Hi all!
This will be my 4th year in a row heading up memorial weekend. Obviously every year has been crazy different weather wise and fishing wise also. The Lake Trout lake we can only fish on calm days (big water). Caught most of those on crawler harnesses with leeches . Smallies were easy to catch on almost anything, anywhere. WE really only caught a few Walleyes, and would like to do better. Obviously water temp cant control and such, but given a couple lures/presentations, what is your go to that time of year? Water was down last year, but I assume with the snow totals, water will be higher this year?

Thanks
Keegan

Slip bobber and a leach is a good start. Red hook. Lighted bobber.

That time of year floating wind blown shorelines with a slip bobber and leech is very
effective. Here's a video I just made highlighting this technique. The hyper link might not work. Just go to Jacobson Outdoors on youtube

https://youtu.be/yXrHAdL51kc

I'm honestly surprised at the number of people that sit around and bobber fish from a canoe (even knowing how effective it is). From a larger boat with a couple beers and some music, I can dig it, but I'd rather throw out some lures, or at least do some vertical jigging. Everyone has their own style but a bobber ain't mine.

Water will be fairly cold. For lakers you should be able to catch them on lipless cranks in shad/cisco colors, even firetiger (caught a few on firetiger last year in the first week of June), both trolled, cast, and vertically jigged. A chartreuse vertical jighead with a white twister tail works great once you've located them. You can also troll shad/cisco colored crankbaits but you'll want them at least 10-15ft down. That being said, I caught a laker from shore on Kekekabic with a firetiger Rattlin Rap that couldn't have been any deeper than 8ft, so they WILL come up for stuff and you don't have to get way down there. Also consider bladebaits which are like lipless cranks but are usually smaller/denser, have a good wobbling action, and often have a couple different tie-off points that change the action. Natural colors to imitate shad/cisco are your best bet.

As for walleye, a gold/perch colored Husky Jerk should work nicely, or a Jointed Minnow of similar colors. Troll those suckers around structure. I've also caught a few on a firetiger Rattlin Rap as well, between 5ft to 12ft. Vertical jigs with a white twister tail are great for walleye as well.

I'm expecting both lakers and walleye to be a bit lazy due to the cold water, but it really depends on the depth of the lake, where their forage is, the weather for the day, etc. Big fish don't get big by being over-eager, so you might have to entice them. They probably won't chase a lipless that you're burning 6ft deep. They let the smaller fish fight closer to the surface and they'll snatch up the scraps that float down deeper. You might be able to entice them by vertically jigging a lipless or just a regular jig, but if they're especially lazy it might have to be right in front of their face for them to take it. I think natural colors and realistic action are important in clear water, so some random but methodical twitching/jigging is probably the best way to entice finicky fish, to mimic a dying baitfish.

A lot of this advice is based on what I've read and heard, and haven't had a ton of experience with. I intend on putting it to the test during the first week of June on LLC/Iron/Crooked - hoping to haul up a hawg laker. Just one would be great!!

flynn: "I'm honestly surprised at the number of people that sit around and bobber fish from a canoe (even knowing how effective it is). From a larger boat with a couple beers and some music, I can dig it, but I'd rather throw out some lures, or at least do some vertical jigging. Everyone has their own style but a bobber ain't mine.


Water will be fairly cold. For lakers you should be able to catch them on lipless cranks in shad/cisco colors, even firetiger (caught a few on firetiger last year in the first week of June), both trolled, cast, and vertically jigged. A chartreuse vertical jighead with a white twister tail works great once you've located them. You can also troll shad/cisco colored crankbaits but you'll want them at least 10-15ft down. That being said, I caught a laker from shore on Kekekabic with a firetiger Rattlin Rap that couldn't have been any deeper than 8ft, so they WILL come up for stuff and you don't have to get way down there. Also consider bladebaits which are like lipless cranks but are usually smaller/denser, have a good wobbling action, and often have a couple different tie-off points that change the action. Natural colors to imitate shad/cisco are your best bet.


