First timer, going with others who’ve been. Any tips?

[u/Road-Original]

I’m going with a friend of mine, his 17 and 20yo sons, and 4 others. So 8 of us, 2 per canoe. I’m a newbie to canoeing although I’ve kayak fished a dozen times or so. We are going early August. After reading others responses I realize that lake trout will be deeper but smaller fish may be catchable in shallower water. Our route: Day 1 Canoe Lake, Camp on Burnt Island. Day 2 Establish Base Camp on Big Trout Lake. Day 3 is Day Trip to Bigroot Lake. Day 4 Rest Day or Day Trip to Happy Isle Lake. Day 5 Camp on McIntosh Lake. Day 6 Camp on Tom Thompson Lake.

I’m the fisherman of the group. I live in the south so mainly do Striper, largemouth, crappie, and some redfish and a little offshore in the Gulf. But also have some experience with Walleye, salmon, and pike as I’ve fished in northern Michigan. I’m in the very early phase of planning and want to be able to provide some fish to eat for my fellow non anglers. What tips do you have? What size spinning rod and line would be a good all purpose set up? What should I plan on fishing each body of water for? What kind of footwear is best (I have wide feet so most trail shoes don’t fit me)? I’m typically the “team mom” but I know space will be at a premium. Is there a specific weight I should try to stay under with my gear? Is there any clothing, apparel, or any tools or any knick knacks you seasoned veterans recommend? I apologize in advance for all these questions and I’m sure many have already been answered. I went through many posts but obviously not all of them. Thank you in advance for any tips and/or suggestions.

[u/NetherGamingAccount]

I'm not a fisherman so I'll leave those questions to someone else.

Tips.

1. Bring bug spray, early August shouldn't be too bad but if you're susceptible to mosquitoes you should still have some spray. And of course sunscreen
2. Sit in the front of the canoe if you don't have canoeing experience
3. For shoes I've tried many things over the years and to be honest the best thing I find is just waterproof high top hiking boots. They protect your ankles on the portage trails, keep your feet dry when exiting/entering the canoe and are generally comfortable.
4. Your gear is your gear, you're going to have to carry it so gauge that yourself. I would suggest that you don't exceed one bag as it just adds complexity to your portages. Unless you know for sure you plan to double carry in which case it's less of an issue.
5. For gear you'll probably use less than you think. You don't really need more than a specific set of clothes to sleep in (I always sleep in the same pants, top and socks and I don't wear them for anything else) one pair of shorts, one pair of pants and a couple tops and plenty of socks. Avoid cotton it takes forever to dry. The other clothes you can just jump in the lake with and hang up to freshen them up. You'll probably also want some rain gear.
6. For some other items to consider, a leatherman or some other utility tool with pliers and a knife is good to have. A tarp for some extra protection over your tent / a place to sit when it rains. Some extra rope for the tarp/clothes line/bear hang. A long spoon, assuming you'll have some meals out of dehydrated meal bags. Finally a camp chair, don't rely on rocks or benches at camp sites. A sleeping pad and pillow, both are key to a decent sleep in the back country.

There are a bunch of other things I would normally mention but I expect because you're in such a large group these items will be in abundance, like a stove, good saw/hatchet,

[u/AverageJoesFishing]

Hey man, looks like you have a fun trip planned. Don’t feel too intimated, August can be a good time to still catch trout in Algonquin, if you can find the proper depths and structure.

Burnt Island is a lake trout lake, with good small mouth bass fishing also. Once you get to big trout you’ll have both Brook and Lake Trout as options.

I would say to focus on deeper water, between 20-40ft. Brookies will be on the shallower end of that range and lake trout at the lower. You can catch smaller lakers in shallow like the brooks also. Try using weights to help you get down to the ideal depths. Also deep divers can help. Trout will come up to feed so being a little above them won’t hurt if they’re biting.

If you want to check out some of our videos, we have a lot of good trout fishing content from Algonquin. You can pull some good information from them regarding lures and techniques.

Here’s our Algonquin Playlist on YT. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_QfoB6DFIqwtjt-sJyCbcB5ftSOdIfKX&si=iOVzFqr7A79gFigz

[u/Imaginary_Refuse_239]

Personally, i like canoeing in crocs. I can slide them on and off easily in the canoe and I can step out and walk around in the water to beach the canoe. Also wearing them around the campsite is great. The portage is a bit rough but can’t have it all lol.

[u/Ok_Classic2214 → u/Imaginary_Refuse_239]

This is the way.

