From a thread on the Trip Planning Forum, I gathered that some people prefer minnows to leeches when the water is cold.

Do you all have any thoughts about this?
Where would you obtain minnows on the Gunflint side?

Some people say the leeches ball up in cold water. They do ball up but after they are in the water for a while they stretch out again. Consider bringing some night crawlers.

On a basecamp trip with no portage and a campsite with an outlet for aerator, I might consider minnows.

bobbernumber3: "On a basecamp trip with no portage and a campsite with an outlet for aerator, I might consider minnows."

Do minnows not survive in a leech locker the same way leeches do?

wanderingfromkansas: "

bobbernumber3: "On a basecamp trip with no portage and a campsite with an outlet for aerator, I might consider minnows."

Do minnows not survive in a leech locker the same way leeches do?"

You still have to portage them. Unless you're not portaging (like they said)

wanderingfromkansas: "

bobbernumber3: "On a basecamp trip with no portage and a campsite with an outlet for aerator, I might consider minnows."

Do minnows not survive in a leech locker the same way leeches do?"

I'm not sure what a leech locker is. Minnows typically are kept in a minnow bucket with maybe a gallon of water. Even then, mortality is high. You'd need to bring extra minnows to make up for the losses and a crowded minnow bucket means higher losses. So you'd need more buckets, which really is a lot of extra weight. And you would need to portage a lot of water to keep the minnows happy.

Leeches are a lot easier to transport and maintain. A pound can last a week and they can take some abuse in keeping as long as you change water regularly. Way easier to portage... you can dump the water, portage the leeches and add fresh water at the other end.

wanderingfromkansas: "From a thread on the Trip Planning Forum, I gathered that some people prefer minnows to leeches when the water is cold.

Do you all have any thoughts about this?
Where would you obtain minnows on the Gunflint side?"

You do not need live bait to catch walleye, bass, trout or NP anywhere in the BWCA. Minnows and crawlers are especially wasteful in terms of extra weight and improved catch rate. Bring a small box of natural and bright colored shad raps or Flicker Shads, a couple spoons for trout, a couple packs of Gulp Minnows, plastics to includes senkos, twister tails, and swimbaits, and the jigs/hooks to use the above. All would work fine on a fast action/M rod with braid and flouro leader. Much easier to pack. Live leeches are fun for some lazy slip bobber fishing, and do not need water in their container when portaging. Use the weight saved by skipping minnow bucket to carry a portable sonar and some extra batteries.

illini79ps: "

wanderingfromkansas: "From a thread on the Trip Planning Forum, I gathered that some people prefer minnows to leeches when the water is cold.


Do you all have any thoughts about this?
Where would you obtain minnows on the Gunflint side?"

You do not need live bait to catch walleye, bass, trout or NP anywhere in the BWCA. Minnows and crawlers are especially wasteful in terms of extra weight and improved catch rate. Bring a small box of natural and bright colored shad raps or Flicker Shads, a couple spoons for trout, a couple packs of Gulp Minnows, plastics to includes senkos, twister tails, and swimbaits, and the jigs/hooks to use the above. All would work fine on a fast action/M rod with braid and flouro leader. Much easier to pack. Live leeches are fun for some lazy slip bobber fishing, and do not need water in their container when portaging. Use the weight saved by skipping minnow bucket to carry a portable sonar and some extra batteries."

This is quite helpful. I will use a nalgene type bottle for leeches. I'll dump their water and refill it for each portage. Those little boogers are hardy.

