I had the opportunity this past week to take a 5 day trip into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) with two friends, Herb and Cheryl Hilinski. This was my first trip into the BWCA and since I had wanted to make this trips since I was just a little shaver I was more than a little excited.
Instead of the usual fishing report, this is going to be a 15 minute video report from our time on the water. I’ll cover just a few items here and let the video tell the rest of the story.
1) – The BWCA is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever seen and certainly offers outstanding fishing. The complete and utter lack of any human sounds is calming and actually a little unnerving all at the same time.
2) – The fishing is incredible… if not even easy. But, do yourself a favor and bring one of those wire mesh minnow traps plus a good supply of chartreuse pepper ringworms and paddletails in white and catalpa chartreuse tail. The walleyes simply went nuts for the plastics and once we found the fish the plastics caught far more walleyes and larger fish than the livebait did. 1/4 ounce precision heads in sour apple and orange chartreuse was all that I needed for the walleyes on this trip.
3) – Bring a big bottle of ibuprofen to ease those aching muscles!
4) – Pike in the BWCA seem to go NUTZ for anything chartreuse. Bring lots of 5" chartreuse k-grubs since even the smaller pike destroy the grub trailers on spinnerbaits and the spinnerbaits just don’t seem to work as well without them.
Here’s the link to the video. I’m sure it will do a better job of telling the story of this trip than I ever could with words alone. BWCA 2006 Video – 18 Mb
WOW!
Awesome photography, super fish, great tale, rejuvenating days w/good folks! A bit of education, entertainment, tradition, and a nice tribute too.
I feel kinda like I enjoyed the trip, and never left my cubicle. I know why this is the best darn website on the net
James, that has to be the fastest loading 18MB I’ve ever downloaded. Is that the codec you were referring to recently?
dave
Great video!! What kind of reel was that your dipping in the water?
Looked like a ton of fun..
No, that was compressed using Windows Movie Maker… I’ll be releasing another version done in the H-264 codec that apple is using to lead the industry right now. I’m going to speculate that the file size will be 25% of this current one and offer far superior video and audio quality.
That was a Shimano Sedona. Fishing out of a canoe offers up a myriad of challenges the least of which is trying to operate in cramped quarters.
Thanks,
even more to look forward to
dave
Nice report – thanks for sharing!
Great video report James
I love the morning salute 
“And Clare Dog!”
Which I believe roughly translates as “and to a clear day” but then what the heck do I know, I can’t speak Norwegian!
I was completely unaware of all the history and tradition that the Hilinski’s had built into the trip. Once we got up there and I started to hear some of the stories and toured “Andy’s Island” it hit me how important these trip are to Herb and Cheryl.
I’ve obviously never met Andy but I swear you can feel his presence EVERYWHERE.
Tradition is everything. We have been doing Canada trips for as long as I can remember. We do the Red Lake Round Up, which consists of our group all meeting in Red Lake,Ontario and it ususally consists of a few
. Then the trips to Red Lake for crappies….we have the Shooks Shake, I am not going to explain that one at this time. But the traditions are what make these kinds of trips fun and very fond in our minds. Sharing that with friends and family is what it is all about 
Fishing out of a canoe is always a challenge.
I’ve been doing a 4 day canoe trip down a remote N Wi River since ’98 with basically the same group of guys. The trip is a tradition in itself. Another favorite tradition involves Bushmill’s Irish Whiskey. Great video.
I was a little worried that the morning salute had something to do with lutefisk..(whew, was I relieved!)
I’ll see if Putz can translate for us.
Lookes like a very enjoyable trip….but were’s the cell phones, satilite tv.. game boys…computers..answering machine and remote controls??
At times it’s hard to believe there was life before these modern inconveniences!
Very nice work James..Impressive video
EXCELLENT REPORT JAMES
IT LOOKS SO NICE UP THERE 
Sweet video james! That looks like a lot of fun up there in the BWCA. Nice job.
Good work James–looked like alot of fun
Nicely done James
When I was younger we used to make a once a year trip up there. Have not been back since 82′. Portages look very familier, nice to see the fishing is still hot.
I did’t see any film of them tall white caps on knife lake,
that seemed to appear as we headed home.
Well done
Absolutely amazing post James! The topic is a great one, and the video makes it amazing!
Wow! I’m headed up there myself this Friday and have been stewing a lot on what to bring for tackle. Looks like jigs and plastic will do the trick.
I packed in way too many colors and about 15 lbs of jigs… that just weren’t needed. In the ringies chart. pepper and chartreuse green core were the tops early in the AM and on cloudy days and the white and catalpa orange paddletails were the best producers from the paddletail line. On sunny days or during the middle of the day a firecracker ringworm caught fish when even the livebait went dead.
