Just Fishing - Spring 2024

410 Cumberland – Cornwall, Ontario

(613) 935-3333

AMPLE PARKING

Room for up to 6 bass boats. Stop by before or after you’re on the water!

WITH A FOCUS ON BASS & WALLEYE – BUT WITH ACCESS TO ALMOST ALL PRODUCTS!

CARRYING THE BIGGEST PREMIUM BRANDS IN BASS FISHING... Rods from companies including: G-Loomis, Shimano, St, Croix, Favorite, Daiwa & Duckett. We have a large assortment of soft plastics from Keitech, Zman, Set the Hook, Garry Yamamoto, Berkley, Geecrack, Zoom, & Sixth Sense. Jerk baits & crank baits from Livingston, Megabass, Osp, Yozuri, Duo-Realis, SPRO, & Jackall. We also carry Scum Frog, Owner, PowerPro, Sunline & More! Plus a large selection of clothing from Simms, Huk and Striker.

HOURS

MONDAY TO FRIDAY: 10 – 5

SATURDAY: 9 – 5

CLOSED SUNDAY

which FMZ that you’re in. Trust nothing complicated about our Ontario Fishing Rules & Regs! LOL

In FMZ 17, which includes all of the Kawartha Lakes, anglers can target these tooth critters all year long as there is no closed season. This is due to the fact that northern pike are not native to most of

Kris Bain showing off a healthy Georgian Bay Northern Pike!

Northern Pike can’t resist a properly presented suspending jerkbaits!

these lakes. There is some concern for the native Kawartha muskie population but only time will tell. In the meanwhile, there is a noticeable increase in number of tiger muskies, which is a hybrid of a pike and muskie, in these bodies of water. Most notably, Rice Lake seems to be producing large numbers of tigers.

Northern pike have always been one of my favourite species to fish for, except during bass tournaments! They are an extremely aggressive carnivorous apex predator that are just a blast to catch! They’ll follow a lure and wait until the very last moment to viciously strike it, usually right at the side of the boat! They’re responsible for some of the most memorable ferocious hits that an angler will ever encounter in their lifetime, which is what makes them so much fun to target. It’s like they’re not only trying to eat a lure but also to kill and maim it at the same time!

That being said, they can also be very stealthy and bite so subtlety that you’d think that had a much smaller fish biting your lure. In fact, my PB pike, which measured in at 49.5” long was caught while I was fishing for smallies on Lake Joseph! While fishing in only about 4 feet of water it came up and slurped down a small popper. I set the hook expecting a smallmouth bass and then this behemoth launched itself full length into the air! It was truly an epic battle until I landed that monster!

When it comes to pike as table fare, they’re commonly thought of as a bony fish. But a northern pike’s firm white flesh is quite tasty maybe even a bit on the sweet side, especially when caught out of cold water. There are many instructional YouTube videos demonstrating how to remove the “Y” bones successfully in pike filets. When we were younger, rather than dealing with those nasty “Y” bones, my mother would run pike filets through a meat grinder. She would then mix the pike meat in with ground pork and make these delicious fish patties! Wherever you are catching pike, it’s unlikely that there is a shortage of them so don’t be afraid to keep a few for dinner!

In an early spring like this one, the pike should pretty well be fully recovered from their spawning rigors once the season opens,

(Continued on page 4.)

A Line From “Big” Jim

It is hard to belive that walleye and pike seasons are in sight. Panfish season is just about to blow up big time. Although many areas saw a milder winter with less ice fishing opportunities, other areas were strong but saw ice go out or become unsafe early.

With most of the shows and promotional dates behind me, it’s time to get my tackle together and do a little more research – reviewing what’s new and hot for the upcoming season. Deciding I need to add to improve my angling this summer, whether it be tackle or techniques.

Once again we have one of the best lineups for content we have ever brought to you. Bassmaster Classic Champion “Gussy” writes on forward facing sonar, which many will agree is a current hot topic in competitive sport fishing. Mr. Chong takes us pike fishing and will definitely help you get more in the boat or on the shore. Tim Allard gives us a refresher course on slip-floats for walleye. I’m sure this can be applied to other fish species. Sir Gordon Pyzer gives us a rundown on the upcoming summer peak for walleye, which is a must for every walleye enthusiast. “Bro” takes us river fishing for walleye and will set you up for success this season. Bassmaster Elite angler Bernie Schultz teaches us how to search effectively for fish and our newest contributor Daniel Notarianni takes us on a trip down memory lane with some past opening day memories. Last but not least, Chef Tait temps our taste buds with a Seared Salmon with a fennel, kale, honey orange jus... Yum!!!

Hoping to see lots of you this summer at a boat launch or on the water... Wherever you go, please be safe and make time to take a kid fishing!

“Big” Jim

Unsolicited articles are accepted and will be considered for publication provided they are original and have not appeared in other publications.

Publisher

“Big” Jim McLaughlin

Managing Editor

Tammy Wight

Contributors

Gord Pyzer

Al Lindner

Tim Allard

Jeff Gustafson

Bernie Schultz

David Chong

Cameron Tait, Brian Brosdhal

Daniel Notarianni

Box 214 Seeley’s Bay, ON K0H 2N0.

Phone: (613) 387-8735

Email: info@justfishing.ca www.justfishing.ca

All Rights Reserved

or reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden, except by written permission of the publisher.

IN THIS ISSUE SPECIAL FEATURES

Springtime Toothy Critters...............................3

Slip Float Refresher..........................................12

Serge In Forward Facing Sonar............16

Spring Crappies......................................20

Walleye Storm Before the Calm..........24

River Run Walleyes...............................34

Opening Day Memories.........................42

Let the Search Begin.............................44

DEPARTMENTS

A Line From “Big” Jim ..........................4

For the Love of Cooking......................32

Target Walleye........................................38

Tubman’s Tips & Techniques .................48

On The Cover: Main – Brian “Bro” Brosdhal, photo – brosguideservice.com, Serge In Forward Facing Sonar, photo – Jeff Gustafson, Ins & Outs of Early Spring Crappies, photo – Al Lindner, Springtime Toothy Critters, photo – Chris Bain, Slip Float Refresher, Photo – Joel Nelson of www.joelnelsonoutdoors.com.

(Springtime Toothy Critters continued from page 3.)

where there is a closed season. They should be actively feeding and starting to move from their spawning grounds to their summer haunts. A great starting point is just outside of spawning bays especially if there are lead-in weed lines. Emerging weedlines are key locations to find numbers of pike. Mud flats located in spawning bays can also be hot spots as the dark bottom allows them to warm up quickly.

When targeting trophy pike, there are several types of structure that I feel are high percentage areas. Mid lake shoals or humps, especially ones with any weed growth can be absolute gold mines. Rock points that extend out into deep water are other great structures to target solitary giant fish. On many of our Canadian Shield lakes there an awesome pattern where you can target laydown cedars especially on fast sloping shorelines or islands. Often with clear water conditions, you’ll be able to see these gators sitting in amongst the laydowns!

These are so many different methods and techniques that can be used to catch these toothy critters and many of them are the same as what we would use to target bass! Just like bass, pike can be in a positive, neutral or negative mood. Now they do tend to be in that positive aggressive feeding mode more often than bass. When they are, you would be hard pressed to keep your baits away from them. Unfortunately, this often is while you’re bass fishing and you end up feeding your favourite JDM lure to them. Fast horizontal presentations are probably your best options because you are able to cover lots of water and they are more than willing to chase!

When they are in that neutral mood, they need to be triggered but it’s not really that difficult. A suspending jerkbait is my go-to and #1 choice to attack those fish. Now when they are in an uncooperative negative mood, they will still usually follow and track your moving baits! Then you’ll have to finesse them with smaller or slower moving baits!

(Continued on page 6.)

Big Northern Pike definitely bring a smile to the author’s face!

Patience and multiple casts are often the key to getting these fish to strike!

(Let’s Try Some New Water continued from page 38.) couple of practice days continuing to explore new water and look for untouched fish. We’ll fish some of the past good spots during the tournament but usually you will never win on the same places. You can still catch fish off the old spots, but new, fresh ones are always the best.

One of the most important components of your gear when targeting pike is some form of wire leader.

One of the best feelings I get in fishing is when I figure out a new bite or a new hotspot. When I’m prefishing for a tournament, it’s

X-Raps until after one cast, I ripped the lure down, paused for a second or two, ripped it down again and then laid my rod against the gunnel of the boat while I poured a cup of coffee. My rod almost flew out of the boat when a four-pound plus smallmouth ate the bait sitting dead still in the middle of the water column. Now, I may have been born at night, but it wasn’t last night, so I quickly cast out the jerkbait again, ripped it down and then let it pause interminably. Another smallmouth destroyed it. Then another, and another, and another until Doug shook his head in mock disgust – or maybe it was real – and made note of the Painfully Protracted Pregnant Pyzer Pause. But that one simple change, facilitated by listening to the bass, turned an otherwise ho-hum day of fishing into a stellar success story.

Simple shines!

I prefer the Stringease titanium leaders or tippets when pike fishing as they are super light and strong. Some anglers like using heavy fluorocarbon leaders but I’ve seen big pike bite through 50 lb. test fluorocarbon leaders like nothing. Also, I don’t find pike are typically line/ leader shy. Whether you use a leader (with a swivel and a snap) or a single strand tippet, which only has a snap/Fastach will depend on the lure that you’re throwing. The one caveat about using a single strand titanium tippet is that if it gets kinked, replace it immediately as it will break!

Sometimes little details like adding a red coloured treble to your lure can trigger that big bite!

exciting to know that you might have found the winning fish. When I’m around home and away from the tournament scene, that rush might come from catching a big musky in a new area or finding a school of crappies in an area that they weren’t known to pop up in.

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Of course, monitoring the success of your favourite tournament angler is fun, but emulating a winning presentation can be frustrating, because there is always more to it than first meets the eye. As Gustafson has already told us, he spent 20 years perfecting the moping technique and tried it repeatedly – and unsuccessfully – at different events and couldn’t make it produce... until he did.