My tackle box will include:
Whopper Plopper (x2)
Ned Rigs
Twister tails
Jig heads
Crank Baits (5ft, 15-20 ft)
Jigging Raps
Spoons

I would suggest trying salted minnows on a BWCA trip specially if jigging. I typically order the size large emerald shiners from bestbait company for fishing walleyes over structure in the summer months and they are hard to beat IMO. I haven't tried them below a slip bobber so I can't attest to that method. These minnows will not degrade even after not being refrigerated over a long trip and I generally refreeze the ones I don't use for the next trip. Before the live bait ban in Quetico we used to pack in leeches but then decided to try salted minnows on a mid-summer trip as a hassle free option and never went back to leeches.

schucanoe: "...
Before the live bait ban in Quetico we used to pack in leeches but then decided to try salted minnows on a mid-summer trip as a hassle free option and never went back to leeches."

Check the Q regs regarding live bait including salted minnows...

The fishing regulation in Quetico Park states that only artifical bait and barbless hooks may be used. This means that no live or dead organic bait can be used in the park, including but not limited to leeches, worms and salted minnows.

Correct bobbernumber3, that is why I stated "on a BWCA trip". However, I should have said later, "Before the organic bait ban" and not "live bait ban". Sorry for any confusion.

Buck's in Grand Marais, the Holiday station in Tofte, or Beaver House in GM if they are open. There is another place, too, in GM that I'm blanking on.
Minnows that time of year are the traditional MN go-to walleye bait. They are more work than other live bait, but it totally can be done and is often worth the effort. Plus, if you wanna bring minnows, bring minnows.
What lakes are you thinking?

lundojam: "Buck's in Grand Marais, the Holiday station in Tofte, or Beaver House in GM if they are open. There is another place, too, in GM that I'm blanking on.
Minnows that time of year are the traditional MN go-to walleye bait. They are more work than other live bait, but it totally can be done and is often worth the effort. Plus, if you wanna bring minnows, bring minnows.
What lakes are you thinking?"

Entering Lizz & Swamp. Hope to be fishing walleye on Caribou, Horeshoe and Gaskin. Also want to find some lake trout on Winchell.

wanderingfromkansas: "

lundojam: "Buck's in Grand Marais, the Holiday station in Tofte, or Beaver House in GM if they are open. There is another place, too, in GM that I'm blanking on.
Minnows that time of year are the traditional MN go-to walleye bait. They are more work than other live bait, but it totally can be done and is often worth the effort. Plus, if you wanna bring minnows, bring minnows.
What lakes are you thinking?"

Entering Lizz & Swamp. Hope to be fishing walleye on Caribou, Horeshoe and Gaskin. Also want to find some lake trout on Winchell."

That's my plan too, when will you be up? I'll be there 5/19-23. Plan on using leeches and artificial.

Koonie: "

wanderingfromkansas: "

lundojam: "Buck's in Grand Marais, the Holiday station in Tofte, or Beaver House in GM if they are open. There is another place, too, in GM that I'm blanking on.
Minnows that time of year are the traditional MN go-to walleye bait. They are more work than other live bait, but it totally can be done and is often worth the effort. Plus, if you wanna bring minnows, bring minnows.
What lakes are you thinking?"

Entering Lizz & Swamp. Hope to be fishing walleye on Caribou, Horeshoe and Gaskin. Also want to find some lake trout on Winchell."

That's my plan too, when will you be up? I'll be there 5/19-23. Plan on using leeches and artificial."

Entering 5/24 ??

wanderingfromkansas: "

Koonie: "

wanderingfromkansas: "

lundojam: "Buck's in Grand Marais, the Holiday station in Tofte, or Beaver House in GM if they are open. There is another place, too, in GM that I'm blanking on.
Minnows that time of year are the traditional MN go-to walleye bait. They are more work than other live bait, but it totally can be done and is often worth the effort. Plus, if you wanna bring minnows, bring minnows.
What lakes are you thinking?"

Entering Lizz & Swamp. Hope to be fishing walleye on Caribou, Horeshoe and Gaskin. Also want to find some lake trout on Winchell."

That's my plan too, when will you be up? I'll be there 5/19-23. Plan on using leeches and artificial."

Entering 5/24 ?? "

I'll try and leave you some fish! (I'm no fisherman, just like being on the water)