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eastcoast
member (9)member
  
06/26/2022 12:06AM  
Hi All,

I would like to start off by saying that you all have a great community on here! I have been preparing for my first trip to the Boundary Waters in early July and have probably read close to 50 different threads dating all the way back to 2003. Individuals such as QueticoMike have generously shared many years' worth of experience in their posts which have helped first-timers such as myself get up to speed on patterns in the area.

As a quick summary, a friend and I are doing a 7 day canoe trip taking the following route in early July: Enter Fall Lake, Newton Lake, Pipestone Bay, Jackfish Bay, Back Bay, Wind Lake, Exit Moose Lake (or that is the plan currently). We are experienced fisherman from Florida but have never had the chance to tangle with pike, walleye, or very many smallmouth. I am hoping to explain our approach to targeting these species and then gather opinions on what we should do differently. I am especially curious about whether you all think the high cold water will be back to more normal levels in the coming weeks and/or if it will affect the fishing strategies at all.

Now for the details…

I was currently thinking we should spend the first day making the trek up to Jackfish Bay to set up camp and fish lightly along the way. Is it worth spending more time fishing Newton Lake and Pipestone Bay (perhaps even spending the night on one of the lakes)? I have read that we have decent chances for Walleye at the base of the falls on each lake. Then we were planning on fishing Jackfish Bay heavily for 2-3 days before continuing on towards our exit. I would rather have us spend more time on the more promising lakes for fishing even if that means full travel days on the back end of the trip.

My take away is that all of the lakes we are travelling through hold decent amounts of pike, all but Back Bay have loads of smallies, and that walleye can be found in decent numbers in some of the lakes but especially Jackfish Bay. Please correct me if I am wrong.

In terms of tackle:
1.) 6-12 lb 4 piece St. Croix Premier spinning rod with 2500 reel and 10 lb black braid. I currently plan to always have about 2 feet of 12 lb fluoro leader on but I am open to other suggestions if the fish are more wary than I expect.
2.) 6-12 lb spinning rod with a 2000 reel with 8 lb clear mono and no leader.
3.) Medium heavy 4-piece baitcaster with 12 lb mono for throwing top water and bigger lures for pike and smallmouth and for trolling.
4.) 6 weight fly rod for smallies and pike (using poppers, woolly buggers, deceivers)
5.) 2 weight fly rod for pan fish (using small spider flies)

Our plan for each species:
Smallmouth: We likely will fish very similar to how we do in Florida. Targeting the shoreline structure and submerged rocks close to the bank. I am a fan of finesse fishing so I will primarily be throwing Ned rigs, tubes, soft plastic crawfish on 1/8-1/4 oz jig heads. My friend prefers crankbaits. I will also throw junebug senkos, watermelon flukes, and the like texas rigged. In the mornings/evenings I will throw poppers and Whopper Ploppers. Additionally I may throw a small Mepps spinner or spinner bait. If I can gain confidence in them (I never have much luck with them), I will also throw 3-4 inch paddle tail swimbaits.

Pike: It seems from what I have read that we should just fine weed lines and cast along them. I will probably throw Whopper Ploppers, Large Mepps, Husky Jerk (gold, size 4), Shad Rap (purpledescent, size 07) for trolling as we travel. How long of a bite leader should I use? I have bought the 18 lb Knot to Kinky Leader and will probably put 12 inches of that out front to prevent bite offs. Is that overkill and do you think it will reduce bites substantially? I would be happy to just use 30-40 lb mono leader instead. I think Back Bay is supposed to be our best bet for consistent pike action.

Walleye: This is the one that I would like to catch the most but also have the least amount of knowledge. From what I can tell slip bobbering with live leeches is the way to go. I have bought 1/8 and 1/4 oz Northland Fire-Ball Jigs and will pick up some leeches before the trip. Any tips for how many/what size leeches I should buy or the best way to keep them? Seems they are pretty hardy if they have regularly changed water. How deep should I be working the slip bobber rig. It seems they are leader shy, is 12 lb fluoro way too big? I have printed out topo maps of each lake we will fish and plan on targeting humps.

For all species, what depth is most common to be targeting them in early July. Is relying on the topo maps going to be key to success? Hopefully with the colder water this year, they are still somewhat shallow as that is how I am used to fishing in the shallow FL lakes. What are your go-to trolling tactics?

