Canada Walleye/Northern Tackle Suggestions?

[hornadylnl]

Here is the tackle list the outfitter has on their website. We'll be doing a week long fly in outpost trip in September.

I'm planning on getting the the 200+ piece Mister Twister Shad assortment and the 300+ piece Mister Twister curly tail assortment. I also plan on getting several Beetle spins in 1/8 and 1/4 oz in different colors. I stopped at Walmart today and they had 10 packs of painted jig heads for $3 each. Thinking of getting 1/8 and 1/4 oz packs of each of several different colors.

We're planning on getting a flat of worms when we get there. Maybe have minnows flown in mid week. I plan on getting a few different Rapala type lures but I hate the thought of spending $5+ per lure and not catching anything with them.

I will be taking a 7' light action spinning rod and a 7' medium action spinning rod.

I just picked up several 8" 36# leaders today for Northern. I will also take an assortment of general hooks and sinkers as well.

I was thinking of going with 6# test for the light action rod and 12# for the medium. I've liked Spyderwire in the past but am looking for suggestions. I don't know how clear the water is going to be. Is flourocarbon the way to go now?

I would appreciate any thoughts and suggestions.

 

[hooky]

Don't use steel leaders. Either use heavy flourocarbon (80-100lb test) or titanium leaders that won't kink. Kinked steel leaders blow, and they kink easily over the course of a long week.

You can't have too many jig heads and tails, other than the weight limit on the plane. If you're buying wally world bulk pack jigheads, invest in a $3 hook hone like this one and keep your points touched up. Bass Pro Shops® Hook Hone | Bass Pro Shops

12 might be overkill for walleyes on your medium rod, but since it's doubling as your pike rod it may not be a bad idea. I'd ask you outfitter about what type of line they recommend.

Just my 2 cents.

Dont forget the bourbon.

 

[eldirector]

I'll pretty much agree with that list.

We've had great luck with the following for Pike:
- Original Rapalas or Jointed, in Firetiger (bright green), Perch, silver, and gold, in the 3.5" to 4.5" size. Swap colors around to see what is hot.
- Daredevils, in the standard red/white or copper/gold.
- Silver Spoons (weedless)
- Pretty large spinners. I prefer Mepps with red/white blades and either no tail or black/brown (natural colors) tail.

For Walleye, I've stuck to jigged live bait. Jig heads are cheap, so I have a bunch of different colors and sizes. Get the little slip bobbers and stop-knot kits - makes it easy to fish at a set depth.

The Rapalas and Beetle Spins seem to draw Smallmouth Bass like moths to a flame.

Steel leaders are a necessity for Pike and Walleye. I use both 8" and 12". Even those get mangled. My FIL uses about 2' of really heavy line (like 40# or more) instead, and just keeps trimming in down as it gets chewed up, and then replaces it the next day.

My rods are a couple of 7' medium-weight spinners. One with 8# line, and another with 10#. I usually take a fairly heavy 8' rod with 12# line to troll with, too.

If you want a REAL challenge, go after Pike with a fly rod. That is a blast.

Dang... now I want to go fishing...... Enjoy your trip!

 

[vwarren]

for wallys I like about 6lb test and no leader (so you can feel them) Ive had luck with just about any jig tipped with a fat night crawler. and for northerns I think they would hit a broom handle if you threw it out but when fishing for northerns get in the thickest stuff you can find and I like the 14'' steel leaders for sure with about 20lb test. When using a spinner on northerns make sure your spinner has a clamp on the end because they will straighten it out and bust your spinners off. my favorite is a weedless mouse (its cool once you catch a few and they poke holes in it, it leaves a trail of air bubbles LOL)

 

[hornadylnl]

I was surprised when they recommended 2 rods, one ultralight and the other medium/light.

Do the pike mostly hit top water?

 

[bd1024]

For live bait presentations, I am a firm believer in the "bottom bouncer" technique, with crawlers/spinner rig, and slow, super slow trolling, (about 1 to 1.5 mph, or simply drifting if the wind allows. ---Michigan Stinger spoons have no equal when trolled about 4' behind a Dipsy diver. --- Don't forget your taters and pork and beans for that shore lunch!

