What hard baits do you use for walleyes, smallmouth bass and northerns? We will be fishing Lake Polly & Phoebe Lake in mid July. The lakes are between EP 37 & 38.

I use shad raps and rattlin raps or similar. I spend my time trolling instead of casting due to a back problem that won't let me sit still to cast for more than a few minutes. Lakes that have stained water will usually have walleyes shallow enough for these lures to work well. It does help to have a depth finder so you can stay in a reasonable depth for these lures and sometimes it also helps you to find a mid-lake hump that walleyes congregate on.

Smallmouth bass also like the shad raps but you might find that a jig with a larger plastic tail works better.

While you will catch northern pike (and sometimes very large ones) on shad raps, if you are targeting just northern pike a big Original Floating Rapala will be the best ticket. Troll these across the lake as the northern pike will often be suspended over deep water or on top of a mid-lake hump that you didn't know existed.

If you want to my article- Grand Slam Lures for Boundary Waters fishing, send an email to- Queticomike@yahoo.com - and request Grand Slam article.

If you can locate any mid-lake humps, try bladebaits (e.g. Silver Buddy, Sonar, etc) in 18-30 feet of water. Best for walleye, but I've caught the occasional bass and pike with them. Cast ahead of your drift, so if (when) you snag, you can usually pop it free when you drift past it.

Rapalas, Jointed Rapalas, shad-Raps, spoons, and some top water lures. I just picked up a whooper plopper this spring because I though it looked like fun. We'll see how it performs this a year.

RMinMN: "I use shad raps and rattlin raps or similar. I spend my time trolling instead of casting due to a back problem that won't let me sit still to cast for more than a few minutes. Lakes that have stained water will usually have walleyes shallow enough for these lures to work well. It does help to have a depth finder so you can stay in a reasonable depth for these lures and sometimes it also helps you to find a mid-lake hump that walleyes congregate on.

Smallmouth bass also like the shad raps but you might find that a jig with a larger plastic tail works better.

While you will catch northern pike (and sometimes very large ones) on shad raps, if you are targeting just northern pike a big Original Floating Rapala will be the best ticket. Troll these across the lake as the northern pike will often be suspended over deep water or on top of a mid-lake hump that you didn't know existed."

^^ This! Also, x-raps and husky jerks. Bigger is better for me. I like the HJ14. I take off the middle treble and replace the front and back hooks with larger treble hooks. In low light over a reef or a rocky point, twitch-twitch-pause-Boom!

I fish to avoid SMB and northerns.

For walleye lures in July, I would recommend the Wally Diver.

To catch walleyes in July, I'd be using a slip bobber and live bait on the edge of mid-lake reefs... but you were asking about lures.

RMinMN: "I use shad raps and rattlin raps or similar. I spend my time trolling instead of casting due to a back problem that won't let me sit still to cast for more than a few minutes. Lakes that have stained water will usually have walleyes shallow enough for these lures to work well. It does help to have a depth finder so you can stay in a reasonable depth for these lures and sometimes it also helps you to find a mid-lake hump that walleyes congregate on.

Smallmouth bass also like the shad raps but you might find that a jig with a larger plastic tail works better.

While you will catch northern pike (and sometimes very large ones) on shad raps, if you are targeting just northern pike a big Original Floating Rapala will be the best ticket. Troll these across the lake as the northern pike will often be suspended over deep water or on top of a mid-lake hump that you didn't know existed."

Very similar. Berkeley Flicker shads, Rapala minnow rap are good options too…probably others.

there are a lot of good hardbaits on the market these days , i'm a big bomber fan, and deep suspenders which can be fantastic when S trolling , lure stays down and will pauses - go on turns,,, a great trigger response for suspended fish.
depending pn time of the year the original 7" blk/gold rapala is a very under rated lure runs about 10'-15' max.
pic of my top 3 lures in the BW & bomber lures

Thanks I'm a huge Boomer guy fishing for walleyes on the Mississippi around Dubuque Ia. 9 days till we hit the water :)

bobbernumber3: "I fish to avoid SMB and northerns.


For walleye lures in July, I would recommend the Wally Diver.


To catch walleyes in July, I'd be using a slip bobber and live bait on the edge of mid-lake reefs... but you were asking about lures."

Why Northerns ? great fighters and pike over 40" are special , and as far as table fare , one of the best tasty fish on the planet ,
i had a friend who stated i dont even want a Northern on the end of my line , well i was cooking pike 1 evening and he was over i asked him if he wanted some fish , he said of course , i asked how he liked it , said he loved it , told him "Al your eating pike"

GT350: "Thanks I'm a huge Boomer guy fishing for walleyes on the Mississippi around Dubuque Ia. 9 days till we hit the water :)"

Best of luck to you ;)

Smallmouth seem to love this:

shock: "

bobbernumber3: "I fish to avoid SMB and northerns.
"

Why Northerns ? great fighters and pike over 40" are special , and as far as table fare,,, "

Yes, the big ones are fun to fight! I am always happy when they get off and swim away so I don't have to deal with the slime and teeth. And I never bring them into the boat... what a mess!

^^^ i do agree , even if i plan on keeping a pike for food, i dont even like using a net on it , a person can spend more time getting the fish and hooks out of the net , then the actual fight.
i was fighting a 5lb pike that sky out of the water , land in the middle of the canoe and then the fight really started as it tossed everything in the canoe into a mess !
Very cool markings/colors on the pike your holding