Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism March 29, 2023

"On the Rainy River, open water fishing has begun.  The Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale is open to all boats.  The next access downstream is Frontier, and as of Tuesday morning (3-28-23), the open water was almost there. 

A big thanks to Koochiching County for doing a nice job of clearing the accesses of snow and ice at the boat ramp.  It extends the short window of spring fishing on the river and makes dropping a boat into the river safer.

Anglers are using three main techniques catch walleyes on the river.  Jigging with artificial plastic tails , jigging with a minnow and ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Fishing Report March 29, 2023

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report March 29, 2023

"Crappie fishing continues to be slower then usual for this time of year. With 10” of snow or more, on the ice, it may be a few more weeks before things really heat up. Anglers results have been very mixed with some doing good while others struggle to find biters. Anglers finding biters stay on the move, looking for active crappies.

Soft plastics in white, pink and chartreuse has been very effective with catching active crappies. Less active crappies have been hitting crappie minnows and wax worms. Key locations have been in 20 to 30 feet of water, over mud flats." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Jeff Sundin March 28, 2023 "Going With the Flow"

Here in the Grand Rapids area, there’s still a lot of standing snow, but sunshine has melted a little of it. Seepage from melting surface snow is causing slush on the ice surface and getting around on the lakes is tricky. But there are folks making their way out to some of their favorite ice fishing spots.

Track equipped ATVs are the best, but they even have trouble in wet areas. Walking is do-able, but it’s a lot of work too and at this point, not a great option. I’d love a thorough meltdown to allow walking on the ice again, but for now I think the slower it melts, the happier we should be. I can only imagine the flooding we could have if warm weather hits too hard and too fast.

Maybe it doesn’t look that way, but the open water fishing season is headed our way. Folks were busy sharing the news yesterday that ..." Read >> Grand Rapids Update March 28, 2023

Wired2Fish "Angler Catches Idaho State Record Northern Pike" March 28, 2023

"Hayden Lake produced a new certified Idaho state record northern pike. The record fish weighed a whopping 40.76 pounds, was 49 inches in length and 26.5 inches in girth—a true monster of a fish!

The story behind the Idaho state record northern pike. Thomas Francis is an avid northern pike angler and has been for some time. “Pike is what I go after all the time,“ Francis said. “I spend almost everyday fishing for pike. As soon as the ice is off and until it comes back.”

Francis‘ day of fishing on Hayden Lake started like any other – same gear, same approach and same goal, to catch big pike. When he got to the lake that day, there was still some ice on the lake, so he couldn’t cast right up to the shore, only to the edge of the ice. “When my lure hit the water, I let it ..." Learn More >> Angler Catches Idaho State Record Northern Pike

Jeff Sundin March 23, 2023 "Attending the Attend-Able"

"In Grand Rapids, we woke up to about 5 inches of wet snow on Wednesday. On ice travel conditions have deteriorated and many resorts are either closing their ice roads entirely, or limiting access to snowmobiles and track machines. Under the weight of the wet snow, slush has reared its ugly head again, so walking is temporarily out of the question on most lakes.

With a hopeful short term forecast of warm sunny days ahead, we could see improvement over the weekend. But I don’t want to bet too much on that, daytime highs in the upper 30s will be helpful, but 40+ would make me more optimistic. We’ll just have to watch the conditions and hope for warmer than expected temperatures.

The Minnesota Fishing Museum and Hall of Fame hosts its annual “Night with the Pros” event this Friday March 24, 2023. Held at the Rice Creek Hunting & Recreation Event Center, 16543 Game Farm Rd, Little Falls, MN 56345. Doors will open at 4:00PM allowing folks time to ..." Learn More >> Attending the Attend-Able March 23, 2023

Jeff Sundin March 21, 2023 "One More Blast?"

The arrival of spring wasn’t very spring-like yesterday, but relief may be on the way. That is if the snow arriving later today and tomorrow doesn’t pile up too high and the stretch of warmer days arrives as predicted afterward.

Presently, diminished ice-road maintenance, heavily drifted snow and slush have combined to make travel conditions on the ice sketchy. Until we have a meltdown, getting to and from your favorite ice fishing spots may not be worth the trouble. At the same time, folks chomping at the bit to make their first open water fishing trips on the Rainy River are waiting for the same thing. Absent warm daytime air temperatures, runoff from melting ice has not begun to flow and most of the Rainy is still locked up.

Practically everybody in our family, including me, has been sick with one sort of bug or another. So, for me, staying hunkered down at home for a couple more days won’t be hard. But I am rooting for a warm up to arrive so we can get outside and shake off the effects of winter. Fingers crossed.

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism March 21, 2023

"Ice fishing is still going strong on the south side of Lake of the Woods. The walleye and sauger season extends through April 14, 2023 and the pike season never closes. Perch, eelpout, tullibees and crappies are also in season.

