Vexilar FL 22 HD

This winter we have been busy moving fish houses, scouting new spots, and catching an awful lot of fish through the ice.  When it comes to finding fish, reading structure, and figuring out what is below the ice I can honestly say we would be blind without our Vexilars.  Many of us on Team LOA have been using the FL 22 HD and it has been an important tool in our ice fishing success and here is why....


With the evolution of the ice fishing industry in the last ten to twenty years, anglers across the country have become better and better at putting fish on the ice because of technology such as improved augers, GPS systems, ice shelters, lures, and the list goes on and on.  But in order to separate yourself and become one of the “best” at what you do or what are you are chasing under the ice, it comes down to one piece of technology that has been tried and true since it first came out, and that is the flasher.  It is a piece of technology that can simply tell you the story of what lies beneath that sheet of ice you are on.  Let me explain why.

Vexilar flashers have been around since 1960 and since then have been pioneers in the flasher industry.  Within the last year one of their flashers has emerged as a ice fishing tool that encompasses many of the features that can help you unlock the mystery under the ice and that is the FL-22HD.   


The Zoom Feature:
The ability to utilize the unit’s zoom features, both in 6 and 12 foot options,and in combination with the ¼ inch separation has been a recipe for putting fish on the ice.  The zoom feature is something that if you haven’t fished with it before you are missing out.  Having the ¼ target separation literally allows you to see if that walleye has its lips near your jigging spoon or lure.  Being someone who fished with an FL-8 for years, once I switched to this feature, I was blown away how much clearer of a picture it gives you of the fish’s mood and reactions towards your jigging cadence.  Having the ability to also switch between 6’ and 12’ allows you to also be versatile and focus in on those suspended fish, whether they are walleyes cruising, crappies suspended, or even tullibees.  


The Flat Screen  and Depth Range Features:
The unit provides a flat screen three color LED display featuring red as strong targets, orange as medium, and green as weak targets. Because of the six ten foot increment display, you are able to effectively match your depth range, which increases the resolution resulting in a crisper image of your lure and the mood of the fish towards it. 


Tri-Beam Transducer:
The feature that separates it from any other is its Tri-Beam transducer.  This transducer has a toggle switch mounted to the Vexilar casing that allows you, the fisherman, to switch between an 8/12/20 degree cone angle.  What this gives you is the option to be able to fish a wide array of water depths and yet adapting to what is beneath the ice giving you the best possible cone angle to fish within the water column. This unit really shines if you are shallow water angler.  Having the ability to have a large cone radius in shallower water simply allows you to pick up schools of fish sooner..  As a group of ice anglers at Leisure Outdoor Adventures, we find ourselves hunting fish of all species in the winter from walleyes to crappies, and this often times means cutting holes throughout the water column.  This simple tool allows us to hone in on schools of fish better and yet constantly adapt to the fishes movement and patterns.  


Durability:
If there is one thing as an ice fisherman you need with any of your equipment that is durability and the confidence your equipment is going to hold up to what mother nature has to throw at you.  The flashers produced by Vexilar come with various options for the flasher to be mounted on such as the Genz Pack, Pro Pack II, or Ultra Pack.  All are made with plastic meant to hold up to the ice, slush, and wear and tear equipment takes through the winter.  Another key feature is the amount of battery life you get when using these units.  Under the right conditions and with proper care and maintenance a Vexilar battery can last up to 30 hours without a charge, which simply gives you the peace of mind to fish harder or to know you can sit in that fish house for a weekend and not have to worry about running out of juice.  

This cutting edge technology has allowed our team now has the capability to adapt to any conditions and depth changes below the ice.  You can’t go wrong with this product and what it offers.  For more information, go to www.vexilar.com.   


**Helpful Vexilar Advice**

If you are marking and working a fish on your Vexilar and it backs away and goes back towards what looks like the bottom, it is actually more than likely that fish backing away from the lure off to the side of your hole and leaving your cone angle.  Take this into consideration when trying to trigger that fish into biting. 

