Ice Shots 2014: Another Huge Success!

Leisure Outdoor Adventures along with Chase on the Lake helped host the third annual Ice Shots Media Event.  “Ice Shots” is an organized media event which allows top media talent to gain content  to fulfill their media needs for the up and coming season.  Companies like In-Fisherman, Outdoor News, F&W Publication, Up North Inc, and many more were in attendance this year.  Ice Shots serves as a springboard into the hard water season for the next year giving these writers and photographers a sneak peak at some of the new and cutting edge products and technology coming out the next season from sponsors like Clam Outdoors and Vexilar.  Media are also given the opportunity to gain ideas for future articles and content for their future publications, photographs of products, ice fishing pros in action, as well as their own opportunity to fish and experience what this great sport is all about.

From the time they show up to the time they say their goodbyes, everyone from the Pros to the Media are given a first class experience.  With the help of the Chase on the Lake Resort everyone is given

incredible hospitality, dine on delicious food, and the comfort of a relaxing and one of a kind environment.   This year we were treated with awesome weather and conditions to help fill the memory cards and brain banks of every person who was invited, whether it was the shots of jumbo perch, huge crappies, the infamous eel pout, new product, or just the opportunity to watch the sun set on beautiful Leech Lake with the likes of Dave Genz, Jason Mitchell, Jeff Andersen, and the rest of the best in the ice fishing industry who proudly wear the colors of Clam and Vexilar.  This is truly an experience and something all media who cover ice fishing should consider putting on their calendars.  There isn’t another event that provides a first class and one of kind experience from the time you walk in the door to the final hand shakes and hugs good bye.

We want to thank Clam Outdoors and Vexilar for being gracious sponsors and taking their time to drive up to Leech Lake and help put on another incredible event.   Both of these companies set the

Nick Chiodo, Jeff "Jiggy" Andersen, Jason Mitchell and Dave Genz

bar and standard in the ice fishing industry and we are very lucky to be able to work with them for this event but also throughout the season.  Many relationships were built and grew this year at this awesome event.  Success can be measured in so many ways whether it is all the work put into and during the event, the endless amounts of photographs, videos, and article ideas that were thrown out of the course of three days you simply can’t put a number of how much is really accomplished for everyone involved.  Throw in the friendships, smiles, and laughs that are constantly being shown throughout the event, you have something we feel is one of a kind and truly unique to anything else in the country.  

For an opportunity to take part in “Ice Shots 2015” please contact Jeff at jeffa@leisureoutdooradventures.com

Until Next Year

The Leisure Outdoor Adventures Team

Clam Outdoors/Vexilar/Ice Team

Some Other Pics from the Event

The group set up for a morning of Jumbo Perch fishing on Leech Lake

Fellow Iowans  Ice Team Pro Kevan Paul and LOA Guide and President Jason Freed

Fish Fry on the Ice.  Thanks to Bob and Ginny Riege as well as Bob Auel and LOA Guide Jim Ernster for putting this on.

Ice Team Pros Matt Breuer and Dave Genz

 

Vexilar Specialist Corey Studer and Ice Team Pro Scott Seibert

Lake of the Woods Ice Team Trip

I just returned home from an Ice Team give-a-way fishing trip that was given away at the St. Paul Ice Show.  Fellow Ice Team member Jason Hamilton, Steve Geertsen, his son Owen, and myself got to share the ice with the winners, Dustin and Bryce, a father son duo.

Our destination was the Morson Area of Lake of the Woods which is located in Ontario approx. 45 minutes from Baudette.  Our home base was Tolen's Pelican Landing (Click Here).  This is an area I have spent many years fishing but only during the soft water period.

Bryce and Dustin with a LOTW Monster Crappie

Tolen's lodge owner Robert said the fishing had been good when we arrived.  With sharp hooks, fresh drilling arms, full gas tanks, and eager spirits we headed out into the reef filled Lake of the Woods.  Our game plan was to go out and have a great time setting the hook.  Not necessarily to catch the largest fish to start things off.