Both day houses and sleeper houses are out and can be through March 31, 2023. The forecast ahead has high temperatures in the 30 degree range during the day and teens at night.

Ice trails and ice roads are doing well. Some anglers report slush when going off of the roads and creating their own trails. So, it's a good idea to work through your favorite resort and outfitter this time of year. Ice fishing is still readily available if you ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing Report March 21, 2023

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report March 15, 2023

"Lake trout fishing generally improved this last week for many anglers. While tip ups fished with a dead or live minnow on the bottom continues to be you best bet for a trout, anglers reported having good success with bucktails and jigging spoons. 30 to 50 feet of water, around sunken islands and mud flats continues to be the areas to focus on when targeting lakers.

Eelpout continue to be active this last week as they rap up their spawning. Heavy jigs, tipped with minnows and pounded on the bottom, around river mouths or sunken islands has been very effective on eelpout. Key depths vary night to night, so be sure to look for active eelpout before setting up. 15 to 35 feet of water is generally the best depth for them.

Panfish activity has slowly been increasing as days get longer and warmer. Recent snow events haven’t helped the bite, but anglers adventuring out did manage to catch some crappies and sunnies. Classic deep mud flats are the areas to target panfish. Small crappie minnows were very effective on both crappies and sunnies this last week." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism March 15, 2023

"Ice fishing is still going strong on the south end of Lake of the Woods. Ice trails and ice roads are doing well. Both day houses and sleeper houses are allowed to remain on the ice through March 31, 2023. The forecast ahead has freezing temps and ice should hold nicely. Work through a resort or outfitter as they monitor conditions closely on their ice roads.

The walleye and sauger season extends through April 14, 2023 and the pike season never closes. Perch, eelpout, tullibees and crappies are also in season.

A good week of fishing. In a nutshell, fish every fish. Electronics are helpful. Most fish are near the bottom but some of the larger walleyes ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing Report March 15, 2023

Jeff Sundin March 9, 2023 "Hurry Up and WAIT!"

If you’re into the off-beat fishing options or want to try something new, the timing is good for Tulibee fishing. They roam, moving constantly over deep water and can be caught almost anywhere over the main basin area of a lake.

Small, flashy lures tipped with wax worms work well. Last spring, I fished for Tulibee with my friend Reed Ylitalo. The accounting of that trip offers some strong guidance about how to catch them. To learn more, read >> Ice Fishing Report March 21, 2022

Most of the tulibees I’ve harvested were used for smoking. Some friends use them for canning too and a few folks pickle them. We’ve fried a few, but I’d rather not use them that way, they’re a bit too soft for my taste.

Fishing for burbot, also known as eelpout is getting good now too and ..." Read >> March 9, 2023 "Hurry Up and WAIT!"

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report March 8, 2023

"Lake trout anglers reported having a good weekend of trout fishing finally. Anglers found active trout up on classic lake trout spots such as sunken islands, main lake points and neck down areas between islands. 30 to 50 feet of water was the depth to be in.

Spoons, bucktails around 3 inch sizes continues to be the best size to get bites. Dead or alive suckers laying on the bottom has accounted for almost half of the lakers caught this winter, so be sure to tip ups out with a minnow on the bottom.

Stream trout were active this last week, with some very big splake caught some of the less pressured lakes in the area. Large splake were found in ..." Read >> Ely Area Ice Fishing Report March 8, 2023

For Sale Jeff Sundin's 2022 Lund Alaskan Model 2000 Tiller Boat Package

Rigged and ready to use, 2022 Lund Alaskan, Mercury ProXS 115 Tiller, Shoreland'r Trailercomplete 2022 package is available now. The rig, along with all of the accessories are almost identical to last year's rig, so you may already be familiar with the description.

I’ve been running Lund Alaskans for a long time now; in fact I picked up my first one something like 16 years ago. Right from the beginning, I’ve loved the balance of utility and comfort that the Alaskan provides for me and my fishing customers.

As far as I’m concerned, these boats are the fisherman’s equivalent of having a 4X4 pickup truck for the water. They have allowed me to go anywhere and do anything without sacrificing comfort. Throughout the years, I’ve watched the folks at Lund steadily ..." Learn More >> 2022 Lund Alaskan Model 2000 Tiller Boat Package For Sale.

"Is Mississippi River Walleye Fishing Any Good" — March 7, 2023

Q) Gordy Wallace wrote; “Jeff, I read your update yesterday and you mentioned a walleye tournament on the Mississippi River. My question is where on the River did that tournament happen?  Is the fishing any good this time of year?

