BWCA Need fishing advice! Wood Lake - Basswood June 15th Boundary Waters Fishing Forum
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FishingMD
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04/01/2018 12:08PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I will be going on my second ever trip to BWCA (First trip was solo July 2017 Fall Lake - Basswood) and will be bringing two other first timers. Our main focus is fishing with a secondary focus of solitude and will be working with Way To Go Outfitters. We got an entry permit for Wood Lake on June 15th and may make our way up to Basswood through Hula, Good, and Indiana Lakes, or stay on one of those. We are all pretty novice fishermen in our 20's and would enjoy catching/cooking any of the main species.

My questions would be: Anyone have experience fishing Hula, Good or Indiana and have a favorite? or should we just be going on into Basswood (though I know boats may be there)? Any specific hotspots would be awesome although I know those can be protected like state secrets at times :)

Any particular advice on time of day, bait, lures, line, or techniques given the time of year we will be going?

Lastly, I need to get a new rod. I tried out the Ugly Stick in a store and it felt pretty good and durable, but would consider a nicer one as well. Any suggestions?

Thanks and sorry for the long post!
 
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manmountain8
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04/01/2018 12:58PM  
In May walleye and pike will be in shallow flat bays but by June 15th they will start moving out to midlake humps, points, and reefs, although they may be in transition and there will still be some in or near shallow bays. Smallmouth move into shallow bays later so they will be there. My best advice for a novice fisherman for walleye is to use live bait. I've seen it make or break the fishing, especially for a novice. By that time leaches and worms will start to work but minnows can still be the best. Get some small shiners or rainbow chubs and use small short shank jigheads, like a Northland Fireball or VMC Hammerhead. It's a simple setup that's easy to use and effective in shallow or deeper water. Use light weight for shallow water, like 1/16 to 1/8 or heavier for deeper or current, 1/4 to 1/2 oz. A plain hook under a slip float can be good too. It's a great way to fish form shore or with a slip float you can fish as deep as you want. Get some quality balsa wood floats. I like the stealth ones but I always super glue the joint on the shaft to it doesn't break. To keep minnows alive get a portable aerated bucket that runs on batteries. It's worth it. For pike you can use bass spinners, spoons, or jerk baits, like a husky jerk. A small portable depth finder with a suction cup can be invaluable too.

Any time of day can be good in June but I always make it a point to get up early and fish late. Some wind or clouds can help mid day conditions for walleye.

For a good value on a rod I like store brands like Cabela's , bass pro shops, or guide series. IM7 graphite is a good all around choice. The ugly stick is a composite with fiberglass. They bend easily and aren't very sensitive. Used more for trolling or catfishing. If you want a better jigging rod, get IM8, and if money is no object get a G loomis.
 
QueticoMike
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04/01/2018 01:08PM  
Basswood will probably be best for fishing, but you will see more boats and people unless you work up to US Point. Never fished Hula or Good before. Stayed on Indiana, you probably won't see many people there. Fishing was OK for bass, but nothing to write home about. The best time of the day is all day long. Some people think mornings and evenings are the best times. I think any time you have available to fish, then you should be fishing. As far as lures or techniques, send me an email at - queticomike@yahoo.com - request the Grand Slam Lure article. This article will help with some of the basics. I use 10 pound Trilene XL line, this should handle anything you encounter. If you are going to use live bait, get some leEches. How much money do you have to spend on rods? I like the Fenwick HMG, 6'6" medium, fast action, 2 piece rod. Easier to portage a 2 piece rod.
 
manmountain8
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04/01/2018 01:28PM  
..and for smallmouth I love tube jigs. White has been the most effective color for me.
 
FishingMD
member (12)member
  
04/01/2018 03:09PM  
Awesome, thanks for the advice! I know its hard to say but if you could pick one fishing rig what would you suggest? We may not have the funds or expertise to go for a ton of variety.
 
FishingMD
member (12)member
  
04/01/2018 03:13PM  
Ok thanks for the advice, yeah we might just head to Basswood then. The amount of boats I saw on basswood last year didnt really bother me.
 
Frankie_Paull
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04/02/2018 10:03AM  
I would guess Good and Indiana would be a pretty safe bet for bass at that time just casting shorelines with any of the usual bass baits.
 
