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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Fishing Forum :: Basswood lake bound
 
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PapaBear1975
08/28/2017 08:10PM
 
My sister and I will be right up there starting on the 14th. Looks like the weather is going to cool off a bit. I am trying to decide if I should still bother bringing nightcrawlers up, and if I should pack some 4" Gulp alive minnows for walleyes. I also heard leeches are getting scarce- but with the temperature change, would that spell the end of the leech bite? We're pretty much sticking to Pipestone, and maybe go up to the top of Jackfish to the Basswood falls corner of the lake. This is my sister's first trip (and my 20th..lost count how manyeth trip)..but the first time I've ever gone past Labor day. Any reports/tips would be helpful:-).
 
shuz
08/26/2017 10:40PM
 
Spook, I also will be entering Jackfish bay/basswood labor day. Hope to see you out there. Has anyone fished the basswood river or basswood falls?


quote Spookmeister: "quote BigMac66: "Heading north west tomorrow. Woohoo! I can't wait. It's been a several years since I have been there and have never been at this late in the year. "
Good luck! Please post a fishing report as soon as you get back. We leave on Labor Day for the same area. I'd love to see how you found the bass and walleye before we leave!"


 
BigMac66
08/25/2017 02:49PM
 
quote Spookmeister: "quote BigMac66: "Heading north west tomorrow. Woohoo! I can't wait. It's been a several years since I have been there and have never been at this late in the year. "
Good luck! Please post a fishing report as soon as you get back. We leave on Labor Day for the same area. I'd love to see how you found the bass and walleye before we leave!"



I will gladly share. It's not like we can eat them all but I am hoping to school a few of them to make them more difficult to catch! Good luck to ya!
 
Captn Tony
08/25/2017 10:13PM
 
Heading to Basswood by the falls a couple of days and Pipestone Bay a couple of days, the weekend after Labor Day. What structure should I be looking for, how deep, and what baits for eyes. Also would like to pick up some crappie in Pipestone. What is the secret for catching crappie that time of year.
It sounds like there are trout in the deep part of the lake, what should I be doing for them?
I have a rabc & a canadian fishing license if I need to fish in Canada.
Thanks,
Captn

 
Spookmeister
08/25/2017 10:04AM
 
quote BigMac66: "Heading north west tomorrow. Woohoo! I can't wait. It's been a several years since I have been there and have never been at this late in the year. "
Good luck! Please post a fishing report as soon as you get back. We leave on Labor Day for the same area. I'd love to see how you found the bass and walleye before we leave!
 
BasswoodFan
08/25/2017 11:36AM
 
Leaving Sept 9 for Basswood. Love it!

 
carmike
08/24/2017 12:20PM
 
Good luck out there!
 
carmike
08/24/2017 12:20PM
 
Good luck out there!
 
BigMac66
08/25/2017 06:52AM
 
Heading north west tomorrow. Woohoo! I can't wait. It's been a several years since I have been there and have never been at this late in the year.
 
Captn Tony
09/05/2017 09:41PM
 
Can't wait, will be on the lake Saturday!!! Any last minute tips for this weekend would be appreciated. I'm planning on camping by the falls Saturday & Sunday, then camping somewhere in Pipestone Bay Monday & Tuesday. Stop by to say Hi
if you see a Mn II and a three man with 2 or 3 people in it.
 
carmike
09/05/2017 10:01PM
 
Thanks for checking back in. Did you run into any lake trout?
 
BigMac66
09/04/2017 06:33PM
 
quote Spookmeister: "quote BigMac66: "We caught several big bass in deep water. They were 25 feet deep and very finicky. We had to use night crawlers with no weight or senko, wacky style with no weight. Our group of 5 caught 5 bass over 4 pounds and probably twenty over 3 but they were deep and slow. We caught some in 60 to 70 feet while trolling cranks and three nice walleys while in the same deep water. The northerns were not easy to catch either. Deep. Deep. Deep!"



