My upcoming first Laker trip has me dreaming about a Grand Slam! Then I got to wondering if it could be topped and if so, how? I believe the common list is Walleye, Laker, Smally and Pike, and my understanding is the goal is usually to catch all 4 on one trip, but maybe some consider it a daily requirement! That would be quite an accomplishment that I imagine some of you expert “persons o’ fishing” have achieved.

BUT…Is there more???

What about 4 species/1 day/1 lure?

I would argue that a one lure restriction would allow you to replace a lost lure(to a fish), with the exact same thing. Same model, size and color. How could it get better than that?

Maybe 4 species/1 day/1 lure/1 lake?

What do you think?

Fritty

I consider the Grand Slam to occur in one day of fishing.

If I had to use one lure, I'd fish Knife Lake with a white tube jig.

If you want to add a fifth fish to the grand slam list, you could include Largemouth Bass or any of the panfish.

I've gotten the grand slam trout fishing a few times, which include Rainbow, Brooke, Brown, and Cutthroat. You can also include Whitefish to the list.

I thought the grand slam was
Northern
Laker
Smally
Largemouth
Walleye

All in the same day…same day grand slam, all in a trip trip grand slam.

Never done it in a day. Ironically it was always the Northern that eluded me 3-4x now :)

But really you can make it what you want. Different species, just the species in the lake etc…

T

I don't know about grand, but one morning on Lake Vermilion I caught a small mouth, walleye, and a northern all back to back. Rapala SSR7 in silver. After 3 fish in 3 casts I couldn't stop smiling, just put the rod down and watched the little back bay wake up with the sun. Craziest thing ever and haven't come close to doing it again.

Is it really five!?

When I’m fishing my local waters a grand slam is just three different species, why does the BWCA have to make it tougher!!?? :D

timatkn: "I thought the grand slam was
Northern
Laker
Smally
Largemouth
Walleye


All in the same day…same day grand slam, all in a trip trip grand slam.


Never done it in a day. Ironically it was always the Northern that eluded me 3-4x now :)


But really you can make it what you want. Different species, just the species in the lake etc…


T"

33 years ago I did a trip, where I caught....
1 pike
1Largemouth
1 Smallmouth
1Walleye
1 Lake Trout
1 Rock bass
That was it !.... when I get dinner, I'm done.

I thought a slam was 3 and a grand slam was 4. I've always considered a BWCA Slam to be Northern - Walleye - Lake Trout. For a Grand add a bass. Can be a fun time. Motivation to fish a little differently than you normally would.

I've attempted a char slam a couple times in the BWCA without success. Laker - Brookie - Splake. Splake are the hard ones to find as they're not stocked inside the BWCA very often. There are lots of places with brookies and lakers only one or two portages away from each other. I've put those 2 species on a USFS fire grate next to each other before just not all 3 yet. I have completed trout slams (3x) in the Superior National Forest, Everglades NP, Montana and Colorado. I've never taken 4 species in a day but I watched a buddy of mine do it out of the same canoe as me 2 days in a row on the Bitterroot. And neither of us caught a single Brookie on that trip!

Fishing a small lake near Sturgeon Lake MN a few years back a different friend and I reeled in and identified 11 different warm-water species one day. One of them was a snail... but it was hooked in the mouth! None of them were keepers but we still had a lot of fun with it.

Set whatever goal you want, and see it through!

You can also catch a whitefish. And there are plenty of carp in some lakes too. Crappies are in a few as well.

I never told the story about the time I found a small stream in Quetico filled with more than a 100 large carp trying to swim upstream to spawn.

Are you sure they were carp and not suckers? Suckers are really plentiful in Quetico and BWCAW lakes, often can be seen in streams in the early season. I’ve never seen Carp in the Q, doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

T

I would add the whitefish,fun to catch and good eating.

Stumpy: "33 years ago I did a trip, where I caught....
1 pike
1Largemouth
1 Smallmouth
1Walleye
1 Lake Trout
1 Rock bass
That was it !.... when I get dinner, I'm done.
"

I agree this would make a great meal. I believe Denny's has a grand slam breakfast, or used to

timatkn: "Are you sure they were carp and not suckers? Suckers are really plentiful in Quetico and BWCAW lakes, often can be seen in streams in the early season. I’ve never seen Carp in the Q, doesn’t mean it isn’t true.


T"

Yup you’re right. They were suckers, not carp.
Good catch lol! PUN

I've had trips where I got a bunch of different species -
Largemouth - My buddy lost a largemouth alongside the canoe that would've been pushing 7lbs. It was the biggest LM I've ever personally seen.
Smallmouth - lots of bass. Biggest was probably 6 lbs and 23"
Rock Bass - we were getting them about a pound each on tiny jig/plastic combo
Northern - Lots of slimers
Walleye - always elusive for me, but every trip gets better
Bluegill - dinner plate size!
Crappie - was surprised by this one, only got one

The lakers have always eluded me. Hoping to fix that in June!

I know its not the grand slam but it sure made me happy, 4 fish in 2 days end of October last year on one lure.
Northern
Walleye
Crappie
Burbot

SpaceCowboy: "Is it really five!?


When I’m fishing my local waters a grand slam is just three different species, why does the BWCA have to make it tougher!!?? :D

timatkn: "I thought the grand slam was
Northern
Laker
Smally
Largemouth
Walleye



All in the same day…same day grand slam, all in a trip trip grand slam.



