Jigging for Walleye in the Boundary Waters

Jig fishing is a time-honored nearly failsafe method for fishing for Walleye in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It has many different incarnations and can lead to a variety of angler modified or inspired choices when it comes to personal preference.  In short it is versatile and adaptable and requires a very limited number of parts to reach success.  I like vertical jig fishing because with a little patience and of course (luck?) the right location, you can do two things well: 1) Have Fun and 2) Catch Dinner.

Traditional “ball jigs” combine a spherical weight with a hook and when the hook is tipped with bait it is a simple combination that allows an angler to take the bait down to wherever the fish are or might be.  This combination allows one to fish the rocky shorelines, fallen trees, weed lines and shale piles by casting if they want to change the pace or tire of jigging.

Vertical jigging off the bottom allows your bail on your spinning reel to be open while you rest the line on your finger.  Walleye often nibble or have light mouthed touches (not always — there are plenty of times they suck up your jig with force) and this approach allows you to play a little line out subtly before you set the hook.  You can also close the bail and just wait for the tell-tale bobbing of the end of your rod, something that gets the blood pumping really fast.  Fishing vertical drop offs, where the depth of the lake changes dramatically is a good place to start.  Jigging near tips of points, and over top mounds or rises in the middle of lakes is a good option for jigs as well.

We promote non-lead alternatives in an attempt to promote Loon health.  Our state bird can easily be poisoned by lead jig heads and sinkers, as they often ingest them accidentally, mistaking them for food or rocks.  Tin and Bismuth make a slightly larger but no less effective jig.

Color choices can get you into many a long conversation with older more experienced anglers and those who are just superstitious, or rely on a favorite.  We have a variety of water colors in the Boundary Waters lakes, from crystal clear to dark and tannin stained.  It pays to have a variety of colors in your tackle box.  Many people would never try darker colors, however I’ve personally proven to myself that fish must see darker colors differently than we do because black, dark blue, red have performed well for me even in darker waters.  Traditional choices are yellow, chartreuse, pink, white or glow and orange.

The ideal choices to bait your jig hooks with are leeches, minnows and nightcrawlers.  However, live bait is increasingly difficult to keep alive during wilderness trips that extend past a couple of days or if the weather is warm such as it is in the later weeks of July and much of August. There are a number of artificial and plastic baits that mimic the visual and swimming performance of minnows, leeches and worms.  There’s even a company called of all things, Magic®, that package preserved Emerald Shiners.  These shiners are traditionally a favorite bait on some Minnesota lakes where for years and years anglers have used frozen shiners that they preserved. These preserved minnows have an anise scent to them.  Jigging up and down tipped with an Emerald Shiner seems to some to indeed be Magic.

It’s hard to beat a twister tail on the end of a jig.  White, green or black seem to do an excellent job of exciting fish and mimicking minnows, leeches and worms.

Jigs have the downfall by nature of not being weedless and hanging up on rock piles and getting stuck.  That’s why it always makes sense to take along more than you think you’ll need.  It makes sense to give yourself color options and even take along some different sized jigs in case the wind comes up (the Walleye Chop isn’t famous for no reason… they like the wind, they despise direct sunlight (look at their eyes — wouldn’t you) and they also like fast moving water (fishing the tail end of rapids often produces).  Tiny jigs and bits of Twisty Tails or colored fluff are excellent baits for crappie, trout and panfish.

I have to confess that I really enjoy bobber fishing and often I’ll employ a jig at the line underneath my bobber and just let my patience drift.  There’s nothing quite like watching that red and white ball go under, and then go deeper.  Wham!!! Dinner!

Just a side note because sometimes you want options.  When I first moved to Minnesota I came across a rig called a Winkum Spin-N-Float.  There’s a little float and a spinner attached to the same leader line as the perfect sized simple Walleye hook.  Where this rig attached to your line you attach either a sliding weight or a few of Water Gremlin Lead Alternative Sinkers.  You bait the hook with a nightcrawler or your preference and the float keeps it up off the bottom while the spinner attracts attention.  Toss is out from your campsite and leave it sit while you wait for the end of your rod to bend down!  When I’m not jigging or casting a countdown Rapala® or Mepps® spinner, I’m using one of these.

