# What tackle for Ontario?



## grabbingills87 (Dec 30, 2013)

headed to the kayvee lodge on a fly in trip in the end of August just trying to make sure I have everything tackle wise what do you recommend for walleye and pike that time of year?


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

Something shiny and something not shiny in lures you can work fast, slow, and in between is all you really need, plus backups of those variants. If you organize your tackle that way you can find the only six lures you will probably need all week. The non shiny lures will be best in natural colors unless the water has a super heavy tannic stain where you’ll want something with more color, like golds or chartreuse. It’s always fun to drag 75 pounds of lures (I’m guilty too) but end up needing very few.


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## grabbingills87 (Dec 30, 2013)

What works best for pike? I’m a diehard walleye guy so pike is new to me what lures would you recommend?


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## Beartreed (May 8, 2008)

Blue and orange Hj14 and any syclops spoon


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## Zkovach1175 (Mar 29, 2017)

Pike for me is a Williams wabler 1/2 gold 1/2 hammered finish in 4”. Also very hard to not bring a Johnson’s silver minnow in gold. Second largest size tipped hook with a uncle josh pork frog if you can still find them. 

Good luck and have fun!


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## maddiedog (Nov 21, 2008)

Black and gold husky jerk and orange and gold doctor spoon did it last week.


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

Number 5 Mepps, spoons (take your pick), Bomber Long A’s in any of the prism colors, number 9 Shad Raps, and 1/2 jig heads with 4.5-5” swimbaits. This group will let you fish from the surface down to 20 feet of water, and most will get walleye too.


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## IT.Fisherman (Aug 10, 2012)

I've been to KayVee twice, many many years ago. We kept it simple and found that all you need for Walleye are jigs tipped with minnows, twister tails, or any other tip you want to use. For pike, did very well on spoons and live bait as well.

Tip on location (If i remember correctly) - straight out from the lodge, there is an elevated flat, comes up to about 10' of water in the middle of the lake. Hammered walleye and pike there. There was more than one occasion we hooked a fish, unhooked him, threw the lure back in the water.. And before we even picked up the rod there was another fish on the lure just dangling in the water. As for Pike, head across the main lake to Moose lake. 

Keep in mind this is old advice, its been at least 10 years since i've been there.


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## MallardMaster (Nov 17, 2003)

I fish Nagagami every year. Your hunch on how to catch the walleye are spot on. Just a simple twister tail is effective enough. Last year I used a Keitech Swing Impact as something different. Be creative and you will find the fish. When it comes to pike, your guess is as good as any. There are big pike there, but you will find that a majority of them will be in the mid 30-high 20 range. You can have the opportunity though to catch a big fish. 
The bigger thing to remember is that you will be there later in the year and the water will have dropped a ways. Some areas you will not be able to get to. One of those will be Moose Lake. It will be choked with weeds at that time of year. That's not to say you shouldn't go on an adventure though and check it out!


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## Stubee (May 26, 2010)

I did a fly-in to Zig Zag outta Armstrong and multiple trips to Georgian Bay (MacGregor Bay, Baie Finn, lots of other spots) and my best bait for pike was a Syclops Lite in Hot Lime/Chartreuse. They are light so tough to cast into wind, but also easy to tick around boulders and associated weed beds without getting snagged up and if you do you can usually free it. Used one spoon, and I mean one spoon, to catch a ton of good fish and a big Muskie. The spoon got beat up and I put on new hooks a couple times, but it kept producing.

I’ve had far less luck with the Syclops Lite in MI but stuck with them for usually the whole Canada trip. Live bait also worked very well at Zig Zag for both pike and walleye, just a minnow.


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## GRINGO LOCO (Apr 25, 2007)

Stubee said:


> I did a fly-in to Zig Zag outta Armstrong and multiple trips to Georgian Bay (MacGregor Bay, Baie Finn, lots of other spots) and my best bait for pike was a Syclops Lite in Hot Lime/Chartreuse. They are light so tough to cast into wind, but also easy to tick around boulders and associated weed beds without getting snagged up and if you do you can usually free it. Used one spoon, and I mean one spoon, to catch a ton of good fish and a big Muskie. The spoon got beat up and I put on new hooks a couple times, but it kept producing.
> 
> I’ve had far less luck with the Syclops Lite in MI but stuck with them for usually the whole Canada trip. Live bait also worked very well at Zig Zag for both pike and walleye, just a minnow.


Stubee- I fly every year twice into Smoothrock and the fishing is great. I have heard of good fishing also at ZIGZAG and always wanted to fish it. How did you do at ZIGZAG? If sometime you need a guy to fish there let me know as I am available. I am retired and the last year or two just fishing with my wife as the others no longer fish.


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## Stubee (May 26, 2010)

Gr


****** LOCO said:


> Stubee- I fly every year twice into Smoothrock and the fishing is great. I have heard of good fishing also at ZIGZAG and always wanted to fish it. How did you do at ZIGZAG? If sometime you need a guy to fish there let me know as I am available. I am retired and the last year or two just fishing with my wife as the others no longer fish.


I haven’t fished there in years. It was an interesting place to fish and we explored about every inch of it, including spots guys hiked to and then used a boat left there. Biggest pike was about 45”, but everyone caught pike up to 37”. We caught a lot of fish on spoons but also did well on minnows. The walleyes hit so aggressively you couldn’t tell what the strike was from. Our best spot was just outside a big whirlpool near a flowage. Don’t know why but that was full of pike and walleye. We went first week after ice out.

I haven’t been back because the guy who planned those trips bought a place about 8 miles out in Georgian Bay.