Never done it in a day. Ironically it was always the Northern that eluded me 3-4x now :)



But really you can make it what you want. Different species, just the species in the lake etc…



T"

"

I have caught a laker, smallmouth bass, a walleye, and northern in one trip, but never all in one day. So I guess I have a grand slam lite.
A minor league grand slam

Heyfritty: "My upcoming first Laker trip has me dreaming about a Grand Slam! Then I got to wondering if it could be topped and if so, how? I believe the common list is Walleye, Laker, Smally and Pike, and my understanding is the goal is usually to catch all 4 on one trip, but maybe some consider it a daily requirement! That would be quite an accomplishment that I imagine some of you expert “persons o’ fishing” have achieved.

BUT…Is there more???

What about 4 species/1 day/1 lure?

I would argue that a one lure restriction would allow you to replace a lost lure(to a fish), with the exact same thing. Same model, size and color. How could it get better than that?

Maybe 4 species/1 day/1 lure/1 lake?

What do you think?

As a matter of fact, there is more than a fishing Grand Slam. Three is a Grand Slam. Four is a Super Grand Slam, and Five is a Fantasy Slam. Don't ask me what six would get you! :)

I've never made this a goal. Maybe I need to! In the BW, I've caught...

Bluegill...
Suckers...
Lakers...
Walleye...
Smallmouth...
Largemouth...
Northern...
Brookies...
Perch...
Rock Bass...

I'm missing Burbot, Brown Trout, Crappie, Whitefish, and I had a Muskie on once but couldn't land it. Any others I'm missing? Are there Rainbow in the BW?

How many in one trip? Probably 6.
In one day? 3 many times, Probably 4 a time or two... I'll start paying attention!

Dreamer: "Are there Rainbow in the BW?"

Are there Browns in the BWCA in 2025? I was under the impression that all stocking efforts inside of the BWCA were switched over to Brookies or Splake earlier this century, with them being native and all.

Your post intrigued me to look into it more. What I've found on this dnr website was worse than I thought. The only lake I can find that is inside of the BWCA border and should hold Rainbows is Ram Lake and the only Splake are in Pierz. I didn't find browns anywhere. That doesn't seem right to me, I thought there were more Splake up there but I do spend a lot of time in the Superior National Forest just south of the BWCA where splake and rainbows are commonly stocked. If anyone else has anything else to report, please do! I clicked through the known lake-trout lakes pretty fast and might have missed one.

If we're fishing for lake trout and walleyes we catch at least 4 species most days if we get lake trout. We have caught northerns and smallmouth while jigging for lake trout and it seems like we always catch northerns, smallmouth, and rock bass when we're fishing for walleyes.

Dreamer:
Bluegill...
Suckers...
Lakers...
Walleye...
Smallmouth...
Largemouth...
Northern...
Brookies...
Perch...
Rock Bass...

I'll add to this list......
Rainbow (On Ram)
Burbot (Snowbank Tip-up)
Crappie (Kawishiwi River)

I don't think a Brown Trout is possible in the BW.
They stopped stocking Splake quite a while ago.
A Muskie or Whitefish/Tulibee would not surprise me, but not on the personal BW list.
Has anyone ever caught a Bullhead in the BW?

Pinetree: "I would add the whitefish,fun to catch and good eating. "

How do you cook whitefish?

T

timatkn: "

Pinetree: "I would add the whitefish,fun to catch and good eating. "

How do you cook whitefish?


T"

A classic tradition in Door County, Wisconsin is boiled whitefish with onions and potatoes. A piece of cherry pie rounds out a great meal.

mixed bag on Malberg with Glenlivet from the bota bag
Pine County slam

Dreamer: "I've never made this a goal. Maybe I need to! In the BW, I've caught...


Bluegill...
Suckers...
Lakers...
Walleye...
Smallmouth...
Largemouth...
Northern...
Brookies...
Perch...
Rock Bass...


I'm missing Burbot, Brown Trout, Crappie, Whitefish, and I had a Muskie on once but couldn't land it. Any others I'm missing? Are there Rainbow in the BW?


How many in one trip? Probably 6.
In one day? 3 many times, Probably 4 a time or two... I'll start paying attention!"

I personally hope I don’t hook into one but can add sturgeon to the list.

I've done the stream trout grand slam: Brook, Rainbow, Splake, and Brown. Yes, these lakes were just outside the BWCA.
In the BWCA my grand slam is Walleye, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, and Small mouth. Bonus: Northern Pike.

I'm hoping to add Whitefish to my list this year.

ForestDuff: "

I'll add to this list......
Rainbow (On Ram)"

Searching through DNR, there are at least 8 other lakes that report rainbow trout in the BW: Found, Neglige, Jacob, Sock, Mavis, Missing Link, Paulson, and Alruss. Whether or not DNR continues to stock them or not I do not know. But they are listed...

We always call walleye, lakers, smallmouth, and pike the grand slam and with the addition of largemouth an ultimate slam. I have done both on a number of occasions. You can have a trip GS or a one day GS, the one day GS being a source of extra bragging rights! Stream trout, crappie, suckers, rock bass, bluegill, burbot, and yellow perch are frosting, but all fairly common. Muskies, not common at all. Sturgeon, mostly Quetico and illegal...also tough to catch on artificials.