Fishing is better than ever all over Lake of the Woods despite the weather. Anglers have given nothing but great reports, and they're only going to get better.

Anglers at the Northwest Angle and Islands had great luck this week fishing with bottom bouncers and worm harnesses. Silver, gold and chartreuse were the hot colors to use when fishing for walleye.

Fishing on the Rainy River continues to produce steady results. Anglers are catching a nice mix of fish with northern and small-mouth bass joining in on the action.

Many anglers fishing the South Shore area this week filled their limits quickly with nice mixes of fish. Fishing the West end of Pine Island worked very well in 14-17 feet of water. The hottest colors and bait were gold with crawlers and minnows. The minnows are still jumping, which means good fishing.

If you are interested in seeing more about Lake of the Woods and learning some hot tips for your spring or summer fishing trip, be sure to tune into the Midwest Outdoors program airing on the Outdoor Channel, as well as your local station.

If you have any hot tips that you'd be willing to share with your fellow anglers, feel free to send e-mail to lakwoods@wiktel.com. Your tip could be the next tried by anglers all over Minnesota.

The big fish reported in the last week was a 38-inch northern released by Erick Schissler of St. Cloud. Joe Dewbre of Alexandria, Va., released a 36-inch northern, but kept the big walleye measured at 27-inches.