A) Gordy, the tournament is called the “Freeze Your Butt Off” and the event takes place on the Mississippi at Redwing, MN. There were over 50 teams at this one, among the contestants, Max Wilson, who graciously agreed to let me share the accompanying image with you. The simple answer to your question about the quality of fishing at this time of the season is YES. Walleyes in the pre-spawn period are typically cooperative and ..." Read >> Mississippi River Walleye March 7, 2023

March 7, 2023 Garmin LiveScope Plus Settings | Cody Huff 2023

In this informative video, pro bass angler Cody Huff takes us on a tour of his Garmin LiveScope Plus fish finder while scanning a school of bass in a brush pile. He shows his go-to settings for finding and catching bass in brush piles and most situations in general, including his deep water sharpshooting technique with Rapala Jigging Raps and heavy Jigs. Huff starts by emphasizing the importance of doing a factory reset to get the device back to its default settings before making adjustments. This helps to get you close to the ideal setup for fishing.

Huff then goes on to explain his personal Livescope Plus settings, which include keeping his ..." View Video and Learn More >> Garmin LiveScope Plus Settings | Cody Huff 2023

March 7, 2023 Lake of the Woods Fishing Report — LOW Tourism

"Thanks to cold overnight air temperatures, the ice is in good shape on the south end of lake of the Woods. Ice roads remain open and well maintained and fishing is still going strong.

On LOTW, ice fishing shelters are allowed to remain out through March 31st, 2023 and the walleye and sauger season runs through April 14, 2023. It looks like the ice might last long enough for angler to fish right up until the end.

On the ice, success varies from fish house to fish house, but there were some very good fishing reports coming in this week. In fact maybe the best we have heard in several weeks. Anglers are reporting catching both good numbers and ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Report March 7, 2023

Jeff Sundin March 6, 2023 Minnesota DNR Announces 2023 Summer-Long Walleye Harvest For Mille Lacs Anglers

In a cautiously optimistic news release, the MN DNR announced late last week that Mille Lacs Lake walleye anglers will enjoy a modest relaxation of walleye regulations for the 2023 summer season. The DNR plans to allow the harvest of 1 walleye per angler for the entire open water walleye season. The liberalization of walleye regulations also removes the ban on anglers using live bait. For 2023, live bait will be allowed throughout the entire open water fishing season. The announced possession limit of 1 fish between 21 and 23 inches, or 1 fish over 28 inches in length is subject to change if conditions warrant.

“We are pleased to see improvements in both the growth of adult walleye and survival of young walleye in Mille Lacs,” said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Those factors create the opportunity for anglers to have a continuous harvest season in 2023.” “As always, we will monitor the factors that determine the state’s walleye take throughout the open water season,” Parsons said. “If conditions warrant, we will adjust regulations, either to allow additional opportunity or to tighten regulations if ..." Read >> Mille Lacs Anglers To Enjoy Modest Relaxation of Walleye Regulations

Jeff Sundin March 6, 2023 "Mile Markers Along The Road To Spring"

The first week in March is always a time when I start watching “mile markers” along the road to spring. And right on cue this weekend, snow and ice began disappearing from our roof; I think the air temps hit 40 degrees on Saturday. It definitely was making me excited for late season ice fishing.

But on the other hand, following stories about walleye anglers starting their tournament season on the Mississippi River got me going about the open water season too. What slowed me down is the snow that still looks white and deep piled up in our yard. Even though the warming trend is a step in the direction of spring, it’s too soon to ..." Read >> March 6, 2023 "Mile Markers Along The Road To Spring"

March 3, 2023 Alex Says; "Won't Waste My Money on Walleye Stamp"

Alex Campbell wrote; “Jeff, I read your reminder about renewing our Minnesota fishing licenses and took note of your “sales pitch” about buying the walleye stamp. Ordinarily, I find agreement with most of your opinions, but I have to say that you’re off base on this one. If you ask me, this is just another government money grab that the DNR came up with to drag a few more bucks out of our wallets. I’ll buy my fishing license, because I have to. But you can keep your walleye stamp; I’m not wasting my money on that one.”

Alex) Thank you for your comments and also for the opportunity to offer readers a history lesson. Your belief that the voluntary walleye stamp is, in your words, a “government money grab” is understandable. The trouble with this opinion though is that the walleye stamp was not conceived by the MN DNR or for that matter, by any government agency. That’s right, the concept of offering a voluntary walleye stamp was developed by ..." Read >> Won't Waste My Money on Walleye Stamp March 3, 2023

March 3, 2023 Loren Ruzic Writes; "With Today's Technology, Panfish Don't Stand A Chance!"

“Well Mr. Jeff I have to say that I'm a huge follower on your site, I love reading up on past exploits of yours and learning from the knowledge you have and share.

