Fishing Articles

Outlaw Walleyes: Radical Fishing Tips and Tactics

Walleyes don't always play by the rules, and neither should you

Article by Dick Sternberg

If you're a die-hard walleye fisherman, you probably know all the basic rules for outwitting these elusive fish. They're pounded into your head at fishing seminars, on the Internet and in books, magazines and videotapes. When you're on the water, you can't help feeling the weight of all this conventional wisdom; you've been programmed. But too many anglers take such rules as gospel—they always fish "by the book" and rarely try anything out of the ordinary. If the walleyes aren't biting according to the rules, they reason, then the walleyes just aren't biting.

Not so. Take a look at these universally accepted tenets of walleye fishing. Then read on to see why you shouldn't take any of them too seriously.

1. GO DEEP IN SUMMER

A fishing buddy called one day to tell me about the walleyes he found 50 feet deep in a heavily fished lake. "Couldn't find them along the weed line," he said. "I figured the hot weather pushed them deep, so I started to graph at 35 feet and worked my way out to 50 before I started marking fish. But I couldn't get them to bite." I asked how he knew they were walleyes. "Had to be," he replied. "They were right there on the deep break."

My friend was most likely targeting the wrong fish. In the lake he was fishing, the thermocline ended at about 25 feet deep, and there was little dissolved oxygen below that. The fish he'd graphed were probably crappies, which require less dissolved oxygen than walleyes do.

Walleyes in most lakes do not go as deep in the summer as many anglers think. In fact, in highly fertile lakes, the level of dissolved oxygen that walleyes need typically runs out at depths of about 10 feet. Consequently, walleyes stay relatively shallow.

What to Try
Hit a few shallow points and stretches of weedy banks with jigs and shallow-running crankbaits. If the lake you're fishing was stocked with pondreared walleyes, some of them will be in the shallows. Upon their release, stocked walleyes gravitate to the same weedy cover they favored in the rearing ponds.

2. FISH THE BANKS IN FALL

Lots of good walleye lakes (and rivers) have a terrific fall shallow-water bite. There's nothing I like better than pitching a jig into 2 or 3 feet of water and feeling that solid tap when a walleye inhales the lure. But there are also plenty of lakes where the shallow-water bite is short-lived, if it occurs at all.

I can name several large lakes that have a great shallow-water bite in one part of the basin (usually the shallowest part with the dingiest water) and an equally good deepwater bite on another part (usually the deepest and clearest area of the lake). And on many super-clear lakes, the only good fall bite is at depths of 30 to 80 feet (presuming the dissolved oxygen level is adequate after the fall turnover). That's right: 80 feet. That might explain why so many anglers miss out on the action bite altogether when the weather cools. They simply can't convince themselves that walleyes go that deep.

What to Try
If you plan on fishing at the deep end of the range, spool up with 6- to 10- pound-test braided line and use a fairly stiff rod. With a softer rod or monofilament line, you'll have trouble feeling bites at those depths and even more trouble setting the hook. I prefer a half-ounce jig tipped with a minnow, but a live-bait rig will also work.

3. LOOK FOR A ROCKY BOTTOM

This is actually a pretty good rule if you're fishing a lake with lots of soft bottom. Even in a sandy lake, a rock pile will usually produce abundant fish. But in a deep, rocky "shield" lake in northwestern Ontario, rocky bottom usually doesn't mean much.

One midsummer day I started out fishing some rocky midlake humps where I presumed the fish would be. After casting jigs and crankbaits onto the top of the humps and dragging bait rigs around the edges, I realized I was wasting my time. Motoring down the shore, I noticed something different: a sandy beach with bulrushes growing right next to shore. A closer look revealed some scattered cabbage in deeper water, so I tossed out a curlytail jig and retrieved it along the outer weed edge. That did the trick. For the next two hours, I got bit on almost every cast—nothing huge, but I caught plenty of fish in the 2- to 4-pound class.