Once on the water, start with faster horizontal presentations until you determine the mood of the fish and to cover water. My favourite horizontal lures are an in-line spinner, a lipless crank bait, Chatterbait or the old school spinnerbait!

Sometimes it’s nice to get out on the water and just pull up to the places we know are good and catch fish but if you want to up

options in an inline spinner. Locally made Beaver Lures also makes some great in-lines in a pike size, which is slightly smaller than the traditional Muskie-sized products. Because in-lines are notorious for twisting up your line, I’d run a 18” Stringease 50 lb. test titanium leader when using them. A Daiwa Tatula SV 8.1:1 reel spooled up with 30 lb. test Sunline SX1 braid on a Daiwa Tatula 7’3” MH fast action rod is a great combo to throw these in-lines on. The retrieve for these lures is simple, just chuck & wind and you can control the depth they run at with the speed that you retrieve it at.

A 500 series Buchertail in a Perch finish with a brass blade, Firetiger or Clown are all great

“That is how you should spend your fun fishing days,” says Strub, who has over 200 top ten tournament finishes to his credit. “But remember, anything new these days

isn’t as easy as grabbing whatever rod, reel, line and lure combination you need and having at it. Spy baiting is a perfect example. Every serious bass angler knows about it by now, but to spy bait well, and more importantly, ensure a decent to excellent landing ratio, you have to spend the time required to dial things in. So use your fun fishing days to experiment with different rod actions and line pairings to achieve greater success.”

Editor’s Note: Jeff Gustafson grew up on the shores of Lake of the Woods in Kenora, Ontario. He has made his living in the fishing community since he was a teenager as a tournament angler, guide, outdoor writer and fishing promotor. The most recent highlight of his career is winning the Bassmaster Classic.You can find him on social media at @gussyoutdoors and on his website at: www.gussyoutdoors.com

When it comes to noise & vibration attracting lures, it’s hard to beat a lipless

(Continued on page 8.)

(Continued on page 8.)

FEEL CONNECTED.

Built for experienced hands, G. Loomis designs tools for anglers demanding performance with purpose. For those who believe innovation is the only path to excellence. Steeped in experience gained from handcrafting rods in the United States for over four decades, the revamped GLX BASS series represents tangible proof of our disciplined philosophy of “continuous refinement.”

Giant

Northern Pike are too much fun to only be caught once!

Being 3/4 oz., it also casts like a bullet enabling one to cover a ton of water! Aurora Gold Northern Perch and MS Crack are my 2 favourite colours for northerns as they provide that right combination of flash & sound! You can vary your retrieve from a steady Chuck N’ Wind to pausing occasionally to let the lipless drop down a bit or even yo-yoing it as you retrieve! Quite often the pike will strike as the lure falls!

Recently Z-Man Fishing introduced the Big Blade Chatterbait, an oversized Chatterbait that provides maximum thump & vibration. Chartreuse white with an orange blade and the bluegill pattern with a gold blade are great for post spawn northerns. Much like an in-line, a steady Chuck N’ Wind retrieve is best for this style of lure. A combo consisting of the Daiwa Tatula SV 8.1:1 reel on a Talula Elite 7’4” Brent Erhler signature MH Crankin/Bladed Jig rod is perfect for both the lipless crankbait and the Chatterbait. The slower regular action and glass component of this rod allows for a better hook up and landing ratio. As for line 30 lb. test Sunline SX-1 braid works great or you can also go with 18 lb. test Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon if you’d like a little more stretch! With both the Lucky Craft LV500 and Big Blade Chatterbait, use a Stringease 9” 30 lb. test Titanium tippet, with these 2 baits as there is no need for a swivel!

The good old spinnerbait is an old school lure that still catches lots of pike! The steady Chuck N’ Wind presentation has always

(Continued on page 9.)

(Springtime Toothy Critters continued from page 6.)

CUSTOM CANADIAN RODS

CANADIAN TO THE CORE

DAIWA CANADIAN RODS FEATURE

Smooth Cut-proof Titanium Oxide Ring Guides

V-Joint

For more info visit: Daiwa.us

Wbeen deadly on Northerns and still is. Z-Man’s SlingBladeZ spinnerbaits offer a wide variety of blade combination, sizes/ weights and coloured skirts. I find that bright and gaudy usually screams “PIKE”!

A small piece of surgical tubing or aquarium air hose tubing will keep a leader/tippet from sliding up the arm of a “R” bend spinnerbait!

Adding a disk with a Rapid Fishing Solutions

Hook All Tool will firmly secure your owner Trailer Hook on your spinnerbait for better hookups!

The Daiwa Tatula Elite Cody Meyer signature series 7’6” MH “Small Search Bait” rod paired with the 8.1:1 Tatula SV baitcaster along with Sunline 16 lb. test Sniper FC is a great spinnerbait combo.

Again a 9” Stringease 30 lb. test Titanium tippet will prevent these toothy critters from biting you off. Now unless you’re using pike spinnerbaits with a closed twisted line tie, most spinnerbaits

have an open “R” bend. Slipping a piece of surgical tubing over the “R” bend prior to attaching the tippet will keep the tippet from riding up the wire. When using spinnerbaits, you should always add an Owner spinnerbait trailer hook on the back. The best way to secure the trailer hook is with a cool handy tool from Rapid Fishing Solutions called a Hook All Tool. When secured with the disks and this tool, the trailer hook will never come off.

My #1 pike lure is a suspending jerkbait, namely a Lucky Craft Pointer 100 or 128! This awesome Japanese jerkbait has won me lots of money in pike tournaments. Any one of their perch patterns or Nishiki finish (which is a Clown pattern) will work great. The side to side “Walk the Dog” slashing action of these baits make them irresistible to all but the most negative lockjawed pike. For ones that are in more of a neutral mode, stopping the lure and letting it suspend in front of them usually will elicit the bite you’re looking for!

For the LC Pointer 100, a Daiwa Kage 2500D spinning reel partnered with a Kage 6’10” M “Topwater/Jerkbait” rod and

(Continued on page 10.)

Ferrule Construction for smooth stress free distribution

Daiwa Original Slider Reel Seats (on Trout models)

(Springtime Toothy Critters continued from page 8.)

16 lb test Siglon PEx8 braid is the gear of choice. For the larger LC Pointer 128, a Daiwa Tatula SV 8.1:1 reel with 20 lb. test Sunline SX-1 braid on a Tatula Elite 6’10” Patrick Walters signature M rod would be a better option. I used to use a 6” Stringease titanium tippet until I had a 40+” pike engulfed my Pointer 100 along with the tippet and bit me off, now a 9” or 12” Stringease Titanium tippet is the ticket.

For the odd time that there is a severe cold front involved and the pike seem totally

lockjawed, I’ll turn to a 5” Z-Man Scented Jerk Shad either rigged weightless or on a jig head if the Pike are located in deeper water. Keeping it simple, a Smelt, Pearl or Bubble-gum coloured bait will usually work. Work this bait as slow as possible, at times event dead-sticking in the area that you believe these fish are. A slug type plastic can also be effective in these scenarios.

Gear-wise, a Daiwa MQ LT 3000 spinning reel spooled up with 20 lb. test Siglon PEx8 braid on a Tatula 7’2” MH rod will more than do the job! As far as a leader goes, a

super light 6” 20 lb. test Titanium tippet would allow the bait to fall more naturally and is light enough as not to impede the action of the bait.

BONUS TIP: Although I’m not a big believer in red hooks making a difference, pike fishing is one area I actually think that it does. Don’t be afraid to replacement your front treble on your lure with a red coloured treble hook. Some days those little subtleties can make a difference between an average day and a great day!

Although there are anglers who like to target pike with muskie-sized lures and tackle and they do have their day as does live and dead bait. But I find that day in, day out, bass tackle and equipment will produce more numbers of fish with plenty of trophies in that mix. Top of the food chain predators like northern pike even trophy-sized ones often eat smaller baits than most people realize.

Until we see you on the water... FISH HARD! DREAM BIG!

Editor’s Note:

David Chong is widely recognized as one of Canada’s top competitive tournament anglers. He is also an avid multi species angler and is a strong advocate for affordable, accessible angling for all! David loves sharing his vast fishing knowledge and stories with anglers of all ages, beginners and pros alike!

SLIP FLOAT REFRESHER...

Trust simple slip floats to get the job done for summertime walleye.

SUMMERTIME SLIP FLOATIN’

“In terms of good slip bobber locations, I tend to think of shallow or deep, not moderate or in between,” said Joel Nelson (www.joelnelsonoutdoors. com), a walleye expert and angling educator from Minnesota. “Deep stuff tends to be flats or deep gravel bars… (and) for the most part, you want a consistent depth in order to pitch all around you.”

By: Tim Allard

use a bobber to dangle live-bait in their faces might be as close to a sure thing as you’re going to get –for now anyway.

Also noteworthy are the legions of anglers relying on side-scanning

Nelson also uses a slip float shallow, especially on wind-blown structures. Again, a fairly uniform bottom is preferred to reduce hang-ups. He positions the boat deep, then pitches the float up shallow to avoid spooking walleye in clear water.

Another slip float supporter is Adam Pugh, a fishing guide and owner/operator of Lake Temagami’s Loon Lodge (loonlodge.com) with his wife, Kayla, and 8-year-old daughter, Hannah. While he prefers artificial presentations whenever possible, Pugh relies on floats and live minnows in summer to help clients catch walleye from snag-riddled, rock reefs and shoals in 20+ feet. No pitching here, though, given the uneven bottom terrain. Instead, he sets the bobber stop to keep a back-hooked minnow eight to 16 inches

Adam Pugh, a fishing guide and owner/ operator of Lake Temagami’s Loon Lodge

off bottom, then has clients drop the float directly off the side of the boat.

“I use the slip bobber quite a bit for more inexperienced anglers. It prevents snags and compared to a drop-shot, it’s effectiveness is pretty similar,” Pugh said.

SONAR INNOVATION ELEVATES OLD SCHOOL WALLEYE TACTICS

“With forward facing sonar, we’re seeing a resurgence in slip bobbering. Garmin’s Livescope has revitalized new applications for the slip bobber concept. You can pitch to fish you can see,” Nelson said.

