Going to Canada fishing

[HUSKERBUCK]

Just wanted to say hi to everyone. I have not posted here for a while, this spring planting season has SUCKED and we have been working 15-18 hour days for 4-5 weeks straight with only a 1/2 day off on Easter Sunday. It rained on Friday so we all have a little time to catch our breaths and relax a bit.
Now on to something way more important than work, FISHING!!! I will be going to Cedar Lake Lodge in Ontario on May 22-28. This is about 170 miles north of International Falls Minnisota. Has anyone on here been there before? Has anyone been close? It is just a little bit south of Lac Sul. I have never been on a trip like this and am very excited to be going. I'm just looking for some advice and tips from you that have been on fishing trips like this before. What to expect,any advice, the little thing that seem to get forgotten. I know that I could ask a million questions but I'm just looking for tips and advice in general. We are driving from here. Got my passport coming and am getting things all lined up already (a month in advance). The two routes to take frrom here are I-29 north to Winnipeg and then east and north or I-35 north to International Falls and the north and west. The I-29 way is about 80 miles shorter and a little over an hour quicker. Is either border easier to cross over and to get back over? For those of you in west Iowa which way would you go?
Again I'm just looking for tips and advice from those of you that have done this sort of thing before. I am so much looking forward to this that the next month can't go fast enough. Thanks

 

[KPM]

We always cross at International Falls and over the years we have had no problems. We started taking the I-35 route a few years back and it is much nicer than I-29.

 

[jmm46]

we also cross at International falls, never had any problems...as for fishing, hair jigs work awesome for us. We sain a bunch of minows at home before heading up, we use the vacume seal bags to store them, you can salt them if you want. The bigger the minows the better. 5-8 inch chub or sucker minows were our big fish bait for both large walleyes and Muskie/Northern Pike. Another thing to look for is any beaver huts along the shore line. If you find one, anchor about 15 yards out from them and either cast into them or jig over them. If the water is clear enough you'll be able to see the timber leading up to the hut. You'll lose alot of jigs, but you'll catch a ton of fish... if you aren't able to get any minows before heading up, gulp minows will work. Good luck and let us know how you did and take some pictures.

 

[Iowa1]

Jigs with Gulp for the walleyes and spinnerbaits for the northern. The pike will still be in the weeds at that time so find the green broadleaf cabbage and you will find the pike. If you catch a walleye while doing this, just drop a jig down into the openings in the weeds and you will probably find a school of them. Walleyes will probably be on the deep edges of the weeds too. I have been fishing that part of Ontario since 1979 and it took me a long time to discover the walleyes in the weeds but it is a very consistent early season pattern. You can catch some walleyes and northern trolling crankbaits on the rocky points too, but you will probably get most pike action in the shallows with spinnerbaits. Have fun and post some pics.

 

[blake]

Have a great time Tim; take a bunch of photos to share with us please.