BWCA tips

[forgop]

I'll be launching out of #14 on June 28 for 6 days. Looks like I'll primarily target walleye and smallies on Shell and Lynx. Anyone familiar with them and have any advice to offer? It sounds as if jigs tipped with leeches are the go to, but what about smallies?

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[REW]

With smallies, a hook with a leech or crawler under a bobber fished on rocky shores will generally score on smallies.

Good luck

[andersaki]

I've had a lot of luck using a yellow jig and twister tail tipped with a leech in the BWCA for smallies.

andersaki

[CHM]

Yes, jigs from 1/16 to 1/4 with a 3" grub will get you started. Standard walleye colors - chartreuse, pink & white, etc.

On Shell I would fish the edge of the emergent weeds on the north end, straight across the bay from the Con Island north campsite. Pitch your jig tight to the weeds and try a straight retrieve for starters. Lots of eater walleye in there. We also caught fish from shore on Con.

Smallies are everywhere. Tiny Torpedos and Skitter Raps for topwater, spinnerbaits and plastics work too.

14 is a beautiful entry! Have fun. Pack light!!!

Haven't been to those two lakes but I've been to the BWCA a couple of times. Good fishing but was surprised at the number of people we encountered and had trouble finding a campsite on more than one occasion. If you've been there before you know this but if not, try to find a good campsite early in the day. It seems that they fill up by mid-afternoon.

We caught walleye, pike and bass on about anything. My small tackle box has a lot of small jigs, a few crankbaits, a few spoons, and a few bobbers and hooks. We take in some leeches and crawlers and use them first while they're alive and then go to artificial. A couple of floating stick baits, Zara Spooks or similar, add to the fun for bass.

Slow trolling the edges/dripoffs with a shallow diving crankbait out the back of the canoe will usually find a fish every few minutes. I try to match the water color, either silver or white for clear water or gold/yellow for tea colored water. Caught a 42", 20 lb. pike on an ErieDearie with crawler fishing for walleye; it was pulling the canoe around for a while.

Have a good trip.

[Marble Eye 62]

Originally Posted by forgop

I'll be launching out of #14 on June 28 for 6 days. Looks like I'll primarily target walleye and smallies on Shell and Lynx. Anyone familiar with them and have any advice to offer? It sounds as if jigs tipped with leeches are the go to, but what about smallies?

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Just curious, what's BWCA stand for?

[That Minnesota guy]

Boundry
Waters
Canoe
Area

[Marble Eye 62]

Originally Posted by That Minnesota guy

Boundry
Waters
Canoe
Area

AWWW, I was thinking Boundry Waters, but couldn't figure out the canoe area.
Thanks.

[Baseline]

Originally Posted by That Minnesota guy

Boundry
Waters
Canoe
Area

The official name for the B-Dub as we Minnesotans refer to it is BWCAW

The W = Wilderness

[mwh624]

Smallies are generally pretty easy to come by in the BWCA. Bring some topwater lures to try early morning or near sun down.

Start shallow for both 'eyes and smallies, especially during prime time hours.