I have not been up to the B.W.C.A. for some time now. So I am looking for some helpful tips. When we were there last we used a lot of minnows and a few leaches. But down in Illinois where I live now I use mostly all crank bait. I'm planning a trip in may so any helpful hints would be really great full.

In the bwca I prefer leeches over anything else for walleyes . Crank baits have their time and place, but I think a leech will out produce artificial 90% of the time.

Yeah, crank baits have their time and place all right.
In the garbage can, anytime,day or night!! :)

quote The Great Outdoors: "Yeah, crank baits have their time and place all right.
In the garbage can, anytime,day or night!! :)"

Spoken like a true live bait salesman! Lol (but if I can use leeches, especially for walleyes, I'm using them.)

Bring the cranks AND the leeches. Minnows can get left behind unless it is a late fall trip then bring them!

quote plumbbob: "I have not been up to the B.W.C.A. for some time now. So I am looking for some helpful tips. When we were there last we used a lot of minnows and a few leaches. But down in Illinois where I live now I use mostly all crank bait. I'm planning a trip in may so any helpful hints would be really great full."

What species are you fishing for, are you targeting one species in particular, or does it matter.

With all the soft plastics -- Yum, Gulp, Impulse -- imitating live bait, why limit the discussion to just cranks??? --Goose

We are heading to Cherokee from Sawbill and then back down through Jack and Kelly so I am hoping to catch a little bit of everything ( lake trout, pike, small mouth and some walleye). Thank you all for your tips and before I moved down out of Minnesota all I used was live bait. The last time I was up there we used live bait and old copper lures (no color) basically what I am asking is what colors are good.

quote OldGreyGoose: "With all the soft plastics -- Yum, Gulp, Impulse -- imitating live bait, why limit the discussion to just cranks??? --Goose"

agree, I have done extremely well in quetico with 3 to 5 inch twister tails . Great for walleye, Lakers, and on occasion some trophy northerns.

I might add that many die-hard walleye fishermen have gone completely to artificial in the past few years, even where live bait is legal, and readily available. --Goose

quote Jackfish: "

quote The Great Outdoors: "Yeah, crank baits have their time and place all right.
In the garbage can, anytime,day or night!! :)"

Spoken like a true live bait salesman! Lol (but if I can use leeches, especially for walleyes, I'm using them.)"

That may be true about being a live bait salesman, but I have NEVER advocated the use of crank baits when anyone asked how to catch fish. I want them to catch fish, especially if they have young children with them.

If they ignore my advice and insist on buying crank baits, well, I tried but they didn't listen!! :(

quote 2old4U: "Bring the cranks AND the leeches. Minnows can get left behind unless it is a late fall trip then bring them!"

I agree. If you are not fully confident in your lure fishing then by all means bring some leeches with you as well as lures.

Always live for us if available, but I'm willing to use whatever the fish are biting at the time.

quote QueticoMike: "

quote 2old4U: "Bring the cranks AND the leeches. Minnows can get left behind unless it is a late fall trip then bring them!"

I agree. If you are not fully confident in your lure fishing then by all means bring some leeches with you as well as lures."

Ice fishing or severe cold fronts are grounds for live bait :)

Ashamed to say that I never use live bait when jigging for lake trout through the ice! :(

quote plumbbob: "We are heading to Cherokee from Sawbill and then back down through Jack and Kelly so I am hoping to catch a little bit of everything ( lake trout, pike, small mouth and some walleye). Thank you all for your tips and before I moved down out of Minnesota all I used was live bait. The last time I was up there we used live bait and old copper lures (no color) basically what I am asking is what colors are good."

Gold and Silver mepps spinners, rattle traps gold and silver, little cleos 1/4 or 1/3 ounce silver or silver blue or green combos for lures at that time of year.Jigs tipped with Minnows and leeches will serve you well, or a slip bobber should do the trick. I would use the lures to locate fish and slow down and fish them with live bait.

quote The Great Outdoors: "Ashamed to say that I never use live bait when jigging for lake trout through the ice! :("

Now doesn't that take a load off of your shoulders by being open and honest about actually using something other than live bait? :-)

What kind of jigs are you using for those lakers? Any certain color? What weight? How has your season been?

