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Fishing the Boundary Waters


I have been doing bwca trips for about 10 years now. The information below is what I have learned from my experiences so far. I am not claiming to be an expert on camping or fishing in the bwca but I hope the information I have gathered will help out the fellow anglers heading into this great wilderness. I mainly target Walleyes, Smallmouth Bass, and Northern Pike. This year I will be giving Lake Trout a try also.


Where to find fish?
-Generally speaking, fish can be found on points, steep drops, islands, humps, and rivers. Quite often just trolling the shoreline in 8’-14’ of water will produce a variety of fish.
-Moving water is a key factor in locating fish. Narrow sections of lakes tend to have current, more so on windy days. River mouths are usually a hot spot too. Fish these areas and you should have no trouble catching fish.


Fishing Rods
I will usually bring 2 rods per person with when I go into the bwca. One rod will be a 6.5’-7’ trolling/shore rod and it will be rigged with 8lb-10lb mono. This rod will be a very soft tipped medium action rod. Prop the rod up against the thwart of the canoe and paddle on. With a soft rod you have time to react to a bite without the fish feeling you too much. The second rod is usually a 6’-6.5’ medium action rod spooled up with 8lb Fireline or Power Pro. This rod will serve as a casting, jigging, and slip bobber rod. For these rods I go with the one piece Shimano Clarus rods. The Clarus has a lifetime over the counter warranty just in case you break them. Most of my trips are 2 person trips so I just strap all 4 rods (2 on each side) along the edge of the canoe and to the thwarts. They fit nicely there and they are tucked up out of the way for paddling and portaging.



Techniques and Tackle - 5 basic fishing techniques to use while in the bwca

Trolling
The first fishing method is trolling. Trolling is a great way to cover water and a nice way explore the great scenery of the lake your on. I usually set up each trolling rod with a snap swivel and a clip on bell sinker. If there are two people in the canoe and we are trolling a sharp break, I will set the person closest to shore up with a 3/8oz sinker. The person away from the shore will use a 1/2oz sinker. I usually drop the sinker to the bottom and then start paddling. As you pick up a little speed let more line out. If your still hitting bottom reel some line so your sinker is just up off the bottom. I usually attach a 3’ snell with a few beads, a small blade, and a leech. Using the weights mentioned above a slow paddle will put your baits down about 10’-14’. By increasing or decreasing your speed you can alter the depth you’re running the baits at.

Besides live bait you can also troll jigs/twister tails, Rapalas, Mepps spinners, Crankbaits, and a variety of other lures. I like to stick with a 3/8oz white lead head jigs tipped with a 2”-3” white twister tail. Last year this combination put a couple of dandy walleyes in the canoe! Rapalas are very universal baits also. Trolling these baits in 10’-14’ can catch a variety of fish species. Smallmouth bass and Northern Pike with gulp them up in a hurry.


Casting
Casting lures up towards shore can be a great way to catch fish also. I use many of the same lures as when I am trolling. Cast the Rapala up to the shore twitch it a couple times and the let it sit. The Smallmouth and Pike will usually hit it on the pause. Other lures just cast and reel back to the canoe. Top water lures work well early in the morning, late in the afternoon, and in shaded areas. Your best bet is to work these lures around trees, islands, and points.


Jigging
I haven’t spent a whole lot of time vertical jigging for Walleyes, Smallmouth, or any other species for that matter, but I hope to work this technique a bit more this year in the bwca. Vertical jigging is all about being positioned above your lure as vertical as possible. I like to use a simple 1/4oz to 1/2oz jig tipped with a minnow or leech. 99% of the time I go with a leech just because they are easier to use and transport in the bwca. If you’re fishing deep water or areas with current you may need a 3/4oz or more to get your bait down to the bottom. Staying vertical helps detect those subtle bites. Braided line will help you feel those bites also and in my opinion is a must when vertical jigging.

Another way to vertical jig is to put a split shot up above a small circle hook. I usually place the sinker up about 2’-3’. I like to rig a leech on a small circle hook to help prevent deep hooked fish. You can work this rig in a variety of depths and it’s a simple way to put lots of fish in the canoe. This method produced hundreds of Smallmouth on one of our trips last year!