Now I'm from Wisconsin, and you might as well say our state is terrible at managing wildlife.  I’m seeing Minnesota do the same thing and luckily there's someone like yourself stepping up and hopefully they'll listen to you.   I have a “Go-To” lake that I visit regularly go too and years back the lake association started limiting the (overall) amount of panfish species we can harvest. (On this lake), they went to a 5 sunfish, 5crappie, 5 perch system during the spring spawn”

Apparently Ruzic obviously agrees with this approach because he goes continues with; “I'm constantly telling them to ..." Read >> Panfish Don't Stand A Chance! march 3, 2023

Jeff Sundin March 2, 2023 "Renewing the Renew-Able" MN Fishing License Time

Don’t think of this as a lecture, or even as a reminder, it’s not that. I think of my annual sales pitch about renewing Minnesota fishing licenses more as “fatherly advice” and for good reason. During summer, I watch folks trying to renew their fishing licenses at the last minute, when they’re in a hurry. Most of the time, transactions go reasonably well, but when there’s a glitch, it’s usually a bad one. I’ve even witnessed a few folks get turned away without their fishing license because they didn’t have all of the necessary documentation on hand at the time.

I’ve learned through past experience that glitches occur more often during busy times. What I mean is that 7:00 AM on June 2nd when systems are overloaded is not an efficient time for buying a license over the couter. During the off season, or in the wee hours of morning, computer systems are less likely to be overloaded and transactions almost always ..." Read >> March 2, 2023 Renewing the Renew-Able

Jeff Sundin March 2, 2023 "Late Winter Perch and Panfish Locations"

Getting back to the questions asked yesterday by Dan Wilm about where to focus ice fishing efforts this weekend.

After looking over the article about oxygen levels during late winter and their impact on fish location, I was thinking about other trends that influence fish behavior during this mid-to-late winter period. Perch, and their relationship to bloodworms as a food source was the topic of an article, I published a while back.

While the article focuses on perch locations, the information contained within it is also useful for anglers who want to locate and catch good numbers of sunfish. I'd suggest perusing this article too, Read >> Finding Perch and Panfish By Locating Bloodworms. I think this will be helpful as another precursor to your upcoming weekend fishing trip. — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL

March 1, 2023 "Lead Me to the Ice Fishing Hole?"

Dan Wilm wrote; "None of us are expert pan fisherman, we've caught crappies over the years, but this time of year, pan fishing has (usually) been nonproductive.

We'll be (in your area) pan fishing this weekend, staying at a friend’s cabin. We'll be fishing on lakes both large and small, and I am wondering what advice you may have on what to look for on habitat (weeds etc.) depths, baits, the whole works?"

A) Dan, Offering thoughtful answers to your questions about where to go and what to do this weekend will take a little time. But for me, the most insightful single article about late season ice fishing came about as an answer to a reader question about Bowstring Lake. So, while I compile some additional information, please read >> Q&A March 1, 2023 "Lead Me to the Ice Fishing Hole?"

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism February 28, 2023

"Fish houses are allowed to remain out through March 31st on Lake of the Woods, and the walleye-sauger season continues through April 14, 2023 and the northern pike season never closes. Remember, fishing licenses expire on February 28, 2023 and new licenses are needed on March 1st, 2023 on all Minnesota waters.

This time of year, the walleyes and saugers can be spread out, making them tricky to pin down, bit all things considered, it's been a good week of fishing on the big lake. Success varies from fish house to fish house but those working at it typically catch a good meal of fish before the day is through.

Good numbers and even some trophy walleyes are being caught by anglers who ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing Report February 28, 2023

Reader Comments February 27, 2023 "Forward Facing Sonar"

Regarding the February 20, 2023 article "Preserving Quality Sunfish and Crappies In Minnesota"

Scott Richardson commented; "Yes this is a great article. As far as more legislation on fishing, I believe it's already too complicated. (Made that way) by a bunch of non-angling legislators. I personally feel the northern pike slot limit was an overcomplication to fishing rules. Believe it or not, there are (already) more people doing (voluntary) catch and release on large bluegills and crappies as well; please no more laws.

By the way I love my Garmin Livescope scope more than anything. Also when fishing for crappies in 30 to 35 ft, I never target the fish below the 28 ft mark, typically that's where I find the four to 10 inch crappies, the trophy fish are usually suspended, roaming away from the little ones."

Jeff Sundin February 27, 2023 "Reminding the Remind-Able"

My heart goes out to folks who struggled to find creative fishing spots to park their ice shelters this winter. It took forever, or so it seemed, for ice conditions to offer reasonably safe travel conditions. Then finally, travel conditions improved so that resorts and rental operators could offer abglers a place get set up, and now the end of the walleye season has already arrived. Panfish anglers still have a little time, but for them, ice shelter removal dates are just around the corner.