As for walleye, a gold/perch colored Husky Jerk should work nicely, or a Jointed Minnow of similar colors. Troll those suckers around structure. I've also caught a few on a firetiger Rattlin Rap as well, between 5ft to 12ft. Vertical jigs with a white twister tail are great for walleye as well.


I'm expecting both lakers and walleye to be a bit lazy due to the cold water, but it really depends on the depth of the lake, where their forage is, the weather for the day, etc. Big fish don't get big by being over-eager, so you might have to entice them. They probably won't chase a lipless that you're burning 6ft deep. They let the smaller fish fight closer to the surface and they'll snatch up the scraps that float down deeper. You might be able to entice them by vertically jigging a lipless or just a regular jig, but if they're especially lazy it might have to be right in front of their face for them to take it. I think natural colors and realistic action are important in clear water, so some random but methodical twitching/jigging is probably the best way to entice finicky fish, to mimic a dying baitfish.


A lot of this advice is based on what I've read and heard, and haven't had a ton of experience with. I intend on putting it to the test during the first week of June on LLC/Iron/Crooked - hoping to haul up a hawg laker. Just one would be great!!"

THank you!!

I would troll shorelines with a gold DHJ 10 or a HJ12 with the front hook removed. Cast jigs with curly tails into and below any moving water.

AmarilloJim: "I would troll shorelines with a gold DHJ 10 or a HJ12 with the front hook removed. Cast jigs with curly tails into and below any moving water."

Noted and planned on, thank you also!

Walleye

This first lure I like to call the “producer” because it typically produces walleye when I need a shore lunch. The J9, 3-1/2”, gold, jointed (broken back) Rapala is my preeminent lure for walleye. This lure can be used with success during all open water seasons (spring, summer and fall). It works best when trolled around points and any extending flats adjacent to the area. If the points are not productive, move out into the lake and fish reefs by maneuvering the canoe back and forth over the structure. Casting this lure over young weed beds and any areas that have current are also good locations to hunt walleye in the spring. Wind blowing between islands in the “saddle” can be a highly effective spot during the spring time as well. Typically if you find one walleye there is a good chance another will be nearby. Once a fruitful area is determined, set an anchor if possible and cast over the structure.

This next lure, the 4-3/4”, gold colored, Rapala Husky Jerk is fished in a similar manner as the J9. Use it during all the open water fishing seasons by trolling and casting this lure over the same areas as mentioned previously. When the structure holding walleye is deeper switch from the J9 to the Husky Jerk. The Husky Jerk can be trolled a touch slower due to its neutral buoyancy which allows the lure to suspend when paused and precipitates deadly strikes by walleyes. When casting this lure always incorporate a pause into the retrieve after a couple of jerks.

While trolling a rubble shore line just past a point in 2003, I caught a walleye on Basswood Lake that measured 32 inches long using the gold colored Husky Jerk. This fish won the annual catch and release contest held by the Ely Echo newspaper.

I am inclined to catch and release the majority of the walleye caught in Quetico. I only keep a few each trip for a couple of shore lunches. The lunkers are always returned to breed or to allow the opportunity for someone else the catch of a lifetime. If we all use these guidelines the quality of Quetico walleye fishing will remain for generations to come.

The closest I’ve been to fishing live bait in Quetico is using either Berkley PowerBait or Gulp! leeches. Once a good walleye location is determined, return to the area with a PowerBait leech and jig over the structure and surrounding area. Using non-lead 1/8 oz. or 1/4 oz. black colored jigheads seem to work best.

If you do not prefer jigging, another effective method is to Texas rig the leech on a red 1/0 worm hook so it is weed-less. Then about 18 inches up the line use a small weight to maintain the lure depths down in the strike zone. This method is best used while drifting over a walleye structure or reeled just enough to make sure it remains off the bottom while casting from a stationary position.