Once again, my fishing choices revolve around simple, classic choices that can appeal to a variety of species and produce time-honored results.  Walleyes in Minnesota seem to bite on vertical ball head jigs more than just about anything else.  If you don’t include Mister Twister® Tails in your pack, you should.

As one of the anglers, Mark, who replied to my last fishing blog said, “I usually paddle into the wind on a lake, and then toss one of my white twisters out and drift with the wind across the lake and usually have caught at least one northern or walleye using this method.”  You see what I mean, jigs are versatile and adaptable.  They allow you to develop your own style and catch fish the way you are most comfortable.

Boundary Waters Fishing: Go To Lures by Tim Stouffer

I often find Original Floating® Rapalas® in various conditions in the bottom of old tackle boxes that I buy.  Since I was a little kid, one of my passions has been antiques.  I gravitate towards old tackle boxes and (avoiding rusty hooks) love to dig through them looking for treasure.  Aside from remnants of melted plastic worms, the single most popular discovery is some form of lightweight balsa Rapala® Floating Minnow.  Sometimes this will include foil-sided early models with embossed stars from when they were still made in Finland.

This got me to thinking… why do I find so many of these?  Why are they always in such a state of disrepair and not pristine?  Why do their newer counterparts show up nearly as often in Perch, Silver and Blue, Firetiger and Orange?  And, perhaps an even better question, what do I consider my “Go To” lure when on a Boundary Waters Canoe Trip?  Not necessarily my favorite lure, because if I’m perfectly honest Mepps® Spinners are my favorite because they were my Dad’s favorite and who doesn’t enjoy a bit of flash?  Usually walleye, definitely Pike and the Smallmouth love em.  Let’s face it though, they aren’t minnow shaped, don’t swim or look like a minnow except in the heat of the moment.

Most predators are attracted to anything that closely mimics their natural prey.  Wounded or erratically swimming minnows.  Or, when wounded ones aren’t on your radar, something that looks like what you’d expect to be swimming in the water.

Live bait is difficult to keep alive during the Summer months when the temperatures rise.  It’s hard to transport and care for even when it is cooler outside.  Most of us use artificial baits on extended trips longer than a couple of days.  Most anglers have favorite colors and like to change it up according to the season.  I prefer perch colors early and late in the year and will switch them out for Firetiger and Silver and Blue and crawdad brown and orange imitators during the heat of July and August.

Whether or not I’m going up to Quetico Park in Canada where barbless hooks are a requirement, I always pinch the barbs of my hooks off.  Often on a Rapala® that means crimping down 9 hooks for the three trebles, at least six, depending upon the model.  Fish tend to flip and writhe at the exact moment you are reaching into the net or for their mouths.  At that point you are in danger of embedding multiple hooks into your hand or arm and believe me you don’t want that to happen.  You especially don’t want those hooks to have barbs on them when they are driven deep into your thumb.

From the beginning Rapala® has tank tested and tuned by hand each of the lures that they produce.  This is how you know that every model you pull of a new box or old tackle box will accurately mimic the action of baitfish.  There are many different models available and I plan on highlighting a few of our favorites that produce well in the Boundary Waters.  You can plan your wilderness tackle box accordingly and tweak what you take along in your canoe to your taste.

Shallow Fishing for Northern Pike, Walleye, Bass and Trout is an ideal beginning to the season.  For this the Original Floating® Minnow is very hard to beat.  Fish where you know baitfish will be: in warmer waters, near new weed growth just underneath, casting near structure like downed trees and shallow rocks.  Add weight like a pinch on sinker of some sort (we recommend non-lead alternatives because lead poisons Loons and other wildlife) perhaps a foot above your Original Floating® Minnow and you’ve just extended the season and reason for this lure.  Now you can troll at mid-depth with it.