Fishing From Shore
This is one of the easiest and sometimes the most productive method of fishing I have experienced in the bwca. I have never once been skunked while fishing from a campsite. Using your trolling rod simply remove your blade set up and put on a floating hook. Hook a leech on and give it a cast out. Grab a couple rocks and prop up your rod up with the bale closed. Reel up the loose line so there is only a little bow in it. Watch the tip of your rod for any little movement. If you see a bite lift the rod up and reel in any slack line. When you feel the fish on set the hook and fish on! This method works great in the morning and evening. Most campsites in the bwca are set up in locations that are great for fishing from shore. They are usually situated on points and islands. Don’t be afraid to cast a few lures from shore also. Some great catches have come this way!


Slip Bobber Fishing
This is another technique I don’t use very often but many others do. Slip bobber fishing works well around structures where you know the fish are hanging out. Points, beaver houses, rapids, and humps or sunken islands are good structures to slip bobber fish. Evenings can be a great time to set up on these structures and catch fish.

Working this method from your campsite can also produce fish, although I have had much better luck fishing off the bottom with a floating hook. Typical baits for slip bobber fishing are leeches and minnows. The slip bobber technique comes in handy if you want to bobber fish deeper water.


Be Prepared!
Fishing in the bwca can be a blast but there are a few things that can turn a good trip into a terrible trip. Here are some helpful hints and tips to make sure your summer bwca fishing trips go as smooth as possible.


Sun Protection
-Wear long sleeves and pants as much as possible.
-Use lots of sunscreen! A bad sunburn will make for a miserable trip in the bwca....not to mention dehydration!


Fishing Clothing
-Get a good comfortable pair of pants with zip off legs. It may be 50 degrees when you leave camp and two hours later it could be 80 degrees.
-Spend a couple extra bucks and get yourself a fishing vest. Having all your fishing tools right there sure is handy!


Fishing Equipment
-Keep a pair of pliers handy for fish hook removal.
-If you can, bring your portable fish locator with you. My MarCum LX-3 will shoot through the hull of my aluminum and fiberglass canoe as long as there is a little bit of water under the transducer. In my opinion, it’s a priceless piece of equipment to have with despite the added weight.
-If you using Rapalas or other lures with multiple hooks, remove some of the hooks. The last thing you want to be doing is performing surgery on you or your fishing partner when you or they get hooks buried in the skin. It’s also does a lot less harm to the fish and there is much less tangling of hooks in the net. That brings me to my next point.
-Bring a small net with! Too many times I hear folks asking if they should bring a net with. Why not???? They add very little weight and can be the difference in landing that fish of a lifetime.
-Bring an anchor bag instead of an actual anchor. Anchor bags are small rubber type mesh bags that can be used as anchors. They have velcro on one end so you can insert rocks to add weight.


Cleaning & Eating Fish
-When you keep fish for a meal stop on an island or shore away from your campsite. Clean your fish there.
-A paddle makes for a nice cleaning board.
-Avoid cleaning fish at your campsite if you can. If you do clean fish there haul the remains away from your site. Don’t toss them into the water. It’s just an eye soar seeing fish skeletons lying on the bottom of the lake.
-Do not leave a stringer of fish overnight or for any period of time for that matter. Birds, turtles, otters, crawfish, and other fish species will eat them.


Trophy fish care
If you catch the fish of a lifetime, be prepared. Have your camera ready. Keep the fish in the water as long as you can. If you’re fishing trophy water and plan on keeping a fish bring towels with to keep the fish moist and cool. If it’s an easy trip without much portaging, put the fish in a cooler if you have one with. If you don’t have towels or anything else to keep the fish cool, use moss as a last resort. If placed in the shade the moss will help keep the fish cool and moist. I strongly suggest releasing trophy fish if at all possible. Take a few pictures and measurements and let the fish go. With today’s replicas you can still have your trophy on your wall without killing the fish (www.artisticanglers.com). You never know....the trophy fish you just caught may have been a trophy released by someone else.

Hopefully these tips and hints can help you enjoy your next fishing trip into the Boudary Waters Canoe Area.

Not sure how to add the pics into the article on this site.....so here is a link to the original post with some pictures included for those interested.

http://anglerinsider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12879

Brian