Penn’s Outdoors

Recently, I was asked what lures I would choose for an Ontario fishing trip if I could only select 5.  Of course, I immediately tried to get 5 selections for each species that I might target.  No such luck, I had to give only 5 for the trip.  The person asking me was going on a canoe trip and was limited in space for tackle. 

So, here are the suggestions I offered to him.  I selected each on 3 criteria:

• The ability to catch multiple species (specifically bass, walleye and pike which are the most commonly targeted species in Ontario)
• The ability to catch numbers of fish
• The ability to catch big fish

1) Mepps Aglia Spinner

Dressed versus Undressed

The first question that I usually get when recommending a Mepps is whether to get dressed or undressed.  I don’t get concerned over this as I’ve found that most of the time it doesn’t seem to matter.  I did say most of the time.  I have had a few times where I’ve seen it matter. 

So, I recommend stocking up on a few of each.  The one time that I’ve seen having the dressed spinner make a difference is in cold front conditions that dictate crawling the spinner very slowly.  The vibration of the deer or squirrel hair does something to finicky fish that I can’t explain but they love it.

Retrieve Speed

I see people generally make two big mistakes when fishing in-line spinners.  The first is not altering their speed of retrieve.  When tossing a spinner over and over again you get into a routine.  I’ve had countless experiences when a fishing partner has given up a spinner only for me to tie one on, alter my retrieve speed, and begin knocking them dead.

One of my favorite spinner techniques is to slow crawl the spinner.  Slow crawling is retrieving the bait just enough to keep the blade clumsily turning.  Lots of articles have been written about slow-rolling spinnerbaits and the same concepts apply to an in-line spinner. I’ve had my most success catching walleye on spinners using this super slow method.

Tie Direct

The second mistake that I see is fishermen using a snap swivel to attach to the spinner.  Using a snap swivel gets in the way of the action of the spinner.  Whenever I fish with someone using a snap swivel, I bet them $10 that I’ll out fish them.  I’ve never lost.  Yes, I know you increase line twist by tying direct but that’s just part of the price of using a spinner.

Match the Hatch

The spinner size you use should match the size of baitfish that fish are feeding on.  Most often, I use Mepps #3 blade size as this is a mid-range size.  Matching the hatch is important for whatever size fish you are going after. 

Blade Colors

Blade colors are pretty simple for me. Silver for clear water.  Copper or a bright fluorescent color for muddy water.  Gold for stained water.  I have begun using bright fluorescent blade colors in a variety of water conditions with some good success.

Species

Pike and smallmouth bass love in-line spinners.  Walleye and largemouth are also quite susceptible to a spinner.  My biggest walleye came on a Mepps #3 on the St. Lawrence River.  Muskie love in-lines also.  While I’ve never caught a muskie, I understand that dressing on the spinner is recommended when targeting them.

2) Twister tails

This old classic has been out of vogue with many bass fishermen.  Walleye fishermen sometimes complain about using them due to catching too many nuisance bass while using them.  Hmmm…

The twister tail, in my opinion, remains one of the best if not the best multi-species lures.  There isn’t a fish you can’t catch on a twister.  Pike, muskie, walleye, largemouth, smallmouth, and perch can all be targeted successfully on your next Ontario trip with a twister. 

Color Choices

Again, I am a simpleton when it comes to all of my color selections.  Soft plastic fishermen have more color choices than lipsticks at the cosmetic isle.  I buy a lot of different colors but they fall into two main categories.  Versions of smoke and versions of green pumpkin.  90% of the time, I’m throwing one of these two color families. 

Additionally, I have a few selections of chartreuse type colors, especially for smallmouth and pike.  A straight white and black also are always available.  I have had some success over the years on a yellow.  Writing this, I’m reminded that I haven’t used yellow for a long time.  Not sure why but may have to return to it.

Size

On a trip to Black Lake a couple of summers ago, the typical bass stuff wasn’t working well.  To get my son back interested into the fishing, we started targeting panfish with tiny plastics.  We didn’t catch that many panfish but in an hour, we had about a 1/2 dozen scrappy 2 to 3 pound smallmouth.  The pattern only held for that day but it was a lifesaver for that outing. 

That wasn’t the only experience that I had where tiny plastics caught quality fish.  In general, I don’t use tiny or big twister tails.  Most of the time, I’m using 2 to 4 inch twisters.  I’ve been experimenting with 5 inch baits without much success but I have some friends that swear by the bigger twisters for quality smallmouth.  Trophy pike fisherman will use baits as big as 6 to 7 inches. 

Tipping with Livebait

I don’t usually tip my twisters but I know of a number of people who always do.  This is an area where I would suggest that you consult the locals at your Ontario fishing trip destination for advice.

Retrieve

This is an area where the twister tail excels.  Your retrieve choices are almost unlimited.  Yet, 90% of people who fish a twister fish it with a straight retrieve.  I’ve found a straight retrieve to be one of the least productive methods.  A new favorite technique for twister for me is what I’ve started calling ripping.

Ripping is most productive when going after suspended fish in deeper water.  I will let the twister drop off the initial cast to the desired depth.  Than I will rip it hard by yanking the rod significantly with a slight upward motion.  I then let the twister drop slowly again for a few moments and then ripping it again.  I repeat the same pattern until I’m ready for the next cast.

A key to ripping is using a light jighead with a bigger twister buddy.  For example, I’ll sometimes go as small as a 1/16th ounce with a 4 inch grub.  It can be hard to find a 1/16th ounce jighead with a big enough hook size for the 4 inch twister.  I’m convinced when done right, this looks like a dying bait fish.  I’ll also use this method a lot with plastic shad baits that almost made this list.