When fishing a rocky shield lake now, I make it a point to look for any kind of sandy structure, whether it's a sandy shoal, point or hump or just a shallow sandy bay. Walleyes are drawn by the baitfish that take cover in the few weed beds that exist on sandy bottom. A bare rocky bottom usually offers little in the way of food for walleyes.

What to Try
The most important element here is not what to try, but where to try it. First, locate sandy or soft bottom with your fish finder. Depending on the depth, there should be some weed growth. Fish it with a twist-tail jig or jighead and minnow.

4. WALLEYES WILL ALWAYS BITE BEST ON CLOUDY DAYS

While clouds increase the bite in clear lakes, they really have no effect in murky lakes or turbid rivers. In such waters, walleyes feed most heavily when the sun is highest in midday.

Regulars on big Midwestern walleye lakes know all about the sunny-weather action. In Minnesota's Mille Lacs Lake, the hottest bite—literally—usually occurs on sunny, windless days in midsummer. You're sweating, the flies are biting and the big walleyes are on the rampage.

What to Try
Fish crankbaits and spoons and cover as much water as you can. At Machawaian Lake in Ontario, I watched huge schools of walleyes chasing shiners in water less than 6 feet deep in bright sunlight. They hit just about anything tossed their way, including big flashy Dardevles.

5. WALLEYES ARE EXTREMELY STRUCTURE-ORIENTED

Structure is great, but there is also a pretty good "basin bite" in a surprising number of walleye lakes, usually those with lots of deep, clear water and not much in the way of drop-offs, rock piles and the like. In such lakes, tullibees are often abundant and walleyes relish them. But tullibees are cold-water roamers, so walleyes will pursue them in open water.

What to Try
The technique that seems to work best is trolling Rapala Shad Raps or other thin, deep-bodied crankbaits at a depth of 20 to 30 feet over much deeper water. When the basin bite is on, every other tactic is usually a waste of time.

(Photo: Courtesy of Bob Bohland)

We have all dreamed of it: That weak-in-the-knees moment where you catch a glimpse of color boatside and realize that the fish you are fighting isn't a bass, walleye or any of the other so-called "desired fish," but a crappie or bluegill that make you panic at the sight of it.

Many claim that buck fever is something only deer hunters experience, yet those that have seen that flash of color in a shape that seems way too large know it all too well. I have seen firsthand the whooping and rejoice among anglers when one of them lands a giant. True trophy panfish are a league of their own, and there are those who chase them far and wide just to get that same rush.

Locating big fish waters

Trophy panfish waters always hold a certain kind of mystique for anglers. They are spoken of in hushed whispers, and people look over their shoulders before they head to their favorite spot. Panfish anglers are thicker than blood, and many who have discovered these big fish waters will often lie even to family members about where and when they are catching these monsters. Hours upon hours of research can go into determining potential big fish waters before you even head to a lake.

Luckily for anglers, but not so much for the fish, there are a plethora of ways to determine likely waterways to target; most of which are available for free online and on smartphones and tablets while out on the water. However, even with all this information, you still have to parse the details to figure out where you plan to fish. Begin by dividing your lakes into three categories:

Large lakes

These are lakes that are generally bigger than 900 acres. This can mean a lot of water to cover, but a better chance at a trophy due to the simple fact that most anglers will ignore panfish on larger bodies of water. Less pressure, a large forage base and room to grow means larger lakes, while time consuming to dissect, are your best bet for a monster crappie or bluegill. While some big lakes have a reputation for producing big panfish, you will want to avoid the community holes that most people will fish.

Medium lakes

Medium lakes range from 250-900 acres, which make them easy to target in a single day. Unfortunately, medium lakes are often the most pressured due to the fact that they provide consistent panfish action for those looking to take a meal home. One very good option for targeting medium-sized lakes is to find one that is shallow enough that it winterkills occasionally. Panfish in winterkilled lakes will rebound fairly quickly and can attain large sizes in a very short amount of time. Just make sure you get to it before word gets back out that the lake is fishable again.

