Cass Lake's water is clear — 13 ft Secchi clarity — which changes what belongs in your box. This is the packing list: every jig head, plastic, hardbait, and leader you need before you launch, organized so you can scan it dockside.
Jump to a category:
- ⚓ Jig Heads
- 🪱 Soft Plastics
- 🐟 Jerkbaits
- 🎣 Crankbaits — Trolling
- 🌀 Spinner Harnesses & Hardware
- 🔗 Terminal Tackle & Line
- ⭐ Quick Reference Summary
Want the full playbook? Pair this packing list with the Cass Lake Walleye Cheat Sheet for when and how to fish each piece of tackle by time of day, wind, and pressure.
⚓ Jig Heads
Round / Ball Jig
Brands: VMC, Northland, Lindy
| Weight | Color | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 oz | Hammered Gold | Glass calm / shallow ⭐ |
| 1/8 oz | Black / Black-Blue | Glass calm / night |
| 3/16 oz | Hammered Gold | All-day standard ⭐ |
| 3/16 oz | White / Chartreuse tip | Overcast / chop |
| 3/16 oz | Black / Black-Blue | Pre-dawn / night |
| 1/4 oz | Hammered Gold | Wind / deeper structure |
| 1/4 oz | Black / Black-Blue | Night / heavy wind |
Stock 3/16 oz first — it's your workhorse weight on Cass.
Gumball Jig
Brands: Northland, Frabill
| Weight | Color | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| 3/16 oz | White | Weed edges / standard ⭐ |
| 3/16 oz | Chartreuse | Overcast / chop |
| 3/16 oz | Orange | Rock / crayfish bottom |
| 1/4 oz | White | Wind / deeper weed edge |
Natural pendulum fall. Stays hook-up in weeds — preferred weed-edge jig.
Ned Rig Head — VMC Finesse
Brands: VMC (standard) | Tungsten upgrade recommended
| Weight | Color | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 oz | Natural / Green | Shallow 0–8 ft |
| 3/16 oz | Natural / Green | All-depth standard ⭐ |
| 3/16 oz | Black | Low light / night ned |
90° line tie keeps bait standing. Tungsten = smaller profile, better feel on Cass rock.
Hair Jig — Marabou
Brands: Northland Fuzzy Grub, Custom/Local
| Weight | Color | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| 3/16 oz | All Black | Night ⭐ / finesse |
| 3/16 oz | White / Chartreuse tip | Midday finesse |
| 1/4 oz | All Black | Night standard ⭐ |
| 1/4 oz | Black / Purple | Night / pre-dawn |
| 1/4 oz | Blue / White | Clear water day |
Marabou breathes at rest — walleye eat the dead-stick. Black hair jig at night is the big fish play on Cass.
Drop Shot Weight — Cylinder
Brands: Reins, VMC
| Weight | When to Use |
|---|---|
| 3/8 oz | 12–20 ft |
| 1/2 oz | 20–30 ft / heavy wind |
Pair with size 1 or 2 Gamakatsu drop shot hook. 14–18" leader is mandatory.
🪱 Soft Plastics
Rapala CrushCity Ned BLT / Goby
Size: 2.75"
| Color | When to Use |
|---|---|
| BLT (brown / natural) | Ned rig — all conditions ⭐ |
| Goby (muted olive / tan) | Ned rig — clear / sunny |
| Natural Shad | Ned rig — post-front / finesse |
Best all-around clear water Ned plastic. Looks like perch, shiner, or crayfish depending on angle. Cass has all three forage — this matches all of them.
Z-Man TRD
Size: 2.75"
| Color | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Natural Shad | Ned / drop shot — clear water |
| Green Pumpkin | Ned rig — rock / crayfish bottom |
| Chartreuse | Ned rig — overcast / chop |
ElaZtech floats hook-up and is nearly indestructible. Dead-stick — don't overwork it.