 

[hornadylnl]

For live bait presentations, I am a firm believer in the "bottom bouncer" technique, with crawlers/spinner rig, and slow, super slow trolling, (about 1 to 1.5 mph, or simply drifting if the wind allows. ---Michigan Stinger spoons have no equal when trolled about 4' behind a Dipsy diver. --- Don't forget your taters and pork and beans for that shore lunch!

Any particular size or color of the Michigan Stinger Spoons?

 

[kjf48197]

The last time I was in Canada everything hit a top water bait of some kind. The list he has is what I took with the and a few chartreuse 3/4 oz spinner baits with 2 large willow leaf blades and 2 6 inch husky jerk rapalas black backs with silver bellys. The pike were hitting the spinners so hard that both of them were no good at the end of the week. The husky jerks were mainly used for trolling and worked better than any other bait we had for that purpose. Also as was stated above I used no steel leaders but I did use 80 lb flourocarbon as suggested with great success. Have fun

 

[24Carat]

Walleye = Chartreuse Lindy rig with minnows and a 1/2 oz sinker.

Pike = Weedless large silver spoon with white pork trailer for in the reeds. Trolling open water submerged islands and rock fingers = medium lipped baits to run about 5 foot over the shallowest places and do figure eights over the structure.

 

[24Carat]

And for God's sake, only pure lard to fry up fish on shore lunches!

 

[Zoub]

Northland tackle whistler jigs. Years ago I first started usin them for walleye and perch with minnows. I caught every damn species in the lake on them. These days they are in every aspect of my tackle and the primary jig in small kits and survival gear. They work with worms, minnows and plastics.

i keep all sizes from 1/32oz up. I am partial to the 1/32 in red for panfish, my walleye kits have brighter colors. If I went up north with only two lure types, that would be one of them. A substitute for them would be the roadrunner jig which I also buy in bulk but I prefer the whistler.

i also love Husky jerks as they cast like a bullet in wind. Today we were casting and trolling for walleye in strong winds on open water and the jerks just make life easier and are tough with pike


I use Thill slip bobbers when I want to eat. I prefer a 7-7.5' ML rod

 

[hornadylnl]

The last time I was in Canada everything hit a top water bait of some kind. The list he has is what I took with the and a few chartreuse 3/4 oz spinner baits with 2 large willow leaf blades and 2 6 inch husky jerk rapalas black backs with silver bellys. The pike were hitting the spinners so hard that both of them were no good at the end of the week. The husky jerks were mainly used for trolling and worked better than any other bait we had for that purpose. Also as was stated above I used no steel leaders but I did use 80 lb flourocarbon as suggested with great success. Have fun

Something like these?

 

[Zoub]

The top bait in your pic has a willow leaf blade. You will be better served if you stick to that blade design unless you plan to slow roll spinnerbaits off a deep drop with vegetation growing near it (rarely do you need to do that in September). What you need to look at are Double willow spinner baits. The second smaller blade is also a willow leaf blade. All the baits in your pic are too small as well. Strike king would be a good choice. Take at least one in white. No one uses that color much up North and it can be a real winner at times.

Also, your beetle spins double as small spinner baits which the Pike will hit.

If you want I will take some pics of typical gear for you when I put mine up today.

 

[hornadylnl]

The top bait in your pic has a willow leaf blade. You will be better served if you stick to that blade design unless you plan to slow roll spinnerbaits off a deep drop with vegetation growing near it (rarely do you need to do that in September). What you need to look at are Double willow spinner baits. The second smaller blade is also a willow leaf blade. All the baits in your pic are too small as well. Strike king would be a good choice. Take at least one in white. No one uses that color much up North and it can be a real winner at times.

Also, your beetle spins double as small spinner baits which the Pike will hit.

If you want I will take some pics of typical gear for you when I put mine up today.