CrookedPaddler1
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04/02/2018 01:23PM  
No need to paddle and portage from Wood Lake up to basswood for some good fishing. Wood had good walleye fishing as well as bass and northern. Not to mention some monster sunnies if you get bored with the traditional targets.

Hula can have some very good northern fishing, and a day trip to Indiana is well worth the efforts for big smallies and largemouth. It also holds a few very nice northerns, although they are not many in numbers.

I can tell you that I have spent many days fishing Wood, Hula, Good and Indiana and have never felt the need to go any further than that to find fish.

 
FishingMD
member (12)member
  
04/02/2018 02:30PM  
Fantastic insights, thanks CrookedPaddler1. It seems these are some of the lesser written about lakes so its good to hear from someone with experience. From looking at basic topographic maps from Navionics it looks like theres not a ton of structure on those lakes, any advice on how to fish them?
 
Frankie_Paull
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04/02/2018 05:27PM  
At that time of the year I would focus on shorelines for bass. For walleyes I would target any weeds 8 feet or deeper. I would snap jig soft jerk baits like flukes or jerko’s.
 
murphylakejim
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04/03/2018 10:00PM  
FishingMD: "Fantastic insights, thanks CrookedPaddler1. It seems these are some of the lesser written about lakes so its good to hear from someone with experience. From looking at basic topographic maps from Navionics it looks like theres not a ton of structure on those lakes, any advice on how to fish them? "


Weeds are a bit rare in the bwca compared to southern MN. Fish weed beds and shoreline points. Wood Lake has many large trees in the water to pitch at. The mid lake saddle of Good lake is productive and the fish on Indiana are visible under the right conditions ;)
 
mastertangler
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04/04/2018 07:28AM  
You can have an excellent trip just fishing the 3 smaller lakes. You will need live bait as that will serve you very well. Purchase the book "Lunkers love nightcrawlers" and you will get a very good education indeed. Hooks and sinkers and slip bobbers are not very expensive. If you take the plunge and get the book it will revolutionize your fishing forever and guarantee your fishing success on this trip and in the future. Trust me on this. (You can send me a Christmas card later ;-)

There is a big weed bed at one end of Indiana (near the portage to Basswood) which harbors some nice largemouth and some very thick northern pike. If you look carefully down into the weed pockets on a still morning you will see what looks like big logs........except they aren't logs ;-)

Smallies are also fairly thick in Indiana but can be finicky, especially the bigger ones. Light line is key. Throwing out live bait from shore will get you fish before you can unroll your sleeping bag. If a fish swallows your bait and your intention is to release it, just cut the line quickly and tie on a new hook. The old hook will dissolve and the fish will live. Try and pull the hook out and the fish will die. Hooks are cheap.........bring plenty. Capiche?

If you camp at Indiana the bugs are thick at dark but the lake is pretty and protected. There are no walleye to be had at Indiana however.
 
QueticoMike
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04/04/2018 08:03AM  
Some of the worst black fly attacks I ever had was on Indiana. I had bloody lumps all over me. Not much wind down in that hole. I haven't been back since. The fishing was below par compared to Basswood. There was solitude there. I did have a wolf along a shoreline get pretty close to me. The wolf never knew I was sitting there in a canoe solo. I never flinched and watched the wolf work the shoreline towards me for about 50 yards or more. I didn't move until the wolf got about 15 feet away from me. I didn't want him to get any closer and spook and then decide to attack or jump into the canoe, so I grabbed up my paddle as some type of protection. As soon as grabbed for the paddle the wolf freaked out, jumped into the air a few feet and turned towards the woods and "high tailed" it away into the woods. I guess I scared the crap out of that wolf. Heart beat for me increased during this encounter :)
 
murphylakejim
distinguished member(552)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
04/04/2018 08:11AM  
mastertangler: "You can have an excellent trip just fishing the 3 smaller lakes. You will need live bait as that will serve you very well. Purchase the book "Lunkers love nightcrawlers" and you will get a very good education indeed. Hooks and sinkers and slip bobbers are not very expensive. If you take the plunge and get the book it will revolutionize your fishing forever and guarantee your fishing success on this trip and in the future. Trust me on this. (You can send me a Christmas card later ;-)


There is a big weed bed at one end of Indiana (near the portage to Basswood) which harbors some nice largemouth and some very thick northern pike. If you look carefully down into the weed pockets on a still morning you will see what looks like big logs........except they aren't logs ;-)


Smallies are also fairly thick in Indiana but can be finicky, especially the bigger ones. Light line is key. Throwing out live bait from shore will get you fish before you can unroll your sleeping bag. If a fish swallows your bait and your intention is to release it, just cut the line quickly and tie on a new hook. The old hook will dissolve and the fish will live. Try and pull the hook out and the fish will die. Hooks are cheap.........bring plenty. Capiche?


