BWCA Fishing pipestone bay may 19th Boundary Waters Fishing Forum
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Steph
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04/08/2018 03:11PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I'm planning my first trip to the bwca for the week end of may 19th. Need advice on fishing. Baits/lures/tactics ect... are leeches on a slip bobber a hot item that time of year ? Also will the fish be more in the shallows near shore?
 
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QueticoMike
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04/08/2018 03:44PM  
If you would like to read my article on basic lures for the Boundary Waters, send me an email at - queticomike@yahoo.com - and request the Grand Slam Lures article.

If leeches are available and the water is not freezing cold due to the late ice off, then leeches under a float would be good. Check with The Great Outdoors bait store in Ely on leech availability.

Water will be probably still be too cold for smallmouth to be shallow then, but who knows the weather might warm up by then. Pike can probably still be found in the back of shallow bays. I doubt walleyes are found along the shoreline.

What are you primarily fishing for?
 
Basspro69
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04/08/2018 04:27PM  
Steph: "I'm planning my first trip to the bwca for the week end of may 19th. Need advice on fishing. Baits/lures/tactics ect... are leeches on a slip bobber a hot item that time of year ? Also will the fish be more in the shallows near shore?"
You might need an ice auger .
 
QueticoMike
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04/08/2018 04:53PM  
Basspro69: "
Steph: "I'm planning my first trip to the bwca for the week end of may 19th. Need advice on fishing. Baits/lures/tactics ect... are leeches on a slip bobber a hot item that time of year ? Also will the fish be more in the shallows near shore?"
You might need an ice auger ."


No kidding, right now it looks like a lot of people with late May permits might be in some trouble. I am glad I moved my entry date out a week more than normal. Lake Trout fishing should be good this year in the shallows if this weather trend continues.
 
Mnpat
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04/08/2018 05:10PM  
If it’s just after ice out portaging to back bay maybe a good option. Plenty of panfish, largemouth, smallmouth and pike. Usually the first spot in the lake to have warm water.
 
old_salt
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04/08/2018 05:16PM  
It will need to be a hand auger btw.
 
manmountain8
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04/09/2018 01:45PM  
I'm going for the opener and I'm not worried about ice out yet. April 20-30th should have highs in the lower 50's in Ely. That's not enough to melt it completely but early May is supposed to hit 60's and even 70 before the opener. It's got to go out sometime in there. May 19th should be safe. Pike and Walleye will be in shallow bays. Bring a water temperature gauge and look for warmer water. Study the contour map and look for places that are large shallow flats, particularly bays with a narrow entrance and backwaters nearby. On Pipestone there is a bay on the west side that connects by stream to Jackfish. That's a good spring spot for both Pike and Walleye. On the north east side there is a portage to Back Bay which will be loaded with fish. The far south end of Jackfish is also a springtime hotspot. You can get there by canoe only portage or go all the way around through the narrows. Fish can be very shallow this time of year. 1-10 feet deep is ideal and not deeper than 15. Walleyes may be as deep as 20 feet in a cold front. Start shallow and work your way out. They are easy to find but also will be lethargic. Slow presentations are the best. If water temps are still below 40 or if you're within 5 days of ice out, deadbait is the way to go for Pike. You can use large deadbaits like cisco, whitefish, or suckers. Freeline it or fish it under a large slip float just off the bottom. As water warms you can use gradually more aggressive presentations in this order, swimbait jigs, jerk baits, and swimbaits. Spoons, spinnerbaits, and faster lures are not generally effective until June. For walleye, pitch light weight 1/16 or 1/8 oz "short shanked" jigs and live shiners and jig very slowly just off the bottom, not lifting your rod tip more than 2-3 inches at a time. Strike immediately as they bite short. A shiner fished under a slip float can also be effective and it's a great way to fish from shore near your camp. leeches can work anytime but are generally more effective when water warms. Shiners are #1. Walleye may be in areas "near" shallow bays like the neck down entrance or other mid depth structures that are near bays. In the evening walleye can come right up to shore looking for food so some lighted bobbers fished from shore could be effective. You can fish from your camp while you toast some marshmallows and they will bite at night. With the late spring, Smallmouth could still be in a winter pattern and very deep. They like to lie on the bottom in 20-25 feet where there is mud. They will not chase bait but they will eat if you hit them on the head. Try to stir up the muck with a white tube jig. Better yet, just go after walleye and Pike in the shallow bays. It's a great time for fishing because all the fish will be stacked up in a few key spots. Finding them is easy, then just fish slowly and patiently.
 
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