Fishing Report - Border View Lodge

We are situated about 10 miles past Pine Island

Further on we go! We are situated about 10 miles past Pine Island on Big Traverse Bay. In addition to the bite, we have been on a search for smooth ice and space to keep our houses progressing along for the season. January has already provided a good share of snow and wind. We have been hoping a break will come along soon, although this week it is not predicted.

With so many options for lures it is almost impossible to say what has been working best. Stick with typical colors for Lake of the Woods, Gold, Glow colors, things with noise. When you are at the store trying to decide, use those guidelines and you basically cannot go wrong. At the end of the day multiple Anglers could prove a different hot lure of the day. The UV colors work well. Also, it is important to have a sonar style electronics.

January is continuing with temps in the -20’s for some of this week’s overnights and 20’s for some of the days. It appears this week will also keep the weather vane spinning along with some days predicting to have 25mph gusts.

FISH ON!

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7 miles past Pine Island on Big Traverse is where our houses are situated

7 miles past Pine Island on Big Traverse is where our houses are situated. 32-33 feet of water is our current depth. We are at or above 2’ of solid ice.

There are still many little ones, which we love to see. A reminder, that air bag when fish come up from these depths is not actually an air sack. It’s their stomach. Please slowly release these fish. They will swim away if you spend the time. The sooner they return to the depth they were pulled from the sooner the pressure on them equalizes. Do not poke their stomach, it will slowly kill them.

The best success this past week has been from the dead stick using a plain hook. Orange and glow are great colors. Another hot item is lighted lures. As long as the battery doesn’t contain mercury.

This week’s forecast starts in the mid-teens with a small chance of snow then drops down into the negative numbers overnight. Wind seems to be a consistent factor, with some days having gusts up to 30mph so bring your warm clothes.

FISH ON!

1-800-PRO FISH

Five to six miles North of Pine Island in Big Traverse

Five to six miles North of Pine Island in Big Traverse makes for a 30 minute ride to the houses. January 9th and it seems early to be out this far. Every year there is more of a push for being further North sooner and sooner.

The bite has had some ups and downs, which seem to coincide with the weather changes. This past week we have had some days of 30 degree changes, strong winds to none and abundant sunshine to falling snow. We are still catching fish with many little ones continuing to show themselves while Anglers hone their efforts with increased expectations of that big one to hit any moment.

Gold, glow red or yellow are great colors. Having two rods down provides Anglers the opportunity for simultaneously using multiple tactics, a plain hook on a dead stick while aggressively jigging a noise maker lure with the other is always best. Electronics are a proven game changer.

Weather is going to again be a roller coaster this week, with lows one day of -22 and a high of 22 the next, but looking like it will be staying above zero for the foreseeable future starting Tuesday. Hopefully that consistency in temperature translates into a more consistent bite.

FISH ON!

1-800-PRO FISH

Fishing action remains strong!

Fishing action remains strong! Many fish are being caught from the bottom of the lake, electronics like Vexilar are still a great tool to have and are improving the catch rates. We continue to see many large fish, Walleye, Perch, Sturgeon, Burbot and Northern.

Typical Lake of the Woods colors are doing well. With so many new options and UV choices it is hard to not find a good bright shiny new lure to try. The ice is now over the 18” mark with much of it into the 20” of thickness.

This week’s forecast is showing some up and downs. Mostly below zero, but some days above with some possible snow on Tuesday and then back to -20.

FISH ON!

1-800-PRO FISH

The winter season has been going really well

The Winter Season Has Been Going Really

The winter season has been going really well. We have had houses on the lake since Wednesday the 8^th. There has been a great number of fish being caught, many little ones, which at times provide constant action allowing the Angler to use only one line. Anglers have caught many large Walleye, Northern and Sturgeon already this year. Presentation has not been much of a factor. A lively minnow on a hook is mostly what is important.

The ice situation is looking great right now. We had some ups and downs to start the month off. There was a layer of ice across the lake on the 1st of December, then on the 2nd we received strong winds which opened most of the lake back up. The wind created piles of broken ice, or open holes between those piles. Then drifting snow filled in the gaps. These spots have still not recovered completely and some of the areas covered with snow are still wet and may only have 4 inches of ice. Other resorts have been struggling with these spots. Fortunately for us, the area we started the season at was not impacted by the freshly opened water or the drifting piles. Additionally, the wind did not stir the bottom of the lake, having clear water is a great benefit. We are sitting on 10-12 inches of nice clear ice. Currently we are partially limited with options of moving or spreading out too far too soon. The bite has been holding on very well, so if we do not have to move further out yet, that is fine and allows more time for the ice to build further out.

The forecast is single digits and below zero for the overnights this week with nothing over 30 degrees through Christmas. The lake should continue to be making ice with this forecast and we hope that soon after Christmas half ton vehicles will be able to drive out.

Merry Christmas!

FISH ON!

1-800-PRO FISH

Our Walleye Master Guide are still attacking some prime areas up North around the various islands with much success

Activity is definitely the word of the week. Carry lots of bait with you, as the fish are hungry. Sorting is another word to use as there seems to be a lot of small fish getting to the minnows first. In time you will still gather your quota and you will be busy. That has been the conversations from those fishing in front of pine island on the lake side. Our Walleye Master Guide are still attacking some prime areas up North around the various islands with much success. Shiners are the bait of choice and the run this year has been fantastic. The river fishing and Four Mile Bay fishing will continue to increase. Anchoring and jigging is the fall style of fishing.

