Rapala Original Floater F03
Rapala
The wounded-minnow that started arguments in more Minnesota tackle boxes than we can count. Twitch it, drown it, or just believe in it.
View on AmazonWater · Brainerd lakes area
Gull Lake
The postcard water west of Brainerd. Resorts, a chain of neighbors, and enough boat traffic to make a walleye file a noise complaint.
Boat kit
Usual tray for this water
Picks from the species that actually live here, already on the gear guides. Click a card if you want it in the boat. We still will not invent a bite.
Johnson Standard Minnow Spoon, Gold, 2-3/4 inch, 3/4 oz
Johnson
The original weedless wonder still earns a seat in Minnesota pike boats. Cast it through pads and cabbage, keep a steady wobble, and tip it with a trailer if the fish want a little more meal. Gold 3/4 is the listing we can actually buy today.
View on Amazon
Storm WildEye Swim Shad 03, Fire Tiger
Storm
Pre-rigged soft shad with holographic flash and that WildEye stare that looks slightly judgmental. Cast it along weed edges and riprap when Minnesota bass want a baitfish without the drama of live bait.
View on Amazon
Clam Drop Jig, Size 12, 1/16 oz, Wonderbread
Clam
Minnesota ice-house tungsten with a flat tie-eye that puts the hook where soft-mouthed crappies keep their secrets. Small, dense, and weirdly charming in Wonderbread paint.
View on Amazon
Rapala Shad Rap 07
Rapala
Balsa with a job. The Shad Rap is the crankbait people name the way they name a truck.
View on Amazon
Rapala Minnow Spoon RMS-10, Firetiger
Rapala
Minnow silhouette with spoon flash, built to slide through greenery without a speech. Firetiger is the loud outfit for stained summer water when pike are parked in the salad.
View on AmazonFish notes WalleyeNorthern pikeBassPanfish
Gear guides MN weekend rod & reel — wallet setupsMinnesota walleye classicsSpinners and cast daysWalleye spinning & jigging setups
mnFISHON is an Amazon Associate. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. See the affiliate disclosure.
Usual suspects: Walleye, Northern pike, Bass, Panfish
Gull is the one people mean when they say they are “going up to the lake” and then need three more sentences to explain which lake. It sits in Crow Wing County, anchors a whole chain, and has more docks than some towns have opinions.
Usual suspects are walleye, pike, bass, and the panfish that keep a kid busy while the grown-ups argue about sunscreen. This is a short lake page — place vibe, no invented bite. Live notes belong in Reports when something actually happened.
Reports
- 2026-09-23 — Brainerd Lakes — Fall Swing, Jig and Crawler Leading. Open the note
- 2026-09-17 — Brainerd Lakes — Summer Still Hanging On, Eyes in 18–28. Open the note
- 2026-09-17 — Gull Lake — Mid-September Postcard Before Pike Weekend. Open the note
- 2026-09-14 — Brainerd Lakes — Early-September Weed Edges, Musky Bucktails, Cooling Water. Open the note
What’s happening
- 2026-10-03 · Bar Harbor Supper Club, 8164 Interlachen Road, Lake Shore, MN 56468 — Fishing to End Hunger (14th Annual Walleye Tournament). Charity walleye tournament benefiting The Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes — big bags, bigger heart, questionable alarm clocks. Fish the Gull Lake Chain; weigh-in at Bar Harbor. Open the day · Source
- 2026-10-14 · Grand View Lodge, Nisswa, MN + Zoom — Gull Chain of Lakes Association — October Board Meeting. Second-Wednesday Gull Chain board meeting — water quality, AIS, fisheries, and whatever else is swimming around the agenda before ice rumors start. Open the day · Source