Thanks for the report, BigMac. I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon...will definitely check out the 25-ft depths first. Any idea what the water temp was? And did you see any smallmouth surface activity at all?"



There was a little smallmouth activity and a few were caught on top water lures. The temps were 66. Good luck!
 
BigMac66
09/03/2017 12:35PM
 
quote PapaBear1975: "My sister and I will be right up there starting on the 14th. Looks like the weather is going to cool off a bit. I am trying to decide if I should still bother bringing nightcrawlers up, and if I should pack some 4" Gulp alive minnows for walleyes. I also heard leeches are getting scarce- but with the temperature change, would that spell the end of the leech bite? We're pretty much sticking to Pipestone, and maybe go up to the top of Jackfish to the Basswood falls corner of the lake. This is my sister's first trip (and my 20th..lost count how manyeth trip)..but the first time I've ever gone past Labor day. Any reports/tips would be helpful:-). "


Leeches were available but very small and the fish were not responding to them very well. I like the minnow idea because most of the fish we caught were spitting up shad. We did not concentrate on walleyed much and the northerns were hitting top water lures. We weighed all the bigger fish so that was not estimated weight. A couple of guys in our group fished the falls and did pretty good fishing with small cranks and spinners. Good luck!
 
PapaBear1975
09/03/2017 04:39PM
 
quote BigMac66: "quote PapaBear1975: "My sister and I will be right up there starting on the 14th. Looks like the weather is going to cool off a bit. I am trying to decide if I should still bother bringing nightcrawlers up, and if I should pack some 4" Gulp alive minnows for walleyes. I also heard leeches are getting scarce- but with the temperature change, would that spell the end of the leech bite? We're pretty much sticking to Pipestone, and maybe go up to the top of Jackfish to the Basswood falls corner of the lake. This is my sister's first trip (and my 20th..lost count how manyeth trip)..but the first time I've ever gone past Labor day. Any reports/tips would be helpful:-). "



Leeches were available but very small and the fish were not responding to them very well. I like the minnow idea because most of the fish we caught were spitting up shad. We did not concentrate on walleyed much and the northerns were hitting top water lures. We weighed all the bigger fish so that was not estimated weight. A couple of guys in our group fished the falls and did pretty good fishing with small cranks and spinners. Good luck!"



Spitting up shad? Heck.....this will be like fishing here at home for walleyes. They gorge themselves on Shad on the lake I fish most up in NW Iowa. I already have an arsenal of husky jerks, floating rapalas, etc. I might take in a bucket of live minnows if they aren't too expensive in Ely....though I am not too sure how I will keep them alive for more than a day or two...hence the Gulp! minnows. Wonder which color pattern I should bring- smelt...or emerald shad color Gulp minnows?
 
Spookmeister
09/03/2017 06:11PM
 
quote BigMac66: "We caught several big bass in deep water. They were 25 feet deep and very finicky. We had to use night crawlers with no weight or senko, wacky style with no weight. Our group of 5 caught 5 bass over 4 pounds and probably twenty over 3 but they were deep and slow. We caught some in 60 to 70 feet while trolling cranks and three nice walleys while in the same deep water. The northerns were not easy to catch either. Deep. Deep. Deep!"


Thanks for the report, BigMac. I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon...will definitely check out the 25-ft depths first. Any idea what the water temp was? And did you see any smallmouth surface activity at all?
 
BigMac66
09/02/2017 06:37PM
 
We caught several big bass in deep water. They were 25 feet deep and very finicky. We had to use night crawlers with no weight or senko, wacky style with no weight. Our group of 5 caught 5 bass over 4 pounds and probably twenty over 3 but they were deep and slow. We caught some in 60 to 70 feet while trolling cranks and three nice walleys while in the same deep water. The northerns were not easy to catch either. Deep. Deep. Deep!
 