Realistically, I will not switch lures too much and I assume the staples on my rods will be the Ned rig, paddle tail, and Husky Jerk. What would your go-to lures be? Is fishing in the heat of the day productive at all or should we just make ourselves busy during the sun's peak hours? Is July the time to slow down presentations or cover as much water as possible? Any and all fishing tips would be greatly appreciated! QueticoMike, I notice that you have mentioned writing articles on things such as smallmouth tactics in the region. Are those publicly available online somewhere?

Are side trips where we hike in to small lakes such as Azion Lake or Hube Lake worth it for the fishing or even just the adventure? Any must try campsites or activities that you think are worth the visit?

I know that this was a long post and I sincerely appreciate any advice you can offer.

Best,
Eastcoast
 
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Wallyhunter7
member (13)member
  
06/26/2022 08:30AM  
I have a small point of help right here: don’t fish Azion lake. We portages to it and it seemed to be a 5 foot deep pond that probably winter kills each year.
 
eastcoast
member (9)member
  
06/28/2022 09:26AM  
Thank you for the tip Walleyehunter7! Any other suggestions?
 
cyclones30
distinguished member(4163)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
06/28/2022 12:12PM  
Wow that's a lot, no way I can answer it all.

You're good on the route and already have a bunch of info that all seems fine.

My comments....you're going to hate carrying that many rods on portages but you don't have that many portages to do so go for it. All of your techniques sound fine. Leeches yes are very good, do the nalgene method or leech king for keeping them in. Some places don't sell different sizes, you just get assorted ones. If there are sizes anything from M to XL is fine...you just get fewer of the XL's of course.

By the time you get up there the water levels will maybe be a little high yet but nothing like earlier this spring and water temps are basically normal for this time of year. So yes they're cold compared to what you're used to but it's not like what you'll be experiencing is out of the ordinary for that area and date. Much closer to normal and normal than it is flooded and cold.

 
eastcoast
member (9)member
  
06/28/2022 12:25PM  
Thanks for the advice Cyclones30. Glad to hear about the water being mostly normal! I just didn’t know how it would effect what depth the fish are sitting.
 
jwettelrin89
senior member (90)senior membersenior member
  
06/28/2022 02:12PM  
Is there a reason you're looking to go to Jackfish? I was going to plan a trip to basswood in July but decided to go to my usual spot instead. I was thinking of going to the bay northeast of Jackfish where motorized boats aren't allowed. I think you will find similar fishing up there, but I don't know for sure. Also - jackfish is huge, so if you get the wrong winds you could get landlocked pretty easily. Might be something where you want to check the forecast for windspeed and direction before you make the call. We ALWAYS do better fishing the side of the lake that the wind is blowing towards.
 
eastcoast
member (9)member
  
06/30/2022 10:32AM  
I am honestly open to going wherever the fishing is likely to be productive. The outfitter we are using was trying to shy us away from going anywhere near Canada. I don’t see any harm as long as we have a proper understanding of where the border is.
 
jwettelrin89
senior member (90)senior membersenior member
  
06/30/2022 11:24AM  
As long as you don't go into canada you're fine. I frequently fish within 20-50 ft of the border. Just make sure you have a good map and/or a good gps and you'll be fine. That being said I would reference your map to google maps before you go. Google maps gives you a very accurate representation of where the border is. Some of the maps fudge the line a little bit and you want to make sure you understand where your maps limitations might be if you're fishing right next to the border. I use the navionics app on my phone when im up there and the border is definitely not 100% accurate on that app.

I have canoed in 10 miles just to see motorboats buzzing around all day and it was a bit of a buzzkill. If you're already going to Jackfish it wouldn't be too much further to get to the bay to the NE of there - the one that feeds into the tiny bay where basswood falls is. That bay looks like it has a bunch of nice structure and reefs out around the islands in the middle of the bay. I almost booked a trip over that way until a spot at my preferred entry point opened up.
 
eastcoast
member (9)member
  
07/01/2022 09:44AM  
What is your go-to tactic and water depth in July?
 
jwettelrin89
senior member (90)senior membersenior member
  
07/01/2022 09:48AM  
I'm honestly not sure.

