By Norb Wallock & Rick OlsonBy Norb Wallock & Rick OlsonThere is only one solid rule in walleye fishing. You can’t catch them if they aren’t there. But when you find them what's next ? The location determines the presentation so you must decide how you are going to attack a school of walleyes depending upon the fish’s position.
We used to be programmed. Jigs in the spring, crankbaits when the water warms, and bottorn bouncers and spinners all summer long. I do like jigs and minnows in the spring. They’re deadly on most bodies of water for post-spawn walleyes, but you can’t rule out other techniques. We have proven in many tournaments that crankbaits work well in all temperatures, even cold water. Jigs catch fish all year around, not just in the spring, and never, never rule out a live-bait rig or a bottom bouncer at any time. The key is to use the technique that suits the attitudes and location of the fish.
One example. Let’s say you are on a lake that has a few long points, a. well-defined weedline, and a couple of mid-lake humps. You have scouted out the structure with your depthfinder and discovered a tightly grouped school of fish on the sharp dropping edge of the point. Now you ask yourself should I troll? Should l run a bottom-bouncer ? Should I jig ? Should I rig ?
Let’s look at the options. Trolling doesn’t seem a good option because the walleyes are concentrated in one small spot. You get a lure into thern for about eight seconds at most. A bottom bouncer creates the same situation, although the walleyes might get to spend 12 seconds with the bait. A rig is an option if the fish are tight to bottom. The jig will allow you to keep the bait in front of the fish; now that seems like the best idea doesn’t it?
Another example: The walleyes are spread out over the rocky top of the mid-lake hump, moving around, looking for forage. You need to cover a bit of ground to pick up these fish. How about a crankbait trolled at the depths the fish are showing up on the depthfinder. Or even a heavier bottom bouncer with a spinner so you can move along quickly. These highly effective search techniques will have you singing - good old rocky top.
Or maybe the walleyes are laying in the mud right along the edge of the weeds. What a great situation for a live-bait rig. You can keep the boat right on the edge of the vegetation and fish the rig right under the boat using an electric motor to maintain position. It’s deadly.
You see now that you choose the technique based on what the fish are doing. If walleyes are all spread out use a search technique. If they are tightly bunched use a stationary presentation. Where some anglers go wrong - When trolling crankbaits you need to make sure the fish see the bait. Get to know your crankbaits. We use Rapalas and we know that a number seven on 10 pound test Magnathin will reach about 12 feet with 120 feet of line out. A number nine Shad Rap will get to 15 feet on the same line. We have experimented with our crankbaits, you should too. When you see walleyes at 18 feet on the depthfinder you can grab the rod with the eight pound test line, tie on a number nine and you are into the fish.
With jigs and rigs anglers must use fresh bait. A dead minnow or leech will get little attention. I drop a Foxee jig with a stand-up head on the bottom with a minnow or a leech kicking and squirming and it will get some attention. Dead bait equals dead action. Always be prepared to change tactics when necessary. Let’s say you’re trolling along and you spot a big school of fish on the depthfinder. As the lure goes through the school you get a bite. Do you troll through them again? Not us. We locate that group of walleyes and go after them with a jig and leech. There’s an old rule when you buy a house you look for three things: location, location, location. The same pertains when you pick a fishing presentation. Look at how the walleyes are positioned and make your decision based on that.
SIDEBAR
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