Lake of the Woods Giant Pike Guide Trip

Leisure Outdoor Fishing Guide and big pike specialist Mike Crawford has been up on Lake of the Woods chasing monster pike.  If you have ever wanted to catch a trophy pike through the ice this is a trip for you!  Contact us at 855-562-4665 (LOA-HOOK) for complete details.

Make sure to check out the videos below!

Here is Mike's latest report:

The bite is on for giant pike.... I just arrived home from a few incredible days of fishing them on Lake of the Woods with some great friends, and wow, what a few days it was! We began fishing a deep water flat Thursday afternoon and it wasn’t long before we had our first giant of the year on the ice. A massive 44 incher that just couldn’t resist a Bigtooth Tackle fluorocarbon rig. From there, the bite was on! Over the next couple days, fishing was on fire and we were able to catch and release 12 more giant pike over that magical 40” mark, including many more between 36”-40”. Lucky for us, not only were the giant pike hungry in the deep water, but so was everything else, as we managed to catch a bunch of walleyes and a few bonus jumbo 13” perch. When targeting fish like this, remember the number one key is bait. The area we fished was loaded with bait and this was probably the reason so many big fish were in such a small area. Days like this are not uncommon on Lake of the Woods, which is why I spend the majority of my time and effort out there chasing these giant fish. Here are the photos!!!

"Get Hooked and Make a Memory!"
Jeff "Jiggy" Andersen

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.  

Leech Lake Fishing Report

Wow, what a busy weekend for LOA and the town of Walker. The last 10-14 days have been jam-packed with rentals, guided trips and just plain old fashioned winter time fun.  As far as the fishing, here is the most up to date report we have:

Walker Bay - Fishing has been very good for walleyes in Walker Bay.  Shoreline breaks and mid lake "humps" in 24-29 feet have been best.  The Sand and Cedar point area has been kicking out a few walleyes, along with some perch and an occasional pike.  Hot lures have been a Gold and Red Macho Minnow, or any simliar spoon that has glow or flash. Make sure you bring your Vexilar, as most fish have been hugging the bottom pretty tight.

    Cloudy days have provided an excellent mid day bite accompanied by your typical morning and evening prime time hours.  The high pressure system that moved in mid week along with the colder temps didn't seem to affect the fishing very much at all.  Ice conditions have improved in the bay and we are finding a consistent 12-13 inches of ice almost everywhere we have traveled.  Most are still moving around on ATV's and small vehicles, but some full size truck traffic is starting to show up as the week progresses.



Main Lake - the best perch action has been found in the Grand View flats area as well as around Goose Island in 9-12 ft.  The main perch bite is still a ways off, but people are finding enough to sort through and keep for a meal or two.  Walleye action has been decent during the morning and evening hours in these places as well.  Gold Macho minnows and Flyer Spoons have been working best for walleyes, and small spoons in glow Red or Green have been the go-to for perch.  The majority of people have been accessing the lake through "The Shores of Pine Point" resort.  Ice conditions on the main lake are very good, with most places reporting 14+ inches of ice. The little amount of snow we have has allowed anglers to travel off road to hit all of their favorite "hot spots".  Looks like we may have some coming this weekend, so stay tuned for further reports on travel conditions.




We still have fish house rentals available.  If you would like to rent a house or spend a day on the lake with one of our fishing guides, give us a call at 855-LOA-HOOK and book your next memory!

Walleyes and the Vikings!

Well yesterday as I was sitting in the truck on the way up north to the famed walleye factor we call Upper Red Lake, I was torn whether I should be sitting at home getting ready to watch the Border Battle between the our beloved Vikings and the Packers or putting the hurt bag on some Red Lake walleyes.  Then it dawned on me why not catch walleyes,enjoy Paul Allen on the radio, and enjoy both worlds.  Mission accomplished!

