BWCA Hard Bait Selection

What a great surprise the other day when I found out that I could get something that I actually wanted with my credit union reward points!  For X points, a $100 gift card to Bass Pro Shop.  After requesting the gift card with my reward points, it took at least a week for it to get here- perfect.  In the mean time, I racked my memory for what was always on my Rapala want list.  That list has changed significantly over the past three years, and not because I've discovered better hard baits, dumber fish, or anything to along those lines.

A combination of several factors led to my Rapala purchasing strategy:

1. I recently found that I love fishing and eating lake trout

2. Massive sale on certain Rapalas, especially Husky Jerk and Deep Husky Jerk on Bass Pro Shop website

3. Need to expand beyond basic walleye colors and expand depth/color variety

4. Again, lake trout... blue/silver has been good to me and was a priority (about 1/3 of my total purchase)

5. Purchasing multi-purpose BWCA lures.  The colors, sizes, and running depths of the raps that I bought are great for what I do- focus on lakes the first few weeks of the season, and walleyes after that.  The color selection and running depth was mostly based on fishing lakers for the first month of the season.

6. BWJ article that mentioned a white Heddon Hellbender as a money lure for lakers in the BWCA- great excuse to try a new lure!

BWCA Lake Trout Trip

After a couple of fruitless efforts to the same area, I finally tasted the success of BWCA lake trout fishing this year.  Trolling for these beautiful (and delicious) fish was a simple task.  During the last week of May, we trolled 20' or 30' running lures over water not much deeper than 30 feet.  On this particular lake, there appeared to be a dominant year class of fish, which were all in the 18"-20" range.  No complaints regarding the fish- great size for eating, and they put up a good fight.  I can't wait to hook into one of the larger fish that I know are lurking in this lake...maybe next year.

Lake trout four ways... need I say more?  The crowd favorite was a last minute surprise...Dijon mustard/lemon pepper blend.  They were all good!

Minnesota Fishing Opener 2012

Opener 2010- rented cabin/lake trout mission.

Fishing opener 2012 is near.  My great debate for the past several years has been whether to focus on walleye or lake trout.  I have very little lake trout experience, but I know that this is the time of year to target that species if you want results.  Lakers are generally shallower now, and theoretically easier to catch. As far as I'm concerned, with normally terrible weather on the opener, and the safe bet of a warm cabin, I normally opt for walleye on opening weekend- Thanks Jason!

A Rainy Day In The BWCA

It's Monday tomorrow, and I remember that I took this photo on a rainy Monday last May, while sitting under the tarp. Last year it was the wind that foiled my lake trout fishing plans. I'd gladly trade a paper plate cribbage board under a tarp on a rainy BWCA day for any Monday at work. I never did count how many holes I punched in this plate, and I'm not sure about how many I should have punched, put it passed the time, which was fine by me.

I've been thinking about my first BW trip of the season, which is coming up in May.  There's a good possibility of wet weather that comes with a spring season trip in northern Minnesota, but there's also a good chance that lake trout will be shallow.  With this years early ice-out and corresponding rise in water temps, who knows if "normal" fishing patterns will hold true?  All I know is that I'll be there to find out and that I'll be happy to there, either way.  Finding fish during a transitional period, or when fish aren't "where they're supposed to be" makes any success that much more gratifying.