Soft Plastic Baits

[BryanKale]

Add a bit of Garlic Salt with Lemon Pepper to make it more appealing to the Walleye with a refined pallet.

Lol! 

[Canuckbass]

Later in the season I was getting short strikes, changed to 3” Powerminnow and non stop catching. 1/4oz plain lead jig head.. easy set up and lots of walleye.
Can’t wait for opening weekend!

[T-Bone]

I was getting short strikes, changed to 3” Powerminnow and non stop catching.

What did you change "from"?

[Canuckbass]

I was getting short strikes, changed to 3” Powerminnow and non stop catching.

What did you change "from"?

4” PowerMinnow

[limacharley]

I was just talking to a guy whose had a camp on Ostaboningue lake for 25+ years and he was told by the ministry that now that the minnow ban (live or Dead) is on, next up is the ban on worms and leeches so you guys better get good at jigging a Power bait.

Canuck is right. Once you get good at "feeling" for a bite and when to hook up, the walleye catching gets easier. My FIL used to be on the Northeastern Ontario Bass circuit and when I started dating his daughter, all he fished with was plastic. I followed along and it took several outings before I caught up to him but it was practice, practice practice.

The bans on live wouldn't hurt me one bit. It would hurt the occasional fisher like you guys most likely.

[RHYBAK]

We will just have to get out of our bait rut and start using our expensive jewelry that we lug back and forth each year.

Cast shallow running plugs in the spring.
Buy some plastic leeches
buy lots of Powerbait minnows.
Troll with plastic worms
Etc.Etc.
Start using artificial s as they were intended to be used.

[T-Bone]

next up is the ban on worms and leeches so you guys better get good at jigging a Power bait

Well...if that's the case I'm fairly-confident the outfitters will have something to say about it. Let's face it...90%-95% of the people fishing Kipawa are weekend (at best) fisherman and don't have the skills or knowledge to succeed without live bait. I wouldn't be too concerned with it, though it does make it easier. So...no live bait...you're a weekend fisherman...you catch next to nothing...you never come back. Like I said...the outfitters will have something to say about that. 

Is that proposed ban for Ostaboningue only, the ZEC lakes, or for Lac Kipawa? Or all?

[Oarin]

If they did that, I think many customers of the Quebec outfitters would look elsewhere. I know I would, and I've been taking yearly trips to Quebec for the past 26 years. The economies of the local towns would also take a hit-restaurants, motels, bait stores, leech and worm suppliers,gas stations, food markets, and more.  I would think the minnow ban and slot limit should be enough to ensure the lakes stay healthy. I hope that the ban it doesn't happen, I would really miss Kipawa.

[smitty55]

Buddy at work was fishing Quinte with his family using worm harnesses. Someone left the worm container in the hot sun and they went mushy. Well it just so happened that his daughter had a pack of black licorice with her so they hooked them on the harness and still got more Walleye. Go figure.

Cheers

[Hodgey1]

I'm a newbie but this was my experience. My last night on Kipawa in July was a stormy night. Once things settled a bit, we headed out and had our best fishing of the week. It was on so strong that baiting hooks was none stop. Pretty much every time my jig went down a walleye would bite. That's when I got the idea, switch from live bait to plastic. I had a pile of gulp bait to choose from, I started with leeches since that was what I was using live. Not one bite! Switched to gulp minnows, not a bite. Switched back to live leeches and it was back on again.

This experience soured me on plastic, I will give it a try again but I will have to be completely out of live bait. 

[Canuckbass]

@Hodgey1 I love hearing that but hate it at the same time. I'll try and get up while your there and get a fish in.
You always have to keep bait moving, but less is more...

[Captain Hali]

If the ministry does pass a law banning live bait, worms and leeches, I wonder on what scientific basis this decision would be made. Have worms and/or leeches developed some new diseases that we have not been made aware of, that are transmitted to walleye, lakers, etc. and are killing them off? Maybe the plastic baits manufacturers, ( Berkley, Yamamoto and company ) are lobbying/pressuring the Ministry to ban plastics. IF this ban should be implemented, heavens forbid, they had also better force all plastic baits mfgs. to make them biodegradable or they will have a more serious problem on their hands with thousands of pieces of plastic in the bottom of OUR lakes killing off fish.   

[T-Bone]

All great points; in the assessment of this I think Lima was pulling our chain...or his buddy is pulling his chain and he's pulling our chain. I guess that's what they'd call a chain reaction. 

Can't recall if I've ever heard of a popular ecotourism destination that centers on fishing 'banning' worms and/or leeches. Wait...I can recall that I have NOT ever heard that. The whole thing seems silly...and in the end, what is gained by effecting this ban?

[limacharley]

Maybe that ministry guy was just implying a worst case scenario...who knows.
I was just relaying gossip that was passed on to me.

FYI-there's lots of places that have banned this kind of live bait but it's usually found
in correlation with Brook trout and Salmon fishing streams and rivers to encourage fly fishing.