If you like to hunt for large fish, you can use Husky Magnum® or Floating Magnum® Rapalas both as floating surface models as the Lilly Pads and grasses grow out of the water or off of a “bottom bouncer” a weighted wire that bounces off the bottom and allows you to fish large lures way down deep.  This is a classic up north way to troll deeper waters but requires heavier rods, reels, line and leaders.  The point is, as you are starting to imagine, that Rapala® makes a lot of lures, but each one has multiple uses!

While we’re on the subject of Big, one of our Outfitting Crew’s favorite lures is the Deep Tail Dancer®.  Made to head down to the thirty foot range they seem to attract a great deal of attention from Lake Trout and larger fish in particular.  They come in some fantastic color options.  They’re a little bit like an overgrown version of the Fat Rap®, which has also been a favorite of Walleye and Pike for many years.

The CountDown® Rapalas® are the best choice for mid-range depth and they lend themselves to great stop-and-go motion when retrieving.  One of my most successful afternoons of Walleye fishing involved casting medium sized Perch colored CountDown® Raps towards an island and counting to five before I began retrieving it in a steady, fluid motion instead of stop-and-go.  I couldn’t cast it too close to the island because by the time I reached five, it would have sunk to snag in the rocks, but with patience in my pocket by the time I reached another five on the retrieve I had a Walleye on.  Time and time again, the perfect size for dinner, one after another.  Ever since then, especially on a hot day, I’ll go back to the CountDown®.

Anytime during the season when you want to get attention quickly, it’s a good idea to move to the erratic swimming motion of a Jointed Rapala.  Your retrieve and depth choices can modify the display of this magical lure even more.  Wounded Baitfish, wounded baitfish, wounded baitfish.  It should be your mantra, especially when nothing else is working.  If you are paddling steadily towards your first (or next) campsite and you want a lazy way to have the best chance at fresh fish for dinner, the Jointed Rapala is often your best bet.

Around camp, you’ll often find panfish.  Usually that also means there’s Northern Pike, the wolves of the northern waters, cruising for big punkinseed and bluegill (not to mention Black Crappie).  Traditional ways to fish for panfish include slip bobbers and tiny “flu-flu” jigs.  I like to put on a piece of night crawler when I’m near home. People love to fish them with a slip bobber rig and small, silvery “crappie minnows”.  Those traditional methods involve live bait. There’s a relatively new version of the fantastic performing Fat Rap called simply the Mini Fat Rap.  They have a compact, tight swimming action that imitates (nearly perfectly) the speed and motion of a fleeing baitfish.  This causes what seem to be instinctive strikes from panfish that you’d expect from its one and a half inch size.  Again, add a weight six to twelve inches up from it on your line and you can create this action at a deeper level, down by where the bigger ones are hiding in the shadows.

Well, that’s why you find so many Rapalas® in old and new tackle boxes up North.  Down South too, for that matter, but for the Boundary Waters and Canoe Camping Trips, it’s hard to beat a balsa minnow that has been hand tuned to catch fish for dinner.  Breakfast too.

You pick the colors, you pick the style, just get more than one, because even if you don’t lose any, your friends will want to use em.  These lures and/or other Rapala® lures are in-stock at our Retail Store, Piragis Northwoods Company at 105 North Central Avenue in Ely, Minnesota on the edge of the Boundary Waters.

Solo Canoeing -- at peace with yourself by Taylor Ham

I cannot decide if I prefer to paddle in a group or if Id rather just go alone.  The thing that I love most about solo paddling is that whether it's just a day trip or a multi-day trip there is no outside pressure to do anything.  No schedule in a sense, unless YOU make one.  You have to be disciplined enough to accomplish your goals and you are the only one responsible to push yourself.  When you are alone it's all up to you.

For my first solo paddle I took it easy and went to entry point #14 Little Indian Sioux North.  I have been there once before during last season, but it was at the end of a very long day so I didn't have the energy to explore. It made for an easy decision to go back.  Unfortunately, due to a small wrist injury, I was not able to make it to my planned destination which was Devils Cascade. I will leave that for another day, I suppose.