Northland Eye-Candy Rigging Leech
Size: 3"
| Color | When to Use |
|---|---|
| White | Jig tip / spinner harness ⭐ |
| Yellow-Orange | Rock / evening |
| Shad | Clear water / day |
| Chartreuse | Chop / overcast harness |
Floats hook-up, absorbs scent, durable. Outlasts crawlers when small perch steal bait off harnesses.
3" Paddle Tail Shad
Brands: Berkley Gulp Alive, Keitech, Strike King
| Color | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Metallic Yellow Perch | All-day clear water — #1 starting color ⭐ |
| Smelt | Dawn / overcast |
| White / Pearl | Night / overcast |
| Gold Shiner | Sunny / mid-morning |
Metallic Yellow Perch is the single best starting color on Cass. Always in the box, always the first choice when you don't know where to start.
4–5" Paddle Tail Swimbait — Night Only
Brands: Keitech Fat Swing Impact, Berkley Powerbait
| Size | Color | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| 4" | Black | Night — slow roll 3–8 ft ⭐ |
| 4" | Dark Olive | Night / pre-dawn |
| 5" | Black | Night — big fish profile |
Night-only big fish rig. Matches mature perch forage on Cass. Run on 3/8 oz round head, slow roll just above bottom.
3" Minnow / Roboworm — Drop Shot
Brands: Roboworm, Berkley Gulp Minnow
| Color | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Morning Dawn | Drop shot — low light |
| Watermelon | Drop shot — post-front ⭐ |
| Natural Shad | Drop shot — clear / finesse |
| White Pearl | Drop shot — morning / overcast |
Straight tail = subtle finesse action for midday pressured fish. Hold scent well.
🐟 Jerkbaits
Rapala PXR Mavrik 110
Size: 110mm
| Color | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Metallic Yellow Perch | Dawn / dusk — sunny ⭐ |
| Chrome Blue | Dawn / dusk — bright sun |
| Clown | Low light / overcast |
| Firetiger | Overcast / late evening |
Primary dawn/dusk casting jerkbait. Snap-snap-pause retrieve. 12–14 lb fluoro leader mandatory.
Rapala Husky Jerk 10
Size: 10 cm
| Color | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Gold / Black | Trolling dawn — structure ⭐ |
| Perch | Trolling / casting all-day |
| Chrome Blue | Trolling — sunny |
| Blue / Chrome | Evening troll / cast |
Versatile — cast at dawn/dusk or troll at 1.8–2.2 mph in 6–14 ft.
Rapala Husky Jerk 12
Size: 12 cm — Night only
| Color | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Clown | Night casting — rocky points ⭐ |
| Black / Silver | Night — dark profile |
| Firetiger | Night / very low light |
Bigger body = bigger fish. Night-only casting over 3–8 ft rock. Slow twitch, long pause (8–10 sec).
🎣 Crankbaits — Trolling
Rapala Shad Rap #7
| Color | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Gold / Black | Deep troll — all conditions ⭐ |
| Perch | Deep troll — standard |
| Fire Tiger | Deep troll — overcast / post-front |
| Chrome | Shallow troll — sunny |
Use with snap weight to reach 15–28 ft. 12–14 lb fluoro leader mandatory.
Berkley Flicker Shad 5
| Color | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Perch | Deep suspended fish ⭐ |
| Gold / Black | Deep troll — standard |
| Fire Tiger | Tough bite / overcast |
Tight wobble at high speed. 2.0–2.5 mph. Good for suspended fish above thermocline.
🌀 Spinner Harnesses & Hardware
Northland Gravel Grinder Spinner
| Hook Size | Color | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Size 2–3 | Blue / White | Clear water — all conditions ⭐ |
| Size 2–3 | Chartreuse / White | Overcast / chop |
| Size 2–3 | Gold / Orange | Sunny / rock bottom |
| Size 2–3 | Pink / White | Evening / post-front |
Run with 6–7 ft fluoro leader behind bottom bouncer. Brass hex blade (sun/wind) or Colorado blade (calm/cloudy). Tip with crawler or Eye-Candy Rigging Leech.