He shared stories of anglers cashing cheques in walleye tournaments using

(Dailing-In Depth Control for Walleyes continued from page 7.)

This rigged with a Scented Jerk ShadZ is d-e-a-d-l-y for casting, strolling, and jigging for walleye.

(Sidebar)

sonar to locate and catch walleye scattered on flats, relating to a weedline, or stationed on a sand bar, to name just a few areas. Hit spot-lock to hold the boat in place, cast the rig over to fish, and watch the float for a bite. Simple, right?

DO WALLEYE SCENTS MAKE SENSE?

A soft-plastic’s profile also comes into play. Switching from a bulky bait to a thin profile may be all that’s needed to stay in the strike zone longer and get more bites. Getting this right trumps picking the “perfect” profile of plastic, in my book.

You’re making a mistake if you’re not using soft plastic baits infused with scent. That is the clear message from Pure Fishing’s Dr. Keith Jones, who invented PowerBait and has carefully studied how fish use their sensory channels.

SHARP-SHOOTING STRATEGIES

“Once fish are deep, they’re not very boat shy. I use a technique some call sharp-shooting,” Pugh said. “I might spend a half hour looking, then a half hour to 45 minutes fishing.”

One of the most fun fish to catch on Lake Simcoe in the spring is the Northern Pike!

Author Tim Allard with A Drop-Shot Walleye

“Pay careful attention to the bobber, its condition and what it’s doing,” Nelson said. “Smaller fish will peck at you and might not take the bobber under, so you need to watch for this to protect your offering.”

When you’re out on Laker-Whitefish grounds and you see fish feeding off the surface from the many insect hatches that occur in the spring, you can rest assured that these are probably Lakers whether it’s over 70-80 FOW or not. Using forward facing sonar like a Garmin LiveScope setup can help you spot these cruisers from a good distance away. We’ve had some productive fun days catching Lakers on Lucky Craft jerkbaits or Screw Pointers when they feeding up high! A Screw Pointer is Lucky Craft’s version of a spy bait!

In order to determine if it should eat something, Jones says a walleye has to touch it, smell it, and taste it. He also says oil-based scents don’t work, as fish can only detect water soluble odours. Lastly, Jones says walleye specific scents are better than forage (shad, nightcrawler) based elixirs.“The foundation in our walleye impregnated Power Baits represents the “meat and potatoes that appeals to most predatory fish,” says Jones. “But then we spike it with walleye specific enhancers. Things we’ve learned that walleye like best.”

Noteworthy here is the tactic of casting 4- and 5-inch swimbaits for walleye. Here a popular strategy is using heavy 1/2- and 3/4-ounce jig heads to keep the bait near the floor. Going heavy helps keep the presentation near bottom, while still allowing for a steady retrieve to activate the plastic’s boot-tail, cover water and trigger reaction strikes.

Lake Simcoe Guru, John Whyte doing the heavy lifting with a Lake Simcoe Northern Pike!

Sharp-shooting’s an assertive fishing style. It relies primarily on 2D or down-view sonar to get directly over walleye, then quickly dropping a fast-sinking presentation while staying over fish using the main engine or a trolling motor’s spot-lock feature. Jigging Raps, bladebaits, and drop-shots are popular artificial choices, but a slip float has long been the gold standard for live-bait tactics and often called “power corking” or “power bobbering”.

DON'T OVERLOOK DROP-SHOTTING

Ditto, in the spring or anytime for that matter when walleyes are roaming the flats, feeding on yellow perch and whacking crawler harnesses. Scented soft plastic crawlers almost consistently catch more and bigger walleyes than live crawlers owing to the fact that the perch and panfish can’t nip, snip, squeeze or otherwise pull them apart. So you spend the bulk of your time fishing, not re-baiting your hooks.

I’ve written about the potency of drop-shotting in Just Fishing before, but it bears mention again. A drop-shot is excellent for keeping a bait at a specific depth off bottom because you can control the length of the tag end. The key is experimenting with its length.

They are generally super aggressive at this time while they’re trying to bulk up and recover from the rigors of the spawn! They also grow to that trophy 40 plus inch range and can be over 20 plus lbs. Cooks Bay is probably home to the largest number of pike on Lake Simcoe. At this time, they can be found in the lower end of the bay adjacent to where they just finished spawning at last ice! They will eventually start moving out to the first drop-off and if there happens to be fresh weed growth there, that’s even better! Any weedlines that you can find with access to deep water can be a hotspot! There is a good population of Northern Pike found in Kempenfelt Bay, Barnstable Bay, Georgina Island & Virginia Beach!

Pugh’s half-hour fishing timeline refers to a large bite window courtesy of decent numbers of walleye. At the other end of the power corking spectrum is waiting a minute or two when hovering over an individual fish or smaller pod. If things don’t happen fast, reel up and head to the next spot.

When walleye are hugging bottom and you’re vertically fishing, try anywhere from a 6 to 18 inch tag end below the hook. When

FLOAT RIG DETAILS

It is the same thing when walleyes want a leech or minnow towed behind a single hook harness. Day in and day out, when panfish abound, you will catch as many or more walleyes trolling single hook harnesses dressed with a scented, soft plastic leech or minnow as you will the real deal. You may not feel quite as many bites as your live-bait-buddy beside you, but you will put as many or more fish into the boat. And at the end of the day, that is the only thing that ever matters

“The easiest way to do the whole thing is with a jig head,” Nelson said. “If fish aren’t shy and are eating it, 75 percent of the time that’s what I run. A jig keeps the hook away from the rig and prevents tangles.”

DOUBLE TROUBLE

A float with a brass-eye grommet encourages fast, smooth line flow.

The other place soft plastic crawlers, leeches and minnows xcel, especially tipped to a jig, is in rivers. And the stronger and faster the current, the better they shine. Indeed, on many fast flowing rivers, wise walleye anglers will “double up” and “bulk up” their jigs using two soft plastic dressings.

The classic set up is first threading on a 3- to 5-inch long soft plastic minnow so the hook is exiting out the back of the bait. Then a second soft plastic minnow is attached to the hook by running the point under the jaw and out the nose. instead of attaching a second minnow, some river rats will nose hook a small plastic crawler or lizard.)

I try to keep things simple when it comes to lures and presentations for Pike but one important piece of equipment that you must use is some form of leader. A Stringease titanium tippet/leader measuring anywhere from 6-12” is sufficient. These tippets consist of a 20-30 lbs. test titanium wire attached to a Fastach snap only and there is no swivel on it. These tippets are perfect for jerkbaits such as the Lucky Craft Lightning Pointers that I like to use when targeting Pike. Normally adding a regular wire leader in front of a jerkbait

Tim Allard is a full-time, award-winning outdoor journalist and author/photographer of the book, Ice Fishing: The Ultimate Guide. He’s a regular contributor to numerous North American print and online publications. From panfish to northern pike, Tim fishes whatever he can, whenever he can.

There is method to this madness because when you double up this way you’re offering the walleyes a much bigger and more attractive package without adding a ton of extra weight, considerably more tail wag and action and twice the bouquet if you’re using scented baits.

Nelson prefers a leech in summer. When walleye are fussy, he switches from a jig to a more finesse and free swimming leech on a 4 or 6 octopus hook. This is presented below 12 to 18 inches of 10-pound fluorocarbon tied to a swivel. Above on low-stretch, 10-pound monofilament is a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce egg sinker, large float, bead, and a bobber stop.

Occasionally while targeting spring Whitefish or Lake Trout, you run into the bonus Burbot!!!!

Top to bottom, Pugh’s deep-water rig begins with a bobber stop, a bead, a slip float, another bead, and then a swivel on 10-pound braid. Next, a six to nine foot, 8-pound fluorocarbon leader holds a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce egg sinker and an octopus hook and minnow.

“With the water being so gin clear I feel a long lead is important,” he said.

“Yes, the sinker is sliding and yes it does bang against the hook. Call me crazy, but that clacking sound, I feel, acts like an attractant and also helps if you’re casting. As the minnow swims around the weight will make a noise.”

Oval floats, Northland Lite-Bite (left) are versatile and perform well in wind and waves. Pencil floats (center) provides less resistance to fish, making them good for light biters.

An illuminated float, like VMC’s Lighted Slip Float (right) is a prized piece of gear during the night bite, helping you track your presentation and immediately detect strikes in the darkness.

Don’t be shy to experiment with rigging variations. Rubber core sinkers, coloured octopus hooks, and dressed jigs are other popular slip float components.

DIAL-IN DEPTH

Electronics give clues on where to set the bait in relation to bottom and, subsequently, where to position the bobber stop, which should be checked regularly. Inactive walleye might require live-bait a mere eight inches above the floor. Active fish suspending off bottom are likely to rise a couple feet for a meal.

“It’s really easy to be too far down,” Nelson said. “Too low of a bait can hide behind a bolder. I think a lot of anglers can set it a lot higher than they think and get away with it, and also not worry about getting snagged if they happen to cast shallow.”

Material bobber stops (not rubber) are recommended. In my experience, it’s worth spending the extra dollar for premium stops for a better hold. This is especially true with braided line. Cinch it down tightly, but know performance may vary depending on the brand.

LONG RODS HELP

Pugh suggests slip bobbering with at a 7’2” or longer spinning rod. A long rod extends one’s reach when fishing a float next to the boat. Added length also helps manage a long leader and cast farther. Look for a rod with bigger ceramic eyelets and not micro eyelets, which can impede the bobber stop.

Nelson prefers a 8’6” St. Croix Legend Tournament rod. In addition to improving casting, he uses this rod because it picks up more line than a shorter stick, which when combined with reeling, eliminates slack quickly for a quality slip-float hookset.

This is especially important in deep water when making a long cast as the float creates a significant 90-degree angler in your line. When a fish strike, Nelson explains it’s critical to point rod at fish, reel to take in the slack and then continue reeling as you sweep the rod in order to take up enough line up.

“It takes time to learn in deep water,” he said. “You need to take up a lot of line with the hook set. If you’re too casual about it, not reeling fast or don’t set too hard, you’ll lose a lot of fish.”

