I'm Heading up to Cabela's on my day off later this week to fill up my BWCA tacklebox. I am heading out of Fall Lake in Mid-September, and going up to Pipestone (mostly), but also may venture into Back Bay, or to the top of Jackfish/SW corner of Basswood near the Falls- so you get an idea of the are I am fishing. I plan on taking ample amounts of items to make lindy rigs, slip bobber rigs- I am taking my older sister who has limited experience with fishing, so I want to make it as easy and enjoyable as I can for her. Are there any essential items I should take along? Mainly just looking for colors of lures, types of soft baits...I should take along. We're mostly going to be fishing for walleyes, but I have a few spots I want to hit up for smallies for sure. Any certain color jigheads I should be purchasing?? Let's get a list going :-).

I would set her up with a Chatterbait for sure. I like natural colors........get a 3" trailer of some kind (I like a crawfish imitator) so when that blade works it washes water over those claws and they come "alive". It's a throw out and crank in type of bait but advise her to let it sink to various depths before or during the retrieve. It will catch any and all gamefish and with a single hook releases are easy and accidents are largely avoided. Don't forget a drop of super glue to keep the trailer in place. If she gets it hung tell her no worries, just paddle over and get it........and in fact suggest to her that she should be fishing near bottom and if it's not getting hung once in a while she's not fishing it right. 90% of the time you will get it out.

quote mastertangler:Don't forget a drop of super glue to keep the trailer in place. "

Ok I got to know, please explain.

The force from casting the lures will cause the trailer to slide down the shaft of the hook if it's not affixed. It's a common problem with spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, "bass" jigs, and chatterbaits.

Take some ZMAN ShadZ for the smallmouth.

I posted this in another thread, but here you go:

Here's all you need:

Smallmouth: soft plastic jerk baits ( Strike King Zulu or Zman ShadZ ) in some type of pearl color, Super Pop-R in shad color, Green pumpkin tube (1/8 or 1/4oz), Bullfrog magnum torpedo, chartreuse BooYah double willow blade 3/8oz spinner bait

Walleye: J9 jointed gold Rapala, Gold Rapala Husky jerk, gulp fake leech, black twister tail jig, perch shadrap

Pike: Mepps bucktail spinner bait, Bullfrog Lucky 13, Red and White Daredevle spoon ( or basically any lure you have in the box )

Trout: Dr Spoon in hammered silver, a 4-1/2” nickel plated Dardevle Spoon, and the one ounce hair or plastic jig in white, Purpledescent deep diving shadrap

quote carmike: "The force from casting the lures will cause the trailer to slide down the shaft of the hook if it's not affixed. It's a common problem with spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, "bass" jigs, and chatterbaits. "

Carmike has it right. Most plastic trailers will eventually slide down the shank of the hook and have to be replaced prematurely. Slide the trailer into place, make certain it is coming off straight and then ease the trailer off where it contacts the jig head......add a drop of super glue between trailer and jig head and then push your trailer firmly against the jig head. Hold for a few moments and bada-bing your good for several hours. It goes without saying but don't overdo it with the super glue and don't glue your fingers together.

You can also use super glue to repair plastic baits. It came in quite handy for me while using the big Shadzilla swimbaits which got torn up pretty good. I could double their life using super glue. I brought nitrile (latex) gloves along purposely for this procedure.

You can also get a product called "Mend it" sold at tackle warehouse for repairing plastic baits.

Zap a gap works well also for that- I use it on many of the fly patterns I tie, especially for smallmouth, walleye, etc. However on this trip, the fly rods are staying home. I am focusing on catching numbers not quality of fish, so putting walleyes in the boat is #1 here:-). The smallies and northern are just a fun coincidence while walleye fishing in this case:-).

Here's what I need to pick up (so far):

Lindy Sinkers
swivels
floating jigheads
Slip Bobbers
Bobber Stops
3" Yellow Twister Tails
3" White Twister Tails
3" Black twister tails
Gold Rapala Minnows (Floating, Husky Jerk, Jointed)
Perch Rapala Minnows
Firetiger rapalas? (Thoughts?)
Gulp Minnows? (worth dragging out there....which color?).
Painted Jigheads (what color is a perennial favorite for walleyes)
Daredevil Spoon (what size/color?)

Should I bother with "bottom bouncer" rigs? I usually drift structure and work it with Lindy Rigs, or by jigging a minnow/leech with a colored jighead. With my sister, slip bobber fishing might be more her speed, or casting twister tails back at camp. Great suggestions so far!

quote mastertangler: are largely avoided. Don't forget a drop of super glue to keep the trailer in place. . "

I do this all the time, it works great for crappie tubes also when the annoying sunnies try to pull the tube or twister off the hook, really holds it in place.

I seem to be the only firetiger fan. I like silver, gold and other natural colors for sure, but a firetiger shadrap or minnow rap is often my #1 draft pick when setting up to troll.

I'm using the good ol' 3" twister tails less and less it seems. More often using a swimbait, jig worm or fluke when casting or jigging soft plastics.

I have used bottom bouncers some, only to pull spinners with minnows or crawlers. More often I will just add weight. They are not snagless...