Small lakes

There are some real gems in the small lakes category. These are waterways that are from 1-250 acres. Included in this are the prairie pothole region of northwest Minnesota, which includes more than a few tiny ponds full of big fish. These can be harder to research, as most do not have any type of depth map, but they are easy to pick apart in a day and the rewards are more than worth the time, especially if you can get on some private ponds.

Defining a trophy

The first step in becoming a trophy panfish angler is to establish what you consider to be a trophy crappie or bluegill. I grew up in the Twin Cities, and my first 9-inch bluegill had me dancing, I don't even want to publicly discuss the joy I experienced the first time I caught a crappie over 13 inches. Later in my fishing experiences I had the opportunity to catch bigger and better fish, but I can still remember catching those first few benchmark fish.

To a kid growing up in the Cities, a big bluegill was one that measured over 7 inches; a crappie over 11 inches was almost unheard of, yet reading fishing magazines put a desire in me to travel far and wide in search of true giants. Before you set your sights too high, establish a realistic goal. When you catch a fish that beats your goal, take notes on the three W's of fishing: where, when and why? This information will help you on your quest for larger fish, perhaps even one for the wall!

Trophy panfish waters, if they are to continue to exist, need to be protected. Truly giant panfish are extremely rare; a 10-inch bluegill is far harder to find than a 28-inch walleye, and it is only becoming more difficult due to lack of conservation directed towards panfish. Graphite replicas have come a long way in recent years and will last decades longer than a skin mount. Remember, take only photos, leave only the wake of your boat.

This is the opinion of outdoors columnist Bob Bohland. You can contact him via Twitter at @dropshotbob.

Fishing tip: Get your hook to the bottom fast to catch more big mid-summer bluegills

by Jason Revermann

As the water warms in late June and July, large schools of panfish often will concentrate around healthy patches of cabbage weeds. Expect small active fish higher in the water column and larger ones near the cooler bottom. The problem? Those small bluegills will grab your hook and bait before it reaches the larger, bluegills.

Try stepping up the size of your lure to try to intimidate smaller fish, though this often can also turn off the larger fish, too. Another problem is that the small ones will continue to steal your bait, but just not be hooked. Push past those little pesky bluegills by using a heavier lure. This is where many of those fast-dropping, heavier tungsten ice jigs with small hooks can shine.

You can also just add weight to your line directly above
your lure right above the eye of the hook. This gives you the best connection to the lure by allowing you to feel what's happening to your jig. With the weight up away from your jig, the fish can swim sideways with your lure and spit it out before you even notice a bite. Then you end up with a bait-free lure.

Once you find your spot, either anchor or use an electric trolling motor to hover over and around the weeds. Drop your lure straight down paying close attention to the line since fish often will grab your lure as it descends. Try dropping to the bottom and slowly raising up a few inches at a time and jigging like you would through the ice. Make adjustments to find where the biggest fish in the school are in relation to the bottom.

I usually go with a straight, vertical approach with no bobber. These fish can be very quick, rapidly sucking in and spitting out your lure. By the time they make your bobber move and you react, it's too late. By fishing with a tight line, you'll sense the slightest bites, thus making you much more productive.

The type of bait to use can vary from live bait like waxworms, angle worms, leeches, pieces of nightcrawler, or some type of scented artificial bait like plastic minnows, tails or worms. Oftentimes, artificial baits seem to catch larger fish and they last longer, but sometimes finicky fish prefer live bait.

Good luck fishing and stay safe!

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  Summer Crappie Time!

by Dave Csanda
 

Water temps in the high 60Fs and low 70Fs are a good indicator that crappies are beginning to set up and school along primary drop-offs to modestly deep basins. Not 70- to 80-foot basins, mind you; more like 30 to 40 is pretty much ideal in most waters.
 