We arrived to West Wind Resort, paid our $10 road fee, and set out to find some walleyes for the frying pan.  The lake had a solid 15-17" of ice everywhere we went.  When we stopped and got bait, the cashier asked us if we are going to go and join the other 3000 fish houses on Red Lake.  I kind of laughed, but when pulled out onto the ice, I realize he wasn't kidding, now there wasn't 3000 houses, but there was a small city out there.  Now I am not one to fish amongst the crowd so we headed out about three miles and veered away from the masses.  The driving conditions are great on the lake right now, allowing you to travel all over the lake.  Obviously be aware of pressure ridges and ice heaves, and when you stop in ask the resorts.

We found the area we wanted to go and set up for the morning.  It couldn't have been two minutes after we got set up, Jim Ernster said "fish on" in my Jason Mitchell Thermal X, which by the way is one of the best two man portables on the market because of its durability, fishable space, and its full thermal protection from the cold and wind, which was a big part to our success on Upper Red.  Throw in the ability of the Thermal X with the use of our new Portable Buddy Heaters from Mr. Heater (View Website Here), which are easy to use, pack up nicely and tight, and keep you and and your hands warm making fishing much more enjoyable.  If you don't own one of these heaters or have never tried one you are simply missing out on the comfort they provide anglers on the ice across the country.

 From that point on the five of us worked through and sorted through quite a few fish.  We finished the day with our five limits of great eating sized walleyes and a few bonus pig perch thrown in.  The action was decent and it was enough to keep us busy in the portables and allowed for enough bantering back and forth. We had to make a few moves, but ultimately the hard work paid off.

The fish were not responding very well to the jigging spoons.  The fish that did take the spoons, had to be enticed and coaxed.  Remember to keep them chasing and focus in on our cadence.  I found as the day went on that a subtle jiggle and inch or two pull away from the fish is what got them to hit.  Also constantly switching up spoons, colors, and sizes often times got that reaction bite.  The Jason Mitchell 28" Walleye Rod was the ticket and has enough sensitivity to feel that slight pull or change in your cadence when a walleye hits your lure.  As the day went on though, the dead sticks out produced the jigging spoons.  The jigging spoons brought them in and often times they would hit our dead sticks that were either a plain hook/split shot or glow jig.  Now you tell me, what is more fun than watching your bobber disappear down the hole? :)  Our best action came in about 10-12' of water.  Another thing to not overlook is utilizing pressure ridges and ice heaves as ambush locations for fish.  These often times provide a change of light under the ice, but also a place for predators to trap bait fish.  This is something to we put to good use, but use caution, park away from them, and check the ice where you want to fish before setting up.

Our best bite ironically enough started about 2:00PM and lasted well into the Vikings game! So listening to the Vikings and catching walleyes became a reality this day and an awful lot of fun.  At one point, I heard "AP all day" from Pablo's shelter and a whole lot of screaming.

Here is a picture of Matt(MVP for the day) and our buddy Pablo with a nice batch of walleyes and posing next to a mower that Pablo painted a few years ago.

A day trip well worth it!  Walleyes on the ice, the Vikings won, beat the Packers, and are in the playoffs!  More importantly memories were made!

The fishing on Leech Lake has also been very good, with many limits of walleyes being caught and some perch starting to show up.  We have permanent houses on the lake, guides busy finding the hot bite.  For any of your ice fishing needs in the Leech Lake and Brainerd areas be sure to give us a call! (855-LOA-Hook (855-562-4665) 

Until then
SKOL VIKINGS!

Area Ice Conditions - 12/17/2012

Brainerd Area -

Small Area Lakes - Many smaller lakes in the Brainerd area have taken a hit with the recent wet snowfall.  Areas of slush and wet conditions remain a concern for many anglers.  Before the snow some of the small lakes had 5-7" of ice.  Be very careful yet if you decide to venture out.

371 Bay on North Long - ice here seems to be in better shape with depths ranging from 4-7".  Anglers have been out for around 3 weeks now. 

Gull Lake - ice is finally starting to be made.  The southeast end has 3-5" while areas on the north end are in the 2-4" range.  Conditions are varied so make sure and use extreme caution.