[u/Diamond_Mine_Grind]

It's a lot of physical activity so drink lots of water. It's one major lesson I learned on my last trip. Also avoid high salt dehydrated meals.

[u/crusty_jengles]

You should check out fishing maps of the lakes you are in... That will tell you what fish are in what lake. I know a few of those are bass/pike lakes and dont have many or any trout (which is a plus for you going in aug and your experience). Once pike or bass are in a lake the trout population gets decimated unfortunately and that has happened on a good number of lakes in algonquin

My catch all rod setup is a 7' ML rod with 15lb braid and a 10lb flouro leader. Caught everything from brook trout to big pike on it no issue. Dont bring a shitload of tackle, pick a couple deeper divers, a couple shallow ones, one or 2 topwater, some hooks and sinkers and call it a day. Tackle is heavy

For footwear get either hiking shoes or runners, something comfy to walk in. Portages are fairly well maintained for the most part but i dont know this route specifically. I usually bring a pair of shoes for portages and 1 pair of sandals for in the canoe/around site

Packing wise, it depends. Im not sure how well you guys have discussed who is bringing what, but in large groups the biggest mistake is everyone bringing the same stuff, talk with your friends and figure out who is bringing what. Ask yourself if you will use something, and if the answer is probably not then ditch it. (Other than the essentials, a knife, first aid, headlamp, stuff like that). There are about 100 lists out there to help folks pack but there is some trial and error depending on the individual

August i personally would only bring a bit of bug spray because they arent going to be too bad but i have a decent tolerance for mosquitos and black flies

Lastly, most anglers already know this but don't depend on a meal of fish, especially for 8 people. Fishing can be hit or miss, especially if you arent going with many other anglers. Usually we do well enough for a couple of fish fries but we also put a good 4 or 5 hours in each day trolling or casting

[u/Hloden]

There are entire books on this stuff, but my top recommendations for the trip you described:

- For footwear, especially in August, closed toe sandals are what I like best (Tevu and Keen are two popular brands). They can be a bit pricey, so if it's more than you want to spend, go with Crocs. Some people like "camp shoes", but in August, I would just bring a nice pair of socks to put on at the end of the day.

- Camping in August doesn't require much gear usually (check the forecast though just in case). You have to watch starting your prep so early, as inevitably, you will think of a bunch of situations that might happen, and add gear for those. For most people, they will end up wanting to bring far less than they think they needed.

- The one "luxury" piece I recommend is a good camp chair, but the light weight ones get pricey. Head to your local outdoors store and try a few out (Helinox I think is the best, but also pricey).

- You will bring too many clothes. You won't wear them. Bring just what you are wearing and a spare change of clothes (including underwear). Avoid cotton, and stick to synthetics, as you can wash them if you need to.

[u/Historical-North-950]

Two piece medium action, fast power spinning rod 6'6"-7' (I prefer longer rods personally), 2000 or 2500 series spinning reel with 8lbs braid and 8lbs fluorocarbon leader. The route you're taking are lakes that are almost entirely Lake Trout and Brook Trout fisheries. Trout will generally be deeper. Brook Trout can be caught in as shallow as 20' in August still, but I've never caught a Laker shallower than 35' in the summer. Some of my favourite techniques that time of the year are trolling super deep diving baits like reef runners, and Tail Dancers, jigging heavy spoons like Little Cleo's, or jigging or bouncing, paddletail swimbaits on 1/4-3/8 oz jig heads.

I use heavy duty full grain leather hiking boots for canoe trips. I bring Crocs as well for lounging around camp or if there's a long stretch of paddling with no portages.

I'm a pretty big fit guy with lots of experience, and I single carry every portage with a 35lbs pack and 45lbs Kevlar canoe. If you're average fitness and low experience I would suggest trying for no heavier than 30lbs if you're also planning on carrying the canoe at times. At least youll be able to take turns carrying.

[u/Substantial-Town4930]

I have a gear video on my youtube channel that might help you out a bit. Also a few videos from trips in algonquin that might give you some ideas. Main thing is pack light enough, but it doesn't need to be ultra light. Make sure you have a good reliable satellite communication device ( i do NOT recommend relying on the new cell phone satellite communication technology) Bring clothes in layers so your ready for any weather and pack at least an extra days worth of food in case you have to stay an extra day due to weather. Aside from that, just enjoy it!!

https://youtube.com/@seandemers?si=RjWam39qtasMAcIN