As I post this I'm reminded of the City Mouse visiting his cousin Country Mouse. I'm from way down on the Gulf Coast here in Texas and spend my free time (when I'm not raising kids) chasing speckled trout and spanish mackerel in the surf, flounder and sheepshead in the bays and red snapper in the gulf. That and hunting all these delicious hogs !! I never go anywhere without at least one child :)



I am heading up to the BWCA for 9 days with my young teenage son for the 1st time this year (end of July, begining of August). To say I will feel out of place is an understatement. I'm used to floating on the blue waters of the Gulf, chumming up big kings, with the temp in the 100's and humidity to match. So this trip to the BWCA is a little intimidating.

I won't even think about asking anyone for their favorite spots or waters...I just want some honest advice.

In the timeframe we're heading up there....what types of water & structure (ie, conditions) do I need to look for in order to have a chance at some good fishing days for Walleye, Pike and Smallmouth? None of which I have ever fished for or caught.

Can you point me in the right direction? :)

Welcome aboard Boarstaker, That is a very nice boar and Mackerel.
You will catch all the fish you want by one simple time tested method. Use a hook, splitshot, slip bobber and a minnow or leech. Set it off the bottom about one foot for Walleyes. You can also use Daredevils or Rapala's for Pike or Bass. Use a Thrill lighted bobber for fishing at night from shore. It is fun to watch the bobber and sit by the fire at night.

I don’t think you need to worry too much about being skunked, but what lakes do you plan on visiting? There is some species info at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/index.html.

Bait fishing !! Now that I understand :) I have planned on entering at EP25 and coming out at EP16. Yes, maybe a bit of a wimp by getting a towboat up as far as I can but I want to get up there and see allot.

So the Ely area. There is a bait shop owner that sponsors this site and posts here called The Great Outdoors (Jim). You might want to stop in for a chat, although he will probably tell you the same thing as Savage Voyageur. I am not affiliated with that business. The bonus about his shop is that it shares a parking lot with the bottle shop, if that is your thing.

Be sure to take a couple of your favorite topwater lures for the dawn and dusk topwater smallmouth bites. You and your son will absolutely love the explosive surface strikes! That time of year the submerged mid-lake humps are your best bets, but if you can't find those just move offshore from an island until you can no longer see bottom.

quote Boarstalker: "As I post this I'm reminded of the City Mouse visiting his cousin Country Mouse. I'm from way down on the Gulf Coast here in Texas and spend my free time (when I'm not raising kids) chasing speckled trout and spanish mackerel in the surf, flounder and sheepshead in the bays and red snapper in the gulf. That and hunting all these delicious hogs !! I never go anywhere without at least one child :)



I am heading up to the BWCA for 9 days with my young teenage son for the 1st time this year (end of July, begining of August). To say I will feel out of place is an understatement. I'm used to floating on the blue waters of the Gulf, chumming up big kings, with the temp in the 100's and humidity to match. So this trip to the BWCA is a little intimidating.

I won't even think about asking anyone for their favorite spots or waters...I just want some honest advice.

In the timeframe we're heading up there....what types of water & structure (ie, conditions) do I need to look for in order to have a chance at some good fishing days for Walleye, Pike and Smallmouth? None of which I have ever fished for or caught.

Can you point me in the right direction? :)




"

I would point you to Saganaga, its big water but theres so many islands it really not so intimidating, and you ( Will ) catch every fish you just mentioned and more .

Thanks for all the help here. The exposed island/surface bite on smallmouths sounds like allot of fun. I have not seen moving water in over 20 years so I'll spend allot of time in the Basswood Falls area (hoping) and then heading over to Crooked Lake, etc. I'm not looking for big fish, just fish. Anyone ever fish with the crayfish up there for bait in moving water?

Although an excellent fresh water bait, I have not used crayfish in the BW. Also, you would likely have to trap your own on site.

As for structure, you can usually find submerged humps using a topo map of the lake. Go to the DNR Lake Finder for printable maps. The site will also give some indication of what species are resident in each lake. Also, fish the points that extend into the lake, visible weedlines, and downed trees along the shoreline. As for tackle, I would suggest medium fresh water rods & reels, either spinng or bait casters. I prefer a 20 to 30 lb braid such as PowerMax, with a 15 lb fluro leader. Number 4 or 6 light wire hooks should suffice for live bait. Most popular lures include Mepps Spinners, curly tail grubs on a 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig head, Rapala shad raps, husky jerks & tail dancers, rattle traps, dare devil spoons, and Berkly Alive leaches and grubs.

Good luck and welcome to the site. I love ocean fishing so please post more stories and pictures of your gulf coast adventures.

Welcome to the site boarstalker. I don't think you'll be disapointed with the fishing in the B-dub. You'll get alot of excellent advice from the members here and send us more pictures from you're adventures. Good luck to ya.

Boarstaker, I'm from your neck of the woods (Corpus Christi), though now in Georgia. My son and I went to the BW with friends for the first time last year. Leaches on split-shot caught all the smallmouth we could handle. My son brought one bass spinnerbait with him to much teasing from his northern friends. However, that one spinnerbait (white and chartreuse) killed the pike. He caught 5-6 pike per day until he lost it on a 40-incher on our last day. The lesson to us: don't be afraid to throw what you know - it's as much the presentation as the bait. A broken-back MirrOlure would work just as well up there since you know how to fish it. Good luck!

Nothing wrong with taking a tow thru the motor zone, gets you where you want to go a lot faster. Many choices to use, but I would say money well spent.

Thanks GeorgiaCoast....spoons and plugs I know very well for the specks in the surf. Spinnerbaits are killer on shallow redfish in Christmas Bay around Galveston as well. Those I know how to use so will pack a few in.

The rest will be one big learning experience but am finding some interesting tidbits on this site. Basically though, predators are predators no matter where you find them.

I used lizards for bait on a hard to find lake 14,000 feet up in the Andes mountains, past a small town called Pampahasi, Bolivia. Took all sorts of ribbing from those I fished with as they pulled out their fly gear. Nothing wrong with fly fishing, but I caught 20-inch trout all day long on lizards and Johnson Sprite spoons while they laid goose eggs.

I'm hoping that's what I'll find up there in the North Country....lots of hungry predators.

They are there, and waiting for you. Enjoy your trip.