It's going to be a special Father's Day for this guy, as I take my oldest into the BWCA for the first time! Our trip is really more about camping than it is fishing.... but, when you're in the northwoods, you have to get your lines wet.

That said, I want to keep my tackle simple and effective for multiple species. Here's what I have in mind:

Topwater: whopper ploppers (perch 75 and munky butt 90)
Mid-depth: 4-6 ft crank baits of various patterns, various jigs with curly tails, and ned rigs
Deep: 11-15 ft crank baits, spoons for trolling and vertical jigging

Feel free to share your thoughts.

Do you have target species or just fishing for fish?

Couple of thoughts:

1. I can't imagine not bringing a slip bobber rig with leeches this time of year.

2. In the "deep" category, I would add #9 and #11 Deep Tail Dancers to get you to the 20-30 foot depths. I definitely don't consider 15 feet to be "deep," especially if you're after lake trout.

3. You have trolling spoons in your "deep" category -- I'd plan to bring some lead to get them down.


Good luck and enjoy your trip! My son and I will be up Wednesday thru Saturday :)

thegildedgopher: "Do you have target species or just fishing for fish?


Couple of thoughts:


1. I can't imagine not bringing a slip bobber rig with leeches this time of year.


2. In the "deep" category, I would add #9 and #11 Deep Tail Dancers to get you to the 20-30 foot depths. I definitely don't consider 15 feet to be "deep," especially if you're after lake trout.


3. You have trolling spoons in your "deep" category -- I'd plan to bring some lead to get them down.



Good luck and enjoy your trip! My son and I will be up Wednesday thru Saturday :)"

The goal is to be as multi-species prepared, as simply as possible.

I will bring a couple of slip bobbers. I don't plan to be the one taking care of leeches.

I will have lead for trolling spoons. I like to set them up on a three-way swivel; one swivel dropping lead, and the other swivel trolling the spoon.

Cool. I'm taking my two oldest to the BWCA wed-sun for Father's Day too! Hope you guys have a blast. My guys have been canoeing, camping, and fishing and they love it, but never done an overnight in the BWCA with them. So hoping they have a great time and they want to do it again!

We will be on Basswood through Moose Chain same week for 12th consecutive year (3 time paddler now with day use motor group). I like your lure choices but if you want to save space and weight, consider bringing senkos for primary bass lure. Use wacky no weight for surface to six feet, use Neko with a nail weight for 6 to 15 feet. Walleyes will bite 4inch senkos neko rigged if you want to cast for them. I love slip floats and trolling but senkos are amazingly effective. No big deal if bit off, and colorful senkos are also effective for large northern.

I just got back from a trip this morning. I was prepared for everything, and took entirely too much tackle. On the way home last night, I told my buddy that I could have done better with one simple tackle box. One very similar to what you've already mentioned, a few topwaters, a few crankbaits and rapalas, and a whole lot of 1/16 to 3/8 jig heads, with a good assortment of soft plastics. I'm sold on the Bass Pro Shops triple ripple 3" grub in watermelon green, or pumpkinseed. Motor oil got the job done too.


When the walleye bite slowed down, tipping it with a crawler worked wonders. I didn't fish the leeches and bobbers much. When I did, the walleyes were very responsive.

I found that I took too much, and couldn't find anything when I wanted it. A short compact tackle box would have been better. Hope you have a great trip and the boys also enjoy themselves. It sure is beautiful there.