Pics would be much appreciated.

 

[hornadylnl]

Would a medium heavy rod with about 20# test be advisable for trolling with a dipsey diver and spoon?

 

[Mrmonte]

These are the jigs I typically use for walleye...

Cabela's Canadian Walleye Jigs : Cabela's

Ive had good luck with the Lindy rig styles also, little joes and worm harnesses. I like to keep some with floaters and without. Walking sinkers are good too if your drifting and trolling. Minnows work best where I fish but we go up in the spring so your experience may be a little different. Leeches are great for smallies, in rivers with a good current I use the floating rapalas with success. My go to pike lures are Daredevil spoons, red & white or gold. Original Rapalas (firetiger, gold, & silver work great where I fish) Pike cant resist inline spinners either. I like to used a dressed Mepps in most cases. When we are after pike we hit up the bays or troll right up against a weed edges. (as close as you can keep the boat)

ow big are the pike you can expect to catch? Are you fishing a lake or river? Do you know what color the water is?

 

[hornadylnl]

These are the jigs I typically use for walleye...

Cabela's Canadian Walleye Jigs : Cabela's

Ive had good luck with the Lindy rig styles also, little joes and worm harnesses. I like to keep some with floaters and without. Walking sinkers are good too if your drifting and trolling. Minnows work best where I fish but we go up in the spring so your experience may be a little different. Leeches are great for smallies, in rivers with a good current I use the floating rapalas with success. My go to pike lures are Daredevil spoons, red & white or gold. Original Rapalas (firetiger, gold, & silver work great where I fish) Pike cant resist inline spinners either. I like to used a dressed Mepps in most cases. When we are after pike we hit up the bays or troll right up against a weed edges. (as close as you can keep the boat)

ow big are the pike you can expect to catch? Are you fishing a lake or river? Do you know what color the water is?

We're fishing Lake Schewabik through Air Ivanhoe near Foleyet, Ontario. This lake is a 6-8 mile long resevoir (not sure if natural or man made) on a river. Not sure on water color.

The outfitter lists it as a walleye, northern, and smallmouth lake. They don't emphasize "trophy" and this lake like they do some of the others. If rather catch 50 12-18" walleye in an afternoon than a few big ones. I'm too ADD to sit out there all day for just a few fish.

 

[hornadylnl]

Here's an arial of the lake. Not sure how much further up and down well be able to go through the river.

 

[Mrmonte]

After looking it up, that's part of the Chapleau river. I have fished about 20- 30 minutes south of where you will be on the same river system. Its been a while but gold was better than silver due to the stained water. We did catch a lot of hammer handles up to about 25 inch pike on Rapala Origs and I had really good luck with a orange jig head with a green twin tail grub. We mostly did our walleye fishing by drifting floating worm harnesses and walking sinkers. Chartreuse seemed to be the best color for us. If your a beer guy, try the Alexander Keiths India Pale Ale if you get the chance. Its one of my favorites from our northern neighbors.

 

[hornadylnl]

After looking it up, that's part of the Chapleau river. I have fished about 20- 30 minutes south of where you will be on the same river system. Its been a while but gold was better than silver due to the stained water. We did catch a lot of hammer handles up to about 25 inch pike on Rapala Origs and I had really good luck with a orange jig head with a green twin tail grub. We mostly did our walleye fishing by drifting floating worm harnesses and walking sinkers. Chartreuse seemed to be the best color for us. If your a beer guy, try the Alexander Keiths India Pale Ale if you get the chance. Its one of my favorites from our northern neighbors.

I'll give all of the above a try. Yes, it's part of the Chapleau. I guess it's surrounded by a nature preserve so hopefully well get to see a wide array of wildlife as well. I'm kind of hoping that there'll be some falls or something at either end to check out. Some of the lakes, the air isles looked really bland. If the fishing sucks, I'd like to at least check out the surroundings.

We get to the lodge the night before we fly out so I plan on drinking some beer that night! Taking a case with me to the cabin and will have another flown in mid week.