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## jonnyb (Oct 29, 2013)

I used to stay at expeditions north. Great lake to fish you will catch fish on just about any pike lure. Have fun take lots of pictures


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## Pinusrubra (Jun 30, 2018)

grabbingills87 said:


> headed to the kayvee lodge on a fly in trip in the end of August just trying to make sure I have everything tackle wise what do you recommend for walleye and pike that time of year?


I have done a fly-in to North West Ontario the past 6 years, just got back a week ago. 

Jigs for walleye. Weight depends on depth and wind, 5/8 oz is my go to. I load up on Black, White and Chartreuse. Minnows if they have them otherwise big grub bodies - 4" same color options. 

If you will cast or troll - I would just say use Gold - I don't care if it is a spoon or Plug. It seems walleye is popular on the menu. Have fun and good luck!


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## MapleRiverSalmon (Aug 19, 2007)

grabbingills87 said:


> headed to the kayvee lodge on a fly in trip in the end of August just trying to make sure I have everything tackle wise what do you recommend for walleye and pike that time of year?


If I had one pike lure that would outfish anything I use everywhere it would be a blue/chrome rattle trap! Take my word for it and buy 6, you’ll thank me I promise...


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## fishlogic (Feb 28, 2010)

End of August I would probably bring:

Walleye
1) jigs 3/8 to 1/2oz. with 4" single tail grubs, 4-5" paddle tail minnows - whatever your brand preference
2) Cranks for trolling up to 20' - hot'n'tots, shadraps, minnow raps, taildancers - whatever cranks you like, but span 8 to 20 FOW even if you have to use inline weights
3) blade baits for vertical jigging - 1/2oz to 3/4oz 
4) lipless cranks for vertical jigging - rippin' rap was a good one, salmo darter
5) meat rigs of your choice - just in case, always good idea to have some crawler harness with BB's (troll), Lindy rigs (drift), slow death rigs (troll) - whatever you prefer, they are all good choices

Pike
1) casting spoons - 4-5" casting spoons - there are a lot that will work - Yellow Bird Doctor Spoons, WIlliams Whitefish C80/C90, Williams HQ60, Eppinger Dardevle 1oz and 1.5oz, Eppinger Red Eye Wiggler 3", Len Thompson 2, Mepps Syclops 3
2) weedless spoon - Johnson Silver Minnow 1 1/8oz with a 5" white grub trailer
3) trolling spoons - if you prefer to troll, grab some big 5" spoons - Len Thompson 4, Len Thompson Dimpled 16, Eppinger Dardevle Huskie Jr, Lucky Strike Half Wave 4.5
4) spinnerbaits - Northland Reed Runner 3/4oz, 1oz, Joe Bucher Slopmaster
5) inline spinner - blue fox, mepps #5, musky killer
6) swimbaits - hard - Savage Gear 4play 
7) paddletail swimbaits - soft - whatever brand you like 5-7"
8) 8" single tail grubs with jig - work great all season long and cheap
9) jerkbaits - rapala HJ14, bomber long A, smithwick rogue
10) cranks for trolling - whatever you like, 6"+ - live target perch, Rapala F18, Xrap magnum, super shad rap

You don't need all of that, go with how you prefer to fish, it should all work. Definitely a handful of 5" spoons, spinnerbaits, inline spinners and weedless spoons. You can bring some bigger crankbaits if you like to troll, like super shad raps, but unless you're really focused on pike I would primarily focus on spoons and spinners. You could always use the cranks you brought for walleye anyway, they will also work.


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## Duke (Oct 6, 2000)

Lots of great advice so far. One thing I’d add is if you haven’t pike fished lots before, use the spinnerbaits most. GREAT baits and good for getting through the weeds where pike love to be. AND, the single hook is way safer and easier to unhook! 

Pike love to thrash when unhooking and the teeth and flying treble hooks can be dangerous and intimidating. make sure you have needle nose pliers for each boat for unhooking pike and have a great trip with no incident


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## HUBBHUNTER (Aug 8, 2007)

The most prized piece of tackle I own for catching and releasing of pike and walleye.









https://www.cabelas.com/product/Original-Boga-Grip174/734456.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&N=0&fsch=true&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=boga&x=0&y=0%2&WT.srch=1&WT.tsrc=PPC&rid=20&WT.mc_id=MICROSOFT|fis_Fishing+Tools_Pliers,+Grippers,+Hook+Remover|USA&WT.z_mc_id1=43700001542735984&msclkid=c0441b4611951d1d448140226731b70c&ds_rl=1256283&gclid=CKH07Zqb0dwCFU8agQodSfwNnw&gclsrc=ds

You can buy cheaper knock offs and they will work fine but the original is made to last. Mine has taken years of abuse in Canada and still works like the first time.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Hey ,if you're in Rome......Might as well bring some money ,stop at Canadian tire and grab a couple Williams Wobblers. A gold and a silver in the larger size.
Fire tiger rapala's are versatile.
Many pike have clobbered 3/8 jigs with straight rubber worm sections while walleye fishing.
For decades we made up our own casting spoons. 3/4 ounce a favorite.Gold ,silver, red and white and black and white dare devil imitations. Lost my last black and white assembled in the seventies up there about a decade ago...

With less yearly fry in some areas this time of year ,bigger baits might produce.
Never did it ,but debated about putting hooks on a great lakes trolling flasher before...!

Might as well go with suggestions for spinner baits in large size for near surface fun. 
I don't recall running them in Canada ,but folks do with success in places.


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

HUBBHUNTER said:


> The most prized piece of tackle I own for catching and releasing of pike and walleye.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I’m in full agreement with everything you said accept for the cheap knock offs. Before I ponied up for the real deal, I bought one of the long handled Berkley grippers because I figured it would keep my fingers further away from those treble hooks when landing. About 50% of the pike I held with it could shake free. So buy the real deal. It’s still a lot easier to use a landing net to get them in the boat, and hold them with the Boga to get the hooks out.


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