If the mid summer doldrums find their way to your favourite walleye lake this season, try the above live-bait slip bobber tactics to make ‘em bite.

About the Author: Tim Allard is a full-time, award-winning outdoor journalist and author/photographer of the book, Ice Fishing: The Ultimate Guide. He’s a regular contributor to numerous North American print and online publications. From panfish to northern pike, Tim fishes whatever he can, whenever he can.

THE SERGE IN FORWARD FACING SONAR THE SERGE IN FORWARD FACING SONAR

By: Jeff Gustafson

AAcross the North American fishing community, no other piece of equipment created as much joy and controversy over the past year like forward facing sonar has. All of the major sonar brands now offer this transducer that allows us to look in front and around the boat and it is helping people catch fish that we never knew were there in the past.

There is no doubt that more fish are getting caught as more anglers employ this technology, creating the joy. The controversy, mostly from the “crybaby” crowd, comes from concerns that we are “catching too many fish” and that old-school, previously popular techniques and baits are no longer relevant. Times are changing and while you don’t need to use forward or “live” sonar to catch fish, there is no doubt this technology is going to help you put your bait in front of more fish and teach you how to catch them better. To be successful on the competitive stage or as a guide, this is mandatory equipment.

2023 was my third season running Humminbird Mega-Live, their version of forward-facing sonar. Having an idea of how it worked, it took me a couple of days to feel comfortable with what I was seeing on my screen. Basically, we can set a range to look forward with the transducer up to 150 feet and beyond. If we cast or place our lure in the beam, we can watch it on the screen throughout the retrieve. We can also look or I would say “scan” around and see fish as well as cover in the water like boulders, logs or vegetation. We can also find the high spots on a reef or the drop-off to deep water very quickly. If you like to fish, FFS will make life easier for you every day you spend on the water.

Since I’ve had this technology on my boat, one thing that I’ve noticed is there is seldom a day I spend on the water where I don’t say “I would have never caught that fish if I didn’t have this”. While I spend more time chasing bass than any other species, I do like to fish for all species, especially when I’m fishing around home. I have used FFS to catch walleye (thousands of them), lake trout, pike, musky and crappie. Over in Australia, we used it to catch barramundi.

Bass and walleye tournament anglers have embraced this technology to the point that every single competitor at the professional level has it on their boat. Locally, I think nearly all of the most competitive tournament anglers are utilizing it, I can’t

(Continued on page 18.)

A Smeltinator Underspin Jig is a top option for both smallmouth bass & walleye.

A soft plastic jerkshad rigged on a jig head is my favourite bait to use in conjunction with FFS, but I always have a drop-shot rig & Ned rig on the deck as well.

Courtesy of Robert Bordeaux

think of any who aren’t. It simply allows us to be so much more efficient when we pull up to a spot, we can look around and especially check out the top of the hump or the sweet spot where our waypoint is, see if there are fish there or not and then either try to catch them or move on.

It also allows us to see suspended fish away from the boat, something that was never possible in the past.

Last summer, tournament anglers were idling around in open water with their big motors, looking for suspended smallmouths, then stopping the boat when they see fish and firing casts at them.

Over the years, we all got lucky once every couple of years running into these suspended fish, often bigger, minnoweaters but now, we can target them.

seem like every fish they see, they catch. When you hit the best waters at the best time when nobody else is fishing, it’s easy to catch a bunch of them, but the reality is, you’ll also find groups of fish that will not bite anything, they simply aren’t in the mood. Or, maybe you need to give them the right presentation.

One thing that the best anglers are good at is determining really quick if a fish is catchable or not based on how they react to your baits. If I get denied, I might try a different bait but I won’t waste a lot of time, especially in our part of the World, where there are plenty of other fish out there to catch. Find the biters.

If you watched video of almost any professional tournaments last year, both walleye and bass, you almost certainly saw anglers in the front of the boat with their heads down looking at the screen. Watching these anglers is comparable to watching someone while they play on their phone, I get that part of it. It is just not as fun to watch as many of the historically popular techniques that most anglers can relate to.

Over the course of each season, I put dozens and dozens of people through my boat and I have yet to hear anybody say “this thing is no fun to use”.

In fact, it’s been pretty amazing how fast even inexperienced anglers pick it up. See a fish on the screen, then put your bait in front of them and then catch them or not. I hear people tell me all the time that they have no interest in getting FFS or using it but I compare it to ice fishing without a flasher or some sort of sonar. It’s just way more fun when you know there are some fish out there to put your bait in front of and then watching how they interact with your bait.

You certainly aren’t going to catch all of them, that’s one thing that you’ll figure out really quick. You can watch video of anglers using FFS and they can make it

I think part of the reason for the uprise over the past several months is that some anglers are taking it to the next level by putting multiple live sonar transducers on their boats. I get that this is infuriating for many because of the cost of these transducers and screens, costing at least a few thousand bucks per unit. It is unrealistic for most anglers. I am only running one of these transducers on my boat but as I watch many of my

Catching open water pike is fun with Forward Facing Sonar.

Courtesy of Wired2Fish

“If you’re fishing summer spots and they aren’t there, start fishing the sand. As the transition is getting underway, it’s still common to find walleyes

(10 Mistakes You Need to Fix continued from page 17.)

continued from page 18.)

spawning shoal, itself, these guardian fish fast for weeks and weeks, never leaving the eggs,” explained Paragamian.

FISH FOR WHATEVER IS BITING

“They start to move out to more open-water areas at first... sliding out around deep water: sandbars that come out from shore and drop to deeper water, sand flats, sand points and sand

How you set the hook depends on its size, diameter and thickness and when it is small, thin and razor sharp, a smart sweep of the rod tip is all that is required to nab every fish.

Bassmaster Elite Series competitors posting photos and videos on their social media pages of multiple of these transducers on their boats, it has made me consider if I’m making a mistake? We’ll see how the season goes.

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predatory responses in the form of reaction strikes. It’s heavy zinc frame fishes great both vertically or when casted, making it a truly versatile offering for a number of species. visit: https://www.northlandtackle.com.

TIPS FOR SETTING UP HUMMINBIRD MEGA-LIVE

I received a message from a reader last fall about catching big smallmouth, largemouth and northern pike. He had been unsuccessful in his efforts and asked if I’d help him zero in on the key depth. I flipped him back a note asking what species, in particular, he was targeting. He

My opinion on all of this is that it’s okay to have fun and catch more fish. Embrace the technology, learn from it and teach new anglers how to use it. I had several days last year where I had kids in the boat with me and I showed them how it works, then they were almost glued to my side for the rest of the day, watching the screen. They didn’t want to put their bait in the water until they saw a fish!

Glo-Shot Spoons are a killer on crappies, perch, walleyes, pike and trout. Cast or vertically jig... the S-curve design and light, lead-free construction excels with twitches, lifts and falls.

Now, there is no question that when you are fishing for walleye, as a case in point, that you may catch a bonus smallmouth, largemouth or northern pike. Maybe even several. But is it a huge mistake to assume it will happen and thus, go fishing without a specific species in mind.

“So, non-spawning guardian fish stay on the shoal, defend territory, and fast to the point of near starvation. Why?” I wondered out loud. “Well, why do most organisms on earth do outrageous things in the name of procreation?” retorted Paragamian. “One word: hormones. It’s primarily light and temperature, as well as other environmental cues that begin the cascade of hormones causing this behavior. There must be a mechanism by which they ‘know’ it is time to leave before their bodies give out completely. Bottom line, as long as the fat reserves in their liver hold up, they can stay.”

With social media so prevalent these days, it is easy to get caught up in the hysteria associated with a hot lake or new bait. Some folks will even post the waypoints of popular fishing spots. But if you know about it, so do tens of thousands of other anglers.

The new Magz Goby 3” soft plastic bait offers a realistic baitfish appearance and action to entice even the most finicky fish. The 3” Goby is great for both summer & winter fishing and for all game fish. Its soft body and active tail bring the Magz Goby to life! For more information, visit: https://magzmfg.com.

I like to take all of the range settings out of auto and set them in manual mode. This keeps the range the same all the time so it’s never jumping around. My forward range is usually set to 90 feet, which is about the length of a full cast. I move the down range around to fill up the screen with the water column, meaning, if I’m fishing in 20 feet of water, I’ll probably set my down range between 22 and 25 feet. Then adjust as you go shallower or deeper.

“Walleyes begin to move deeper as water temps drop toward turnover . Instead of looking for fish to be on top of

All of that being said, there is some responsibility amongst anglers utilizing live sonar to not exploit the fish by catching and keeping too many or even by catching too many fish in deep water, where they can’t be released. Crappies are especially susceptible to exploitation because they group up in large schools and they almost always suspend at least a few feet above the bottom so they are very easy to spot on these electronics.

Non-Breeders On Duty – More Bark Than Bite

“They will be in spots like the sharper breaks or on mid-lake humps that top out at perhaps 20’, rather than 15’, or in holes in soft-bottom flats where depth drops from 15’ to 20’.

If the fish start to disappear, we’ll see more rules and regulations that nobody wants, so take care of the fish and have some fun out there.

Sharing reliable, guarded, insider information with one or two trusted friends is a good thing, but relying on second, third and fourth hand accounts of dock talk

The Bondy Bait Company

I use to accompany the Conservation Officers and fisheries technicians who worked for me and we would pull alongside anglers and do a creel survey. I was always amazed when the folks in the boats were asked what they were fishing for and they replied ....

Finally, knowing the purpose of non-breeders’ presence - territorial egg guarding – explains why, as individuals or as a mob, they shun every living creature that dares invade their claim. Ciscoes are their primary antagonist, the target of the non-breeders’ disdain and fury.

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“Walleyes become more selective about where they stage. They generally locate on a spot-on-a-spot. For example, if they’re on a mid-lake hump with scattered boulders, they will be on the boulders. If all rock, look for the patch of sand. If all sand, look for the rockpile.