 

Leech Lake Area -

Main Lake - Ice conditions are shaping up nicely.  A solid 8-10" of ice is being found on the NW side towards Pine Point, Goose Island and Sucker Bay.  Stoney Point is reporting roughly the same.  Caution is still advised however, as a few pressure ridges and heaves are starting to flex with the drastic changes in temps.

Walker Bay - caution advised as it has only been capped with ice for a week.  Only 2-4" is being found on the south end.   The north end towards Sand Point is roughly 3-5" thick.

Small Area Lakes - anywhere from 6-10 inches on many of the small lakes depending on snow and slush conditions.  ATV and Snowmobiles are being used on many of these lakes.

 

Bemidji and Red Lake Area -

Lake Bemidji - ice ranging from 6-10" with some spots having less or more. 

Cass Lake - ice on the main part of the lake is ranging from 4-7" - with more ice being found in the Allens Bay area.

Plantagenet - ice conditions are being reported on the north end of 6-8", same for the south end.  ATV traffic is starting to be used for moving around.

Red Lake - may be the thickest ice in the area.  ATV and snowmobile traffic are the norm with all outfitters and guides reporting rentals are out and available.  Some smaller vehicle traffic is being used as well, but still not advised. 

 

- Call 855-LOA-HOOK if you would like to get out with any of our LOA guides!

- Don't forget to visit and "Like" us on Facebook to make sure you see all our featured updates!

 

 

First Ice Findings

LOA guides Jeff "Jiggy" Andersen and Chuck Hasse spent a little time over the past few days in search of finding some fishable ice in the area.  After a few cold nights, a scouting mission or two, and a few phone calls they each had plans set in place to head out on their first frozen water adventure of the new season.

With not too many local options to choose from, Jeff and his good friend Jason Mitchell packed up for quick trip to Devils Lake, ND with hopes of getting their fill of super-sized jumbo perch.  It wasn't long after arriving, and they struck gold.  Limits of 11-12" with an occasional fish over 13" thumped the ice all day long, along with an occasional "bonus" walleye from time to time.  What a great way to start the season, hitting the century mark on pig Devils Lake Perch!  Immediately following, they jumped in the truck for the long drive ahead to make their appearance at the St. Paul Ice Show.  Stop in and say "hi" if you see them. You can see and hear more of Jeff's report below:

Meanwhile, closer to home, Chuck set out on Leech Lake to chase some Walleyes under the full moon.  It's very much worth noting that Leech Lake is a little unusual as far as first ice from other area lakes. Walker Bay still remains wide open as of now, but the main lake has been ice covered for the better part of a week.  After checking the ice, enough 4-5" clear ice was found to make their way out to one of Chuck's favorite early ice spots.  As the full moon peeked itself from the horizon, the walleyes turned on with a vengeance.  Many nice slot fish and eaters were pulled from the holes over the next few hours.  They ended up leaving with enough marble eyes for a good size meal, and a few picture fish as well.  Here's a few highlights from the first ice trip from Chuck...

Please keep in mind, no ice is safe ice....no matter what the conditions are.  The MN DNR recommends a solid 4" of clear, solid ice before venturing out by foot.  6+ inches is recommended for atv or snowmobile traffic.  Its also a very good idea to bring a buddy when you make those first few trips of the year. LOA always takes all precautions when making that first ice trip of the season. 

If you would like to get out on the ice with one of our LOA guides, give us a call at 855-LOA-HOOK

 

Last Call for Late Fall

Last Call Fun For the LOA Guide Team

   Through Wind, Rain, Snow or Sleet, a few of us at LOA still refuse to put the boat away for the season.  If you are like me, procrastination and refusal to admit the open water season is coming to an end allows us to get a few extra weeks in of great fall fishing.  This is also a time many of our guides here at LOA get a chance to get out and fish with one another, a chance we do not get too often! 

