Okay, here's a question for everyone out there. What is your choice of fishing equipment to take into the BWCA. Spin Casting, Bait Casting, Flyrod or what. And, Do you use live bait or artificial? And what size of line. My personal preference is Spin Cast, 2 rods and reels, One a seven foot two-piece medium light with 8 - 10 lb test line, for Walleye and Smallmouth, and a 6 and a half foot medium heavy with 12 pound test for casting spoons and such for Northern. Let me know what your preferences are... I might need to change my mindset... Thanks Bruce

I used to take the fly rod but it's no longer invite, I baby it too much and would never forgive myself if it was damaged on a trip like that (it's a 9 footer, 6wt)
I take a spin caster with a vertually indestructable Ugly stick.

Leeches a plenty.
An assortment of shiney spoons.
Ball bearing swivel leaders.
Some floating lindy rigs.
Jig heads and some twister tails.
Variouse size spinners (from small panther martin to medium mepp's aglia)
Some Rapala (floating and shad-raps mostly)
Hot-n-tots
Some snaggles weights (bottom bouncers)
Spare hooks, swivels, and split-shot.
Slip bobbers

Ditto on Hex.
Also Lighted bobbers. There has been plenty of times the fishing kept going long after dusk. also they work good for shore fishing (if you didn't get enough all day) while chilin watching the sun go down.

DON'T FORGET THE LEECHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't worry there will be plenty of leeches on this trip. Thinking on taking a pound in... Don't know what the other guy will use... those are just for me... ha ha. No, I will share. It was funny two years ago when I was first there, and the Idea of using a leech as bait. I grew up trying to avoid those things in the creeks and branches of Arkansas. I know that they are different breeds now. So I had a particular aversion to leeches, until I started catching real nice walleye and smallmouth on them... Now they don't bother me at all...

- 1 Rod set up for smaller fish (walleye, smallmouth)
- 1 Rod set up for larger fish (northern, lake trout)
- Assortment of spoons
- Assortment of rapalas
- Assortment of spinners
- Artificial worms
- Bobbers
- Various supplies (hook, sinkers, leaders, etc.)

Every trip to BW I take in half lb of leeches and use it on the first day but never after that. They would spill all in the canoe or I would left them boiled in the sun.

This year I'm going to invest in a fly fishing pole 9 foot 7-8 wt to fish for smallies. I'm still undecided on what brand for under 100$. (rod and reel combo)

In the past I use powerbait flukes 3-4 inches along with jig heads on a 6-8 lb test to catch about anything from walleye, smallies to pike.

A word on fly fishing combos, if I may. Spend as much as you can possibly afford. I tried to go cheap with my first set up, and it would have cost me about $100 total. After trying to cast that thing for a season and figuring that fly fishing was waaay tougher than it looked, I went to a shop where the entry level rods were about $100. My firsts casts with that thing was a zillion times better than I thought possible.
That being said, Orvis and Cabela's have decent combos starting at around $130. Make sure you get a reel with a large arbor for these species. All that I did was waste money and replace the cheap stuff in the end. An extra $50 will go a long way here, and an extra $100 will buy you as much rod and reel as you'd ever need for bass/northerns.

If you are going to buy a fly rod and you dont buy a rod and reel package make sure you spend the extra money on a good rod i use a 5-6 wt. for northerns and bass and you can also use it for trout and panfish. Cabelas hes some good deals on fly rod and reel packages

Things I don't go out without:
Jig heads and plastics.
Dark Moss Bosses.

In all honesty, everything but the kitchen sink! I use hook bonnets so I can pack alot of lures without having them get hopelessly tangled up in the tacklebox. 5 to 7 inch Rapalas of every sort and color (25 or 30 of them), spinners, spoons, Jigs - floating and otherwise, and lots of plastics (minnow, leech, and worm). I bring 2 rods rigged differently that I switch between; one for terminal tackle and one for casting lures. My tackle fits in two skinny clear boxes that fit nicely into a musette bag that I carry on my shoulder or hang on my Duluth pack on portages. My rods are attached under seat and gunwale with velcro for the portages as well - lures currently attached to the rod are encased in lure wallets ( foldover nylon thingies that secure with velcro) to prevent accidental hooking of myself or comrades.

