Bait of Choice

[Hawks]

Hey Guys, I'm heading up for my annual fly-in trip next week and have some questions for you. What is your choice bait for jigging walleyes this early in the season? I have had great luck with salted fatheads and shiners, but often wonder if I would have even better luck with live minnows, leeches or crawlers. Let me know what you guys think. Am I fine with the salted minnows for jigging or do you guys think I am missing out.

Also, the Lakers are in the shallows where I am going. Do you guys have better luck pulling cranks/shiney spoons over a big/fat dead cicsco? Any advice here would be greatly appreciated!!

[Benfishin]

Beef heart. Put a little chunk on your jig......give it a try you will be pleasantly surprised. And it is cheap!!

[uffdapete]

I would recommend taking plastics. If lake trout are present the primary forage is likely smelt and/or whitefish so just "match the hatch" in terms of shape and color.

If you're driving to Canada and then flying out you might be wise to stop at a tackle shop close to the border as they can make recommendations based on lots of experience. There are a couple stores in International Falls that will not only give you good advice but are competitively priced with the big boxes in the Cities.

Yesterday we fished a Canadian lake south of Dryden and did very well catching walleyes, pike, smallmouth and crappies with Berkley Powerbait & Gulp, Culprit plastics, Rapalas and in-line spinners. We targeted pike yesterday for 1 hour along 1 shoreline and caught 3 walleyes, 4 smallmouth and 20 pike (no trout in this lake) on a gold inline spinner. Powerbait (minnow and nightcrawler imitations) has outfished natural bait for us many times in Canada. For whatever reason I haven't had much success with Power leeches.

For shallow lake trout I would recommend suggest trolling or casting 5-6" Rapala husky jerks, 5" plastics and spoons. And hang on to your rod - shallow trout hit with a fury!