Some folks have more time than others, but it’s never too early for an early reminder about when the ice shelter removal dates are coming. These days, large shelters are the norm, not the exception and the bigger they are, the more prone to “surprises” they can be. There’s nothing worse than waiting to ..." Read >> Ice Fishing Updates February 27, 2023

Jeff Sundin "In Grand Rapids for Boat Show Weekend" February 24, 2023

"For those of you who don’t have ice fishing planned for the weekend, swing into Ray’s Marine, Grand Rapids, MN location Friday and Saturday, 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM both days. I, along with a bunch of other top-level, “Ray’s Pro-Staffers” will be there to chat it up with you about fishing, gear and of course, boats.

While we’d love to lead you toward a new boat, that is not the only reason you should stop by. Questions about everything from navigation systems to fishing knots can be answered for you, in real time, by guys who know what they’re talking about. If you are in the market for a boat, you should know that there are still special incentives that can save you big money. Lund’s “Spring Catch” for example runs through the weekend and offers $3000.00 off a new Lund. Mercury Outboards are offering incentives too and who knows what other hot deals the Ray's crew will cook up with you?

Even if all you want is to know where the fish are biting, we can talk about that too, I’ll be there today (Friday) and again on Saturday, so swing in, say hi and strain our brains with your questions!

Jeff Sundin "Weekend Fishing Opportunities, Or Not" February 23, 2023

"If you’re up for the trip, you can still finish off the 2022-23 walleye fishing season in north central Minnesota. Snowfall amounts here have been lower than expected and travel conditions on the ice remain good. Lake Winnie, Leech Lake, Cass lake and some of the other, larger lakes have well established plowed roads and rental operators on all of them plan to be fully open for the final weekend of the season.

After the weekend, most access will remain open, but in some instances, limitations on certain vehicles could be required and will be monitored case-by-case. After the weekend we’ll review the current conditions and then publish an update about travel conditions on the most popular destinations.

For those of you who don’t ..." Read More >> Sundin Report February 23, 2023

Jeff Sundin "Time Over Target = Lake Trout Success" February 22, 2023

"The success ratio has been going up for our daughter Joelle and her fiancé’ Pat Everson. Over the weekend, they scratched some more fresh notches into their ice fishing gear belts. Pat’s, laker, at 14 pounds is the best one so far this winter I think, but they’re done yet, so that may still be replaced by a larger one. Jo hasn't tagged a super-big one yet, but she's the queen of catch rates, claiming the prize for most fish caught overall. It didn't happen right away, but these day whenever they head for the lake, we expect to see photos like these.

So, what’s their secret, boxes full of new lures, better intel, updated electronics? Nope, I don’t think so, for these two the big secret has been ..." Read >> Lake Trout Success February 22, 2023

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report February 22, 2023

"Stream trout were biting, on more remote lakes, this last week. As easier to access lakes have taken the majority of ice fishing pressure, stream trout in these lakes have largely been removed by anglers. More remote the lakes still have good populations of hungry trout to catch and this is where anglers should focus their attention.

Down trees, weedbeds and partially areas with water coming into the lake, are areas to focus on to find active trout. Wax worms an dead minnows remain the go too's for tipping small jigs or jigging spoons.

Lake trout fishing continues to improve slowly on area lakes. While it still seems a few lucky groups strike it rich and have a amazing day of trout fishing, most anglers are now reporting that they ..." Read >> Ely MN Area Report February 22, 2023

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism February 22, 2023

"Lake of the Woods ice fishing is still going strong on the south end of the lake. And because anglers are allowed to keep ice fishing houses out through March 31st, the action is just beginng for many. Walleye and sauger seasons run through April 14, 2023 and the season for northern pike never closes.

As happens each ice season, some anglers who have been fishing 20 plus miles out have started finding fish a bit closer to shore. There are pods of walleyes and saugers in various areas. It's been a good week of ice fishing for most.

The walleyes and sauger are spread out this time of year, so it is important to fish each fish. Electronics really help to see fish when they are coming through, understand where in the water column they are and ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Report February 22, 2023

Jeff Sundin "Preserving Quality Sunfish and Crappies In Minnesota" February 20, 2023 - Jeff Sundin

"Jeff Anderes wrote in with comments and questions related to sunfish, crappies and forward facing sonar units.

"Q) Several of us have been fishing for sunnies and crappies for 5 to 7 years now, often choosing them over walleyes, especially in the winter. We release any sunnies over 10 inches and the large crappies too, only keeping what we might eat soon. We were aware of barotrauma through your early writings, so when we plan on releasing fish, we don't fish in the deeper water. 