I took a Northstar Magic on my trip.  The Magic is my favorite solo boat to paddle. It handles better and portages better than any boat that I have tried yet.  I also prefer to use a kayak paddle, that way, I feel like I am able to cover more ground.

The weather on the river was absolutely gorgeous and the wind was very mild, not a cloud in the sky.  I paddled slowly down the river, stopping often to listen to the earth singing.  I didn't see a single person out there even though the parking lot was packed for fishing opener.

When I first arrived at the portage I jumped out of the boat into the chilled water, I could hear water rushing.  I walked back and forth along the portage until I found a good spot to sit down and read for a while.  The portage is 60 rods and it leads to another segment of the river.  I sat there for a good while to gather my thoughts and enjoy the sound of runningwater .

When I got back on the river I searched for a nice sunny spot on the shore where I could have some lunch.  As I ate, a small family of turtles joined me on a log.  They stayed there until I got up to leave.

My first solo paddle of the year wasn't very eventful but not every paddle into the Boundary Waters has to be about what you saw, how far you went or what you did. A vital part of every experience should be about how your body is feeling and most importantly how your mind is feeling when you're finished.

Luckily with the Boundary Waters so close, I never really feel like we are finished -- there's always another day and another lake to explore.  Maybe I'll see you out there.

Taylor Ham, Piragis Northwoods Outfitting

Portage to my first Paddle of 2018 by Taylor Ham

On May 6th I woke up early before work and knew it was going to be a good day on the water. I went to work knowing that I would have to leave early so I could take advantage of the weather.  With zero resistance my manager told my co-worker Joe and myself to have fun and be safe. 

We left town at around 3:30 PM and had a nice drive up the Echo Trail to entry point 23 Moose River North.  Its about a 45 minute drive from town.  It was my first time portaging or paddling of the season.  The first portage into Moose River North is about a half mile long, it is a beautiful portage that is relatively flat.  It is always interesting how your body will react to the first portage of the season.  Carrying a boat isn't always the most pleasant feeling but it is something over the years that I have grown to be very comfortable with.  

When we got to the water I was a little relived to get the canoe off of my shoulders.  As we began to paddle I started to regain skills that come with every summer I spend here in Ely.  There are three portages until you get to Nina Moose.  Joe and I finished our second portage and we paddled for just a few minutes until we spotted something unusual in the water ahead.  It looked like small rapids, or like water was running over a stick in the water.  As we got closer the movement in the water got further away and we realized that it was three small otters.  We followed them up the river for about half a mile before they realized we were behind them.  They swam to the shore and scurried away to the woods. 

The reason I chose to go to Moose River North is because there is a high peak that you can easily climb to the top of and see all the rest of the river and Nina Moose Lake.  I had been there a few times before in previous years and I wanted to see it in the spring time.  Its not marked on a map anywhere but when you arrive you can see where people in the past have gotten off of the river.  We climbed to the top of the hill and the wind picked up as we got out in the open.  The sun came out from behind the clouds and we sat up there for a while and talked about our grand paddling plans for the season.  After a while we climbed back down to our boat and paddled to Nina Moose. 

Paddling rivers is very different than paddling lakes, although the rivers in the Boundary Waters don't flow very strong it is still important to read the water as it flows over rocks and other things in the water.  Its a good idea to have good communication between yourself and your paddling partner to avoid the things that can damage your canoe.  I would draw from the right or left from the bow seat to quickly change the direction of the boat.  The person in the stern cant always see the incoming rocks so its important for the person in the bow to always be watching to protect the canoe.

We paddled to Nina Moose and the wind completely died.  We spent some time there to write down our thoughts and to capture some of the science.  Two swans landed in the lake and we also shared the lake with a loon.  It was the first time since getting back to Ely that I had heard the call of a loon.  The sun was hinting to us that it was time to start heading back.  The sun was behind the trees on our way back so the temperature lowered considerably.  The water was clear as glass and in the reflection you could see the shore line.  We ran into a beaver that swam about 15 feet away from us before diving under us and popping back up 15 feet behind us.  We also saw our otter friends again and it seemed as if two of them were fighting but they disappeared to the woods again.  