At the leading edge of this schooling behavior, pods of crappies will be spread across the outer edges of flats, often at the 5- to 10-foot depth level. If cover is present in the form of weeds or wood, expect them to lay low amidst the cover during the day, and then rise nearer the surface as the sun drops toward the treeline. It's a perfect time to cast and retrieve 1/16- ounce jigs or jig spinners, micro crankbaits, or streamer flies above the cover as active fish rise to prowl and bite about a half-hour before sunset, with the activity often extending after dark.
 

As the weeks go by, schools of crappies become more massive, with the activity shifting more toward the outer edges of the deepest weeds or flooded wood. Fish may still lie beneath the cover during the day, or drop down toward bottom in adjacent deeper water. While largely inactive during the midday hours, they later fire off like clockwork as the sun dips toward the horizon. Now, the best bite occurs over the tops of the outer, deeper weeds, along the deep weedline, or a cast-length or so out over the adjacent open water.

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Jigging for walleyes has traditionally been a slow, subtle, meticulous affair. Keep your line as short and vertical as possible to maximize feel and control. Use short, gentle, up-down strokes of the rod tip to alternately lift the jig a few inches, then let it fall back on a semi-taut line until it touches bottom. Avoid slack on the drop, because that's when walleyes usually strike. Watch for twitches in the line, or feel for minor changes by gripping the line with your index finger. Set the hook at the slightest suggestion that a fish may have touched the bait. Tempt and tease 'em into biting.
 

Got all that? Good. Now forget it—at least for snap jigging.
 

Snap jigging is contrary to ordinary, definitely against the walleye grain. It blends speed and erratic lure action to simultaneously cover water and force fish to respond to your lure. Even walleyes. 

Snap jigging was developed on large, windswept, Leech and Winnibigoshish lakes in northern Minnesota, where walleyes routinely move atop shallow, 4- to 8-foot flats to feed amidst the turbulence generated by wind action. To locate pods of roaming, active fish, anglers incorporate a quick forward boat motion, using either an electric motor on mid-range speed, or a small outboard at low throttle. Heck, you can even use your big console engine if you shift in and out of gear. The point is, this is no creep-and-crawl. Get your boat moving forward at several miles per hour to cover serious territory.

 

Next, tie a jig on your spinning rod, using maybe 8-pound-test mono. You want a little stretch to absorb the coming shock. And rather than downsizing to a teeny 1/16- to 1/8-ounce jig for shallow water, load up with a heavier ¼-ouncer. Tip it with a small minnow for starters, and then examine options later in the game.
 

Ok, is the boat moving forward at a good clip?  Good. Now cast your jig out behind the boat as far as you can, and then let a little more line slip off the spool before engaging the bail. Next, point your rod tip straight back toward the jig, and when the line tightens, quickly snap the rod forward until the rod tip is straight out to the side. That's right, a huge snap to shoot and sweep the jig forward several feet, well off bottom.
 

That accomplished, immediately point the rod straight back at the jig, throwing oodles of slack into the line. This sends the jig from forward bullet mode into immediate free-fall, appearing suddenly helpless. The combination of shoot and parachute is too much for walleyes to resist. They sweep in and chomp down hard.
 

So how do you feel the strike? You don't, most of the time. But the next time you sweep your rod tip forward, uggnnhhh!, there's something heavy on there. Fish on!
 

Cruise and weave atop shallow flats to determine a depth preference or area of fish concentration, alternately snapping forward and pointing back, making the jig scoot and drop. And get this: Don't worry about making bottom contact. Done properly, the jig seldom contacts bottom, working the middepth levels. As we said, throw tradition out the window. This ain't your grandpa's jigging style.
 

Fact is, you seldom need to use a minnow, either. Tip a VMC Moon Eye Jig with a 3- to 4-inch softbait minnow imitation, which shoots and scoots like a lively baitfish, then plummets. Walleyes really clobber it.
 

Need to cover water and trigger strikes all at the same time? Snap jigging works almost anywhere walleyes move atop shallow flats to feed: windswept reservoirs, flats in natural lakes, even shallow river stretches.