Finally pulled my trip together after much false starts. It took several months to realize that Nightcrawlers were not going to fit in with where i was going. To many portages!

And surprisingly there is no emphasis on pike whatsoever........no big reels, no big rods no 8" swimbaits. Time for something new!

Its a walleye trip with a secondary emphasis on Lakers and of course Pike will crash the party wether I like it or not.

I will be using snap weights and Offshore tackles Tapolly (a diving planer) to troll Sutton flutter spoons (primary option) and crank baits (secondary option). These will be offered on a line counter so effective trolling near bottom if I desire can be had. I will be curious to see how the Suttons work on walleye.

When I get bored with trolling I have a couple of spinning outfits. Chatterbaits, underspins and spinner jigs all with plastic trailers will keep me busy in the casting department.

Fairly tight and focused strategy. I have always found anglers who always do exactly the same things every single year a bit of a puzzle. It seems to me that would get rather dull. Sure you know that tried and true works........ but doesn't "been there, done that" ever come into play?

I am excited to try some new things this year...........I will probably learn quite a bit and become a better angler as a result. Just a thought..........Are you doing anything new and different this year?

I usually fish bass and walleyes. This year, I want to catch a big pike. We are going to Rainy Lake and I plan on running some foot-long sassy shad-style swim baits on muskie gear. I ordered some striper jigs and saltwater stuff from the interwebs.

I'm an avid multi-species angler (I keep a life list like a bird watcher). Which has led me down many many rabbit holes (and into many swamps and rivers).

One of my favorites was catching northern long eared sunfish in the BWCA. Pretty little things, but only 4" long. We caught them sight fishing with #16 hooks and tiny pieces of pink soft plastics.

I've also tried diving planners and side planners with various combinations of spoons, spinners and lures. I am always a little afraid that I am missing out on a way to catch more fish.

I normally target strictly Walleye, but as of last year and continuing into this summer I am targeting fish by time of day and changing it up. Starting with Walleye, hitting bass and Pike during the day, then going back to Walleye at night. Last year it put me on way more fish which, at the end of the day, is what fishing is all about. I gave up on my insistence to find Walleye in every lake and have enjoyed going after whatever's biting.

CityFisher74: "I normally target strictly Walleye, but as of last year and continuing into this summer I am targeting fish by time of day and changing it up. Starting with Walleye, hitting bass and Pike during the day, then going back to Walleye at night. Last year it put me on way more fish which, at the end of the day, is what fishing is all about. I gave up on my insistence to find Walleye in every lake and have enjoyed going after whatever's biting."

What no Laker fishing? When I first started fishing canoe country the idea of a Laker was so foreign a concept that i never even considered trying for one. That changed one cloudy afternoon on Basswood where, lacking a depth finder, I was blind trolling a Taildancer. Suddenly it was "game on" and my big steelhead rod bent double. It was quite an amazing tussle and I thought for certain that I would land a personal best Northern Pike. Instead a big fat Lake trout appeared out of the depths. I was hooked! Very fun fish!

A Scout troop had watched the entire episode and I figured "what the heck". I offered the fish to them and they eagerly accepted.

You might want to try some Laker fishing.........its not so hard and they bite mid day rather well.

When I go on a fishing trip I bring the tried and true favorites but I also make a point of bringing something new as well to help expand my arsenal. I like having proven lures along as well because it can help me establish a baseline. If I can't catch a fish with the new lure I don't necessarily know if I'm simply fishing at the wrong depth, if the fish are there but being tight lipped, or if the lure is not as effective as I hoped or I'm presenting it the wrong way. Seeing how the fish react to proven lures helps me dial in the new lure or method of fishing and helps me determine how best to use it and whether its going to be an effective method that I'll continue to use over the longer term.