How to Prepare for Your First Trip to Hecla Island | Linn Creek Outdoors

I love talking with anglers who are planning their first trip to Hecla Island.

Hecla is one of those special places that I absolutely love to fish, and over the years I’ve found that first-time anglers ask a lot of the same questions that I had: Where should I stay? Where do I get bait? What tackle should I bring? What rods and line should I use?

I thought it would be helpful to put some of those answers in one place.

Where Should I Stay?

I usually recommend either Gull Harbour or the Lakeview Golf Resort on Hecla Island.

Gull Harbour is a great place to stay. The staff is incredibly kind and helpful. The cabins are comfortable, and more importantly, you’re right where you’re fishing.

They have boat slips available to rent, so you can avoid launching and loading the boat every day. There is power available at the docks, which makes it easy to recharge trolling-motor batteries overnight.

They also have a good fish-cleaning facility.

Gull Harbour and Lakeview both have great restaurants on site.

Where Do I Get Bait?

One of the first questions people usually ask me is where to get bait.

I normally recommend The Fishin’ Hole in Winnipeg or Smoke N Fish in Selkirk. Both are easy stops on the way north toward Hecla Island and are good places to pick up bait and any last-minute tackle you might need.

What Kinds of Tackle Should I Bring?

For jigs, I like to have a variety of colors and a range of weights from 3/8 oz up to 1 oz.

The conditions around Hecla can change quickly. Wind, depth and current all affect how much weight you need. I typically start with either a 1/2 oz or 1 oz jig and adjust as needed.

The goal for me is to maintain good control of the jig. I want to stay vertical when I’m jigging deeper water, but I also want lighter options when I’m pitching into shallower areas.

The Hecla Hammer, EyeCon and Snake Eye styles of jigs are all good options for this type of fishing.

I also bring a selection of plastics, usually 4-inch paddle tails and 4-inch jerkbait-style baits. I’ve tried a lot of different brands of plastics, but I like Z-Man baits the best because they seem to hold up the longest.

Those types of plastics give me a lot of flexibility. I can use them while vertical jigging, or I can pitch them into shallower water around Hecla Island.

I bring a combination of bright colors and darker or more natural colors so I can adjust to water clarity, light conditions and what the fish seem to want that day.

What Rods and Line Do You Use?

For rods, I prefer 7-foot medium and medium-heavy fast-action spinning rods.

I really like the Streamside Elite Series rods and have found them to be very well balanced and comfortable to fish with all day.

I generally pair them with a 2000- or 2500-size spinning reel.

For main line, I typically use 10- to 20-pound braided line.

I also like using a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader.

That probably sounds heavier than what most walleye anglers are used to. Hecla is well known for big walleyes, and I’ve found that the heavier rods give me more backbone for a good hook set. The 20-pound fluorocarbon also holds up better against abrasion and teeth. I don’t lose nearly as many fish as I did when I used lighter rods and leaders.

Getting Ready for Your First Hecla Trip

You don’t need to make fishing Hecla complicated.

I like to have a range of jig weights from 3/8 oz to 1 oz, several different color options, a few good 4-inch plastics, a couple of versatile spinning rods and a tough leader.

Then adjust when you get there.

That’s really the key.

If you’re planning your first trip to Hecla Island, feel free to give me a call, send me an email or shoot me a text. I genuinely enjoy talking with anglers who are getting ready to make that first trip.