Haven't been out yet, too damn cold and windy! :(
When I do go, I normally use a 3/8th oz. white buck tailed, banana head jig tipped with a Berkley 3 inch Realistic Smelt.
Otherwise, I use any small spoon (1/8 to 1/4 oz.) and a 1 inch Berkley Power Nymph hooked on one of the trebles.
The spoons can be Buckshot Rattle Spoons, Forage Minnows, Kast Masters, Gapen Flicker, Lindy Viking Spoons, etc.
Color of the spoons doesn't seem to matter, the 1 inch Power Nymph used with them appears to be the reason the trout hit.

Leeches travel very well and stay alive longer. Jumbo leeches are the way to go.

TGO you might try a number 7 white Swedish pimple tipped with half of a 3 inch blue I prefer the head half. Got three lake trout today.

I always fish Burntside for Trout, and smaller lures/bait work the best.
The lake is infested with smelt, to the point of them being stunted.
The Swedish Pimple you described is a bit larger than I like to use for this lake.

quote The Great Outdoors: "Haven't been out yet, too damn cold and windy! :(
When I do go, I normally use a 3/8th oz. white buck tailed, banana head jig tipped with a Berkley 3 inch Realistic Smelt.
Otherwise, I use any small spoon (1/8 to 1/4 oz.) and a 1 inch Berkley Power Nymph hooked on one of the trebles.
The spoons can be Buckshot Rattle Spoons, Forage Minnows, Kast Masters, Gapen Flicker, Lindy Viking Spoons, etc.
Color of the spoons doesn't seem to matter, the 1 inch Power Nymph used with them appears to be the reason the trout hit."

Well if it warms up above 0 and you get out, please post an update. Pictures are always welcomed :)

When I get out, I'll let you know how I did.
Pictures may be a problem, as I don't take too many, and when I do, lack the ability to post them with my total absence of computer skills!!
I may have to suck up to Lynn at VNO, to see if I can con her into posting them.
That's gonna kill me!!!!! :)

quote The Great Outdoors: "When I get out, I'll let you know how I did.
Pictures may be a problem, as I don't take too many, and when I do, lack the ability to post them with my total absence of computer skills!!
I may have to suck up to Lynn at VNO, to see if I can con her into posting them.
That's gonna kill me!!!!! :)"

Good luck! With the fish and Lynn :)

quote walllee: "

quote OldGreyGoose: "With all the soft plastics -- Yum, Gulp, Impulse -- imitating live bait, why limit the discussion to just cranks??? --Goose"

agree, I have done extremely well in quetico with 3 to 5 inch twister tails . Great for walleye, Lakers, and on occasion some trophy northerns."

+1 scented twister tails can out produce leeches and spring/fall leeches can be hard to get. i've mentioned this before 1 of the most under rated lures is a 1/4 jig with a twister tail and add a jig spinner like little joes (experiment) with colors. in very windy conditions bump up to a 3/4 jig head it cast like a bullet, add a 5" tail gives the profile of a larger bait. and as the water warms up sometimes crankbaits will trigger strikes when nothing else does.

Forgive my ignorance, but when you put a twister tail on a jig do you jig that rig, cast, or troll? Thanks for schooling me!

There are times to do all that you mentioned. One of my favorite methods is just to drift fish, deadly tactic if the wind is right. I anchor over and around structure a lot also. Casting a jig and twister can produce fish, Just slowly reel it in bumping the bottom as you retrieve the bait. Also vertical jigging right under the boat is a very productive method. Slow trolling is also a favorite.

I usually start by rippin it and slow down from there...the fish will tell you what they want.

right on! thanks. I have not tried that method and I am excited to give it a go this summer! If it ever gets here! :)