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5/03/2001
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Article/Press
Release
Jigging
through the Calendar
By
Tom Wilson with Noel Vick
Yesterday’s
swelter survived the night. No
wind, plenty of humidity; it’s going to be a hot day when you’re
perspiring in advance of sunup.
Clients aboard, we motored toward a secondary break, one
featuring a stand of cabbage where walleyes had been stacking for
days.
 We
weren’t alone, and certainly not the first to arrive. An oversized runabout – ocean going vessel – crept past
with its occupants dragging live bait spinners.
Another boat, this one a fishable craft sporting boards and
riggers, zoomed by at high speed, likely toting crankbaits.
Down
went my trolling motor as jigging rods were passed around.
The trollers past by twice, maybe three times, without any
noticeable signs of a hook-up. As instructed, my guests pitched their jig and minnow combos
overboard and felt for the bottom.
We slid slowly and silently across Leech’s dead calm.
I
sensed a bump, dropped the rod tip, and sank the jig into a two-pounder.
My guests cracked doubles – similar sized fish – while I
rebaited. The trollers,
or should I say gawkers, slowed down to investigate the melee.
A clinic ensued. Our pod of walleyes showed favor toward a well-presented jig
and minnow, despite the fact that August was only a week away…
I
jig all year long. In
fact, after pondering last year’s guiding season, I realized that
not once did I use a live bait rig, spinner rig, or crankbait.
Just jigs. Sometimes
with leeches and crawler chunks instead of minnows, but always jigs.
Why?
In my estimation, aggressive presentations, such as jigging,
work well on schooling fish. Schooling
fish, namely walleyes, must constantly compete for forage.
Erratic, dancing jigs trigger a competitive response in fish
that might otherwise shun a methodically presented crankbait, live
bait rig, or spinner. I
believe this is a “big water” phenomenon, not just a Leech Lake
thing.
Let
me walk you through my jigging year…
Spring
Walleyes (Opening
Day through mid-June)
Everybody’s
jigging in the spring. And
Leech’s classic “jig bite” should run longer than usual due to
a late ice-out, as was the case in ’97.
Spring
walleyes gravitate toward shoreline rock, rubble, and nearby flats,
chiefly in depths of 5 to 10-feet.
These shallow surfaces were either used for spawning or
they’re nearby breeding grounds.
But more importantly, hard-bottomed shorelines host throngs
of spottail shiners, and there’s nothing better to gorge on than
spots.
Here’s
a list of my favorite shallow walleye venues: Pine Point, Stony
Point, Goose Island Flats, Little Hardwood Point, Big Hardwood
Point, The Meadows, Five Mile Point, Battle Point, Sugar Point, and
the western edge of Bear Island.
Nothing
catches more spring walleyes than 1/8th-oz. lime,
chartreuse, or lime/chartreuse blended jigs.
That is except for one tipped with a spottail shiner, which
is mandatory in my boat.
With
wind and a good chop – preferred conditions – I drift and jig.
Let out some line, just enough to reach the bottom, and give
the rod tip a healthy snap followed by a limp line free fall.
There will be no question when a walleye strikes, and that
usually transpires during the jig’s descent.
On flatter days, it’s better to slowly backtroll with a
longer line. And
instead of the sharp vertical snap employed on breezy days, I
substitute a less abrupt, horizontal tug.
Summer
Walleyes (Mid
June through Mid August)
Now
is the time when anglers scrounge through their tackle boxes in
search of the perfect improvisational tool, and they usually surface
with rigs, spinners, and cranks.
That’s fine, in fact I have guiding buddies who do just
fine changing tactics with the seasons; maybe I’m just too
stubborn in my jigging ways.
My
theory is that walleyes simply follow the food during the spring to
summer transition, not changing what they eat.
Leech Lake walleyes still gulp shiners and young perch in the
summer, but these edibles no longer school in the shallows.
So I stick with jigs and merely move deeper.
By
deeper, I mean 12 to 20-feet, and most of my proven haunts are
deeper extensions of spring spots, or not far from them. For instance, Pine Point, Stony Point, and Snake Pit Flats,
which produce in the spring, also furnish well in the summer.
A
combination of depth and wind will dictate how heavy a jig is
required. For the most
part, ¼ to 3/8th-ounce jigs have enough mass to stay
down. Occasionally, ½-ouncers
are necessary in gale force winds.
The
deeper the water the more vertical your presentation should be.
I like to get right on top of my quarry in that 12 to 20-foot
range. And I shift away
from “pops” and “snaps” in favor of smoother pulls with
taunt line drops. Taunt
line affords better control and feel in deep water.
Jigging
is also permissible in bug hatch zones.
Whoever said that walleyes don’t bite during mayfly hatches
wasn’t fishing Leech Lake, and surely didn’t have a jig tied on.
Throughout June, various mayfly species hatch, leaving
casings strewn about the surface – a good visible sign that there
are fish about. On the
main basin, excellent hatches occur over 13 to 16-foot flats; watch
your electronics; there are a number of uncharted and bountiful
flats. Other hatches
take place in 30 and 40-foot holes found off Stony Point and the
southern basin.
Walker
Bay’s mysterious humps activate around the first of August, and
once again, jigs get the call.
I strap on a 3/8th or ½-ounce, long-shank jig
(Northland Gum-Ball Jigs) and dress it with a meaty fathead –
shiners are usually unavailable by mid summer.
Active walleyes nearly always utilize the hump tops (25 to
45-feet), as due a few nasty pike.
Fall
Walleyes
(Late August through Early October)
Summer’s
gone…fair weather jiggers are back in vogue and Leech’s ‘eyes
are returning to spring habitat.
And you won’t believe how hungry they are!
Fall is associated with harvests and feasts, and Leech’s
walleyes simply won’t be left out.
Upon
many a walleye autopsy have I witnessed bellies awash with one and
two inch perch. And
only in the fall will a bloated walleye continue killing.
Take
the earlier list of spring spots and write down, “Tom says autumn,
too”. The only
exception being that I’ll expand the hot range from 5 to 13-feet.
Oh, and toss in the Grandview Flats and 10 to 13’ flats
between Pine and Stony Points, because they were incredible last
autumn. Again, Leech’s main body offers so many
walleye-infested-flats that you can easily avoid crowded areas.
Fall
also calls for a return to 1/8th-ounce lime and
chartreuse jigs and stress-releasing jigging methods. Call
it “buggy whipping” if you will.
I’ll
leave you with these recommendations…
Spool up with 6-pound test green Berkley Trilene XL, which is
a time-honored monofilament line.
Oh sure, a snaky jack or two might leave you jig-less, but
battling walleyes is simply more enjoyable with light line.
Go long with your rod selection.
A 6’ 6” medium/heavy-spinning rod is my preference; going
a taste longer is fine.
You
can’t keep a good jigger down, regardless of the time of year.
Have I mentioned ice fishing and jigging?
Let’s save that for another time.
Tom
Wilson is a professional guide with the Leech
Lake Guide Coalition. The
coalition, which is based in Walker, MN, offers guided expeditions
for walleyes, muskies, jumbo perch, largemouth bass, northern pike
and panfish. They can
be reached at 218-547-3212.
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