Northern Drift Outfitters fishing reports
Welcome to the Northern Drift Outfitters fishing reports page. Here will do our best to post up to date fishing reports for fishing conditions in northern Minnesota. As experienced guides our time on the water allows us to have our finger on the pulse of current conditions. If you would like to spend a day with us on the water or learn more, please contact us.
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Lake Winnie Fishing Report
Anglers in the region were treated to the first real cold front of the winter season. Temperatures in the region began falling as of Friday evening, and many lakes received a break from the heavy angler traffic they have been receiving. Many anglers on the big lake are experiencing a tougher bite overall.
This week’s report is brought to you by Grand Rapids, MN fishing guide Jeff Johnson. Jeff provides ice fishing guide trips on Lake Winnie, as well as other lakes in the Grand Rapids and Deer River areas. For those wanting to book a trip with Jeff, you can reach him at 218-259-8893.
Anglers in the region were treated to the first real cold front of the winter season. Temperatures in the region began falling as of Friday evening, and many lakes received a break from the heavy angler traffic they have been receiving. Many anglers on the big lake are experiencing a tougher bite overall. The fish seem to be scattered and when they are found, only small bite windows are appearing. Capitalizing on these small windows throughout the day can lead to a decent bag of fish still.
Most anglers are still needing to approach the lake with a multispecies approach, and they cannot be afraid to take what is given. A guaranteed evening walleye spot might produce good action for bigger perch, while proven perch spots are randomly kicking out nice walleyes and pike. The cold temperatures over the weekend and heading into this week will for the most part keep a lot of the angling pressure down. I am one that is thankful for this, and I do hope that this week provides a bit of a reset on the lake. Everyone needs a good nap once in a while, and if you have been familiar with Lake Winnie over the past few years, she never seems to sleep.
An old but very effective rig has led to more bites than many other gadgets, gizmos, and thingamajigs over the past week. The tried and true split shot and plain hook can lead to more bites on a slow day. Don’t waste your time on draining the vexilar battery either. Tipping the rig with different size fatheads throughout the day is the most technical you will have to get. Simply drop the rig to bottom and lift up slightly. Personally I like to hole hop with this rig, and I don’t carry a rod holder system with me. You can usually find a sweet spot for the reel to rest on the ice while the tip of the rods is able to move without having much resistance. Let it sit and let the rod give you all the information you need. Give it a few minutes, rinse and repeat a small distance away. Unlike all of the jigging spoons a person might utilize, this rig will not call that many fish into you. Making small moves to holes nearby cannot be overlooked. There is something about this rig that brings me back to my youth, before the world got so crazy. Everyone needs a little break from screen time as well.