When I fish for walleye, I'll hardly ever use something other than a lead jig and leach. Sometimes I also put a mister twister on the jig for added movement. I think the jig is usually 1/4 ounce. I usually use 6 or 8 pound test.

I have carried about 10X as much as I usually need. I plan on thinning it out some (read buy new stuff) I think I will search and see what everyone else's favorites are and pack them.
My usual suspects that I have had success in the past are, Rapala (probably 80% of the fish in MY LIFE have been caught on that) and white/yellow small spinner baits.
I second that about the leeches floating in the bottom of the canoe.

Quick Story about Leeches.

I live in the south and we don't fish with live leeches, in fact before BWCA I had never seen a bait leech and neither had any of my canoemates.

A couple of years ago we where portaging to the Moose River and at the River as I put the canoe down a fellow and his son where coming out. He was real nice and gave me his leeches in a strofoam box.

My canoemates where well behind me carrying the portage packs, one of which is a local family doctor here in Arkansas.

I quickly took one of the leeches and placed it on my ...back... While waiting for him to appear. When he arrived I asked him to look at my ...back... for I had some pain there.

He jumped back about 3 ft and had a run of expletives not appropriate for this board, "what have you got us into". It was too funny. I quickly removed the leech and we drove on laughing for the next hour.

Jay

I fish for smallies and pike mostly in shallow water. Accordingly, I bring gear that fits.

6.5 foot med/lt for small spinnerbaits/crankbaits/topwater-20lb spiderwire fusion

6.5 foot med action 30lb spiderwire for larger bass lures and small pike

6.5 foot heavy 40 lb spiderwire for pike-topwater and larger baits

from time to time a 6 foot medium comes for the smaller stuff.

Last year I brought a 8.5 foot 4 weight for brookies and ended up throwing bluegill poppers for bass all week.

Lures

plenty of spinnerbaits from 1/8th to 3/4 oz. in shades of white, blue, yellow

crankbaits running from 1 to 12 feet in shad to craw colors

buzzbaits, poping lures, spooks,devil's horses...

I love power fishing! Flukes and frogs come for the eel grass and lillypads.

I too had an aversion to leeches when I first came to the BWCA... The group I was with, gave me a half pound in a carrier and all I did for two days was tow it along side the canoe. Then I found a deep hole below a rapid, on a lake, and threw out a lindy rigged leech... ended up catching many there several times and I was hooked!! Now I don't go in without at least some... You can always throw out a leech suspended about 4 ft below a cork/bobber and catch something. Great for new fishermen or fisherwomen if they will use them. And they are fun once they learn they will not suck the blood out of you...

Bruce

I was very hesitant to chime in on this because fishing while in the BWCA is not a priority for me. My attitude is: I'm paddling on top of all this water, might as well take some fishing stuff, because I may be able to add to the food supply. Sometimes I may not fish at all, even though I have tackle along.

So, I do not go expensive nor extravagant on anything. My rod and reel were sold in a shrink wrap package as a matched set. The only time I have taken live bait is when I take my son (now 15) and his friend. Catching is more important to them than it is for me, so I'll take some leeches.

I use a two-piece rod simply because it is easier to transport in the car. Once I’m at the put-in, I assemble the rod and bungee it under the gunwale.

Before the fishing opener, I will have new line (8#) put on my reel – my one "extravagance". Then I have a canvas "tackle bag" that my wife sewed for me (smaller than a sheet of typing paper). In it is one of those cigarbox-sized, hinged tackle boxes with a small assortment of jigs, a red & white daredevel, a rapalla, a mepps, a line clippers, and some odds-n-ends. Elsewhere in the bag is a filet knife, cord-type stringer, and assorted rubber bodies for the jigs. Oh! And a rod repair kit (new tip, guide, and glue).

