I’m headed to the BWCA with my 9-year old, 2 friends, and their kids in a few weeks. I haven’t been up there in in almost 25 years. I’m looking for some suggestions/advice as far as what kind of tackle to bring. Thanks!
I have a friend that spends 25-30 days a year up there and they always bring leeches for live bait with jigs, slip bobber rigs, and maybe a few crank baits for tackle. One thing we did when I was with one year was make a snell or floating jig and slip sinker rig and cast out from shore and set your drag very loose so virtually no resistance but you could hear the clicks when a fish took it. That way you can work around camp and still be fishing.
I’ve been going to Quetico and BWCA since 1980 and the fish there are eating the same things they did 40 years ago. Leeches are hard to beat either on a plain jighead or under a slip bobber.
3″- 4″ twister tails on a 1/8 or 1/4 oz still work!
Plastic paddletails and flukes are excellent too.
Shad raps are also a must have.
A few floating rapalas or tiny torpedos for calm water in evenings can work for smallies and pike.
If things are really tough try a leech on a bare hook and a split shot barely heavy enough to keep it on or near the bottom moving along very slowly.
So many variables to consider when going to the BWCA.
1. How much do you want to carry?
2. How far are you going in?
3. What are you fishing for?
4. Are you planning on fish to eat, or do you have food for every meal without fish?
I usually pack 1-2 plano sleeves and tape them to the bottom of the canoe seats for convenience when portaging. Fill them with floating raps, jigs, and anything else that will fit. Leeches are a huge lifesaver. We kept ours in a apple juice container if I remember right for the portages and to keep the critters out of them at night. We had a baby pike routinely come up and bump his nose against the container last trip trying to get the leeches. Not sure on the rules though if that’s allowed any more.
I used to have an excel spreadsheet of all gear, food, meals, etc all laid out. Having something like that is a huge lifesaver.
Depends if you want to bring leeches or not. If you do, some sinkers, hooks and jigs would be primary with a couple crankbaits to fish while on the move. If you don’t want to bring leeches, I’d bring more cranks and a few different types of plastics and jigs.
Easy to overthink it when fishing in the BW. A leech on a 1/8 or 1/4 oz jig or a slip bobber rig have probably accounted for 90% of the fish I’ve caught up there. A #7 Shad Rap has probably taken the rest (gold is especially good on stained water lakes). As already mentioned, old fashioned twister tails do work well up there as well. Always have at least one bobber cast out from camp.
I use a leech locker to keep my leeches alive. I try to stick to 1/2 lb per locker to keep them from getting over crowded. I like the style that twists to lock, way less chance of it opening up unexpectedly.
About 10 years ago, I started lashing my rods to the canoe with Bungee Dealee Bobs. No more carrying rods across portages in your hands. I also take the reels off on big travel days to make loading and unloading packs easier. I’ve decided I’d rather not fish while traveling and get where I’m going faster. Your call though.
From my experience over the past couple years, expect to see plenty of people. Try to make camp by early afternoon at the latest.
Thanks, guys. That helps.
1. How much do you want to carry?
2. How far are you going in?
3. What are you fishing for?
4. Are you planning on fish to eat, or do you have food for every meal without fish?
1. Not a ton. We’ll have 3 adults and 5 kids ages 9 and under, so we’ll already have plenty of stuff.
2. Not sure, but I am guessing we won’t go too far, again, because of the kids.
3. I’m down for anything–smallies, pike, eyes…whatever we can catch.
4. Not relying on fish, but I wouldn’t mind eating some.
I have been up there over 30 years now. I travel pretty light now that I am “old”. Pretty much everything said here is right on. I have not taken any live bait for the past 10 years and still do fine. GULP leeches work well, just be sure to put the jar in a zip lock bag as they tend to leek. I also take along a few spinner baits and some spoon (silver minnow, jaw breaker) etc for fishing the weeds for Northern.
Bunji-strapping the rods to the gunwales is a lifesaver on portages. Trashcompactor bags inside packs helps keep everything dry.
With the fire ban up there, can you still use a coleman stove or something like that? In addition, just my curiosity here, but if you were already in the BWCA when the ban went into effect, are you grandfathered in? Do they send out people to tell you?
With the fire ban up there, can you still use a coleman stove or something like that? In addition, just my curiosity here, but if you were already in the BWCA when the ban went into effect, are you grandfathered in? Do they send out people to tell you?
Yes, gas stoves are allowed during a fire ban.
If you’re already in the BWCA when a ban is implemented, if a forest service runs into you and informs you, they will write it on your permit that you have been informed so you can’t play dumb that you didn’t know there was a fire ban. Until then, you are technically grandfathered in unless you are informed by another party that you run into. I don’t believe they send anyone out specifically to inform of a fire ban, but there are always teams of forest service in the BWCA doing multiple day trips checking permits/campsites. Sounds like they are sending some rangers in to Crooked Lake to do a sweep and evacuate anyone that’s in there due to the quetico fires currently burning right across the border.
Just remember-
Ounces make pounds. Pounds make pain!
When I first started going to the BW, I took way too much gear, fishing tackle especially. Whatever I want to take for tackle, I reduce it by half in the garage before we leave for the trip. Keep it simple- hooks, bobbers, sinkers, and a few cranks.
I took my first 40″ Northern in the BWCA on a 1 oz Johnson Silver Minnow. I’ve never been without one since and would not go into the BWCA again without one.
We just got back between leeches on a northland lazer jig or gum drop floater jig amd natural lipless rapala we caught walleye, bass, and pike. For convenience I’d go with a variety of colors in lipless rapala
Agree with other responses hook leech slip bobber or jig, but I use these as well, I think he has spent a fair amount of time in the BWCA and I used to see him selling them in Ely at the various festivals.
Thanks again, everyone. We’re heading north in 16 hours, and hopefully, I can post a good report next week.
Report here: BWCA Report – August 2021
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