Midsummer fishing for Boundary Waters canoeists can be challenging. Lake trout by then have gone deep. And walleyes have largely dispersed from the swift currents where they concentrated in May and early June.
Still, paddlers can catch fish in July and August. Here are a few tips:
• Assess the type of day you'll be fishing and adjust your approach accordingly. Bright, sunny days can make walleye fishing difficult — whereas smallmouth bass and northern pike can be caught readily under these conditions.
• Smallmouth are widely considered the most fun to catch from a canoe. These fish can be taken in various ways, including while jigging with live or artificial baits; while trolling crankbaits; while casting spinners; or on the surface, while casting plugs or other floating hard baits.
• For smallie fishing on a paddling trip take along some crawfish-style jigs (check out Larry Dahlberg's River2Sea Clackin' Crayfish); Mepps (or similar) Spinners in sizes 2, 3 and 4; a handful of crankbaits, such as the Bomber 6A, Storm Wiggle Wart, and/or Rapala DT 6. And throw in couple of gold Rapala Original Floaters in size 11.
• Walleyes provide the best table fare of any Boundary Waters fish. But filling a stringer with these guys can be challenging in the warmer summer months. Best to seek them in the low light of early morning or in the evening. Cloudy days are better still, especially those with enough wind to ruffle the lake surface.
• Paddlers typically don't take depth finders with them into the BWCA. In their place, lake maps can be invaluable for walleye fishing. These allow canoeists to use landmarks to locate midlake reefs and humps. Walleyes will hang out on or near these types of underwater structures — sometimes even in midday.
• To find walleyes, I like to troll with my canoeing partner, who may or may not paddle, depending on the wind and type of baits were dragging. Key is to use two different types of crankbaits, one that runs 10 to 12 feet down, and one that trolls 16 feet down or deeper. Blue and lime green are favorite colors of mine in the BWCA's tannic waters.
• When I find a fish or two, I switch to jigs in those locations, thinking a school of walleyes might be hanging out near the bottom.
Want specific walleye crankbait suggestions?
Check out In-Fisherman magazine's list of what it believes are the 10 best walleye crankbaits of all time. The tally is online at http://tinyurl.com/hyqh48a.
Dennis Anderson • danderson@startribune.com