11^th Year of the Chili Bowl went well with many anglers competing for larger prizes this year. We increased the entry fee and obtained sponsors so we could run with 100% payout! $10,000.00 was awarded with $7,500.00 for the first 3 teams.

The fall leave colors are starting to show up. It is amazing to see how long the leaves are staying on the trees this year. You can watch our webcam from time to time to see them change.

If you have thought about relocating to a location like Lake of the Woods check out our new employment webpage. We have openings available starting in the ice season. https://borderviewlodge.com/employment/

The forecast for this week looks like a normal fall cool down. Temperatures from overnight mid 30’s to daytime low 60’s are forecasted this week along with some showers. Don’t forget your rain gear!

FISH ON!

1-800-PRO FISH

Our Guides are sharing time on the lake in both Big and Little Traverse Bays

Our Guides are sharing time on the lake in both Big and Little Traverse Bays. There are schools of Walleye all around the lake. Certain areas seem to have more of the 17-18” Walleye Anglers prefer to take home. Having a limit to take home and eating some fresh while you are here is the norm. We continue to have days to drift with spinners, but are starting to spend more time anchored and jigging.

The fall leave colors are starting to show up. You can watch our webcam from time to time to see them change.

Schools of Shiner minnows are around the Lighthouse Gap and in the river. There has been a steady collection for live bait on our charters each day.

Here is a late September and early October Guided Walleye fishing deal! Charter package specials from September 26^th to October 17^th. 3 nights lodging and 2 days of Walleye Master Guided Walleye fishing for $426.00 per person, add 8 meals and its only $526.00 per person.

If you have thought about relocating to a location like Lake of the Woods check out our new employment webpage. We have openings available starting in the ice season. https://borderviewlodge.com/employment/

The forecast for this week looks like another repeat. Temperatures from overnight 40’s to daytime 70’s are forecasted this week along with some showers. Don’t forget your rain gear!

FISH ON!

1-800-PRO FISH

We are seeing more schools of Shiner minnows around the Lighthouse Gap and in the river

As the anchor and jig bite gets going, we find ourselves spending most of the time drifting with spinners. Our Guides have been back into using frozen Shiners. Using a crawler and a frozen shiner on a 2 or 3 hook crawler harness works well. Starting the day in a warm hoodie or jacket is a good idea as the overnight cool temps are sticking around longer in the day.

We are seeing more schools of Shiner minnows around the Lighthouse Gap and in the river. Again, we continue to predominantly fish both Big Traverse and Little Traverse Bays with the wind speed and direction as the basis of fishing options available. We continue to have a mix of small to trophy size Walleye, and there were many large Northern caught last week.

Here is a late September and early October Guided Walleye fishing deal! Charter package specials from September 26^th to October 17^th. 3 nights lodging and 2 days of Walleye Master Guided Walleye fishing for $426.00 per person, add 8 meals and its only $526.00 per person.

If you have thought about relocating to a location like Lake of the Woods check out our new employment webpage. We have openings available starting in the ice season. https://borderviewlodge.com/employment/

The forecast for this week looks like a repeat of last week. Temperatures from overnight 40’s to daytime 70’s are forecasted this week along with some showers. Don’t forget your rain gear!

FISH ON!

1-800-PRO FISH

We are excited to see some shiner activity the last couple of weeks

We are excited to see some shiner activity the last couple of weeks. The schools seem to be getting larger. We do not take any at this time, it is too soon and the water temp is a bit warm to treat them properly and make good bait out of them frozen. Typically, these are the ones that get mushy when they thaw. There are options on how to freeze them with salts etc, but the best ones hold up after the water temp drops to about 45 degrees. Of course, there are many opinions on the matter, to us experience is what tells us when and how to make frozen Shiners usable as bait.

We continue to fish both Big Traverse and Little Traverse Bays with much success drifting with spinners. We continue to have a mix of small to trophy size Walleye.

Here is a late September and early October Guided Walleye fishing deal! Charter package specials from September 26^th to October 17^th. 3 nights lodging and 2 days of Walleye Master Guided Walleye fishing for $426.00 per person, add 8 meals and its only $526.00 per person.

If you have thought about relocating to a location like Lake of the Woods check out our new employment webpage. We have openings available starting in the ice season. https://borderviewlodge.com/employment/

Temperatures from overnight 40’s to daytime 70’s are forecasted this week along with some showers. Don’t forget your rain gear!

FISH ON!

1-800-PRO FISH

We continue with the majority of our time using spinners

We continue with the majority of our time using spinners. Bright colors are still best. We also continue to work Big and Little Traverse Bays based on wind speed and direction. There have been plenty of fish in ranging depths for awhile now. The 12-18 foot range has included many keeper and large Walleye as well as the 25-32 foot range.

Here is a late September and early October Guided Walleye fishing deal! Charter package specials from September 26^th to October 17^th. 3 nights lodging and 2 days of Walleye Master Guided Walleye fishing for $426.00 per person, add 8 meals and its only $526.00 per person.

If you have thought about relocating to a location like Lake of the Woods check out our new employment webpage. Relocation housing is available. https://borderviewlodge.com/employment/

Temperatures are forecasted with 70’s as daytime highs and 50’s for overnight lows this week.

FISH ON!

1-800-PRO FISH