PapaBear1975
09/02/2017 09:38PM
 
quote BigMac66: "We caught several big bass in deep water. They were 25 feet deep and very finicky. We had to use night crawlers with no weight or senko, wacky style with no weight. Our group of 5 caught 5 bass over 4 pounds and probably twenty over 3 but they were deep and slow. We caught some in 60 to 70 feet while trolling cranks and three nice walleys while in the same deep water. The northerns were not easy to catch either. Deep. Deep. Deep!"


sounds like I better pack some bottom bouncers, and my Marcum flasher to pick them off with SPFL sonar. That flasher could find the Red October, haha:-).
 
mc2mens
08/31/2017 01:26PM
 
quote Captn Tony: "Heading to Basswood by the falls a couple of days and Pipestone Bay a couple of days, the weekend after Labor Day. What structure should I be looking for, how deep, and what baits for eyes. Also would like to pick up some crappie in Pipestone. What is the secret for catching crappie that time of year.
It sounds like there are trout in the deep part of the lake, what should I be doing for them?
I have a rabc & a canadian fishing license if I need to fish in Canada.
Thanks,
Captn
"



FYI - I've had good luck catching eyes in the channel near campsite 1564 on the north end of Pipestone Bay. Set up a Lindy Rig or some other type of bottom bouncer tipped with a leech and drift down the channel.
 
BigMac66
09/07/2017 07:34AM
 
quote carmike: "Thanks for checking back in. Did you run into any lake trout? "


I tried everything I had to catch trout but never even had a bite. I could see them on the fish finder at 50 and stacked to the bottom in in almost all water 60+ feet deep. The water was calm enough to easily get lures down there but I did no good at all. I heard that frozen shad work the best but did not have any. Good luck!
 
carmike
08/23/2017 10:05PM
 
I just got back from a trip in that area today. We did very well on lake trout trolling Shad Raps and Tail Dancers out in North Bay. Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you need to go deep for them, either...we didn't add weight and all fish were returned without any problem. They were biting up on Khash, too, on the same things.


Bass fishing was OK at low light periods on topwater in the normal spots (shallow, slow-tapering areas with smallish rocks, around islands, points, etc.). Pike were few and far between, and we didn't catch a walleye. Didn't try for them, though.
 
BigMac66
08/24/2017 04:16AM
 
quote blutofish1: " Maybe we can get together and have a chat and dinner sometime in Jamestown or where ever you like. Shoot me an email."
Sounds like a plan!
 
BigMac66
08/24/2017 04:17AM
 
quote carmike: "I just got back from a trip in that area today. We did very well on lake trout trolling Shad Raps and Tail Dancers out in North Bay. Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you need to go deep for them, either...we didn't add weight and all fish were returned without any problem. They were biting up on Khash, too, on the same things.



Bass fishing was OK at low light periods on topwater in the normal spots (shallow, slow-tapering areas with smallish rocks, around islands, points, etc.). Pike were few and far between, and we didn't catch a walleye. Didn't try for them, though. "



Thanks for the info! I really appreciate it. We have not done a lot of lake trout fishing.
 
08/23/2017 11:14AM
 
quote blutofish1: " Good luck BigMac. My favorite place to basecamp and fish. I see we're almost neighbors."
Thank you! Where you from?
 
blutofish1
08/23/2017 02:14PM
 
quote : "quote blutofish1: " Good luck BigMac. My favorite place to basecamp and fish. I see we're almost neighbors."
Thank you! Where you from?"
Avon,in.
 
blutofish1
08/23/2017 02:15PM
 
Avon
 
blutofish1
08/23/2017 05:09PM
 
Maybe we can get together and have a chat and dinner sometime in Jamestown or where ever you like. Shoot me an email.
 
BigMac66
08/22/2017 12:11PM
 
Going to north bay in Basswood lake setting base camp this weekend and staying there for 7 days. 5 of us will be fishing for bass, walleye, pike and trout from daylight till dark. Any reports or additional info will be appreciated and will report results when I return. Thanks in advance.
 
QueticoMike
08/22/2017 01:09PM
 
Welcome to the message board! Good luck on your trip!
 
blutofish1
08/23/2017 10:41AM
 
Good luck BigMac. My favorite place to basecamp and fish. I see we're almost neighbors.