My real concern now is the forward-facing sonar. Having seen many videos, and observations from acquaintances, these things really don't give the crappies a chance. I don't know what the answer is, but it seems like ..." Learn More >> Q&A Sunfish, Crappies and Forward Facing Sonar February 20, 2023

"Field Observations About Perch and Walleye From Lake Winnie" — February 17, 2023

On Thursday, Vince from Wisconsin wrote; "Hi Jeff — As an addition to your 2/16/2023 perch story, I’d like to add to it.

We fished Winnie this weekend under ideal weather conditions, and we fished areas of the lake that no one else was accessing. Conservatively, I would say that around 60% of the lake hasn’t been touched this year because of travel conditions.

We found nice perch, in decent numbers, on one piece of mid-lake structure one afternoon, but there, we found very few walleyes. We drew a blank on perch at a second, similar structure for the next day. But this time, the second structure was full of ..." Read >> Reader Observations From Lake Winnie February 17, 2023

"Where the Heck Are all the PERCH?" — February 16, 2023

Last Thursday, while wrapping up my early morning radio segment on KAXE, I advised the audience that perch fishing would be my top choice as a weekend ice fishing pursuit. Well, some folks took the advice, but weren’t very happy with the results. On the lake they tried, perch did not cooperate.

Coincidentally, folks who did not hear that program and did not go perching last weekend, have been contacting me too, looking for advice about where to go on their upcoming ice fishing trips. One of them Steve List has specific plans to fish on Lake Winnie and has been asking around for ideas about where to go when he arrives. In a message yesterday, List wrote;

Q) “I heard yesterday (that) the perch bite on Winnie is ..." Read >> Perch Fishing Q&A February 16, 2023

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report February 15, 2023

"Panfish - Spring like temperatures have angler thinking of spring time panfish. Many anglers were not disappointed! Anglers found crappies very active this last weekend. Deeper holes in 20 to 30 feet of water, was where anglers found active crappies and sunnies. Soft plastics, wax worms and crappie minnows were all very effective on panfish.

Walleye - Walleyes have also been very active this last week. Anglers have been catching good numbers and good size walleyes in ..." Read >> Ely Area Ice Fishing Report February 15, 2023

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism December February 15, 2023

"Remember, anglers fishing border waters, like Lake of the Woods enjoy always enjoy an extended ice fishing season compared to the inland waters of Minnesota. With ice fishing houses allowed to stay on the ice through March 31st anf the open walleye and sauger season extending through April 14, 2023. Another bonus is that the northern pike season never closes.

Ice roads and bomber trails are extending way out on Lake of the Woods working to stay on schools of walleyes and saugers. Some anglers fishing as far as 24 miles out, while others are opting to stay closer to shore and ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Fishing Report February 15, 2023

Wired2Fish "Kayak Bass Fishing Fun in Ultra-Clear Water" Febraury 15, 2023

"Kayak bass fishing in ultra-clear water lakes and rivers is challenging yet extremely rewarding. A calm and hot day set up perfectly for Wired2fish’s McKeon “Keys” Roberts to explore a small ultra-clear lake with his pedal fishing kayak and a few buddies in a canoe. Does it get much better? This video is a little lighter on the talking and plenty heavy of just plain fun fish-catching action using swimbaits and topwater lures.

Clear water lakes require a different approach than bass fishing turbid rivers and lakes. Bass in clear water environments use their keen vision over other senses to ..." View Video and Learn More >> Kayak Bass Fishing Fun in Ultra-Clear Water

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Jeff Sundin February 13, 2023 Grand Rapids Area Fishing Update "No Pain No Gain?"

"The sunshine and warm air temperatures are winning the battle against snow cover on many north central Minnesota lakes. Slush, wet roads and limited access caused by the melt down will cause short term pain, but the next cold snap will produce improved travel conditions. Anglers may well enjoy access to select fishing spots that have so far been off limits for most of the season.

On Sunday, I and the Hippie Chick got a firsthand look at why this would be great news. Finding a spot to fish wasn’t a big problem, we drove out onto the lake, following a plowed road leading to one of the few “popular” fishing areas that’s been accessible this winter. But once we reached the end of the road, we discovered that finding a spot that hasn’t been fished hard all winter wasn’t going to ..." Read >> Grand Rapids Ice Fishing Update February 13, 2023

Jeff Sundin February 10, 2023 "MN DNR Panfish Workgroup Where Do We Go From Here?"

With over 200 lakes now receiving special protection for sunfish, most of the effort will now go into studying and gathering statistics. There will be tweaking, adding a lake here and there to the program and most of these will be based on angler request. Progress reports, provided on an ongoing basis, were brought forward as a high-priority by certain group members. DNR Fisheries Staff were agreeable, so I’d anticipate having updates about the QSI from time to time.