I always go in October and we crush walleyes on steep breaks adjacent to deep water in 15-30 feet of water. All we do that time of year is jig minnows, but it's too warm to keep minnows alive in July.

I'm going in for my first July bwca trip at the end of the month and here is my untested plan:

Lindy rig or jig leeches or worms on steep breaks, reefs, or large flats adjacent to deep water anywhere from 15-30 ft deep.

Cast weed edges and shallower rock structure with a beaver flick and a leech, plastics, or crank baits.

Find current and fish eddies/seams, or in the current where there's a drop-off that goes from shallow upstream to deep downstream. You can often times find walleye much shallower when you're fishing current, but i'll still target mostly 10+ ft deep.

Lindy rig entries to bays where the wind is blowing in. Look for areas where there might be a sand/mud/rock transition and try to just drift and cover ground there.

If the wind is blowing you will almost always find me on the side of the lake where the wind is blowing into. If the wind is too strong I'll hide behind a point or between islands where currents still sweep around.

Hopefully this gives you a few ideas. I'm not sure which or any will work, but these have all worked in the past at one time.

 
eastcoast
member (9)member
  
07/01/2022 11:49AM  
Thanks, I really appreciate the insight and will be sure to post my trip results after.
 
jwettelrin89
senior member (90)senior membersenior member
  
07/02/2022 10:52AM  
One last thing i would reccomend is taking a day trip down the basswood river below basswood falls. Theres fish in the current year round and there are multiple sets of beautiful falls. I hear the fishing below wheelbarrow falls and basswood falls can be pretty good for smallies and walleye. look for deeper holes, eddies, or seams in the current. if youre packed light for a day trip the portaging should be pretty easy.
 
07/04/2022 09:14AM  
eastcoast: "... preparing for my first trip to the Boundary Waters..."

A first trip can be very exciting! Pack light and have flexible plans.

eastcoast: "... I am especially curious about whether you all think the high cold water will be back to more normal levels in the coming weeks and/or if it will affect the fishing strategies at all."

Water levels should be dropping back to normal and won't affect your fishing strategies at all.


eastcoast: "...Is it worth spending more time fishing Newton Lake and Pipestone Bay (perhaps even spending the night on one of the lakes)? "

Campsite availability may be a problem closest to your enty point. Keep your rods (two per person) packed until camp is set up. On a maiden voyage Day One you have more important things to focus on than fishing enroute.

eastcoast: "... I would rather have us spend more time on the more promising lakes for fishing even if that means full travel days on the back end of the trip."
This is a great thought. Stay on the good fishing lakes. And again, as you head back to an exit point, campsites may be limited and you will end up paddling out

eastcoast: "
1.) 6-12 lb 4 piece St. Croix Premier...
2.) 6-12 lb spinning rod with a 2000 reel with 8 lb clear mono and no leader.
3.) ...baitcaster with 12 lb mono ...
4.)...fly rod...
5.) 2 weight fly rod...
"

I'd recommend 2 rods per person and leave the baitcaster and fly rods at home until trip 4 or 5 when you get a feel for fishing the BW. St Croix sounds expensive to me and I'd leave it home as well.

eastcoast: "
Smallmouth: Targeting the shoreline structure and submerged rocks close to the bank. I am a fan ...My friend prefers.... I will also throw .... In the mornings/evenings I will throw.... Additionally I may throw... If I can gain confidence in them (I never have much luck with them), I will also throw ..."

Tie anything on and throw toward rock piles, shore, reefs, weed. These invasive fish are everywhere and easily caught. What you have on the end of your line is not too critical. Keep casting!

eastcoast: "
Pike: ...."

I am usually glad when Northerns get off before I have to deal with them. Smelly, slimey, and make a mess in the boat. These are caught frequently enough while fishing for your target species, Walleye.

eastcoast: "
Walleye: How deep should I be working the slip bobber rig.
It seems they are leader shy, is 12 lb fluoro way too big?
...plan on targeting humps.
"

Slip bobber should be set at a depth so your bait is up off the bottom. Needs to be within a foot or two of bottom. A leader is not necessary. Targeting mid-lake reefs in summer toward evening is a good plan.

eastcoast: "What are your go-to trolling tactics?"

