Ballard's - Lake of the Woods, Minnesota

December sauger boom…

Hello sportsfans…  And welcome to the weekly twig here on Lake of the Woods.

Boom!  As in sauger boom!  That’s what we’ve got going on right now on the south shore.

It’s been quite a few years since I can recall hitting the sauger bite like we have this week.  Just a ton of small fish out there (which is good news) looking for a line to tug on.

The guides have moved most of the fleet toward depths that are pushing 28 feet of water.  That’s where the bonanza is taking place.  About 2 1/2 miles offshore.

With a few walleyes mixed in…  It is predominantly a sauger fest that we’ve been witnessing.  Plenty of action.  Plenty of fresh filets for a great meal.  And some fish to take home to share with friends and neighbors.

Fish house catch ratios are varying from twenty-five to eighty fish per day per house.  That’s a pretty darn good average as we move into the month of January.

The numbers you catch and the numbers you keep is mostly based on size preference.  Especially when you’re talking saugers.

Our general rule of thumb is that if it stretches the pail then it’s a “keeper”.  Which means about a 13-14 inch sauger.  Perfect table fare.

This week a smaller and more dominant size seems to be in the lesser 10 inch range.  So you really have to mix and match to find your “keepers”.  From the tavern talk at night it’s sounding like a 3 to 1 ratio for numbers of fish caught per numbers of fish kept.

So again…  Plenty of action…  And life is good.

Ice conditions now are ranging from 16-18 inches in most areas that our guides are fishing.  We do have lots of fresh snow on the lake and are now using our Bombardiers to transport our fishermen.

It’s cold.  Feels like winter outside.  And we’re catching fish.

Til next time…

Set the hook!