  
  
    On Leech Lake and Gull, fish are being found concentrated on and along shore breaklines,  as well as in clusters clinging to the last of the remaining weed growth on shallow sand flats.  Presentations have been very simple, a standard 1/8 oz Vegas style Northland jig tipped with a rainbow or big fathead has been taking most fish.  This setup fished vertically at peak times of the day has been the go-to for the late fall fisherman.  The water right now is VERY clear, so early morning and late evening have been the best times for active fish, just as you would fish them through the ice. 

   
   
   
     These last few nice days have been a great opportunity to get out and plant one last echo of those screaming drags into our minds, run stabil through our gas tanks, and simply just enjoy being the only other boat on the lake before winter sets in.  Above all else, it's also been a good scouting tool in the fact we are able to locate some of those haunts that will hold good numbers of fish come first ice. As you already know, the ice season is very near, give us a call at 855-LOA-HOOK and book your next winter ice fishing expedition with one of our LOA guides today!

 

Clam Elite Hunter Ground Blind

Stealth and Comfort the Name of the Game

Clam Outdoors Elite Hunter Ground Blind

When it comes to hunting, the two key components that often dictate success or failure in the hunt are your ability to remain stealth and have the comfort you need while waiting for your trophy buck or turkey.  Today’s ground blind market is flooded with choices that offer different sizes, camo patterns and components.  However, with the Clam Outdoors Elite Hunter Ground Blind, you have one that stands out above the rest.  When you think of Clam, you think of quality.  Clam has taken its knowledge of building portable ice houses and hub shelters and put it to use in creating a ground blind that is not only well built, but stealthy and comfortable for any hunter’s needs.

The Elite Hunter Ground Blind is built to lock horns with mother nature’s elements and come out on top!  To start, the blind is made with 11mm flex tested poles and large hub assemblies that can stand to high winds and provide a stable structure for hunting.  Additionally, a 600 Denier Fabric, has been welded together to create a canvas that keeps the heat inside the blind to provide a warm and comfortable hunting environment.  The fabric is fire retardant which will allow you to run a small heater inside to add to your comfort.  Ultimately when it comes to sitting in a blind during early morning hunts, staying warm can be vital to remaining alert and at the ready when listening and looking for that trophy buck or turkey.  

When setting up the blind, there are no poles to sort through or spend time trying to figure out how to get it set up by turning it this way and that.  This blind sets up easily in just a few minutes. Simply pull out on the loops and work your way in a circular motion around the blind.  Once you have all four sides popped out and the roof set, you can stake and tie down the blind to provide additional support.  One of the features that separates it from the other blinds are the rows of elastic that run along the outside of the blind.  Utilizing these a hunter can attach local camouflage his or her blind for a more authentic concealment pattern.  Everything from sticks, prairie grasses, to even cattails will work with this feature.  By doing this you up the chances that you will not be seen by the wise old buck or wary gobbler.

Once inside this blind you have multiple options to choose from for shooting and viewing windows.  The blind is set up for both bow hunters and gun hunters alike.  Clam has provided you with various sizes of windows and different angles to shoot or view from.  The key to these windows is the ability of the hunter to be able to adapt their size and to open them with extreme silence, helping you from spooking any game nearby.  The windows utilize silent magnets and a system of loops and hooks to hold up the windows.  The other advantage to these windows is you have the ability to set them to the size you wish to use.  Having these options allows you to easily see the area you are hunting as well as give you the ability to move and change your shot at a moments notice without that deer or turkey noticing your movements.  Throw in numerous pockets to hold all of your hunting gear, snacks, and tools have you have a hunter’s paradise inside.  

If you are looking for a blind that allows you to hunt comfortably, room to bring your hunting buddy along, versatility, and the ability to create a stealthy and comfortable hunting set up, then the Clam Outdoors Elite Hunter Ground Blind is exactly what you need to put that trophy on the wall and to help give you that memory of a lifetime.  

To see more on the Clam Outdoors Elite Hunter Ground Blind watch the video showing all its awesome features and how to set it up while in the field.