Our only trolling is for lake trout. Four ounce keel sinker, 3 feet back to a flashy spoon.

eastcoast: "Realistically, I will not switch lures too much...
What would your go-to lures be?
Is fishing in the heat of the day productive at all or should we just make ourselves busy during the sun's peak hours?
"

Only bring two rods. Switch baits more often than you like. However, you could just tie on a jig and fish all week for bass, walleye and northern. Add rubber twister tails, minnow rubber bodies, etc. Our best afternoon in Q for walleyes started a 2 pm with calm water and blazing sun. Fish all day.

Have a great trip and be sure to report back!

 
07/04/2022 07:48PM  
You can get this emailed to you for up-to-date fishing info.

Weekly Fishing Report

Also good place for bait and tackle in Ely.
 
eastcoast
member (9)member
  
07/05/2022 08:05PM  
Excellent, thank you all. I have read that it only takes four-six hours (wind permitting) to get from Fall Lake to the No Motor Zone of Basswood. Do you think it would be a good strategy to spend the first day or two in Pipestone Lake or alternatively push all the way to Jackfish (fishing the falls on the way there) and then take day trips to farther away lakes like Tin Can Mike? I am wondering if it is limiting my trip too much to only focus on one or two lakes given youth is on our side and we have a lot of energy and 7 days.

Best,
Eastcoast
 
07/05/2022 08:47PM  
Me?? I'd get a campsite first, get set up (before it rains), have some snacks and then break out the fishing rods (2). Fish from camp or nearby.

Day 2. Make a day trip back to Pipestone and Newton Falls and scratch that itch.

Day 3 - 6. Fish, fish, fish.

Day 7. Head to exit point.

Fishing days and travel days don't mix well, IMO. You want to avoid seeing a group take the last available site on your destination lake because you "had to fish" while traveling.
 
Kellyheaney1057
  
07/06/2022 03:38PM  
If u subscribe to boundary waters journal author will give you advice you need mao routes n spots where fish are, best campsites, fishing gear etc bwj.com
Slip bobber n leech foot off bottom jig n twister tail in rapids you will catch smallies n wallies n northern
 
07/06/2022 04:32PM  
eastcoast: ".... The outfitter we are using was trying to shy us away from going anywhere near Canada. ...."


You need to be able to know good advice when offered. This is good advice. There are too many good spots to bother along the border.
 
jwettelrin89
senior member (90)senior membersenior member
  
07/06/2022 04:58PM  
bobbernumber3: "
eastcoast: ".... The outfitter we are using was trying to shy us away from going anywhere near Canada. ...."



You need to be able to know good advice when offered. This is good advice. There are too many good spots to bother along the border."


Some of the best spots along the border route are in the current right along the international border and a trip down the basswood river would likely be the best scenery they see all trip.

You need to know the rules and have a gps if you're going to toe the line, but there's no reason to be scared of the border if you do your homework.
 
07/07/2022 10:05AM  
I take 3, 2 piece rods and pack them in a hard case and they normally don't come out until I get to camp. I then set one for trolling, one up for casting, and put a slip bobber on the third one and throw the slip bobber out while setting up camp. If you do that make sure your rod is secure or it could be dragged into the lake.
My walleye set up is one of the either a slip bobber, jig, or walleye hook with a couple of split shots (TGO method). I might set up with a couple of rods with different rigs. Then I always have a trolling rod with either a deep diving hard bait or a lindy style rig on it. I might also have a casting bait on a rod such as a #4 brass mepps with squirrel tail, wopper plopper, stick bait, little cleo, etc.
For smallmouth bass my set up is a slip bobber, a trolling hard bait, and a casting lure.
Northern will be either a spoon, a spinner, or hard bait on two of the rods and a trolling plug for the third rod.
On the mepps I sometimes pinch the barbs because northerns like to swallow that lure and that makes it easier to get those nasty stinkers unhooked. I also use a fish gripper of some kind rather than a net. That way the fish, especially northern pike, don't get all tangled in the net. I think the fish are better off because I can leave the fish in the water while unhooking them.
Plus a net takes a lot of space.
Also you might want to put a safety cord or float on your all-in-one tool. I and quite a few people have donated theirs to the bottom of the lakes in the bwca!
 
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