Prior to Dustin and Bryce arriving we had the chance to do a little pre fishing.  Robert had an area that had been holding some fish and we ended up fishing there for a few hours the evening before the guys arrived.  It was good as we caught several walleyes and crappies.  So that's were we started.

We drilled out the main lake point location and it wasn't happening.  I mean the fish weren't there at that moment.  Game On I thought to myself!  The night prior I had studied some locations that I wanted to fish and told the guys, "I'm going to head to a new spot to search out some fish!"  Dustin, winner of the give-a-way, said, "You're not leaving me behind.  I'm coming with."  Sweet a guy that likes to move and groove.  Off we went.  Jason Hamilton and I drilled a 20 hole set in a feeding area or what appeared to be a feeding area of a main lake rock reef.  We started to fish and the screen lit up!  After setting the hook on a 13, 13.5 and 14 inch crappie I told Dustin I better go get the other guys!  I mean these were monster crappies.  We gathered up the boys and the hooks sets didn't slow down.  Walleye, crappie, perch, pike, small mouth bass, and on and on.  We fished this area for several hours and the urge to set the hook was over satisfied if that is possible?

The guys, Dustin and Bryce, wanted to explore and chase down a larger walleye.  We ended up fishing several reefs.  Most had fish and some more then the other, but no giant walleyes.  We ended the day with buckets full of fish.

We arrived back at camp and Robert and crew put together an awesome meal.  You could see the smiles for all the anglers as this is what fishing is all about.  A successful day catching fish, great memories and new friends.

The next day started on a reef, called Suzette Reef, were I had fished with my dad many years ago when he told us, our Mother Suzette had cancer.  It was an emotional day filled full of big walleyes and we have now named that reef "Suzette Reef".  (Click Here for that Story)  We caught a few fish but nothing crazy so on we went.  Searching as a group.  We had a great day moving, catching lots of fish, but still no giant walleyes.

We ended in Robert's spot and just as the sun hit the trees Bryce hooked up.  He landed a giant walleye and shortly after Dustin landing a dandy!

Bryce with a Monster Walleye to end the Trip!

Couldn't have ended a better way!

Clam Pro Tackle Blade Spoon!

As many of you know I'm not a hype guy when it comes to presentation.  I want a lure that simply works.  Part of that is understanding that lures triggering qualities.  I have been fishing with the Clam Blade Spoon this entire winter and it has been on fire.  The really cool thing is this lure caught every fish for the two days on Lake of the Woods.  It was simply the hot lure!




Book a Guided Fishing Trip with Leisure Outdoor Adventures Fishing Team at www.LeisureOutdoorAdventures.com  We are providing guided fishing trips on many lakes including the Brainerd Lakes Area, Gull Lake, Whitefish Chain, North Long, Pelican along with the Leech Lake Area.

Good Luck Fishing!

Jiggy Andersen

Here are a few other shots from the trip.

Jason Hamilton with a big LOTW Crappie

Tolen's Pelican Landing 

Book a Guided Fishing Trip with Leisure Outdoor Adventures Fishing Team at www.LeisureOutdoorAdventures.com  We are providing guided fishing trips on many lakes including the Brainerd Lakes Area, Gull Lake, Whitefish Chain, North Long, Pelican along with the Leech Lake Area.

Be our friend on Facebook at Leisure Outdoor Facebook Page

Call 855-LOA-HOOK to book your guided fishing trip today!

Minnesota Musky Hunt with On the Road with LOA

We are super excited about our online video series called On the Road with LOA.  We are going to be featuring several typed of videos that include Adventure Series, Guide Chronicles, Destinations and LOA Guide Tips.

Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel by clicking here. On the Road with LOA YouTube

In the first installment of the Adventure Series LOA guide Jeff "Jiggy"Andersen takes us on a November Musky Hunt.  Our goal is to bring you RAW fishing trips that feature ups and downs in figuring out the bite.  Not always a perfect production but real in nature to show you how we get it done.

Please give us a thumbs up!!!