When there is a good chop on the water rig up the leech on a jighead under a slip float. The movement of the float in the waves causes erratic movements of the leech below the surface enticing finicky walleyes. This procedure alleviates snags by allowing the lure to hover over the bottom. Again, this lure can be used during all open water fishing seasons, but is used primarily during the summer when walleye move out into the lake and set up over the reefs and shoals.

QueticoMike: "Walleye


This first lure I like to call the “producer” because it typically produces walleye when I need a shore lunch. The J9, 3-1/2”, gold, jointed (broken back) Rapala is my preeminent lure for walleye. This lure can be used with success during all open water seasons (spring, summer and fall). It works best when trolled around points and any extending flats adjacent to the area. If the points are not productive, move out into the lake and fish reefs by maneuvering the canoe back and forth over the structure. Casting this lure over young weed beds and any areas that have current are also good locations to hunt walleye in the spring. Wind blowing between islands in the “saddle” can be a highly effective spot during the spring time as well. Typically if you find one walleye there is a good chance another will be nearby. Once a fruitful area is determined, set an anchor if possible and cast over the structure.


This next lure, the 4-3/4”, gold colored, Rapala Husky Jerk is fished in a similar manner as the J9. Use it during all the open water fishing seasons by trolling and casting this lure over the same areas as mentioned previously. When the structure holding walleye is deeper switch from the J9 to the Husky Jerk. The Husky Jerk can be trolled a touch slower due to its neutral buoyancy which allows the lure to suspend when paused and precipitates deadly strikes by walleyes. When casting this lure always incorporate a pause into the retrieve after a couple of jerks.


While trolling a rubble shore line just past a point in 2003, I caught a walleye on Basswood Lake that measured 32 inches long using the gold colored Husky Jerk. This fish won the annual catch and release contest held by the Ely Echo newspaper.


I am inclined to catch and release the majority of the walleye caught in Quetico. I only keep a few each trip for a couple of shore lunches. The lunkers are always returned to breed or to allow the opportunity for someone else the catch of a lifetime. If we all use these guidelines the quality of Quetico walleye fishing will remain for generations to come.


The closest I’ve been to fishing live bait in Quetico is using either Berkley PowerBait or Gulp! leeches. Once a good walleye location is determined, return to the area with a PowerBait leech and jig over the structure and surrounding area. Using non-lead 1/8 oz. or 1/4 oz. black colored jigheads seem to work best.


If you do not prefer jigging, another effective method is to Texas rig the leech on a red 1/0 worm hook so it is weed-less. Then about 18 inches up the line use a small weight to maintain the lure depths down in the strike zone. This method is best used while drifting over a walleye structure or reeled just enough to make sure it remains off the bottom while casting from a stationary position.


When there is a good chop on the water rig up the leech on a jighead under a slip float. The movement of the float in the waves causes erratic movements of the leech below the surface enticing finicky walleyes. This procedure alleviates snags by allowing the lure to hover over the bottom. Again, this lure can be used during all open water fishing seasons, but is used primarily during the summer when walleye move out into the lake and set up over the reefs and shoals.


"

The post above is great advice. The only thing I do different is in the spring I like the floating F9 Rapala rather than the jointed. Firetiger is another productive color.

We do the same thing - trolling a orange rapala when we "need" fish for a meal. It is especially deadly in the spring.

I will add - even in the middle of summer we will troll them on TX-6 mini planer boards to get them surprisingly close to wind blown shore lines (not right on the bank but closer than you can get a boat) especially if the shoreline has either rock and/or weeds. We usually catch our biggest walleyes doing this. You will be surprised at catching walleyes shallower than they are "supposed" to be.

Thank you all!

It was mentioned that you would be surprised to find walleye shallow, but a lot of walleye can be found in moving water. Just look for water flowing into a lake from creeks or falls and you are likely to find shallow walleye during any season.

I see lots of folks talking about lakers and walleyes on the South Arm of Knife. How is the west end early in the year for lakers and walleyes?