Northland Baitfish Spinner
| Hook Size | Color | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Size 2 | Gold / Shiner | Standard — clear water ⭐ |
| Size 2 | Blue / White | All-conditions backup |
| Size 2 | Chartreuse / White | Chop / wind |
Bottom Bouncer
Brands: Northland Rock Runner, Lindy No-Snagg
| Weight | When to Use |
|---|---|
| 1 oz | 12–18 ft (standard) ⭐ |
| 2 oz | 18–25 ft or heavy wind |
| 3 oz | 25 ft+ / very heavy wind |
1 oz is your go-to. Bump to 2 oz over 18 ft or when wind makes speed control difficult.
Slow Death Hook
Brands: Northland, VMC
| Size | Color | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Size 2 offset | Red / Gold | Post-front / finesse spinner at 1.0–1.3 mph |
Run in place of standard harness hooks on post-front days. Thread crawler straight. Spinning action at slow speeds triggers finicky fish.
🔗 Terminal Tackle & Line
Fluorocarbon Leader
Brands: Sufix Advance, Seaguar
| Pound Test | When to Use |
|---|---|
| 6–8 lb | Finesse / glass calm / post-front |
| 10 lb | Drop shot / ned rig standard |
| 12 lb | Ned rig / jerkbait standard ⭐ |
| 14 lb | Jerkbait casting / spinner leader ⭐ |
Non-negotiable at 13 ft Secchi clarity. Fish see heavier line. Go lighter when the bite is tough.
Braided Main Line
Brand: Sufix 832
| Pound Test | Color | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| 10 lb | Low-vis Green or Ghost | All jigging / drop shot / casting ⭐ |
| 20 lb | Low-vis Green | Trolling / bottom bouncer rod |
Always run braid + fluoro leader. Never tie braid direct to lure in clear water.
Monofilament — Straight Through
Brands: Sufix Elite, Trilene XL
| Pound Test | When to Use |
|---|---|
| 6 lb | Ultra finesse / glass calm |
| 8 lb | Finesse slip bobber / glass calm |
Glass calm or post-front only. No braid when fish are spooky in clear water.
Snap Weights
Brand: Off Shore Tackle
| Weight | When to Use |
|---|---|
| 1 oz | Get cranks to 15–20 ft |
| 2 oz | Get cranks to 20–28 ft |
Clip 50 ft back from lure. Run with Shad Rap #7 or Flicker Shad 5 for deep suspended fish.
Barrel Swivel
| Size | Color | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Size 10 (small) | Black | Leader to spinner harness connection |
Prevents line twist on spinner harness rigs. Run one between your main line and the leader-to-harness connection.
⭐ Quick Reference Summary
The Non-Negotiables — Don't Leave Without These:
- 3/16 oz Round Jig, Hammered Gold
- Marabou Hair Jig, All Black, 1/4 oz
- VMC Ned Head, 3/16 oz
- Rapala CrushCity BLT, 2.75"
- 3" Paddle Tail Shad, Metallic Yellow Perch
- 4" Paddle Tail Swimbait, Black (night)
- Rapala PXR Mavrik 110, Metallic Yellow Perch
- Rapala Husky Jerk 10, Gold/Black
- Rapala Husky Jerk 12, Clown (night)
- Shad Rap #7, Gold/Black
- Northland Gravel Grinder Spinner, Blue/White
- Bottom Bouncer, 1 oz
- Sufix 832 Braid, 10 lb
- Fluorocarbon Leader, 12 lb and 14 lb
Want to know exactly when to throw each of these — by time of day, wind, and pressure? See the full Cass Lake Walleye Cheat Sheet.
Cass Lake · Beltrami County, MN · 15,966 acres · 120 ft max depth · 13 ft Secchi clarity