Best walleye and northern lures for September?

[bvassel3]

We are going on a canoe trip the second week of September in northern Minnesota. We'll be on lakes that have one or more of the following: walleye, northerns, smallmouth bass and lake trout. Not being from that area of the country, I'd sure appreciate any suggestions on what lures you'd take if you were going with us?! Thanks in advance!

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

red devil for northern, mepps for bass IMHO.<br />chubs will work for both ) find where they<br />are laying, then catchin'em shouldn't be too hard.<br />good luck!<br />M.Y.

 

[bvassel3]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

Thanks a LOT for replying so promptly M.Y. <br />What about leaders. Fishing in the surf for bluefish on the east coast we always use wire leaders and snap swivels. Should we plan on doing the same for walleyes and northerns? I am guessing that the smallmouth bass don't need a wire leader, but then you really don't know when a northern will hit, so do you just always use a wire leader.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

sorry, bass on the brain since fishin yesterday.<br />best to troll worm spinners (erie deerie etc.)<br />for walleye. a strong windy drift is good also.<br />keep a few smaller ones to eat and release big ones (too fishy & good for eco-sys)so they say????<br />always best to ask the locals though IMHO.

 

[bvassel3]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

Thanks for the added info. What about using wire leaders?

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

northern are kida like freshwater 'cuda.<br />beware of dem teeth!<br />wire leaders are a good idea

 

[495v]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

Fish up that way every year, just got back as a matter of fact. Got our walleye's drifting over sandbars with our backs to the wind using lindy rigs tipped with jumbo leaches. All the northerns and muskies came on big bucktails(musky killer's, #5 mepps, white with silver blades do good). Get the smallies on #4 and #3 blue fox's or small mepp's. Suspended smallies will hit the lindy rigs tipped with minnow's, but you have to be able to mark them on a locater. Good luck, I'm sure you will do fine. Using leaders for the northerns is a good idea, but I swear I get more hits on the spinner's without the leaders; just use heavy pound test like 20lb - 40lb.

 

[gonfishn]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

Howdy BV<br /> Leaders are always a good Idea when fishing up in the North Woods. Ole Gator Eyes tends to like weed cover and once hooked likes to wrap themselves up in the cabbage. It tends to cool down quicker up north so fish slow in the shallows then work your way out. The lunkers tend to like the bigger chubs but crankbait is my favorite. I'm going up again to LOTW in Sept. I tend to lean towards Gator Eyes and Northern but you should get into some nice fishing no matter what gets on your line. Use some heavy lb. test (14 plus) just in case that 40in. plus happens along. Good luck and catch a few deer flies for me.

 

[gonfishn]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

Hey 495v that 40lb. test is shore making it tough for those Moby ****s to get away. I posted ya when I got back and the Bad luck I had. Fishing great but the ribs ouch. Thats an awesome pull you have. Do you drag or do you just want to get their in a quick. Whinny is alful slow this year I have been hearing.

 

[bvassel3]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

THANKS to M.Y., 495V and JW for your ideas and suggestions! I really appreciate the specifics and details...most helpful!! I also heard that using live bait versus dead bait, like pork rind-type bait is important/helpful. Anyone have any ideas with the live bait issue. Obviously it's great when you can get live bait but on a canoe trip I'm not sure how we would keep them alive for a week. Is is important to put live bait on the hook with spinner bait, for example?

 

[gonfishn]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

Look at this way BV. For example when trying to get the attention of the opposite do you use live bait or dead. Fishing is about the same. Do you want just a nibble or do you go for the gusto. I'd reccomend the most active lure you got in your tackle box.<br /> <br /> The better the action the bigger the hit....

 

[495v]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

bv, you should be able to keep leaches alive for some time in a cooler; I swear those things will survive a nuclear blast. Or take a float minnow bucket to tie to the canoe for minnows.<br />Gonefishn, glad to hear your okay. I've been gone for quite some time traveling and closing on a new house and such. Fishing was good for us at Winnie. Slayed the walleye's but only got small northern's and no Muskie's. I had a 25lb plus musky follow me to the boat and stare me down like I was some kind of idiot, d*mn those fish!!! I don't drag my boat(only to the water) just love getting to where I want to go in a hurry. So many times have I left with a couple of boats from the same dock, got to the fishing hole, and got 45 min or so of fishing in before the rest arrive. Or how about out-running a storm. Just have that need for speed. It's too bad we didn't hook up on Winnie. Maybe some other time and if not Winnie next year, same time!!!

 

[bvassel3]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

Thanks 495v for the info. on the leaches. We'll try that. Anyone else...? How about your favorite tackle for lakers, walleyes and northerns? Sure appreciate the tips and ideas! This is a GREAT site and Forums. I'm so impressed with the number of people willing to be helpful on so many boating and fishing subjects. Fun reading too!

 

[gonfishn]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

On ole Gator eyes, serious try a two jointed Terminator. Like 495v says you never will go wrong on the Leaches and chubs even for the pooters. I forgot you doing this in a canoe. Look at it this way if you happen to hook Ole Gator Eyes and if its a monster you will have your own built in trolling motor. Hmmmm. Canoe vs. Gator Eyes I'm a thinking my money goes with the Big GE.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

think I would take along a couple of dozen cheap red and white spoons -- daredevils, but not the brand-name variety. I remember Ontario pike and walleyes liked them.

 

[Frank Martin]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

Just got back from the gunflint trail in the supior national forest far north east tip of the state have been going there one week for the last ten years trail center lodge best live bait large leaches on floating jigs bounced on the botom nite crawlers on crawler rigs on slow sunny days best luck on artificial was by far the reef runner tackle companys little ripper good for walleye better for northern 16 over 30 inch 60 walleye for the week fire tiger silver and black clown color and green and silver this lure is nice it floats has a rattle and will dive down 6 to 8 feet when troled way back verry few snags when you get used to it it looks like a cross between a flatfish and a rapalla with the rattle of a rattle trap good luck fishing!

 

[bvassel3]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

OMC Frank,<br /><br />Thanks for the reply and specific information. Gunflint Trail is exactly where we are going the second week of September. It sounded as if you had a great time.

 

[Czar]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

I'm from Manitoba which is just north of Minnesota/North Dakota. You can't beat a Red Devil for Northerns and they're inexpensive. I have used numerous lures with some success but if all else fails a Red Devil will catch them. They also like very large spinners. But if you plan on catching any big Northern's without a wire leader you better use cheap hooks. They will cut your line pretty easily. Jig's tipped with minnows, leaches or crawlers all work well for Walleye once you find them. <br /><br />Enjoy <br />Czar

 

[bvassel3]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

Hi Czar,<br /><br />Thanks for the added information. I have used red and white daredevils for northerns before with a lot of success. When you say "red" do you mean just red, or the red and white? Also, I love to fly fish but would guess that in September the northerns and walleyes will still be too deep unless I use a real sinking fly line with a shock tippit and a streamer. Any ideas?

 

[Czar]

Re: Best walleye and northern lures for September?

I mean the Red and White, up here they're called Red Devil's as the common name as that was the name of the original Red and White which are still made. Another good combination seems to be a Yellow Spoon with 5 red diamonds on it. We call that the 5 of diamonds and they also work very well for Northerns. If you catch a big one going the right way you won't even have to paddle that canoe of yours !