To be successful, you have to focus in on a specific species, learn as much as possible about its lifestyle, habits, behaviour and seasonal preferences. Then you need to use the information to select prime locations, the best lures and optimal presentations. To do otherwise is to take a shot in the dark, which almost always misses the mark. Leave the hail Mary passes to the last minute desperation plays for

“Because more and more walleyes show up on these few spots, more and more of the lake holds no fish. It’s easy to be skunked if you don’t pay attention to subtle differences on the structure.”

Stakeouts with my AQUA-VU revealed ciscoes making forays to the bottom to gobble up eggs and then retreat, vertically, to just below the ice. When so incensed, frenzied ciscoes will attack lake trout- sized jigs. On a united front basis, the burbot chase allcomers away from the bottom. But, because they won’t leave their eggs, they won’t chase vertically. This makes the ciscoes’ game plan nearly perfect and their siege is relentless.

Jeff Gustafson grew up on the shores of Lake of the Woods in Kenora, Ontario. He has made his living in the fishing community since he was a teenager as a tournament angler, guide, outdoor writer and fishing promotor. In 2019 he joined the Bassmaster Elite Series and has found some success chasing bass around the United States, including an Elite Series win in 2021 and a Bassmaster Classic win in 2023. In between competing in the U.S. tournaments, you can usually find him around Lake of the Woods, fishing for all species, all year round. You can catch up with Gussy on social media at @gussyoutdoors and www.gussyoutdoors.com. (The

8In forward mode, you have some different options for setting up the transducer. I like to run my transducer in 40 degrees (pointing down more) when I’m fishing deeper water or more vertical, under the boat. When I’m fishing in shallower water or doing a lot of casting and fishing higher in the water column, I like to run it at the 60-degree setting. From the pointing down position, 40 degree is four clicks and 60 degrees is six clicks.

I will never forget interviewing Kevin Van Dam, the winningest angler in bass fishing history, immediately prior to one of his four Bassmaster Classic victories. He had sequestered himself, miles away from the tournament venue, at his brother-in-law’s house. When I asked him To avoid the dock talk.”

from Northland brings the noise with a glass rattle and audible carry through water, all without killing its famous action. Anglers have long noted the benefits of vibration and additional sound in their baits, as fish cue on auditory clues to both help them locate and target prey of all kinds. The Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow still sports its trademark action, darting and swimming like a dying minnow, which triggers

(Continued on page 44.)

MANOTICK BAIT

Fishing / Hunting

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to the point where they now have over 100 dealers. Jon loves to fish, but he also loves tinkering with new lure designs and with new fishing concepts and techniques. His latest addition to the lineup, the 1.75” Bondy Bug Panfish Bait is sure to have fish salivating. The Bondy Bud is available in 30 mouthwatering colours and comes in a 20 pack. For more information, visit: https://bondybaitcompany.com.

If you were amongst the very first anglers to fish Slow Death for walleye, Ned Rigs for bass, Bondy Baits for lake trout and big double bladed Cowgirls for muskies you know the heart stopping feeling of riding the roller coaster to fishing success.

I count myself among the blessed to have been at the forefront of each of these trends. Unfortunately, nothing good ever lasts. Despite unbelievable efforts by a select few anglers to keep each one of the techniques under wraps, the secret got out and loose lips sunk

Each body of water is different and often requires some adjustments to the sensitivity and contrast. Typically, I like to run my sensitivity high, between 16 and 20 (the highest setting). The higher the sensitivity, the more detail you’ll see. With the contrast, the higher you set that, the more the screen will clear up, but you’ll filter out some of the weaker signal returns, so it takes some playing around. Usually I’ll run it between 8 and 10, but will turn it up if the screen is displaying a lot of “clutter”. Those are the only settings I ever really play with on my Mega-Live.

Makers of custom hand made injection and hand poured soft plastics Canadian Baits brings you a variety of quality custom baits at and afforardable price. This Canadian company offers swimbaits, craws / creature baits, ice fishing / micro, finesse worms and more. Great prices on their Glow in the Dark ice fishing plastics including

It is why, when you read about a technique for the very first time in a reliable source – like the pages of Just Fishing! – or hear about it from a trusted friend, you need to assess it immediately, perfect it quickly, add it to your arsenal and then milk it for all that it is worth, because every innovation will become commonplace, the fish will become conditioned to it and something better will replace it.

(Continued on page 19.)

SAT. & SUN. 8 AM – 6 PM We have worms & all sizes of

MON. – FRI. 8 AM – 7 PM

Northland Glo-Shot

Northland Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow

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Bondy Bait – Bondy Bug

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The Ins & Outs of Early

SPRING CRAPPIES

fish shallow bays, coves and channels with flooded cover that begin drawing fish shallow, often right after ice-out.

Early on, most natural weed cover is scarce in the extreme shallows; everything about four feet and shallower was mashed flat by ice cover. The best early cover is in the form of flooded wood like stumps, logs and fallen trees; reeds bent and broken by ice cover; lily pad roots; and flooded terrestrial grasses along shore. When crappies, bluegills and largemouth bass move shallow, they gravitate to areas providing these conditions where the fish feel safer than in exposed areas with no cover to protect them from gamefish, birds and other predators.

In early spring, casting and swimming a small jig over weed tops, adjacent to shallow feeding areas, is excellent for locating groups of active crappies cruising into or out of the shallows.

The most popular approach is to use a slim pencil bobber to suspend a 1/32-ounce jig, or a split shot and hook baited with a minnow or piece of nightcrawler, about halfway down in the water column, and toss it up near and alongside flooded cover; say, 12 to 18 inches deep. Let the wind drift your rig up tight to cover and hold it there, waiting for the bobber to go down, indicating a bite. Or use a long rod or extendable pole to dip your bait in and out of pockets inthe cover. It’s an up-close-and-personal, stealthy approach.

Rapala’s 2-inch, #4 X-Rap suspending minnowbaits are ideal for triggering strikes from big bluegills, crappies and bass in early spring. The fish are first attracted to the moving lure, then zero in on it once it’s paused and hovering above them.

deep and back again, during the first few weeks of the open-water season. This forces you to be observant and adjust your fishing areas and techniques to accommodate changes in fish position and behaviour (aka mood).

THE MOBILE GAME PLAN

Checking the extreme shallows in the backs of bays, coves and channels

(Embracing

from page 26.)

“bait of the year” a couple of times because

the hundreds per bait for some of the custom

This provides them with an array of options to hunt prey and to rest. Change your focus

creating a positive, stress free

warrant a return visit at dusk.

(Where Science & Fishing Meet continued from page 24.) Pull the nylon tape to retrieve the power cord from the sonar end. This

Ironically, the same invasive species that these fish are feeding on, round gobies, are quick to pounce on eggs and bottom fry if the guarding male smallmouth is angled. In my opinion, we might want to re-think this situation if we want to maintain the quality of these fisheries because it is clearly not consistent with our approach to managing bass in inland

always a good starting point. But if the fish aren’t there – at least now... or yet – don’t waste your time fishing there; move back out deeper to find them. This necessitates a casting approach to cover water and locate active fish, rather than fishing a sit-and-soak bobber tactic in known, fish-holding cover.

bait down in the water. Catching a trophy fish on a lifelike swimbait is a fun and effective way to do it.

your rod a jolt to rip the weeds that might have got caught on a blade. A bait casting reel with a high gear ratio will allow you to reel in quickly to trigger a bite but also to take up the slack when smallmouth decide

Rigging is fun, but if you’d rather catch fish instead or aren’t keen or electrical work, leave the task to the experts. Marinas and specialty tackle shops provide rigging services. Costs can range around

(Bet

While extraordinary, these tungsten lures are, at their core, bait-delivery systems. The main attraction is still live bait or attractive plastics in a variety of body styles and colours.

Start trolling by first watching the spoonfly rig at boat side to check that it’s running properly. This also gives you clues on the setup’s speed limitations. After gathering this data and you’re confident the rig’s running right, slowly let out line.

When it comes to catching a trophy pike, ice season is the best time to catch one and using a tip-up with a quick-strike rig like a Northland Predator Rig tipped with a dead cisco or herring is the number one way to catch one. It’s proven, hands down, across the ice belt. Set your bait about a foot above the

Fishing the graveyard shift from sundown to sunrise is popular on heavily pressured systems in the States. Chucking musky baits in the dark is a whole different game and safety is the operative word. Familiarity with the water, proper lighting, and a minimalist

If you have fished in any Canadian bass tournaments you have likely heard of marabou jigs and their use by anglers. Over the past decade the secret has gotten out on these little jigs, whose origin in tournament fishing started

tournaments in North America over the past few years than any other bait. It features premium components, starts to vibrate as soon as it hits the water and is a proven fish catcher. The CrossEyeZ Chatterbait is a new one that was released in 2020 that features a wire weed guard, designed for use around wood. You can keep the weed guard or pull it out and you have a great bait that has a quality hook and is more affordable than the Jack Hammer.

Visualize pods or schools of roaming crappies, slowly cruising their way across remnant weed growth, somewhere along a path between the shallows and the first drop-off to deep water. The more active they are, the more they’ll tend to ride above the cover and strike a moving bait. The less active they are, the more they penetrate down into the cover, although they may rise up to strike a bait moving overhead at the right speed and depth. The challenge is to slowly move your boat along this path, fancasting in all directions, seeking to

Tie off the nylon fish tape at both ends, leaving in place for future

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Jeff Matity with yet another jumbo perch –getfishing.ca.

fish shallow cover like docks and trees hanging in the water, a top tactic amongst Lake of the Woods anglers. Muskies in particular will patrol a piece of cover like a dock and a lifelike minnow imitator swimming up along the side of it is an easy meal. Cast parallel to the dock and retrieve your swimbait about a foot beneath the surface at a slow and steady rate.

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simply click on an icon attached to each body of water in the province and get a listing of the fish species in that particular lake.

Bite size is the right size for spring panfish!

Year 1 of the Next Cast Youth Fishing Program a Huge Success!

Drilling holes in a boat makes most anglers a tad anxious. Installing a transducer mounting plates will reduce the number you bore through aluminium. They look like a mini version of a kitchen cutting board. Mine mounted with with two screws. Once installed you can then mount transducers and other accessories directly to the plastic board, and that means fewer holes in the boat’s hull.

them out, let them get down in the water column for a few seconds and then start your retrieve. Much like a crankbait, I like to pause them a couple times during the retrieve to catch any potential followers, but for the most part these are cast and wind baits.