Book a Guided Fishing Trip with Leisure Outdoor Adventures Fishing Team at www.LeisureOutdoorAdventures.com  We are providing guided fishing trips on many lakes including the Brainerd Lakes Area, Gull Lake, Whitefish Chain, North Long, Pelican along with the Leech Lake Area.

Be our friend on Facebook at Leisure Outdoor Facebook Page

Call 855-LOA-HOOK to book your guided fishing trip today!

Fall Pursuits

The LOA team has been both in the woods and on the water enjoying some time to ourselves.  When fishing walleyes we have been focusing on rigging minnows along steep breaks.  Water temps were 44-46 degrees over the weekend and will continue to fall with lows at night dipping into the 20's in northern Minnesota.  Muskie guys are still out and about as well.  With temps falling a lot of guys are slowing down the presentations, think Rapala Glidin Rap or other baits that allow a slow retrieve.

Paul Manecke with a healthy eye from one of the smaller lakes in the Brainerd Lakes Area

Deer have been on the move as well and some of our guides have been in the bow stand with good success.  Not many bucks have showed themselves yet but does have been abundant and some nice ones have been taken.

                                                              

Wherever your passion leads you, be it the woods or water, get out there and 'make a memory!'.

Last remnants of fall fishing...

The fish are on the move on Leech lake for sure; be sure to be active in trying to find them.  Play the wind to start with depending on the wind and cloud cover you can find them as shallow as 4-5 FOW or as deep as 10-12 FOW on the main lake.  When fishing the main lake, shallower water, stick with a jig and minnow (either shiner or rainbow).  If you are rigging in the bays fish have been found anywhere from 20-35 FOW.  Don't be afraid to throw on a jigging spoon or a jiggin rap at these deep water fish as well.  There is still time to get out there and 'Make a memory!' Here on some fish from this week:

To book the fishing adventure of a lifetime call 1-855-LOA-HOOK

Oct.15th Leech Lake report

The fall bite on Leech Lake continues to be very good.  Nothing fancy needed to put fish in the boat, find a point where the wind is blowing in and fish it!  Pine point, Duck and Ottertail have all been consistent.  1/8th ounce jig, rainbow minnows are all that are needed.  The flats that extend around Goose Island have produced a good mix of keepers and some bigger ones as well.  As the sun peeks out you can hit the deeper structure in Walker Bay with a lindy rig and a rainbow or a redtail to catch some bigger fish.  Key depths, depending on wind and sun, have been 22-35 feet.  While the weather can be frightful at times, you need to get out there to have a chance to make a memory! Here are just a couple of the fish that have seen the inside of an LOA boat this past week:

For more information or tips feel free to email us at jime@leisureoutdooradventures.com or
call 1-855-LOA-HOOK to book the trip of a lifetime.

Minnesota Musky Guide Report and Photos

Musky bite in Minnesota has been in full swing!  I have had so many great musky guide trips in September and the early part of October it's hard to keep them all straight.  With being apart of a huge tournament win (Read Here), catching one of the largest muskies while filming with In-Fisherman TV, to putting guide clients on their first or biggest muskies it's been a fun ride!  To add to it we have been catching almost every fish on a new lure I designed called the Bigtooth Tackle "KLACK" Bait.  We will be releasing it this spring.  Here are a few highlights...

Enjoy the photos!  Jiggy

In-Fisherman Filming (First fish was caught on the Bigtooth Clack Bait)

Clark Wallace with a Minnesota Giant Fall Musky on the Bigtooth Clack Bait.  Clark and I fished two days together and boated three muskies.  He caught his first figure 8 fish and this giant!

Randy Blake had fished muskies for many years and still was searching for his first 50 incher.  We got the deal done in two days with a 52 incher along with three others including two 49 inchers and one of the prettiest 45 inchers I have seen.

Brett Andrich with his first 50 incher which measured 53.  We caught two others this day along with loosing a monster at the boat.

A three fish guide trip.  Back to Back 47 inchers.  One was a super stoker of a fish.  Fun times!

