Going to Red Rock Lake area mid July. What color & jig weight 1/16, 1/8 or 1/4 for SM and walleyes. Would you use just jig and leech or add a twister or tube? I figure walleyes will be deeper, but just how deep would you say from experience?

Also, what do you use that time of year? Lots of questions I know, my daughter hopes to fry up some fish for supper. :)

GT350: "Going to Red Rock Lake area mid July. What color & jig weight 1/16, 1/8 or 1/4 for SM and walleyes. Would you use just jig and leech or add a twister or tube? I figure walleyes will be deeper, but just how deep would you say from experience?

Also, what do you use that time of year? Lots of questions I know, my daughter hopes to fry up some fish for supper. :)"

I would bring 1/8 - 3/8 oz. jigs and 2-3" twister tails of your preference. 1/16 oz might be too light to get down to where you need to be in the water column and also the small hook gap may lead to missed hook sets. If concerned about tackle adding portage weight, scale down to 2-3 colors (I personally would go with chartreuse, orange, and/or white/glow). Use similar twister colors as well.

More than likely the walleye will be a tad bit deeper and relating to structure, so having a 3/8 oz. will help stay down especially if there's some wind/chop. Not sure about depths to target, but would start with locating main lake structure (reefs, sunken islands, island points, or mainland shore points that may be connected to an island point) that have adjacent deep water access. Target the windblown side of that structure. I would also differentiate your presentations (twister only, leech only, or combo) between whoever is in the canoe. Once you find the right configuration, you can mirror what's working best.

As always, eliminate water, locate and identify what fish are relating to, and vary your presentation.

Good luck!

WalleyeHunter24: "

GT350: "Going to Red Rock Lake area mid July. What color & jig weight 1/16, 1/8 or 1/4 for SM and walleyes. Would you use just jig and leech or add a twister or tube? I figure walleyes will be deeper, but just how deep would you say from experience?


Also, what do you use that time of year? Lots of questions I know, my daughter hopes to fry up some fish for supper. :)"

I would bring 1/8 - 3/8 oz. jigs and 2-3" twister tails of your preference. 1/16 oz might be too light to get down to where you need to be in the water column and also the small hook gap may lead to missed hook sets. If concerned about tackle adding portage weight, scale down to 2-3 colors (I personally would go with chartreuse, orange, and/or white/glow). Use similar twister colors as well.


More than likely the walleye will be a tad bit deeper and relating to structure, so having a 3/8 oz. will help stay down especially if there's some wind/chop. Not sure about depths to target, but would start with locating main lake structure (reefs, sunken islands, island points, or mainland shore points that may be connected to an island point) that have adjacent deep water access. Target the windblown side of that structure. I would also differentiate your presentations (twister only, leech only, or combo) between whoever is in the canoe. Once you find the right configuration, you can mirror what's working best.


As always, eliminate water, locate and identify what fish are relating to, and vary your presentation.


Good luck!"

Any good resources out there for identifying underwater structure in the Q?

Any good resources out there for identifying underwater structure in the Q?"

I've done quite a bit of research on this, and the general answer is "No". I've never located a lake map that is as extensive as the resources for US waters and the BWCA. Lake Master and Navionics map the BWCA up to Canadian waters, then it's blank.

You can use Google Earth to locate areas where the water looks "shallower" on the main lake. This can indicate a reef, sunken island, etc. from which you can target. I've done this in the past and it's kind of scary that it actually gives you some reliable information.

Best suggestion is to have a portable depth finder and paddle around areas that look like they may have structure tied to the main land shore points. When heading out to fish or explore other areas, keep the locator on and watch for structure/depth changes. When you find something substantial, drop a line and experiment.

Not much help, but sometimes finding those hidden surprises are better than having them called out on a map!

Good luck on the water!