For the first time, our group is not entering the Boundary Waters in June or July. Instead, we are planning a trip for Mid-September this year. Curious what the bait of choice is in September?

Also, might be a dumb question, but can a person get by using fake baits in September? We did a June trip a few years back and only took fake bait and had just as much luck as we normally do on trips with live bait.

I went twice last fall, September & very early October and crushed just about everything using live minnows.

I went in early September last year and the fishing was tough without bait. I had intended to buy bait, but forgot. Sigh. I will note that some of it might have been due to my inexperience at fishing in the BW, too. I caught walleyes and pike every day, but never very many.

100% rainbow shiners if you can find them.

Mid September trip here too. Planning on bringing crawlers and minnows. Where by the Gunflint trail can I score minnows for the trip at this time, need advice, I’ll write it in my pre trip notes. Thanks a million, scat

I have used night crawlers in September when leeches were not available. I found they worked just as well as leeches for me under a slip bobber. We caught small mouth and walleyes.

Thanks for the input. Based on input from this post and from the outfitter I'm gathering it's probably best to use crawlers and/or minnows on this trip during this time of year and scratch the idea of fake baits all together.

Leeches are very hard to find at this time of year also. I like trolling crawlers on spinner rigs, jigs & minnows or under a slip bobber. Looking for a place to score minnows around Grand Marais if someone could share that info greatly appreciated.

scat: "Leeches are very hard to find at this time of year also. I like trolling crawlers on spinner rigs, jigs & minnows or under a slip bobber. Looking for a place to score minnows around Grand Marais if someone could share that info greatly appreciated."

I’m of no help on the GM side, Scat. If you need recommendations near Ely, let me know.

Got Ely covered, I always hit the Lucky 7, but my September trip is off the Gunflint so need help there.

You can pick up bait right in Grand Marais at the Holiday gas station. If they don't have any in stock you can cross the street and get some at Bucks Hardware, or go a few blocks towards Artist Point to The Beaver House.

I use "fake bait" all season with ned rigs. I rarely even use live bait unless I'm bobber fishing.

That time of year bigger minnows like rainbows are good. To be honest though don’t overlook cranks. Fish are starting to feed heavier, minnows/baitfish are bigger, cranks can get a reaction bite. Not always but many times I’ve caught more on cranks than live bait that time of year.

T

rdgbwca: "I have used night crawlers in September when leeches were not available. I found they worked just as well as leeches for me under a slip bobber. We caught small mouth and walleyes."

+1 whole crawlers , easy to care for in the fall ,

Thx Aries, greatly appreciated.

+1 on live minnows. If we have a super warm summer/late fall, it might be worth it to bring crawlers, but it's likely live minnows will out-fish everything else. Aug 1-mid-Sept can be the toughest fishing of the year, as the fish are likely not feeding like crazy yet in preparation of winter. I've found slowly dragging a jig and minnow across bottom that time of the year can be SUPER productive, once you've found the fish.

Always go in Mid-Sept to have smaller crowds and fewer bugs. Minnows work the best as leeches are not available.
Once minnows are gone, we move to jigs, ned rigs, etc... Almost always bouncing off the bottom regardless of minnows or jigs with plastic tails.
We catch about 50% of the fish once we switch to artificial.

ericinely: "+1 on live minnows. If we have a super warm summer/late fall, it might be worth it to bring crawlers, but it's likely live minnows will out-fish everything else. Aug 1-mid-Sept can be the toughest fishing of the year, as the fish are likely not feeding like crazy yet in preparation of winter. I've found slowly dragging a jig and minnow across bottom that time of the year can be SUPER productive, once you've found the fish."

Are there any specific depths that time of year that typically do better?