Father Daughter Duo, Steve and Alyssa, with her first musky.  She said she is ready for a 50 incher now!!!

Book a Guided Fishing Trip with Leisure Outdoor Adventures Fishing Team at www.LeisureOutdoorAdventures.com  We are providing guided fishing trips on many lakes including the Brainerd Lakes Area, Gull Lake, Whitefish Chain, North Long, Pelican along with the Leech Lake Area.

Be our friend on Facebook at Leisure Outdoor Facebook Page

Call 855-LOA-HOOK to book your guided fishing trip today!

Minnesota Walleye Alliance Tourney

It all started with an email, Do you want to fish in the Walleye Alliance tourney with me? I was lucky enough to partner up with fellow LOA teammate/Owner Toby Kvalevog. Toby has fished the Walleye Alliance Classic for about the past 10 years, he has been fortunate enough to to place in the top 10 several times, and take home the title a couple times too. I would be crazy to pass up this opportunity. He kept things simple for me and said “meet me at my house at 545am and I will take care of the rest”. The questions in my head started to mount, what to bring, what to wear, what to eat, etc? It was like I was a kid going on a field trip for the day, but this was serious stuff, I’m fishing in a tournament with a seasoned professional. Now I was getting nervous, what if I knock off a nice fish, what if I lose the big one, etc? The morning arrived, with zero sleep, I was at Toby’s house 5:45am. Toby’s first comment too me was, “ Are you fired up”? That set the tone for the day, I was fired up. We arrived at the landing, I backed in the boat and parked the truck, Toby picked me up at the Elks Camp. The morning was beautiful, light breeze, blue skies and a brisk 44 degrees on the water. The plan for the morning start was for me to use lindy rig with a 6 inch chub with power pro line. Toby had an arsenal of sticks ready, one with a jigging rap, another with a lindy rig, and a jig with a long shank. We baited my hook with the minnow and set it in the live well, I was armed and ready. The first spot we arrived at Toby gave me two rules to remember for the day. Rule number one, we will only fish “marked fish” on the Lowrance. Rule number two, we will not fish memories, please remind me of that all day. That seemed pretty simple. We set ­up on a spot, Toby said there are fish here, let’s get it on. Within minutes, Toby yells fish on, he tells me to drop the rod and grab the net. It was bizarre to me how he was literally standing up and the rod above his head. He said using a jigging rap these walleyes will swim up towards the boat, straight up, so tight lines are key, plus i needed to net this 18.75 inch walleye without knocking it off. Toby said, net it from behind, the small hooks lose fish easy. We are on the board. Within five minutes Toby had another 16 incher in the boat on the same jigging rap, same spot. Talk about excitement, and then it was that moment when I got my first bite. I gave it line, lots of line, heck this was a 6 inch creek chub. Toby reminded me that I need to keep tip up, then start reeling, DO NOT SET HOOK until you feel the fish. I started reeling and fish on, then off. Dang it, I just lost one!! Toby reminded me to slow down and breathe; I was crushed. I asked myself did I cost the team a nice fish? Toby pointed out everything was fine, just slow down on the reel. At that time, Toby yells, fish on, drop your rod and get the net. “This is a monster” he says. Now when a seasoned professional says monster fish,. It sent me into cardiac arrest or caused me a thought to commit a Harry Carey. As he is getting the fish closer to the boat, I see a flash and say, holy sh**! The fish makes a run, at that time Toby feeds it line and reminds me to do the same when I get a big boy today. As the fish surfaces, I get the net under it and we set it in the boat. I was amazed at the size of this walleye, it was huge! It measured just under 29 inches. Toby and I high fived, I was shaking so much I couldn't hold my rod.