With the heavy lifting about sunfish finished, the obvious question was “where do we go from here?” The answer, almost as obvious, was crappies. But unlike sunfish, figuring out what to do about “fixing” problems with crappie fishing lakes will be tricky, really tricky.

Biologically, crappies are totally different from sunfish. Their spawning habits are different, their feeding habits are different and so are their preferred habitats. Many of the “fixes” that were both obvious and statistically provable for sunfish won’t work for crappies. What’s worse is that some fix-ups that could serve to improve crappie fishing are going to ..." Learn More >> MN DNR Panfish Workgroup Where Do We Go From Here? February 10, 2023

Jeff Sundin February 9, 2023 "LUND Boats 75 Years of History" Video

So, 34 years ago, I dropped over to Ray's Marine in Grand Rapids and picked up my new Lund Boat, a 1989 1700 Pro V Tiller. It wasn’t my first Lund, I’d been using a WS-16 before that, but this was the first time I’d ever picked up any rig that was brand new from top-to-bottom.

The customers who fished in that boat loved it, it was wide and comfortable and for the time, smooth riding too. At the time, I had no idea that today, February 9, 2023, I’d be picking up yet another new Lund boat, but I am.

Coincidentally, this very week Lund Boats released an historic video chronicling 75 years of boat building history. For me, the video is well worth watching even if only for the timeline of Lund’s company history. But even after living through half of that history with them myself, the video illustrated to me how many things they did right and for so many years in a row! Besides, it’s fun seeing some of my friends re-running fishing memories from my formative years.

The video offers insight into the reasons why Lund sits so high atop the list of high-quality fishing and family boats. If you love fishing and boating, then you’ll love this video, more than once probably. View the full video and Learn More >> Lund Boats 75 Years of History

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism February 8, 2023

"Resorts and rental operators continue to expand fishing territory on the south end of Lake of the woods. The effort to connect ice roads and ice track machine trails with schools of walleyes and sauger mow have some ice roads extending as far as 24 miles into the lake's mid-section.

The weather has presented anglers with a 'good-news, bad-news, scenario. The most recent subzero cold snap is good news in terms of extending ice season, hopefully well into March, but bad new in that it was tough on the bite.

Once the weather started warming up, so did the bite and that's good. But if the warm weather were to continue, it could shorten the duration of "quality" ice conditions, that would be bad news. Presently though, most anglers are reporting ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing Report February 8, 2023

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report February 8, 2023

"Stream Trout - Stream trout fishing continues to be very popular as stream trout anglers continue to report good fishing. Rainbows and brook trout continue to be caught is shallow water near downed trees, main lakes points and weedbeds.

Small jigging spoons and small tungsten jigs tipped with a dead minnow or waxies has been very effective. Deadsticking the minnows has been the best technique. Best time has been very early in the morning.

Walleye - Walleye have become very active this last week. Anglers have been catching good numbers and good size walleyes in the early morning and during the evening hours.

"How Slow Can It Troll + What's So Great About Transom Mounts?" — Jeff Sundin February 6, 2023

Last week, I published a notice about my 2022 Lund Alaskan for sale. Among the typical array of questions about the rig itself came this one, a note from Jake Murphy who asks these important questions.

Q) What exactly does that (electric) trolling motor in the back enable you to do that the bow mount doesn’t? I was also considering a 90-horse, wondering if that would throttle down enough to troll cranks at 1.5 to 2.0 MPH.  How slow can you get that 115-horsepower troll down?" Thanks, and happy fishing, Jake.

A) Jake, your questions are good ones, and they speak directly to some core fundamentals of fishing philosophy; that’s why I asked for your permission to share them with our readers. The easy one, how slow can I troll using the 115 HP Pro XS, goes first. On the 20-foot Alaskan, in flat calm water, my 115 Pro XSs have all trolled forward at ..." Learn More >> How Slow Can It Troll + What's So Great About Transom Mounts?

Jeff Sundin Regarding Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame Induction

It’s funny how life works, most of it is spent hoping for news about our future. Usually, it comes in snippets, and slowly but surely, we pass one little milestone after another. The passage of time between them often goes unnoticed. Then, seemingly out of the clear blue, notices about our future start giving way to news about our past. That’s when we notice the cumulative impact of all life’s little milestones.

If you count a couple of seasons spent getting my guide service “up to speed”, as a part timer. Then this will mark the beginning of my 40th year as a professional angler. In truth, what I have is one of the world’s smallest, small businesses. One boat, one motor, one fishing rod and a few people willing to risk not catching any fish if I’m not at the top of my game.

Even after 40 years, there are times when I still feel like “the new guy”. But it would appear that now I’ve shared the boat with enough people, drifted past enough milestones and passed along enough information so that I’ve become “famous”. At the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame, inductees are called “legends”. According to yesterday’s press release, I am one now and for that I am grateful, it is an honor.