The fish would hit these baits incredibly hard and if you missed the fish all you needed to do was drop right back down and they’d hit it again.
I had jigs from 1/16 oz. – 3/8 oz. and the only size I really needed was the 1/4 oz. Even for casting to the shallows. The fish were very aggressive which allowed you to swim the bait quickly to keep it up and out of the rocks.
I had so much fun I’m in the process of planning another trip with Herb in September.
Excellent video! It’s a lot of work getting in there, but it sure is worth it! Thanks for bringing back memories.
Awesome video James.
It makes me want to get up there again!
Tony
A geart trip james, I only worry that the vodka ran short way too soon.
Last week we were noth of the BWCA in Quetico Park. We also experienced very good walleye fishing on the same colors and presentation. Our bonus wes the smallmouth fishing. Sticking close to current and neck down areas we had a blast working Pop R’s. What I found great about this, aside from the explosion of a bass was learning how effective this presentation was a a search lure. With their heavier weight we could cast them a mile. They also work fast sort of as a cover bait.
Great work James!
I really enjoyed the video, thanks for sharing!
I finally had a chance to watch the video … great job, James! I’m impressed with both quality and content, and it flat out made me feel good to watch it. Thanks!
Looks like a great trip. I went to school there for 2 years and it was the best time I ever had. I would encourage everyone to take atleast one trip there in there life.
That wasa great video.
Thanks James and Andy
Ron
Great video James. Looks like you had great time.
Wallster ><((((>
Thanks for the memories James. I had the great opportunity of making this trip as a counselor for a school group about 8 times from the mid 80’s until the early 90’s.We started in Crane lake and after a nice boat ride , a bad old bus portage and another boat ride to the outfitters ( Zups )we paddled into the Lac Lacroix area. So thanks again, and a special thanks to my father the school teacher.
That trip had to of just ROCKED
I’m sure it was a work out 
I loved the pain killer clip
What a great way to share the trip with us, Thanks
Great Report sir!
I’m heading up there in September also. I’m always looking for a new area to explore and a different way to go. Last couple of years we’ve gone in October and experienced snow and cold. This time I’m going solo in September and gonna do exactly what I want to do when I want to do it!……. Basically fish walleyes all day!
dd
Awesome video!!!
I went on my 17th trip over the memorial day week to crooked lake. I decided to bring up some ringworms and superdoos for the first time. I think those two and a few banjo minnows are all I am going to bring up for now on. I had the best luck on chartreuse pepper. But once they ran out orange and blue also worked.
Awesome James!!! That sure brought back fond memories…I love the streaming video…FANTASTIC!
James that was awesome! I have an offer for you and up to 4 other IDA guys. I would be willing to guide you guys on a trip up in the Quetico (Canada’s BWCA) next spring. I have been traveling up there for 18 years and have many great routes we can take. Depending on what type of fish you guys would like to catch we could leave as early as the first week in May, BIG lake trout. Or sometime in June, walleyes up the ying yang. Nothing really big 24″ and smaller but 150-200 fish per day per guy. I will shoot you a PM and we will see if we can get it done. Love2Fish.
Love2fish
Hey… that sounds like something that might be a heck of a lot of fun! Shoot me that PM.
I’m glad everyone like the video clip. The guys and I on staff here with the site will have to make a point to put out more video clips from the water.
Great video James! We love it!
I’ve participated in a couple Solar Upper’s, but your video sparked me to do a little research.
Sola er oppe = The sun is up
Den klare dag = It is a clear day
Hånen hilser ved vingerslag = The rooster greets the morning with flapping wing
Op med merken = Up with the flag
Hender på verken = Hands to the work
Alle som en Skol! = All is one Skol!
Sully
The video is awesome. Im sure the trip was equally so. Thanks for sharing.
Great report!! That sure is ONE of a kind!! I can’t wait to see more!!
Dear Jim,
Excellent video. U put it together so well. Makes me want to go in. Unfortunately, I think I need a guide like Herb to make it memorable.
That was great! It really made me feel like I was along with you. Thanks again for the wonderful report.
Can’t wait to see more!!
That is the greatest place on this earth.
Can’t wait to get up there again.
Thanks for the great video James.
Ben… I just sent your bro a PM. Lets go hit the Croix and see if we can’t get a big muskie or two on film. Should be about the right time ‘ year, eh?
Let me know. I sent your brother my open dates for next week and I’d love to get some of that footage up here on the site.
James,
Nice work with the video. I did feel a sense of being up there too.
thanks
Jack..