out has to pass through Gull Rock, it makes for a noisy and slow fish.

Hope this helps. Happy New Year, Mark!

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~