Isle Royale Forums

I'm heading to IR this Friday for a 9-day, 100-mile trip and my friends plan on fishing a lot, and even though I hardly have experience fishing I do want to bring a pole & lure(s) to fish as well. I have no clue what to bring though. We're doing a loop from Rock Harbor to Windigo via the Greenstone Ridge, then back to Rock Harbor via the Minong Ridge, so will mostly be fishing inland lakes but some Lake Superior as well.

Any cheap (somewhat), lightweight, collapsible/packable recommendations for a pole to bring? My gear is mostly ultralight and I've seen this pole recommended a lot in the ultralight community:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Shakespeare- ... d/17474394
Is this a good pole for IR? Ideally I'd like to only bring 2 or 3 lures; what ones would you recommend? I've tried reading into this but once words like spooners & jigs, doohickeys, etc. come up I get completely lost. What do I bring for line? I think pike & trout are what my friends said they'll mostly be fishing for. I know next to nothing about fishing so I would really appreciate some help here.

Flip off the docks in to as deep a water as you can cast to & let it sink a little before you start your retrieve. I use a 6'6" medium-fast rod with 15# braid and a heavier fluorocarbon leader usually 12-18" and swivels so I can change out my lures. Medium Cleos, Rapalas/Rebels/Hot n Tots, #4 Mepps or Foxx spinners. Keep an eye out for the snags and be aware the depth you're running your lures at.

Pike / Lakers - Gut & clean them, dehead them, throw them in a foil bag and cook them whole. Season body cavity with Little Ceasars Zap & Red Pepper packs

Hi,

For a budget-friendly, lightweight, collapsible fishing pole, the one you've linked to should work well for inland lakes and even some Lake Superior fishing in Isle Royale. As for lures, consider bringing a mix of spoons and jigs, as these are versatile and can attract a variety of fish, including pike and trout. For fishing line, a monofilament line with a test strength of around 8-10 pounds should be sufficient for your needs.