If avoiding the “weekend warrior” brigade isn’t an option, all is not lost. Many musky anglers aren’t morning people. Being on your first spot at daybreak is a solid strategy. Even though muskies are more active as the day progresses peaking in the hour or so before and after sundown, quality fish can certainly be caught at dawn.

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lures, your choice of line and wand is critical. Premium Sufix monofilament or Fluorocarbon, rated at 2, 3 and, at most, 4 pound test fish tungsten gems to their maximum effectiveness. Solid graphite or noodle fiberglass rods such as HT Sapphire and Ice Blues rods, respectively, have served me very well.

Most days my dead-stick rod’s rigged with a minnow on a teardrop jig, like a Lindy Frostee or Custom Jigs and Spins Demon. These long, thin jigs flicker as the minnow swims. A split shot six to 10 inches above the

In summary, I’m not trying to say that the sky is falling here. I am simply trying to provide a balanced scientific perspective about what we know and don’t know about these unique smallmouth bass populations. My information is primarily based on Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River, but much of it probably also applies to other smallmouth fisheries where round gobies are now abundant such as Lake Erie, St Clair and Simcoe. If we want to enjoy these fisheries for as long as possible, it essential that we pay close attention to the things that science is telling us about them.

creating a positive, environment for children.

Tip DIY rigging saves money, but it also gives valuable intel. Troubleshooting an issue’s faster knowing how the boat’s rigged. (Sidebar

IOver the years, anglers have become more confident in fancasting 1/16-ounce jigs and softbaits in these conditions, basically swimming the jig across and above the weed tops. Cast out, hold your rod tip high, and simply use a slow retrieve to tease the bait back to the boat. Hits can range from sudden tugs to the line barely getting heavy, depending on how active the fish are.

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Register products for warranty, software updates, and to be notified in the event of a recall.

n 2017, the Next Cast Youth Fishing Program launched with the focus of educating 10 to 13 year old children from the community. We’re not only teaching them how to fish but how to explore, face new challenges, meet new

tell when the blades stop turning. Always keep a firm grip on you rod, the strikes are vicious. Before setting the hook, I’ll take up the slack quickly allowing the rod to load up and then I’ll pull back on the fish. The days of slack-line setting are dead! Not only do you lose fish, but you run the risk of breaking your line from a powerful hook-set.

Ironically, the same invasive species that these fish are feeding on, round gobies, are quick to pounce on eggs and bottom fry if the guarding male smallmouth is angled. In my opinion, we might want to re-think this situation if we want to maintain the quality of these fisheries because is clearly not consistent with our approach to managing bass in inland lakes in this region.

Word to the wise... When fish are very active, don’t abandon your larger lead head jigs or spoons that attract with size and flash. Always gauge fish attitude and match with proper presentations. Match aggressive with size and aggression of your own. However, when you see perch or walleye, on your Humminbird or Aqua-Vu underwater camera, that torture you with their unwillingness to commit, take a page out of Tom’s book and go small and heavy.

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Z-Man offers a wide selection of different Chatterbaits to choose from. Serious bass anglers have certainly heard of the Jack Hammer. The high-end model that

And Once Again, Be Safe!

I tip my Chatterbaits with a Z-Man Razor ShadZ, a bait designed to be used on bladed jigs. I have been throwing them on a G. Loomis NRX+ 883 (7’4”) bladed jig rod with a Shimano Metanium MGL150HGB (7.1:1) reel spooled up with 20-lb. Seaguar AbrazX fluorocarbon line.

Tip: Fill holes in boat hull and coat back of board with marine grade silicone to seal. Let fully cure before mounting items to plate.

Do not ever horse the fish to the boat just because you are fishing with heavier gear, they’ll make you pay the price every time. If I know that fish is over 4-lbs., I’ll take

Gruenwald style jig. bottom and

You can also see which lakes are stocked with trout and the numbers that have been stocked in those lakes. You can look up lake or zone-specific

excellent success in these conditions tossing small, neutrally buoyant minnow baits like #4 X-Raps. Unlike the previously mentioned baits, these lures suspend when you pause your retrieve. Retrieves run the gamut from an aggressive twitch-twitch-twitch pause, to a slow pull with the rod tip, then pause while reeling up slack. Experiment to determine the most produce cadence. The key in all cases is how the bait hangs motionless and vulnerable when not moving, tempting a crappie below to rise, investigate and perhaps strike.

BullFly jig completes the realism of the snaketongue-like, forked hackle tail and bristly hackle collar. My brother, Jason, has timeafter-time salvaged a tough day searching out deep water perch from the vast lake basin. His metallic-red Bullfly with two red maggots and a shot of Pro-Cure Water Soluble Fish Oil fools gorgeous buffalo-humped perch. The reason for the Water Soluble Oil instead of our Pro-Cure Super Gel is because natural materials like hair and feather are easily matted down and smothered by the gel while the Water Soluble Oil is light and fly-friendly. It milks away clean and will not muck up your tungsten flies.

(2) Hanley, M (2016) Changes in the Ecology and Abundance of Smallmouth Bass in Lake Ontario: 1958-2014*. Queen’s University MSc thesis.

For larger soft plastic swimbaits, you want to make sure you use an adequate hook so find yourself some large 8/0 – 12/0 wide gap, screw-lock hooks. I like to use the screw-lock hooks with some weight attached to the shank

A reliable sonar unit gives you insights into the movements of fish, helping you tailor your approach to their behavior and increasing your chances of a successful catch.

Many apex predators in nature hunt in no or low light conditions. Power fishing productive areas before the sun tops the tree line can

The model for the program was to combine local youth with local businesses and to offer an outlet with the opportunity to learn. Studies have shown that fishing and the outdoors have been recognized as a benefit when it comes to

BATTERy T

(1) Nelson EJH, Holden J, Eves R, Tufts B (2017) Comparison of diets for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass in Eastern Lake Ontario using DNA barcoding and stable isotope analysis. PLoS ONE 12(8): e0181914. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.

Restricted and Non Restricted Fire Arms – New & Used Crossbows & Compound Bows

While backwaters offer walleye fishing opportunities in winter, rivers as a whole are dangerous territory. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, folks, stay clear away from fast flow areas, such as the main channel, and exercise caution at

through mid-October and over the past five years I have even won a few big bass awards with big fall largemouths that I have caught on Ned rigs.

Always details... Always a story for another day. Stay tuned!

*Data analyzed in this thesis was collected by the Lake Ontario Management Unit, Ontario Ministry of

• Hunting Apparel: Under Armour, Browning,

Most days a minnow Frostee or These long, swims. A split hook pegs While backwaters are dangerous clear away

Crappies have relatively large mouths, and #4 X-Raps resemble the 2-inch forage minnows common in their diet. Large bluegills are likely to strike them as well, even though their mouths are smaller. Bass have even large mouths and

a scientific approach to develop their products.

Southern anglers, in particular, use spinner jigs like Beetle Spins in these conditions, which provide the option to pause and let

Ontario is a hard-water expert and authorphotographer of the multi-award winning available at fine book stores, select outdoor stand-up style jig. The design keeps the bait off

About the Author: Jeff Matity

the ticket for shallow water trolling without getting snagged. More line is better when a lake has enough shoreline. Long-lining also helps troll deeper.

Disconnect batteries and shut off the boat’s master power when rigging. When done, connect wiring and power-up electronics and

the water column, imitating a leech or small invertebrate. I have tried every colour from olive to brown to orange, but black remains the most widely used and the colour most success with.

approach to gear are mandatory. It’s worth the extra attention to detail. Rarely will you encounter another boat of any kind.

his website at: www.gussyoutdoors.com.

could be holding a smallmouth and swim it past, never letting the jig touch the bottom. A 7’ – 7’6” medium action G. Loomis rod, a Shimano Stradic CI4 reel spooled with eightpound Power Pro braid is the ticket for casting

A Fishing Industry Professional for nearly 30 years as a Fishing Guide & Promotional Staffer, with Bachelor’s Degrees in both Science & Education, Jeff uses this training in his job as a Fisheries Professional & Outdoor Educator (specializing in fishing via family business, GetFishing.ca) to reach out to anyone interested in learning about fish.

What’s important to remember about this trolling set-up is it’s weighted. Stopping or

www.blackflylures.com my odds. It was the only time of year when I found that live bait really made a difference in my

My top bait choice is also my top smallmouth bait, a Z-Man Hula StickZ. It’s a four inch straight tailed worm that has a few tentacles on the end. It was the first bait a friend turned me onto for this technique back in 2016 and I have never really used anything else because it has worked so well for me.

fish producers that span decades. These locations attract musky boats like honey attracts flies. Expand your options by finding secondary locations away from the crowd. If you choose to fish behind another boat, use different presentations than

I’m probably going to lose some street cred with the hardcore largemouth anglers out there but the Ned rig is not only a deadly smallmouth bait, it catches largemouths as well. We have tournaments going on across Northwest Ontario on most weekends

tournaments for a number of years.

Use stout line, 16 – 20-lb. fluorocarbon, as it they’re so valuable to the reel! I also allow for a very small amount of slip in the drag, it’s a must if you have any hope of landing that fish as you need a little bit of give to pop that hook point into the mouth of that smallmouth. I sometimes like having my reels super-tuned by adding ceramic bearings as it adds to casting distance. Careful though, be sure you are not voiding the warranty on your reel.

each, I’ve learned a few tricks to improve my spinnerbait game. As a writer, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing some of the world’s best anglers and hearing them speak

Because of their light weight, marabou jigs must be fished slowly. I like to cast past a likely boulder, log or clump of weed that

Virtually every musky lake or river has obvious prime areas. Some have reputations as

with a live release bass fishing tournament. Teams of 2 were drawn from the participants, and then paired with one of the 10 anglers who were assigned the task of guide and mentor. They were responsible for each child’s safety and to assist them in implementing what they had been taught in class. These volunteers gave up a day out of their personal lives. Not only

fishing gear, pack essentials: first dry clothes, warm drinks, snacks, and an Otter Outdoors portable shelter for frigid days. Consider bringing along a

(Continued on page 20.)