If you camp at Indiana the bugs are thick at dark but the lake is pretty and protected. There are no walleye to be had at Indiana however. "


I saw a couple big walleye on Indiana one spring. They were about 15 feet down on the bottom fallowing eachother closely. The white tipped fins were clearly visible. No luck getting their attention with a worm tho :( I doubt there are many walleye but the two I saw were bigger than the bass on indiana.
 
Grizzlyman
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04/04/2018 08:19AM  
I did this same trip 3 yrs ago. Same time of yr- 1st week in June. we stayed on good at the narrows campsite and had the lake to ourselves for 3 days.

Best fishing had was on basswood in hoist bay. We trolled a large husky jerk across the bay from the wood portage to the 4 mile portage landing and back. That whole area doesn't get deeper than 8-10 ft.

We could not keep the northerns off- it was some of the best northern fishing I've ever had. AND they were all 3-5 lbs, so no hammer handles! Structure didn't matter either, they were all over the whole bay. It seemed the secret was out then because there were about a billion motorboats anchored all over the bay just casting.

I fished good hard for walleyes and didn't do very well. Though I caught a few nice northerns on good too.


 
mastertangler
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04/04/2018 11:30AM  
QueticoMike: "Some of the worst black fly attacks I ever had was on Indiana. I had bloody lumps all over me. Not much wind down in that hole. I haven't been back since. The fishing was below par compared to Basswood. There was solitude there. I did have a wolf along a shoreline get pretty close to me. The wolf never knew I was sitting there in a canoe solo. I never flinched and watched the wolf work the shoreline towards me for about 50 yards or more. I didn't move until the wolf got about 15 feet away from me. I didn't want him to get any closer and spook and then decide to attack or jump into the canoe, so I grabbed up my paddle as some type of protection. As soon as grabbed for the paddle the wolf freaked out, jumped into the air a few feet and turned towards the woods and "high tailed" it away into the woods. I guess I scared the crap out of that wolf. Heart beat for me increased during this encounter :)"


Thats a good story.............

Yes the biting flies are tough there as well. I didn't get into the black flies but on a hot summer afternoon the biting flies were tough.

I remember trolling the old Rapala fat rap in perch pattern with just enough time in the evening to make a run around the lake. I got around towards the weedy end and kept getting hung until finally I said "thats no weed". I fought that fish until well after dark and landed her standing shin deep in water. Only after I put her on a light rope so we could have a photo session in the morning did I realize how incredibly thick the skeets were and I was getting chewed rather severely.

Could there be walleye there? I sure gave it the college try several times and totally struck out each time. Nice little lake, I like the place. Quality largemouth in the weed bed as well.
 
CityFisher74
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04/04/2018 12:50PM  
In my opinion I would stay away from Basswood as courtesy to the 1st timers. Not a very pleasant BWCA experience to have boats with motors passing by.
 
FishingMD
member (12)member
  
04/04/2018 04:37PM  
Grizzlyman:
"We could not keep the northerns off- it was some of the best northern fishing I've ever had"
"


See I think they would understand a few motor's going by if we made day trips into Hoist Bay and had this much success, and I certainly wouldn't mind. My first trip consisted of a huge storm the first day which I've heard can kill the bite, ended up catching just one Northern and nothing else. Granted I had no idea what I was doing and my line broke multiple times with some of the biggest fish I've ever seen in person. My gear and techniques that trip were certainly not optimal. Oh well, you live and learn.
 
QueticoMike
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04/05/2018 08:54AM  
CityFisher74: "In my opinion I would stay away from Basswood as courtesy to the 1st timers. Not a very pleasant BWCA experience to have boats with motors passing by."


Head to US Point on Basswood or over towards Basswood river. Big fish, no motor boats.
 
BearRaid
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04/05/2018 09:05AM  
^ +1 for this area. We have had our best success for big walleyes and smallmouth here with some nice lakers as well. Not quite as scenic as some BWCA lakes but incredible fishing.
 
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