Walleye And Other Species Q&a

[Steve Herbeck]

Jeff Has Gotten A Post Started On Musky Q &a And While Musky Fishermen Are A Passionate Lot Still Multi Species Fishermen Outnumber Them By At Least 3 To 1 If Not Alot More So Lets Get Some Questions Going On Other Species Regarding Time Periods,presentations,ideas To Try,etc.

[esoxaddict]

Let's talk about walleyes!

Danny put me on a 29.5" and 30" walleye last year, about 10 minutes apart, on a presentation I hadn't seen before...

We were basically casting anywhere we'd see ciscoes breaking the surface, using a rubber swimbait. A couple cranks of the handle and WHAM! Instant walleye, sort of like sight fishing for bass. And they just clobbered the bait too. Nothing at all like the jig/minnow walleye fishing I am used to.

[Steve Herbeck]

Thats Some Exciting Stuff Eah?
Danny Probably Figured It Was The Only Way He Could Catch A Big Walleye Or Two With A Die Hard Musky Fisherman!!
First He Started Targeting Those Big Suspended/on Top Walleyes Believe It Or Not With Topwaters!! Especially Spook Type Baits,then Everyone Caught On After A Few Years And Started Crowding Him And The Fish Got A Bit Leery Of It,last Couple Years He Caught Like You Described Under Those Casting Topwater And This Season He's Working On Another Angle.
Got To Run For Now But I'll Get Some Early Season Stuff Up Soon.

Anyone Else Don't Be Afraid To Add Your 2 Cent Worth And Whats Worked For You.

[rjmoratz]

Steve

will be up 1st week of june, looking forward to battle with some lakers. what techniques and depths are likely, hoping to jig with a 7' medium/fast rod with 10-12 lb spiderwire fluoro or fireline crystal, does this sound good. Also want to tie into some big northerns, is eagle best or are the other lakes as good?

thanks

bob

[Steve Herbeck]

Hi Bob,
Looking Forward To Seeing You!!
Did You Have A Good Tme Ice Fishing With Cal?
By 1st Week Of June Lakers Should Still Be Relativley Shallow Depending Upon The Weather/water Temps Between Now And Then, Usually Somewhere Around 20-40' ,still Doable With Spinning Gear.
For Biggest Lakers Eagle Is Best,they Will Be In Transition Moving From All Over The N And Nw Sections Of The Lake Towards The Deeper Trout Holes Where They Spend The Summer Months. We Will Be Targeting Them In The Basins Leading Towards The Trout Holes And Trolling Spoons,minnow Baits,spinner Rigs,cowbells,etc Works Best As We Need To Cover Ground.most Of The Bigger Pike We Catch That Time Of The Year Are Right With The Walleyes In Bays,shoreline Points,bars,structure And Emerging Weeds.
For Numbers Of Decent Fish And The Ocasional Bigger Fish As Well As Good Sized Pike The Deep Portage Lakes Are A Good Choice. Trolling Shorelines,points And Bars Works Well For The Lakers And You Can Stop And Cast Points And Bars Where You Make Succesive Contact Indicating A School Of Fish Present Vs Scattered Roaming Fish. The Pike Will Also Be In Some Of The Same Areas And Also Really Like The Back Bays Especially Those With Inflowing Creeks And Spawning Suckers, Any Wood Cover Before Weed Cover Comes Up Can Be Magnets.
Personally I Like Superlines Like Fireline For Fishing/rigging/jigging Deep Water Especially With Big Live Bait For Extreme Sensitivity And Also Fishing Current Or Trolling Deep Cause It Cuts It So Good. For Most Reg Applications A Premium Mono Like Berkly Xl Or Sensation Or A Floro Carbon Like Vanish Transition Are Good Choices. If You Do Elect To Use Super Line Be Sure And Bring Along Some Leader Spools Of Floro From 6-12# And You'll Be Covered.

[Blue Lake]

Hello Steve,

Hope you had a great winter. One question, would you recommend the same line for trolling and jigging walleyes. I know there was a thread on this last year or so but for the life of me can't find it. Also with all the new lines on the market maybe there is something better now to use.

The rod/reel we use is medium light set up.

Also, if you can or should I say want to, I hear people talking and writing about the narrows all the time, would this be canoe narrows?

Thanks Steve and have a GREAT YEAR!!

[Steve Herbeck]

most of the time you would tend to go with a slightly heavier line for trolling than jigging 10-12# are popular weights and a line with more abrasion resistance especially for when you are using boards because the clips can wear on the line. berkly xt is a good tough line. some use floro in real clear water and we do especially for trout and also fireline but xt is a good alround choice and is more forgiving.have all reels filled to same level with same # line so your line counters read the same.
for jigging under most applications especially shallow water and light jigs a supple line like xl,sensation,and in clear water like we got in some sections floro like berkly vanish transition in 6-8# are good choices.
for jigging and rigging deeper a more sensitive line will give you an advantage.try floro or fireline crystal with a floro leader and you''ll be able to feel so good the minnow will tell just before he gets bite and or you will be able to pick up on the most subtle of bites even 35'+ deep.

theres many narrows that attract walleyes actually all predators incl muskies the key is basins on each side containing ciscos and the wind coming in to it creating current to bring everything together. western brule narrows,portage,back channel,trout hole 1 narrows,three sisters are just a few that come to mind.

