Rod and Reel Resort (Sioux Narrows area) - http://www.rodandreelresort.com/
Crawfords Camp (Sioux Narrows area) - http://www.crawfordscamp.com/
Tomahawk Resort (Sioux Narrows area) - http://www.tomahawkresort.com/
Sunset Lodge (Northwest Angle) - http://www.sunsetlodgeresort.com/
Witch Bay Camp (Kenora area) - http://www.witchbay.com/
Darcy's Guide Service - http://www.darcysguideservice.com/
Lake of the Woods Guide Service - 807-407-3474
Back on Lake of the Woods twice in 2023 with both trips the weather and fish both cooperated and we had two great trips. First trip was scheduled for the end of May into the first week of June with the second trip taking place during the first week of September.
Screenshot of catching the above lake trout, note air bladder releasing on sonar screen once he was hooked
Trout of the week, fished for them twice during the week and connected both times
Without a doubt the picture of the week, that is all that needs to be said about this one
My office for the week, works for me....
Another shot from the week that needs no explanation.
It is not only the fishing that keeps me coming back to Lake of the Woods each year, it is also the sights such as this that one cannot describe in enough detail to imagine. Been a great year on LOTW, see ya next year!!
Lake of the Woods perch, always a welcome surprise
The fish of choice on this trip, the walleye
One of the surprise catches of the week, 32 inch lake trout caught mid-day with full sun, no wind using an 1/8 ounce jig with 6# test while walleye fishing
Sidescan view, easy to see why so many anglers get hung-up and loose tackle on LOTW
I always say, pay attention to what you see on your Lowrance unit. A great example here, while walleye fishing I noticed a target suspended in the water column, brought my jig up to the target and low and behold, it was a 15 inch crappie
Prepping for a camp fish fry at the Rod & Reel Resort, good times and looking forward to returning next time around!
We returned to the Sioux Narrows area for our last Canadian trip of 2022 to find the record breaking water levels for the year had dropped to a manageable level. But what remained was the damage and one could see the amount of rebuilding that is now going to be required to bring things "back to normal".
But as usual, the fishing for this time of year did not disappoint, as we had good numbers of solid fish and consistent weather, what more could you ask for?
Nothing better than catching a nice walleye on lighter tackle! Using one of my favorite St. Croix rods, a ES63MXF with P-Line 6# test with an 1/8 ounce jig. Landed this 29.5 inch beauty that weighed in just under 10 pounds. Saw this fish clear as a bell using a split screen of Lowrance Active Target and sonar, works for me.
The winning combination, combined view of Lowrance Active Target and sonar
Nice Whitefish Bay Walleye
Deck view, bow Active Target setup
Musky encounter with SMB
The SMB that got away from the Musky
Camp Fish Fry
The elusive perfect eaters
The close of another great year on Lake of the Woods, see ya next year!
We returned once again to Sioux Narrows area for our regularly scheduled spring trip and the once again fishing was very good. We were met with record breaking water levels and by the middle of the week it appeared we had surpassed the 2014 water levels. The other issue in the early week was one had to be very careful navigating as there was much floating debris. By midweek, the rains and higher winds had returned which created a further challenge for the resorts and well as more difficult fishing conditions. In the end, we ended up with a variety of fish including walleye, lake perch, smallmouth bass, lake trout, pike and sauger with many being caught in more early spring type locations including as close as 100 yards from the camps docks. Honestly, it was more like fishing the season opener as many of the walleye appeared to not have spawned yet and they were scattered shallow and deep.
I have to commend the areas resorts for making the best of the high water conditions as there was a point where one has to accept the conditions as what they are and simply try and make the best of it. The Rod & Reel did there best to make things work, but one could also see a sense of helplessness as the waters rose beyond what was there in 2014. Luckily for us, the docks where most of us docked our boats were floating, but one had to walk through about 4-5 inches of water to get to them at most points. So if you are planning on going to LOTW in the near future, just remember to bring you rubber boots and you should be fine
So my plan is to return to LOTW in September with a group of friends along with my youngest daughter Emily, who we have been trying to get to Canada for a few years (but has been an issue because of Covid restrictions). My hope is that the water levels will return to a normal level and the areas resorts can once again recover for the high water levels and continue on.
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