WHAT TO BRING
Minnesota Fishing license
Our guides will provide all rods and reels and tackle. If you prefer you may bring your own.
Rain gear (tops and bottoms)
Lunch, a shore lunch may be provided upon request. If you choose you can pack your own lunch and take a break on shore or just eat in the boat.
Beverages**
Camera
Sun screen
Bug repellent
Hat and Sunglasses highly recommended!
Waterproof boots, sandals, or shoes that can get wet if portaging. For the rest of our trips, any type of footwear will be sufficient.
Taking fish home:
Complementary fish cleaning is provided. You will receive your fish at the end of your trip in a zip lock bag or bags. Please be prepared to bring your fish home with you. You will need to make arrangements to freeze and package your fish where you are staying. Unfortunately because of legal reasons your guides cannot transport and or freeze your fish for you.
WHAT To Know
Meeting times and places will be discussed and an Itinerary will be sent out shortly before your trip.
Boundary Waters trips and Remote lakes trips will usually meet at 7am.
Local Lakes trips if traveling to the lake will usually meet at 730am.
Local Lakes trips if picked up on your dock usually meet at 8am .
Meeting times and trip duration will depend on travel time to and from the lake.
If in BWCAW including Basswood lake please bring plastic containers only. No glass bottles or aluminum cans, this is a Boundary Waters rule!
Basswood lake and BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) trips need to pack smaller, lighter tackle boxes and gear for the room in the boat and weight. Please remember your guide will have all the rods and reels and tackle needed. Most guests bring a backpack with personal items, rain gear, and a small cooler with drinks and snacks.
Tackle Tips:
Farm Lake Walleye
WALLEYE FISHING
Fresh or New 6 to 8lb Test monofilament or braided line.
Medium to medium light rods 6ft-7ft
Jigs - 1/16 to 1/4 oz Jigs (Green, Chartreuse, yellow, orange, silver) .
Live bait rigs or commonly referred to as (Lindy rigs) - 1/4 to 3/4 oz slip sinkers. Northland Rock Runners or Lindy No Snag Sinkers or any other type of lead slip sinker will work.
Hooks, Gamakatsu brand, or any plain or colored, sizes #2, #4, #6, #8
Barrel swivels
leader or snell line 6lb to 10lb fluorocarbon
Spinner rigs (Green, Chartreuse, yellow, orange, gold, silver)
Crank Baits
Rapala shad raps, sizes: #5 & #9 colors: perch,fire-tiger, yellow/white,silver/black
Rapala original floaters, size #11 & #13, colors: silver/black, gold/black, yellow/white, blue/white, perch color.
Berkley flicker shads size #5 #7 and #9
Basswood Lake Smallmouth Bass
SMALLMOUTH and largemouth Bass FISHING
Top water; Tinny torpedos, Jitterbugs, Hula poppers,
Stick baits; Original floating Rapalas size #11 and #13 in colors silver and black and gold and black, Husky jerks,
Tube jigs or grub tails, colors; pumkin, purple, smoke, brown.
Plastics; Sinkos, brown, gray, smoke, pumkin, purple.
live bait rigs; We use a 1-4 to 3/8 ounce slip sinker with a 10lb test braided main line and a 3-4 ft 10 lb to 12 lb fluorocarbon leader with a #2 size hook
Basswood Lake Northern Pike.
Northern Pike Fishing
Spoons and daredevils, colors: red/white, gold, silver, copper, chartreuse, yellow, lime green
Stick baits; Original floating Rapalas size #11 #13 and #18 in colors Fire tiger, silver and black and gold and black, Rapala Husky jerks, Rapala Shadow raps and Rapala super shads
Spinner baits, colors: red/white, gold, silver, copper, chartreuse, yellow, lime green
Plastics; twister tails and swim baits.
live bait rigs; We use a slip sinker with a /10lb /test braided main line and a 3-4 ft 10 lb to 12 lb fluorocarbon leader with a #2 size hook
Bobber fishing; In the spring time we use quick strike bait rigs under a large bobber with either dead frozen bait or large sucker minnows
*GPS* With respect to our guides hard work; please let your guide know ahead of time if you will be bringing a GPS. Our guides are happy to help you learn how to use your own device. People caught concealing GPS devices will be tarred and feathered!!