What to Pack When Fishing at Big Sand Lake Lodge

Some tips that will help you and help us!

Since the success of your fishing trip depends on your gear as well as your ability, it is important to be well equipped. The weather at this time of year is unpredictable and can go from sunny +60 degrees F to -15 degrees F with snow and rain. Preparation is key to enjoying your fishing trip at Big Sand Lake Lodge. Please read and follow these guidelines.

It’s extremely important that all guests keep their personal gear to 40 to 50 lbs. Make sure that you pack your gear in a soft cover travel bag (heavy-duty nylon duffle bag or sport bags), as this is much easier to load and maximizes our loads on the aircraft. Due to aircraft weight limitations, overweight baggage may also have to be left behind. The responsibility and discretion will ultimately be with the pilot. Absolutely no coolers will be permitted as part of luggage. You may leave your coolers in Winnipeg and, upon returning from your fishing trip, you may use your coolers then to transport meat home.

What to bring for trophy fishing.

You will need proper identification. A driver’s license will not be enough. Make sure you have a birth certificate and/or passport.
A pair of leather hiking boots, well broken in, not worn out.
Bring good quality wool socks. Also, some thinner socks to wear under the wool socks.
Fit your foot gear to this arrangement.
Two pairs of cotton, wool, long underwear.
Two pairs of wool trousers.
Two warm wool or heavy flannel shirts. 1 pair of warm leather gloves and 1 pair of wool gloves.
Rain pants. Get these in camouflaged color and get a good quality, not plastic!
Underwear and t-shirts or undershirts.
Hat and stocking cap.
Lightweight Down jacket complete with hood. (NOTE: wear jacket on plane into camp)
Handkerchiefs
Personal items, medicines, and toilet articles.
Sun glasses, binoculars, camera, and film.
Flashlight (small) and spare batteries.

Fishing tackle recommendations:

We recommend three rods: two spinning, one bait casting. We love ultralite tackle, but it is a bit of a gamble to fish ultralite at Big Sand Lake because you never know when a trophy Lake Trout or Northern Pike is going to grab onto your bait or onto the walleye you are reeling in. A compromise for Big Sand is a lightweight spinning rod and reel with 8-pound test monofilament line. For a casting rod, consider braided line, 17- to 20-pound test. And, of course, you’ll need six-inch titanium leaders.

What kind of rod? One piece graphite is great but too difficult to pack for flying. Go with a two-piece graphite, seven or eight feet long. They fit neatly in a hard tube for traveling, the only way to avoid losing a tip either on the way up or back.

Lures? An assortment of jigs, spinners, bucktails, spoons of various colors and sizes and lots of casting baits that look like little frogs, minnows, mice. If you’re unsure about what’s hot, we’ll be happy to tell you upon your arrival at the lodge. If you don’t have it, we’ll have it at our tackle store.

Remember that all lures, jigs, etc. must be barbless to help us practice safe catch and release. We only keep what we eat for shore lunch. All the big boys get photographed, measured, and returned to the lake to thrill the next fisherman.