That’s it. Not very impressive, eh? But when I get the desire to fish, it’s there. And when I don’t, well, it’s not very heavy to lug around.

I love to fish with leeches, but my wife and kids will not touch them, so I end up spending my day putting on leeches. So I broke out the old "leeches are gross" cure. With this anyone, including my wife, can handle a leech and be "safe" and not grossed out. The cure I use is a small plastic container with a little sand in it, grab a leech through it into the sand, and poof that leech does does not move and its not slimy. My wife uses a pliers to get leeches out of the water and into the sand. It works and best of all I can fish.

Rapalas are the best thing I have ever used. My father and I use them about 80% of the time for everything and clean up. I have never used live bait in the BWCA. Once on Crooked my friend and I were cleaning up and Walleye with Firetiger floating Rapalas that we were trolling. After our 6th one above three pounds we had all these guys with leech rigs asking what we were using because they weren't catching anything. For walleye I also recommend the Hot-an-tot. When trolling I don't think there is better for walleye. I fish light. Ultra-light rod with 6lbs line (father uses 4lbs) and 8 or 10 on a medium light rod. A lot are probably frowning on me but my father caught a 20lbs pike on the 4lbs (took twenty minutes)our 1st time to the BWCA. We do use leaders for pike on the heavier rods. I have only broken off twice and my father once. It is a heck of a fight with the light lines. Also I recommend a elastic quick ties to secure your rods in the canoes. We rented some from our outfitter and then made our own.

We take a lot of fishing gear including live bait, but most of our big walleyes come trolling. Last year was the glass shad raps (orange and white)and the year before was tail dancers. We take PVC pipe - cut slots in the end and duct tape them to the canoe for rod holders. Use a basketball net tied at the bottom for an anchor (put a large rock in it). Typically don't go that far in, but always catch double-digit walleyes from 24" to 31". Going in third week of June again for the 7th year. Seems to be a good time for big 'eyes.

I agree on going around mid to late June for fishing. Its the best time to catch pretty much anything.

I like to bring a spare spool for my spinning reel to avoid down-time while on the water if I have a line problem. The spare is good for a heavier weight line too, if you get into bigger fish.

I haven't heard anyone mention tubes or senkos (type) for the smallies. Is this not a lure of choice for MN smallies? They seem to work well in PA.

I go with my wife, so we take 2 Ugly Sticks with Abu Garcia reels. They're fairly inexpensive, and very durable. A mesh bag and rope for anchoring. Leeches, Rapalas, jig heads, and mepps primarily. We fish for Walleye and panfish. 6 lb test on one spool, and 8 lb on the other. Filet knife obviously. I got a Rod Sentry last year from Piragis. I think this is the second time I posted that link, so I should clarify that I don't work for Piragis or Rod Sentry. I just liked the product. ;)

Medium weight baitcasting rod and an Abu Garcia baitcasting reel - excellent for trolling, casting spoons and heavier lures of all types. I load this with 20# Spiderwire.

The other rig is a light weight spinning rod and a Daiwa spinning reel loaded with 10# Rapala Mono. This rig is useful for jigging and lighter lures such as the small Raps, lead heads with leeches and light spinners.

Both are Pack rods and I have traditionally kept them packed up and set them up each evening for fishing at camp. This year I'll finally listen to the Board and carry them set up bungee deelee bobed to the thwarts using a light nylon sleeve to avoid snagging lines.

I take in too much gear and usually wind up using about 2% of what i bring in. Last year in Quetico it was a R/W Daredevil and lime green buzzbaits. I caught Walleyes, Smallies and largemouth Bass pretty well.

two med weight spinning rigs, 1 heavy weight. 8lb trilene for the mediums, 14 trilene for the hw. shadraps, floating raps (up to #18)
numerous jigheads and plastic...especially like powerbaits. a couple of spoons, silver my favorite. for a week, 1lb of large leaches and a few dozen salted fatheads. and a well worn net :)