When I finally grabbed my rod, which at the time had some dead weight, I gave it line, closed the bail and yelled, fish on. It was now my turn, it wasn't big, but at 14 inches and just like that I was on the board. Meanwhile, Toby was doing surgery on the 28 incher to take the air out of its belly. That way it would live, I didn't have time to watch, I needed to catch fish. It was then I felt the the famous slow pull of a walleye, I went through the steps Toby had taught me and proceeded to lay into another walleye. It was a dandy, it kept fighting, I was doing great as Toby coached me through it, until I decided to pull the fish towards the net man, and clink, fish lost. This was a perfect time for my partner to constructively criticize my poor technique. Toby offered another tip, let the net man come to you. That was the last time I would lose a fish all day, and I made myself a promise to not let the team down again. Still, we had three fish in the tank, with one over 20 inches( AKA “The Hawg”). After we got back on the spot, Toby decided he would catch another dandy, it was 21.5 inches and it was fat. At this point it was about 845 am, and we needed 2 more fish under 20 inches to be in a comfortable spot. I felt a decent a pull on the line and set the hook, “it’s a dandy” I said, Toby reminded me to be disciplined in the fundamentals( the guy sounds like Vince Lombardi). I kept steady, meanwhile I saw it was decent, oh boy, I feed it line as it ran again, here it comes and it was pure adrenaline when we landed it in the net. It was 22.5 inches. Yes, we upgraded, but still need 2 more fishunder 20 inches. We spent the next 45 minutes searching areas, then we spotted more fish, we set down our lines, Toby decided he will use a live rig with a redtails, and BOOM, he says fish on. He is a cool cat under pressure, very disciplined in every facet of tournament fishing. I netted the 19.75 incher and it was bleeding. Toby says, reel up we need to get her into the weigh station. Off we go, Doug Erickson of Walleye Alliance is there and I ran up to the weigh station and it weighed in 2.36lbs. We were officially on the board! Doug yells out to Toby, “hows the day going?” Toby says, “we got a dandy”. Doug smiles like a proud friend would. So we set back out on Pelican lake knowing we have to catch more fish under 20 inches to fill our bag limit for the tourney, yet the pressure of knowing we could win it all started to mount. I jumped back in the boat, we were now on a mission that would cause stress for the next 5 hours. The time was 11am and we had until 4pm to get one under for our 6 fish limit. At this point Toby figured we had close to 16 lbs in our bag, his gut feeling was we needed to get that next fish to seal the deal. We checked about 12 spots and didn't mark a fish on the north end. Then we buzzed to Goat Island, marked a few, missed one on a jig ( even the top dawg misses fish), than we decided to turn on the Vikings game, then look for more fish spots.
We returned to the morning hot spot, found our school, had returned in full force and it was game on! The clock read 3:00 PM and we sensed we still needed that 6th fish, which needed to be under 20 inches. Tap, Tap, thud, my line started to run sideways, I closed the bail, then reeled and set the hook, it was a chunky 4lb largemouth. Then for the next ten minutes we proceeded to catch largemouth after largemouth, which is fun, but they don't sign a check at the end of the day in a walleye tournament. We moved out deeper and Toby said, “lets tail hook those redtails, Hop”. I dropped my line down again and thud, I had a bite , reeled it in, 14 inches, which is too small. Toby proceeded to catch another 14 incher, these were not the fish we needed. The clock read 3:48PM. All of a sudden I got a solid bite, I gave it a good 10 seconds and remembered everything Toby had taught me, when the line tightens up, rod tip in the air, start reeling, feel the fish, set the hook, boom! I said this is decent; best case scenario is it is a 23 or 24, then we upgrade, next best is it is a 17­, 18 maybe 19 incher. The fish surfaces, Toby says, that fish will seal this victory, I know it! And it was just that, 17.75 inches! Toby gives me an atta boy fist pump. I look down at the clock and see 3:54pm, it was time to weigh these walleyes and see if we pulled off the 2013 WAC on Pelican with a shot at the title. The day ended with a 1st place victory. We ended with 17.44lbs, we had the biggest fish of the tourney and we won the calcutta cause we bet on ourselves to win it all. It was a great day, some may say it was luck, others may say it was skill. Whatever you call it is was fun! What I learned about fishing is to find fish, than fish them, with everything in your toolbox. Remember, don't fish memories, because that is the only thing you will catch.