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Ice Progressing Nicely On Lake Of The Woods


On the South Shore...  The focus for most this past week for resorts and ice fishing outfitters is checking ice conditions.  Things are progressing nicely.  As we remind anglers each and every year, ice conditions can vary significantly.  Consequently,  we typically will not make blanket statements about ice conditions or thickness of ice.  It is best to work through a resort or outfitter who knows the ice conditions on the part of the lake they are working. 


The 10 day forecast shows temps staying below freezing and hitting the single digits many days.  Depending upon the wind, this should continue to build up the ice and get things started, 


Some spearing and angling for pike has started in areas of back bays.  Work through an outfitter and stay on marked trails as ice conditions still vary, even on the bays.  Naturally, with Lake of the Woods having a robust population of big pike, some nice fish are coming in.


As the days go on, resorts and outfitters are continuing to mark their ice roads and venture out further checking ice conditions daily.  Initial reports are showing good ice formation on many parts of the lake off of the south shore. 


From many parts of the south shore, there is ice as far as the eye can see.  With cloudy conditions, a satellite image of the entire lake has not been available for a number of days. 


On the Rainy River...  The river is iced over.  It certainly isn't ready for any traffic as of yet but the fact it is locked up is encouraging. 


Some spearing and angling for pike happening in back bays off of the river.  Once ice thickens, a couple of resorts who fish the river will mark ice trails in their particulate fishing area.  The river has current, it is best to work through a resort or outfitter.


Up at the NW Angle...   The Angle is locked up with ice for the most part.  Fishing isn't happening yet, but resorts and outfitters have started checking ice conditions and the ice is progressing nicely.  Things are on track for a good ice fishing season.


Watch the Lake of the Woods Tourism Facebook page or other resort facebook pages for reports and videos of current ice conditions.  At this point, reports are coming in daily.


If you haven't made reservations for ice fishing, now is a great time.  For more information on lodging and ice fishing packages, visit LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.


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5 Classic Bass Fishing Rigs You Should Know

Learn these five bass rigs to catch bucketmouths and brozebacks anywhere in the country

By Shaye Baker



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5 Classic Bass Fishing Rigs You Should Know

There are dozens of ways to rig soft plastic baits to create various presentations for hungry bass. Many of these bass fishing rigs are situational, offering the ideal setup to target specific cover, depth, or forage. Having a simple yet effective arsenal of bass rigs can ensure you’re prepared for any situation. However, it can be daunting to make sense of the various sizes, colors, and shapes of soft plastics paired with the wide variety of hooks, weights, and other terminal tackle. That’s where I come in.  

Below are five classic bass fishing rigs that are perennial favorites among serious anglers. Once you have the specific tackle for each rig, you can start dialing in your technique. Then, you can bring these five rigs to any bass fishery in the country and catch fish—both largemouth and smallmouth. So, before you start filling your tackle box with crazy baits and lures, make sure you have these five classic bass fishing rigs ready to go.


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1. Wacky Rig

There are few baits more effective at catching temperamental bass shallow than the wacky rig. And all you need is a wacky hook and a worm. Yes, it’s that simple. Tie on a straight shank or circle wacky hook and run it through the midsection of the worm. Now you’re ready to fish. Finesse worms, trick worms, and Senkos all work really well on a wacky rig. Cast the bait out near or under shallow cover and let it fall slowly. Bass will usually eat it on the descent. This presentation works best on spinning gear with a 20-pound-test braided mainline tied to a 6-foot, 10-pound-test fluorocarbon leader.


2. Dropshot Rig

The dropshot rig is one of the most popular finesse-style bass fishing tactics. Built with a dropshot hook and a dropshot weight (separated by a short drop leader between the two), this presentation is designed to rocket straight to the bottom on a vertical fall. Dropshots are best fished with spinning gear, and anglers should lighten up on their leader for optimal success. Use a straight-tail worm or a small minnow-style soft plastic as your bait. Fish it in and around cover like brush piles and boulders or even out in areas with minimal cover.

3. Carolina Rig

The Carolina rig is hard to beat as far as utility is concerned. It works well whether targeting bass in shallow water or deep, but you’ll want a fairly clean bottom. These rigs consist of a weight slid up on the mainline, a bead next, a swivel, and a leader line tied from the swivel to a hook. 

To decrease the number of snags, the weight typically needs to be cylindrical or egg-shaped. The bead keeps the weight from damaging the knot tied to the swivel, and the swivel maintains the distance between the weight and the hook. Leader lengths vary, but 18 inches is a good place to start. If desired, adjust to a longer or shorter leader.

4. Texas Rig

The Texas rig is perhaps the most common bass fishing presentation. It is a simple setup that works across a broad range of cover and depths. You can also use a Texas rig to target largemouth, spotted, and smallmouth bass. To rig a Texas rig, you’ll need a bullet weight, a worm hook, and a soft plastic lure. Slide a 3/8-ounce bullet weight onto your line, going through the pointed end first. Tie on a 4/0, round-bend worm hook and then rig a soft plastic lizard weedless.

5. Ned Rig

Though the name has “rig” in it, many anglers don’t consider a Ned rig an actual “rig” because rigs typically have more components. Even though this is just a simple soft plastic on a jighead, we included this rig not only because of its nomenclature but also because it is extremely effective at catching fish. 

If you fish in more than five feet of water on bare bottom or around sparse cover, a Ned rig is almost guaranteed to get a bite. One of these flat, lightweight jigheads paired with a mini soft plastic stands straight up on the bottom and offers a defenseless morsel that is hard for a bass to resist.



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