Boundary Waters

[CabinFever]

Headed to MN for Memorial Day to meet my family there. We will be staying in Brainerd, on South Long Lake, and will spend most of our time there. My brothers and I are tentatively planning on a short trip to the Boundary Waters as well, depending on reports. It sounds like some lakes still have some ice, but most are starting to clear up. I've been there twice, but its been 10 years since my last trip in, I'm real excited.

Minnesota guys, what do you recommend for fishing, both on South Long as well as in the BWCA? In the past we've mostly just trolled lindyrigs with leeches for Walleye, and done pretty well that way. Anything else you might recommend trying?

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

well Im not from MN, but, I go every year for 10 days. . .LEECHES hands down.

 

[PFUNK]

Headed to MN for Memorial Day to meet my family there. We will be staying in Brainerd, on South Long Lake, and will spend most of our time there. My brothers and I are tentatively planning on a short trip to the Boundary Waters as well, depending on reports. It sounds like some lakes still have some ice, but most are starting to clear up. I've been there twice, but its been 10 years since my last trip in, I'm real excited.

Minnesota guys, what do you recommend for fishing, both on South Long as well as in the BWCA? In the past we've mostly just trolled lindyrigs with leeches for Walleye, and done pretty well that way. Anything else you might recommend trying?

Depending on water temps you may still be catching the tail end of the spawn on the lakes with the ice just coming off. Water should be warmer on the north end of the lakes. I'd look to windblown points and pitch a quarter ounce jig head with a 3 inch twister tail. You can tip them with minnows if u like. Otherwise the fish should be just off the spawning areas staging up in a little deeper water. Don't be afraid to fish very close to shore over shallow gravel or small rock. You can pick up fish right against shore when they are in shallow against the wind blown points. I've never fished up there, but I would love to be in your shoes. Let us know how it goes.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

My buddy is getting back from the BWCA tomorrow I will let you know what he has to say.

 

[passinthru]

Don't be afraid to rig up a slip bobber, it can be very effective.

 

[huntfishcamp]

I live in mn and fished big gabbro in the BWCA a couple years ago...we packed in a lb of leeches, was July, so they were deeper (15-20 ft) but a jig and a leech and we limited every day on the eyes!! Good luck!

 

[sluggo6850]

I have friends that live on round lake at Nisswa and our best luck has been jigging with lead jigs tipped with minnows. I was planning on going up this weekend, but they said the ice had just gone off last week and it might be a little slow. Plan on going up the weekend of june 22nd. good luck and let us know how you did.

 

[CabinFever]

Thanks for the tips and reports, I know ice off has been really late. If the boundary waters falls through, hopefully fishing is good around Brainerd. I have friends in the cities and a brother in Andover so I've been getting reports. Friends in the cities seem to be doing well enough around there. I'll let you know how things end up going.

 

[PFUNK]

Thanks for the tips and reports, I know ice off has been really late. If the boundary waters falls through, hopefully fishing is good around Brainerd. I have friends in the cities and a brother in Andover so I've been getting reports. Friends in the cities seem to be doing well enough around there. I'll let you know how things end up going.

If the BWCA falls through and it's walleye you're after there are a bunch of options not far from brainerd. Mille lacs is a great place to go if you want a chance at a big fish. Thats where I would go. Leech lake is right there too along with winnibigoshish. Hopefully the bite in MN is as good as the one my buddy had in south dakota recently. Him and a few friends landed 200 eyes over a few days. Heading there next week with him to see if they are still going. Good luck!

 

[12 guage]

Its hard to beat a jig and minnow this time of the year in northern minnesota.

 

[sluggo6850]

Don't Forget About Gull Just North Of Brainard

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I would say Gull could be pretty good, but you are going to be about the same distance from Mille lacs, which can be pretty tough to beat if you want big walleye water. The other place you might look at is North Long Lake. This time of year I like a shiner on a lindy rig.

My buddy called me this morning on his way home from the BWCA. It had been raining the whole time he was up there, and said the fishing was pretty slow. He put in just east of Ely and was up on the Gladstones. They caught a few walleyes and northern, but not what they should have been. Bottom line, not worth it if you are looking for fish, but always a good time if you just want to paddle.

Being it is Memorial day weekend, you are going to have alot of traffic on the lakes.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

CabinFever,

Have any luck? It was a pretty slow weekend for Walleyes on our lake (SW of Brainerd), but I did have some luck on the crappies in the shallows with the fly rod.