Gull Lake is a popular fishing destination located in Cass County, Minnesota. At 9,418 acres, it is one of the largest lakes in the Brainerd Lakes area. Gull Lake contains a variety of fish species including walleye, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, sunfish, and bullheads. Choosing the right bait is essential to catching fish on this large and diverse fishery. The best baits can vary depending on the time of year, weather and water conditions, and the species being targeted. This article will examine some of the top baits for Gull Lake and provide tips on when and how to use them.
Live Bait
Live bait is a top producer on Gull Lake. Live bait includes minnows, nightcrawlers, leeches, and worms. Each live bait has its strengths and preferred species.
Minnows
Minnows are a versatile live bait on Gull Lake. They are effective when jigging or rigged on slip bobbers for crappies, sunfish, walleyes, and more. Some productive minnow options include:
– Fathead minnows – a great multi-species bait, especially for crappies. Use small 1-2 inch minnows.
– Shiner minnows – preferred by walleyes. Use larger 3-5 inch shiners.
– Sucker minnows – big bait for big fish like pike and bass. Try 5-7 inch suckers.
When using minnows, make sure to match the size of the minnow to the species you are targeting. Smaller minnows work best for panfish like crappies and sunnies. Larger minnows are better for gamefish.
Nightcrawlers
A staple live bait for generations of anglers, nightcrawlers are a top producer in Gull Lake. Nightcrawlers work well in spring and fall for walleyes, bass, pike, perch and more. Rig them on a bottom bouncer, Lindy rig, or jig to bounce along the bottom. Target 10-20 feet depths along breaks and weed edges. For panfish, try small pieces of nightcrawler under a float. Make sure to bring plenty of nightcrawlers, as Gull Lake fish love them.
Leeches
Leeches are a deadly live bait on Gull Lake early and late in the season. Use small leeches for crappies, sunnies, and perch. Large ribbon leeches work for walleyes and pike. Leeches can be fished under floats, vertically jigged, or crawled along the bottom. Target weed flats, points, and rock piles in 5-15 foot depths. Tip: puncture the sucker end of leeches with a hook to keep them lively on the hook.
Wax Worms
For winter panfish action through the ice, wax worms are a top performer. They are particularly deadly for crappies and sunfish when fished with tiny jigs. Use them alone or tipped with a spike. Wax worms work well all season long for sunfish and perch too. Pick up some waxies at your local bait shop before hitting Gull Lake.
Artificial Baits
In addition to live bait, artificial lures produce plenty of Gull Lake fish. Matching the right artificial bait to the conditions is key. Here are some top artificials for Gull Lake:
Jigs
Jigs are a versatile artificial bait that catch tons of fish year-round on Gull Lake. Finesse hair or plastic jigs are excellent for panfish like crappies and sunnies. Heavier bucktail or swimming jigs work for bass, pike, and walleyes when worked along breaklines, weed edges, and rock piles. From ice fishing to open water, make sure to have an assortment of jigs in different weights and styles.
Spinnerbaits
Spinnerbaits are an excellent bait for covering water and catching trophy fish on Gull Lake. The flash and vibration of spinnerbaits will trigger strikes from walleyes, pike, and bass when burning them over flats or along weedlines. Try inline spinners like Mepps, beetle spins, or safety pin style spinnerbaits. Go with willow leaf or Colorado blades. Pick spinnerbaits in 3/8oz to 1oz sizes and experiment with different blade combinations.
Crankbaits
When fish are active and chasing bait fish, crankbaits are a good bet on Gull Lake. For bass, try shallow diving square bills and deeper diving round lip cranks around rock piles and points. For walleyes, larger shad profile baits trolled along breaks and flats can be productive. Focus on classic baitfish patterns and crayfish colors. Make sure to bump off the bottom and vary your retrieve until you find what triggers fish.
Soft Plastics
Soft plastic baits like tubes, swimbaits, stickworms, and paddletail baits work well when targeting bass on Gull Lake. Texas rigged or weedless soft plastics allow you to fish heavy cover and vegetation more effectively. For open water finesse, try small grubs, shad bodies, or fluke style baits on light jigheads for crappies, sunfish, walleyes and more. Soft baits are very versatile on Gull Lake.
Seasonal Patterns
While bait selection is important, also pay attention to seasonal patterns on Gull Lake. The best baits and techniques change throughout the year:
Spring (Mid May-June)
– Target spawning crappies in shallow bays with minnows or jigs.
– Fish northern pike shallow with spinnerbaits or jerkbaits.
– Find walleyes and bass transitioning shallow on dark bottom flats with jigs.
Summer (July-August)
– Deep weedlines hold bass, walleyes, pike – fish live bait on weedless rigs or heavy jigs.
– Try leeches, nightcrawlers, or Shad Raps over deep holes.
– Early/late in the day can be best during heat.
Fall (September-October)
– Bass, walleyes and pike move shallow to feed – throw spinnerbaits, shallow cranks and soft plastics.
– Troll cranks or use a slip bobber and minnow for suspended walleyes.
– Target weed edges and rock piles with jig and minnow.
Winter (November-April)
– Ice fishing is excellent – key on crappies, sunfish, and perch in 15-25 feet water using waxworms or small tungsten jigs tipped with plastics.
– For trophy pike, target big suckers under tip-ups away from other holes.
– Late ice walleyes get active on spoons, jigging raps, and big live baits.
Presentation Tips
No matter what bait you use, proper presentation is key to getting more bites on Gull Lake:
– Match jig weight to depth and winds – use lighter jigs in shallow water and heavier in deep water or wind.
– Vary retrieves until you figure out what triggers fish that day.
– Use slip bobbers to fine tune bait depth and detect light biting fish. Start shallow and work deeper.
– When jigging, use short 1-2ft snaps of the rod tip to tempt fish.
– Set baits like cranks and spinnerbaits to run into breaks, rock piles, and other structure – don’t just cast randomly.
– Let baits fall on a slack line after casts and jigging – often triggers reaction strikes.
Pay close attention to where fish are located on the lake that day and make sure you present baits accordingly. Fish are not always in the same spot!
Bait Tips by Species
To recap, here are some top bait recommendations for specific species in Gull Lake:
Crappies
– Small jigs tipped with minnows or plastics
– Small fathead minnows under floats
– Waxworms
– Mini tube jigs
– Tiny crankbaits like Shad Raps
Sunfish
– Waxworms
– Small leeches
– Mini hair jigs
– Small poppers or crankbaits
Walleyes
– Large shiner minnows on Lindy Rigs
– Nightcrawlers on bottom bouncers
– Swimbaits like Flicker Shads
– Jigging Raps or swim jigs tipped with minnows
– Leeches under slip bobbers
Northern Pike
– Big sucker minnows under tip-ups
– Large spinnerbaits and inline spinners
– Big spoons like Daredevils
– Jerkbaits
– Swimbaits like Bull Dawgs
Bass (Largemouth and Smallmouth)
– Chatterbaits
– Soft plastic craws, tubes, Senko worms
– Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits
– Shallow diving crankbaits like Rapalas
– Jigs tipped with soft plastics like Yamamoto Swimbaits
Conclusion
Gull Lake offers great fishing opportunities all year for a wide variety of species. Live bait like leeches, nightcrawlers, and minnows produce well when fished properly. Artificials like jigs, cranks, plastics, and spinnerbaits also catch a lot of fish when matched to the conditions and targeted species. Paying attention to location, presentation, and seasonal patterns will help you select the best baits to catch fish on your next Gull Lake trip. With this bait information, you’ll have a head start on fishing this excellent Minnesota fishery successfully!