Summer2015

to a new found hobby, it also opened him up to trying new things. This essentially has changed his entire outlook on how the world is. He’s not

In addition to catching smallmouths, marabou jigs are phenomenal crappie jigs and usually out fish live bait in my boat. When crappies move shallow to spawn in the spring, marabou

been recognized as a benefit when it comes to

Switch to a glide bait or a Shadzilla if other anglers are throwing blades or top-waters.

One tip for rigging is to always put a dab of super glue on the collar of the jig to hold to

(Continued on page 22.)

(Continued on page 33.)

(Continued on page 23.)

(Continued on page 37.)

(Continued on page 38.)

The program was structured around 6 weeks of in-class teaching, using a curriculum, which provided the hands on knowledge and tools for each child to practice the sport. in-class sessions, 10 with a live release bass Teams of 2 were drawn and then paired with were assigned the task They were responsible and to assist them in had been taught in class. up a day out of their

(Photos: Bernard Clark)

(Time to Weed Out Walleye continued from page 42.)

to the braid to provide an invisible connection to the superline, cushion hooksets and help prevent bite-offs from larger fish.

This setup allows you to toss these lures remarkable distances, feel bites and set

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If necessary, reposition the boat to contact additional biters. You can very effectively cast and retrieve an X-Rap in high winds that would otherwise drift a bobber rig too quickly past the fish to get a response.

bobber and live minnow, dangling the bait in their faces for an extended period. It’s not easy – but better than going home

In the past, anglers used to say that the crappies were either “in” or “out” in spring, meaning they were up shallow, relating to flooded wood or weed cover... or they hadn’t come in yet, and were still out deep, not worth trying to catch until they eventually came shallow. Nowadays, we know better. Crappies can be in, out, and moving somewhere in between, displaying

Admittedly, during cold front conditions, crappies may not be on the chew. Fish are likely to drop back out of the shallows, toward deeper water. They might hold in deeper weeds or along the remnants of last year’s deep weed line. They may simply drop down into depressions or holes on the flats near the mouth of a bay.

There are lots of great presentations that will work on these massive perch at this time and of course live bait such as emerald shiners always work. A standard dropshot rig works great with any type of live bait that you may wish to try! Just make sure that you obtain your minnows in the proper Fishery Management Zone and keep your receipt in case you’re stopped by the MNR/ OPP or York Regional Police. All 3 agencies will enforce any regulation violations!

In any case, when they drop down toward bottom and display a basically negative feeding attitude, they are unlikely to pursue baits moving laterally about their heads. You can possibly still catch them by hunkering down with an anchor and fishing with a slip

About the Author:

Because of the size of the yellow perch that we’re targeting, I recommend at least 7’ ML power rods like the Daiwa Aird-X models, which are great value. Pairing one of these rods with a 1000/1500 sized spinning reel spooled up with 6-8 lb. test braid and a 4-6 lb. test fluorocarbon leader and you’ve got a perfect “Jumbo Perch” outfit. The longer rod allows for greater casting distances and you’re also able to take up a lot more line when setting hook!

My go-to is some type of jig, I like to combined an 1/8 oz. Ultra Tungsten ball jig with either a 2 1/2” Z-Man GrubZ, a Grumpy

Another Beautiful “JUMBO” Yellow Perch from Lake Simcoe!

determine where and how deep they’re biting, and what approach they are responding to best. Always a good game plan for all species, in any conditions.

Bait Company Mini Goby or a Great Lakes Finesse Drop Minnow. I generally stay with natural colours, although there will be those days when the bright chartreuse, pinks & oranges will slay’ em! Sometimes running a “Donkey Rig” similar to one that we run for ice fishing will get you numerous double headers. On the top hooks, a Mini MinnFIN or Micro Grubby from Grumpy Bait Company work great as well as creature baits like True North Baits, Mini M’eh Fly!

Al Lindner ranks among the most renowned leaders in the fishing industry. Averaging about 180 days a year on the water, Al is hailed as one of the world’s best all-around anglers. Al’s long and honoured career as an author, syndicated radio & TV fishing show host, video producer, fishing guide, tackle manufacturer, lecturer and champion tournament angler has spanned 35 years of the most revolutionary years in sportfishing.

If you happen to locate fish over 10’ –15’, virtually any ice fishing presentation

(Continued on page 25.)

For

visit: Daiwa.us

Saltwater Tough Aluminum Frame

(Jumbo Perch continued from page 22.)

species,

type,

The lilac bloom, on the other hand, is the signal for television host, Jason Mitchell to take advantage of the hot summer peak walleye bite in the mid-west. He says most years it occurs around the end of May, after the water temperature has climbed

seasons during the first week of June. Forget about looking at the calendar and simply smell the roses, or in the case of summer peak walleyes, the lilacs.

SHALLOW, FAST & FURIOUS

Because the walleye bite is often demanding during less stellar calendar periods, many anglers assume the worst and start fishing

NO MATTER THE CHALLENGES, NO MATTER THE CONDITIONS.

NO MATTER WHAT

every day around deep structure and cover, using slow moving finesse presentations that rely heavily on live bait. But it is rarely the best strategy during the summer peak period.

“A lot of things work at this time of the year,” says Mitchell, “including trolling and casting crankbaits. It depends on the specific body of water that I am fishing, but I really like swimbaits and paddletails on prairietype lakes.”

“I remember fishing the summer peak for walleyes in the new feeder lakes that are connected to Devils Lake. As Devils Lake kept growing, it flooded and connected a lot of shallow wetlands. At first, these wetlands were full of small pike, but as they grew bigger in size and deeper, we speculated that there were walleyes in them.”

“At first, we started catching them through the ice, but then we began exploring the lakes in our boats. The fishing reminded me of what you would expect on a high end fly-in fishing trip to Canada. Huge numbers of stupid and aggressive walleyes that were often over twenty-five inches in length. The fishing was so incredible that we would anchor in one spot and catch over thirty fish without moving the boat.”

“We caught so many walleyes that I quit using lures with treble hooks, so I could release the fish faster and save my hands from getting cut up so badly. I would rig my clients up with a big swimbait and have them cast and retrieve it along shallow weed edges. I would, also, typically tie on a two foot long, 30-pound test titanium leader so I could grab it with gloves and shake off the walleyes because we were catching so many fish. I felt like a commercial fishing operator out on the ocean.”

IN THE WEEDS

Like Mitchell, Takasaki is enamoured by the explosion of fresh weed growth that occurs during the summer peak period, when his go-to presentation many days is pulling a crawler harness behind a bottom bouncer at 1 to 1.5 miles-an-hour. “I love it when the weeds form a distinct breakline in 10 to 15 feet of water, says the 1998 PWT Classic Champion.

“But if you’re getting hung up and it is difficult to get the bouncer through the vegetation, switch to a bullet weight.

I’ll also pull shallow running cranks over the tops of the weeds. And on a really good weedline, I’ll stop and toss a jig tipped with a minnow or leech into the pockets.”

An explosion of fresh weed growth is a favourite of former PWT Classic Champion Ted Takasaki.

Having several rods rigged is Nussbaum’s summer peak game plan as well, because he says you can catch the fish so many different ways.

(Continued on page 27.)

(The Walleye Storm Before the Calm continued from page 24.)

But his favourite presentation, especially when he finds a big pod of fish is casting an aggressive bait like a #9 Jigging Rap or Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ on a 3/8-ounce VMC jig.

“I fished a walleye tournament on Kinzua this past June with a younger angler (Ethan) from the area and the day started out tough for us,” says Nussbaum.

“We only stopped for a few minutes at a couple of spots because we couldn’t locate anything on the fish finder. After graphing for nearly three hours, we came across a mega school of walleyes on a wind-blown gravel and mud shoreline. My Lowrance StructureScan lit up with fish and I said to Ethan, “If these are walleyes, we just won the tournament”.

“I had the boat in eight feet of water and we were casting up into five feet. I was throwing a #9 Rapala Jigging Rap on a 6-foot, 8-inch medium-fast action KastKing rod paired with a Sharky III 2000 size spinning reel. Ethan was pitching a Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ and we put nine pounds of walleyes into the boat pretty quick, which is a good limit on Kinzua. The key to presenting the Jerk ShadZ is developing a popping cadence. I like to hold my rod high, pop it up 6- to 12-inches and then let it pendulum down to the bottom. I’ll let it sit there for a couple of seconds and then pop it up again.

“After we caught 25 or so fish doing this, they got a little spooked, so I moved down the shoreline and found

Having several rods rigged is part of Dylan Nussbaum’s game plan.

another mega school about 100 yards away. In three casts, we caught a 20-, 21.5- and 23.5-inch walleye to jump us up to nearly 13-pounds and enough to win the tournament.”

JUNGLE WARFARE

The most memorable summer peak walleye bite I have ever seen unfold came courtesy of southern Ontario magician, Frank Pugelj, who pitched a bucktail jig into thick weeds. I still wonder if what I witnessed was real.

Pugelj has won three Can/Am Walleye Championships in the weed choked waters of the Kawartha Lakes, where the tournament is held each spring during the summer peak period. “I don’t care where I am fishing,” says Pugelj, “I’ll catch walleyes in the weeds.”

He says that milfoil harbours the biggest walleyes, while coontail and cabbage cough out larger numbers of small and medium size fish. He also searches far and wide for weeds growing in water that resembles a cup of coffee. “If I can see down two-feet, it is too clear,” he says, “so I’ll keep searching for darker conditions.”

When he finds it, he hunts for the clumps of vegetation growing in ever so slightly deeper pockets of water. We’re only talking about 8- to 12-inches

of extra depth, but Pugelj says these spotson-the-spot are so superior, he never forgets where they’re located. “The hole may be only 20- or 30-feet in diameter,” he says, “but it will draw walleyes back year after year during the summer peak.”