[Steve Herbeck]

While Eagle Lake Is Well Known As One Of The Premier Destinations For Trophy Musky, Eagle Lakes Walleye Population In The Past 4-6 Years Has Gone From An Avg Fishery Of The 20 Yrs Prior To An Outstanding,top Of The Ladder Fishery And The The Year Classes Coming Up Only Ensure An Even Brighter And Exciting Future.
Not Only Are There Incredible Numbers Of Young 15-17 1/2" Eating Sized Fish There Is An Outstanding Population Of Protected Slot 18-23" Fish And Over With Alot Of 22-27" Can Be Expected As Daily Encounters With Also Much Better Opportunities Than Most Fisheries In Our Area Of Nw Ontario Of Tangling On Any Given Day With A 28-30"+ Trophy Fish .we Had Numerous Fish (see Some Of The Pics Posted And That Is Only A Small %) Boated And Released Last Season Over 30" Up To 34" And 13#.all Were Released Except For One 32" That Unfortunatly Died. It's No Wonder The pop Is Exploding .

As Of May 6 Ice Is Completly Out On Eagle Lake,and Spawning Is Going On In Ernest In The Creeks,shoals,and Shorelines Looks Like It Will Be Another Successful Crop Of Young To Add To The Age Structures.
For Your Early Season Fishing You Can Get By With Basically 3-4 Lure/presentation Types Under Most Situations And Conditions.

Jigs (some Round Heaqds And Some Stand Ups) Both For Live Bait And Plastics ( I Recomend Berkly Gulp )
Stay In The 1/16,1/8,1/4 Z Range With 1/8 A Good Alround Choice

Spinner Rigs Run Long Lined With Bullet Or Round Shot Or Lite Fish Weights For The 4-12' Range Which Were 90% Of Your Fishing Will Be ,or 3/4 -1/1/2oz Bottom Bouncers For Deeper Presentations In 12-18' + Range

Octopus And Circle Hooks In Red,chart,org With 1/16-1/4 Lindy Slip Sinkers And Bullet Weights,maybe A Few Floaters And A Slip Bobber Or 2

Some Cranks
Frenzy Shads And Minnows,shad Raps Both Shallow And Deep ,reg raps And Husky Jerks,youzuris,rattl'n Rouges,rattle Traps, Etc

All Round Equip Would Be A 6 1/2-7' Med Light St Croix Tournament Or Avid And #2 Spinning Reel Like A Abu Cardinal Loaded With 6# Berkly Sensation Or Vanish Transition.

You Can Get Much More Specialized And There Are Other Patterns Requiring Diff Equip And Tactics That We Will Get Into As We Explore Seasonal Patterns And Presentations But For Most Coming For A Week From May 16 Through June This Will Get You By And Catch You All The Fish You Want Under Most Conditions And Sections Of The Lake.

[mmerkle]

Coming for 8th trip in a row last week in Aug.
When after eyes with gulp minnows, whats the best size and the best way to rig em? Color?

[Steve Herbeck]

Hey Merc!

That Time Of The Year Last Part Of Aug The Predominte Bite Will Be Deeper On And Just Off The Reefs And Points 28-35'+ With Some Shallow Exceptions Trolling Suspended And Fishing Rampaged Surfacing Cisco Schools Especially In The Pm.
Typically The Best Presentations For That Deeper Bite Will Be Rigging And Jigging With Minnows/crawlers. Gulp Will Also Catch Fish But We Usually Only Go To It When You Get Into A Real Hot School,good Live Bait Will Usually Just Flat Outfish It under these conditions.but it's always good to have some along .
They Work Best With Jigs And Are Just Threaded On Like Any Plastic Shad,paddletail Or Twister With The Hook Coming Out The Middle Of The Back Or Piggy Backed For More Bulk But I've Had Much Better Luck Just Lip Hooking Them Like A Real Minnow,they Seem To Have A Lot More Erratic Action And Flash,they Can Also Be Drop Shotted,or A Walleye Version Of A Carolina Rigging ,or Used Like Real Minnows Or Crawlers Pulling Spinner Rigs.
We Do Use Them Alot On The No Bait Fly-ins And More On Eagle In The Spring/early Summer Jigging Shallower And The Bass Love Em' Too.
As Far As Color Smelt And Emerald Shiner Has Always Worked Well Out Here.

[judgeshick]

Steve
Thanks for all the helpful information. We have a group coming up in mid july and would love some helpful tips on fishing for walleye on Eagle lake during that time period. Most of us have had good weeks in past back trolling lindy rigs with minnows or long lining xraps but are interested in your thoughts regarding presentations, locations, equipment... Thanks. Mitch

[Steve Herbeck]

Alot Depends On What Section Of The Lake As It Has Impact As Far As Water Clarity,structures,forage,etc.,thus Avg Depths To Fish As Well As Presentations And Colors.
In The Middle To North And West Sections Mid July Will Find A Mix Of Weed,rock Structure ,combos Of,and Suspended Patterns As It Is A Transitional Time Period As Fish Are Making Thier Move To More Mid Lake Basin Summer Patterns Following The End Of The Mayfly Hatch And Generally Shallower Presentations.
Heavily Developed Weed Edges Will Still Have Groups Of Fish Using Them As Well As The Pockets In The Interiors As Well As More And More Fish Are Bunching Up On Points.reefs And Moving Off And On Suspending Nearby.
Jigs And Rigs Both Lindy Style And Spinner Rigs Are Main Presentations And It Is A Time Where It Can Be Advantgous To Have Minnows Leeches And Crawlers On Hand As The Preferences Can Change From Day To Day And Spot To Spot Depending On What That Particular Group Of Fish Foraging On.
Long Lining Cranks Both Over Weed Flats,along Points/bars And Over Suspended Bait Fish Can Also Be Effective Especially If You Are Searching For What Is Going On And Looking For Fish.
Basically I Am Saying It A Very Diverse Pattern Time Of The Season And Is The Summer Peak Feeding Period.they Will Be Where Ever There Is Food And Feeding When They Find It.