Spring time is such a wonderful time to go into the Boundary Waters, even if it is just for a day trip.  It's as if you get to watch the world wake up right in front of you.  I'm excited for another season of padding in the most beautiful country!

My First Paddle of the Year 2018

#32 South Kawishiwi River
May 2 and May 3, 2018
Adam Macht

On May 2nd, Joe and I hit the trail for my first paddle of the year.  Joe had been out a few days earlier and was able to get to Devil’s Cascade out of #14 Little Indian Sioux River.  This in mind, we decided we would try to get into #32 South Kawishiwi River, and if we were lucky, do the whole Kawishiwi Triangle.

South Kawishiwi River Portage

The portage trail to the river was pretty rough.  There were a few downed trees along the way that required a little teamwork to get the boat through.  When we got to the river, we had open water, but only along the edges.  We slowly made our way north when we saw a large ice sheet blocking the river.  We had to break a little ice and skirt the shoreline, but we managed to get the first campsite on the west side of the river.

The ice had pulled away (maybe 15 feet) from the west shoreline.  We decided to see how far north we could get.  Not far.  Less than a mile up, the ice was thicker than we wanted to mess with, so we decided to back track and take that first campsite.  We got to camp, got all set up, and started dinner.  Ribeyes, potatoes, onions, and garlic.  Not a bad way to start the camping season!  We had a nice fire and a relaxing evening at camp.  After a long, cold winter, it was great to back in the canoe!

View from my tent pad.

The warm sun hit my tent early in the morning.  (I love to put my tent where it will get good morning sun in the spring and the fall.)  I could hear at least 3 pileated woodpeckers and some trumpeter swans as I got out of my tent.  I let my stuff dry for a bit in the sun and then got all packed up.  Meanwhile, Joe slept.  We were in no rush to leave camp—it was nice to have a slow leisurely morning.  I started a fire and got some water boiling, and literally watched and listened to the ice melting.  It was an incredibly peaceful morning.

Campsite view on the morning of May 3.

Lots of ice had melted by mid-morning.

After a little brunch, we hit the water at about noon, and decided to see how far we could get.  The warm morning sun had done some work on the ice.  We were optimistic that we could get further than the day before.  We made our way north, skirting the west shore line, clinging to open water.  Now and again, we had to paddle through an ice sheet.  The ice was dark and soft and broke easily when our canoe bumped it.

Eventually, we were able to make it to Eskwagama.  It was clear!  We continued north to check out Clear Lake.  It was open as well.  We decided to keep going.  We portaged north from Clear, back to the Kawishiwi River.  It did not look good.  The ice was pushed back into the bay, but there was a small channel of open water along the shoreline (maybe 4 feet wide).  We contemplated turning around, but after some deliberation, decided to push forward.  We followed the edge of the river, getting out on to shore in a couple spots as the ice was too thick to get through.  Finally, things opened up a bit as we continued east.

Things looking a little sketchy ahead.

We made it to the 200+ rod portage on the North Kawishiwi.  The trail was long, and we were nervous to see if there was ice on the other side.  When we finished portaging, we came out to open water, but we could see quite a bit of ice in the distance.  Again, the thought of turning back crossed our minds, but we pushed onward.  The NE corner of the triangle was pretty icy.  At one point, we needed to cross the river to start heading south.  By some stroke of luck, the ice sheet had cracked and split apart.  There was a seam about 10 feet wide that we were able to use to cross the river.

We pushed south.  Hugging the west shore to stay in open water.  Just before the 30-rod portage near the south tip of the triangle, we ran into more ice.  It was a long slog, and we had to break some ice, but we made it!  It was smooth sailing after that.  By this point, it was starting to get dark, but the end was in sight.  We needed the headlamps for the portage out but made it back to the car without incident.

By the time you read this, I suspect the Kawishiwi Triangle will be open and ready for paddlers.  The bigger lakes still need a little more time, but this was encouraging.  It was so nice to knock the rust off from the long winter and get back into the canoe!  Hopefully you can hit the water soon!

Adam Macht