Other retrieves include cast jigging, vertical jigging, slow crawling, speed retrieving, and even drop shotting.

3) Shad Rap

I may get some heat for this statement, but I don’t believe that there is a better crankbait on the market, especially for multi-species.  I noticed that this year’s Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina even had some pros using Shad Raps.  You can insert your favorite crankbait into this section but mine is by far the Rapala Shad Rap.

Casting

I don’t think the Shad Rap gets enough press as a very good casting lure.  Out of all of the many crankbait brands that I fish, the Shad Rap seems to cast further.  I’m not an engineer. So, I can’t comment on why but this has been my observation. 

Retrieves, like other baits, when casting can and should vary.  But some of my best success has come on a straight steady retrieve with the Shad Rap in Ontario.

Trolling

This is my favorite trolling bait.  They tend to run well at all kinds of trolling speed.  My last trip to Bear Lake Wilderness Camp in Espanola, Ontario had me experimenting more with trolling speed.  On certain days, the pike seemed to want the bait moving pretty fast.  It didn’t seem to matter to the Shad Rap whether I was moving fast or real slow.  I hope to hit Shawnee Lake this year and can’t wait to troll a shad rap around there for pike.

Color

My favorite “Clown” color has been discontinued, and I am busy stocking up on it on Ebay.  I advise talking with your Ontario lodge about the best color choices.  I like some natural colors and a few bright colors.

Size

For the best multi-species size, I like the #7.  I am only beginning to explore the full range of the Shad Rap.  I am looking forward to experimenting with different sizes this year.

Species

When walleye are on crankbaits, you can’t go wrong with a Shad Rap.  Pike love these baits.  They may not be the #1 crankbait for bass but they are certainly in the top  5.  This makes them a great choice for an Ontario fishing trip.

4) Rat-L-Trap

Species

This one almost didn’t make the list because it is not the best walleye bait for small walleye.  Shhh…trophy walleye are a different story.  Their may be better baits for walleye but when on a lake with pike and big walleye, you won’t be able to be sure what is bending your rod until you see it.

I consider my Rat-L-Trap my deskunk bait for pike and bass.  I don’t usually hammer a large number of fish with a Rat-L-Trap but I can’t count the number of times that I’ve caught a couple of bass or pike when nothing else worked.

Grass

One of my favorite applications of the Rat-L-Trap is to fish it over submerged weed beds.  Ideally, I like grass beds that are 8 to 10 feet under the surface.  One way I fish these situations is to retrieve the Trap very fast over the weed beds.  The Trap will be in just one to 2 feet of water but aggressive fish will come out of the weeds to slam the bait. 

The second way I like to fish grass with the Rat-L-Trap is to retrieve it as slow as I can that it is just ticking the tops of the weeds.  This can be dynamite when fish aren’t super aggressive and one of the best methods for catching walleye with it. 

Color

The enticement of the Rat-L-Trap is the rattle.  I don’t pay a ton of attention to color but it can matter.  95% of the time, I’m using a trap with silver.  I’ve had a lot of success lately with silver blue either in their bleeding version or doctored up with some red.  I know folks who love a crawfish pattern.  I’ve not fished that pattern much, especially when I’ve been in Ontario.

Size

Most of the time, I am throwing a 1/2 ounce.  I will go smaller and occasionally bigger but I’m pulling out the Rat-L-Trap most often to put a few fish in the boat when nothing else is working.  My confidence size is 1/2 ounce. 

I have never had success with the mini-traps.  The greatness of the Rat-L-Trap is in the noise it makes.  I believe that the smaller baits are just not able to generate the same level of noise that the 1/2 ounce bait does.  I don’t know this for a fact, and I’ve had pretty much success with the 1/4 oz.  Smaller than a 1/4 ounce seems to defeat the main purpose of a rattle bait.

Don’s Handcrafted Buck Tail Jigs

5) Hair Jigs

Past early season cold water, many people have put away their hair jigs for the year.  This is a big mistake.  Hair jigs work all year long and are a dynamite Ontario bait.

Post-front conditions

When the fish are sluggish, throw a hair jig.  There is something about how the hair vibrates that makes the jig look like an easy meal to a fish. 

Tipping

Unlike twisters, I almost always tip my hair jigs.  At times, especially early in the season, I’ll tip them with livebait. As the water warms, I find plastics work just fine for tipping the jig.

One of my favorite techniques for pike is to put the back half of a bass plastic worm on the back end of the hair jig.  I learned this on a trip to the St. Lawrence River. 

Color

If you’ve read this full article, it won’t surprise you that I simplify my colors with hair jigs.  Most of my hair jigs have black or brown in them.  Black and blue is an old standby.  I am also beginning to experiment with black and green.  I will have a few wild colored hair jigs along just in case.

Retrieve

Hair jigs are best suited for a slow retrieve.  A slow retrieve allows the hair to pulsate in the water just right.  But, it is a mistake to think that you can only work a hair jig slow.  You should always experiment until you find the right retrieve.

Summary

There are a lot of different choices for your next trip to Ontario.  This is just my bare minimum list.   There are a lot of baits that didn’t make this list that would be very difficult for me to leave home.  For example, it would be very hard for me to go anywhere in Ontario where there are pike or bass and not have some type of surface bait packed. 

I think half the fun of a trip is planning and buying tackle. You should always have plenty of your own confidence baits.  These are mine, and I will never take a trip to Ontario without them.