Anybody who knows the fishing business knows that you can’t really be “famous”, you can only be a little bit more “recognizable”. After you’ve shared everything you’ve ever learned, with everybody you can ever reach, then a few people know who you are when they see you.

The problem is that nobody sees most of the folks who were there, riding along and experiencing the “school of hard knocks” firsthand, while all of that famousness was still developing. But I saw you, and I remember you, and I honor you. Thank you for hanging in there with me for all that time! OH, and by the way, don’t give up on me yet, I’m still getting the hang of this fishing stuff and I’ll still be around for a good long time to practice it with you."

For Sale Jeff Sundin's 2022 Lund Alaskan Model 2000 Tiller Boat Package

Rigged and ready to use, 2022 Lund Alaskan, Mercury ProXS 115 Tiller, Shoreland'r Trailercomplete 2022 package is available now. The rig, along with all of the accessories are almost identical to last year's rig, so you may already be familiar with the description.

I’ve been running Lund Alaskans for a long time now; in fact I picked up my first one something like 16 years ago. Right from the beginning, I’ve loved the balance of utility and comfort that the Alaskan provides for me and my fishing customers.

As far as I’m concerned, these boats are the fisherman’s equivalent of having a 4X4 pickup truck for the water. They have allowed me to go anywhere and do anything without sacrificing comfort. Throughout the years, I’ve watched the folks at Lund steadily ..." Learn More >> 2022 Lund Alaskan Model 2000 Tiller Boat Package For Sale.

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report February 1, 2023

"Stream Trout fishing has been good to very good this last week as many anglers reported good success while fishing for them.

Rainbow trout and Brook trout are both being caught in very shallow water near downed trees, weedbeds and large flats. Deadsticking fresh dead minnows or deadsticking small jigs tipped with wax worms has been very effective. Any movement when a trout closes in on your bait spooks them off. Best times has been very early in the morning, often time before 9am.

Walleye fishing, thanks to a good cold snap, walleyes become somewhat active and many anglers had good success this last week.  Deadsticking rainbows on a plain orange hook was reportedly the most effective way to catch walleyes. As with the stream trout, any movement after the fish ..." Read >> Ely MN Ice Fishing Report February 1, 2023 Lund

Wired2Fish "How to Find and Catch Late Ice Jumbo Perch" Febraury 1, 2023

"Although it can be done year-round, jumbo perch seem to gain massive popularity late in the ice season. While perch can be found just about anywhere you look, the truly large ones that provide excellent fun and tableware are often elusive. Professional guide Brian “Bro” Brosdahl shares a few tips on locating and triggering jumbo perch using a handful of his favorite lures.

Jumbo perch are notoriously known to roam shallow flats late in the ice season. This can make hunting them down a bit difficult. Brosdahl likes to use his mapping to target depressions spread out across 3- to 6-foot flats. Within the depressions, he uses MEGA 360 to look for any irregularities (deadheads, weed patches, etc.) that jumbo perch might be relating to. Brosdahl gets a ..." View Video and Learn More >> How to Find and Catch Late Ice Jumbo Perch

Reader Comments February 1, 2023 "Road Salt Is Washing Into The Mississippi River… And It’s Not Washing Out"

Robert Klocker wrote, "As a wheelhouse owner, I do realize we contribute to this crisis. It is just as important to clean the sodium chloride off your campers as it is to clean off the AIS from your boat, yet no one talks about it!"

The "crisis" Klocker refers to is road salt, more specifically, chloride inadvertently carried onto the ice by unsuspecting owners of wheeled ice fishing shelters.

The topic, appearing in the Science Friday podcast segment of January 27, 2023, makes no specific assertion about wheelhouses. Rather, the Article speaks to the issue more broadly, connecting elevated chloride levels with declines in habitat throughout the entire Upper Mississippi River watershed.

My interest in the subject was piqued when I saw this in the transcript; "Toxic amounts of chloride can kill ..." Learn More >> Road Salt Pollution in Freshwater Lakes February 1, 2023

Lake of the Woods, LOW Tourism February 1, 2023

"With ice fishing in full swing, local resorts, outfitters and ice guides are working hard on the south end of Lake of the Woods. Staying on top of walleye and sauger means constant pushing to open new ice roads and grooming off road trails so that we can keep moving fish houses to the most productive areas.

There are a variety of walleye sizes being caught, and sauger are available in good numbers. Sorting through the walleye catch for “keepers” along with adding a few eater sauger to the creel have all contributed to good fish fries for most groups. Some anglers are being rewarded with trophy walleye, over 30 inches along the way too.

Fishing depths vary from spot-to-spot, mostly depending upon ..." Read >> Lake of the Woods Report February 1, 2023