Rookie needs serious help!

[teddy12b]

Here's the deal.  Friday I'm going to Ontario with a couple buddies on a bear hunt.  At some point I hope for the trip to transition from a bear hunt, to a fishing trip filled with all kinds of walleye, perch and pike just fighting their way to bite on our lines.  However, I'm realistic and know that I don't have that "knack" that some people have for fishing.  I'm lucky if I see a minow let alone catch a real fish.  Typically, I go fly fishing, but I don't think that's going to be the best route for up there.  I'll bring the fly rod anyway just in case, but I'm going to plan on using the spinning rod.

What general rules should I follow for trying to catch walleye, perch & pike?

Colors of lures...  types of line...  anything...

On my last couple trips up in Ontario none of us caught anything.  We cast every lure in the tackle box, but still came up with nothing.  From what I've read in the past, and what my attack plan is for this year is to only use minows.  I haven't in the past and from what people tell me that was the problem.


Any advice?

[Bigeasy]

One year up bear hunting in Quebec, I was near a river with a small waterfall.  I'd hunt until dark (around 10pm), go to the cabin, make dinner, then about 12am I'd fish.  Casting lead head jigs with plastic twister tail, and bouncing them on the bottom caught me either a fish (small walleye), or a snag almost every time.  Lost all my jigs, caught a lot of fish.

Live bait is always a good option.  Walleye tend to stay near the bottom, and bite best at night.  You want to run your jigs and lures deep, let them bounce off the bottom.  You will lose some, but will catch fish if they are there.  If there are pike, big, fast spoons and plugs work well.  The DareDevil red and white spoon is a classic pike lure.  Pike also respond well to live bait - big minnows and suckers.  Don't rule out night crawlers either...They are deadly on Brook Trout that inhabit lots of small streams and ponds up north.

Good luck

Larry

[teddy12b]

I never tried it as night.  Did you have to be careful about scaring them away with a flashlight or was that a concern at all?  I think we'll have to try some night fishing this year.

[Bigeasy]

I just used a small lantern, and a  flashlight.  Didn't seem to have any effect.  I did keep my rifle slung over my shoulder, as my outfitter told a few tales of bears coming to the dinner bell when they smelled fish..

Larry

[teddy12b]

Well I've got a huge assortment of Mr. Twisters at the house so maybe I'll try those like you said and probably some minnows also. 

I'm bring along my little puma 92 44mag also on this trip just in case I need to go to some remote areas and would like to have a little something with me even when not actually hunting.