BLACK MAGIC BUCKTAIL

And he mines the golden pockets with a black bucktail jig that he attaches to a short 5-foot 3-inch to 6-foot 3-inch, extra heavy action baitcasting rod that he fashions from a much longer muskie stick, cutting off the end.

“If your rod tip is the least bit flimsy,” says Pugelj, “you can’t rip a bucktail properly. You won’t feel a walleye hit it, either. I’ve tried all kinds of different rod actions and the stiffer the better.”

Spooling his baitcaster with 20-pound test moss green coloured Power Pro braid –30-pound when he is mining trophy-size

(Continued on page 28.)

walleyes – Pugelj never uses a leader. He ties direct and insists it produces the

ideal glide for the 1/4- to 3/8-ounce black bucktail jigs that he uses.

“I always use a dark coloured bucktail jig when I am fishing for walleyes in dark bottomed holes,” he says. “Black and red and black and green are my two favourite combinations, but any colour will work as long as it is primarily black.”

Standing at the front of the boat, his foot on the trolling motor, Pugelj pitches his bucktail into every pocket in the weeds. As soon as the jig touches the bottom, he rips it up. Occasionally, he lets the hair jig fall back down, but more often than not, he reels in the lure and pitches it quickly to the next opening in the grass.

“The walleyes hammer your bucktail,” says Pugelj, “you can’t rip it fast enough. But, other times you need to be more precise and move it more slowly. The fish are always there. You just have to adjust.”

(Side Bar)

WINDBURN

Frank Pugelj has made a name for himself pitching bucktail jigs into the bursting weed growth that characterizes the summer peak walleye period. And he makes it easier for himself by working into the wind, using a heavier 3/8-ounce bucktail, lighter 20-pound test braid and making short precise pitches to specific pockets. Fishing this way prevents your line from billowing, allows your jig to drop straight down and lets you achieve maximum depth and speed control. He says working into the wind is more trouble, but the walleye rewards are worth it.

VICIOUS VENGEANCE

Because my Northwestern Ontario Shield weed waters are much sparser than those growing in Pugelj’s fertile neck of the woods, I’ve taken his advice to slow down and pick apart the outside edges using more standard walleye gear like a 6-foot 4-inch medium

(The Walleye Storm Before the Calm continued from page 27.)

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A gar and crappie suspended in a fallen tree.

(The

heavy action spinning rod, teamed with a 2500 series reel, spooled with 15-pound test Sufix 832 Advanced Superline.

continued from page 48.)

(Hammer

continued from page 41.)

Therefore, the biggest females get huge. They can and will be eating full grown ciscoes and suckers approaching 20” in length. These female walleye are the titanic beasts surpassing 30” – 10-lbs. – that anglers flock to LML to cross paths with. Any missing link in the food chain, or hardship during yearly growth spurts, seriously impedes maximum growth potential. Therefore, genetics aside, trophy walleye are not born, they are created... By their environment!

From burning on the surface to deadsticking on the bottom, the Big Hammer is versatile and productive.

Rob has been fishing the lake for 60-plus years and has been outfitting for over 3 decades. He knows his lake, his fishery and the daily, monthly and yearly patterns of his walleye. His aura is infectious and time spent around him is good medicine! No lie – Rob has never “zeroed” with a guided group of guests in over 30 years! That’s right! No no “banana curse”, no “wieners for supper”! He must be a magician... Right? No... He’s The Magnificent German Leprechaun, remember!! Not convinced? Well, if it takes a “school of hard knocks” story to convince you, please oblige me, here...

Big Hammer Swimbait –Bay Smelt colour on a Hammerhead jig &

PRO-CURE Super Gel –Anise Plus formula.

The Storm 360GT is anchored by the exquisite 3/8 oz. 3D acrylic head with ultrarealistic eyes and 60-degree, 7/0 hook that reaches out toward the nose for a superior, well-balance, straight-retrieve presentation. The dense, rubber-like body withstands a barrage of toothy attacks. Swim through

In the sparser grass, the walleyes prowl the outside edges during the summer peak period, like street gangs defending their neighbourhood turf, and attack bucktails with what can only be described as a vicious vengeance. I’ll cast out a 3/8-ounce black bucktail jig – black with a core chartreuse highlight is my favourite – let it fall to the bottom and then gently lift up my rod tip the same way that I would if I was feeling for a fish. If the rod doesn’t suddenly buckle and try to fly out of my hand, I’ll let the bucktail settle back down until it does. The only time I actually rip the jig, like Pugelj, is when I feel it snag a strand of grass. Then I’ll snap it to clean the hook and let me finish my retrieve.

ALL GOOD THINGS END

area, it ends with the water temperature climbing rapidly and the walleyes moving off the flats and shallow gravel patches,” says Nussbaum. “The bite just gets progressively more difficult, as the walleyes move into deeper main lake structure areas. It seems like when they do this, they spread out more and don’t school up as much.”

That means trolling. Be it power trolling to cover water quickly or finesseful trolling, methodically scratching fish-after-fish from a small area, Rob finds the fish and then makes them bite.

Mythical Methods: Here are two examples of Rob’s simple genius, straight forward, finely tuned trolling tactics that are easily repeatable for maximum success. Like Rob, my rods are longhandled, graphite/composite rods with Cabela’s 20-Series DepthMaster reels and 20 pound test Sufix 832 line. These are quality, affordable, invaluable tools.

ZMAN HerculeZ in Opening Night colour.

Mitchell, Takasaki and Pugelj also see the size and number of fish drop off dramatically, and the action slow down, as the fleeting summer peak comes to an end. But until it does, they keep monitoring the water temperature, searching for vibrant weed growth and smelling the lilacs – for the walleye storm, before the calm.

to get down to the level of the fish and root them out of the rocks. Drag, rip or swim in shallow to mid-depths. Incredibly durable. I have my original HerculeZ that I fished all season last year. I caught 53 fish, on this one bait, without having to do any repair to it! LocTite SuperGel is the correct product for touching up ElaZtech.

About the Author – Gord Pyzer

(Continued on page 44.)

3” Swimnait Side-By-Side Comparison

Big Hammer, Storm 360GT, ZMan HerculeZ

Plane Over Unfished Waters: A trade secret, trolling planer boards, multiply the efficiency of a trolling spread by taking lures off to the sides of the boat. Fish are spooked into their path. Consequently, trollers can effectively fish three different depths simultaneously by setting out a shallow, medium depth and deep diving Rapala lure on the shallow-set planer board, hand-held rod behind the boat and deep-set planer board out deeper from the boat, respectively.

•Body – flat sided, plastisol round, ribbed, tough oval, fins, ElaZtech*

STORM 360GT Searchbait in Smelt colour.

Like all good things, unfortunately, the summer peak walleye period is much too short and concludes much too quickly. “In my

shallows and let the tail call in fish from nearby. When they approach, the ribbed body holds a lot of scent that seals the deal. Amazing search bait!

The Lesson: Back in 2008, I hosted my first G&S guided group. Having guided in some of the best lakes in Northern Saskatchewan, I was eager to tame some prairie giants for my guests. However, it took me a week scratching, gouging and even some gnashing-of-teeth to keep up to Rob and his group’s fish numbers and size. I was obsessed. I ran each day over-and-over in my mind, to pinpoint the source of Rob’s success. Then, it hit me... Rob operates on one primary principal to allseason success. What is the secret? It is “magnificently” simple. Rob “power fishes” to locate and catch fish during the whole open water season. You guessed it...

The ZMan HerkuleZ owes its snag-resistance to its buoyant ElaZtech plastic. The fact that it sits hook-up, nose down when resting on bottom, makes it an extremely valuable tool when it is necessary

•Tail – Patented “Square tail” Oversized bulbous round rectangle, finned

2009 Inductee, Canadian, Angler Hall of Fame, Fishing Editor, Outdoor Canada Magazine, Field Editor, In-Fisherman Magazine & Television, Co-Host, In-Fisherman Television, Co-Host, The Real Fishing Radio Show, Host, Fish Talk with “The Doc”, Outdoor Journal Radio & President, Canadian Angling Adventures Ltd.

•Weight – lead heads, 5/0 hook 3/8 oz. Rattle, acrylic, 7/0 hook** 3/8 oz., belly, 5/0

•Colours – 57 total (swimbait.com) 10 colours (rapala.ca) 8 (zmanfishing.com)

•Durability – soft, needs glue***, very tough, head/jig fit well nearly indestructible

•Fishability – catch-all, 4 season, shallow/medium depth, spring, incredible in rocks

•Where to find? –

G&S Exclusive Tactics: Rob pulls Rapala crankbaits behind the smallest Offshore Tackle or Church TX-6 planer boards. We find these little 6” boards indispensable in exploring the hangout of giant, lethargic walleye lounging in “no man’s land”. The “near-edge” is the often-ignored, limited open water immediately out from the top edge of a drop off – out over the

(Continued on page 51.)

WE CARRY THE FOLLOWING UNIQUE BRANDS:

Bins

Draws

Tough on Post Spawn Walleyes

with Cameron Tait

METHOD:

For the Love of COOKING COOKING

Simplicity has its benefits. Just imagine devouring a freshly cooked salmon or trout dish over an open fire, with one pan and a handful of ingredients, trust me, there is nothing better. This creation was from a few years ago after a successful salmon fishing trip on the west coast.

While rummaging through my cooler on the edge of the Cowichan River, I discovered some leftover salad greens, a few oranges and a small jar of honey… jackpot, that’s all I needed. I figured that was all I needed to enjoy a delicious shore lunch.

The trick to cooking most fish is to sear in a hot pan, caramelization is key! You will find that this cuts the fat of the salmon with a slight delicious crunch.

SEARED SALMON WITH FENNEL, KALE, HONEY ORANGE JUS

INGREDIENTS:

4 x 5oz Salmon or Trout fillets

Kosher Salt & Pepper

30ml Olive Oil

15ml Butter

4 Lemon Wedge s (Yield: 4 Servings)

250ml Fennel, thinly sliced

500ml Kale, Chopped, stem removed

15ml Honey

125ml Fresh Orange Juice

Preheat oven to 350F0. Season fillets with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat a cast iron pan on mediumhigh heat. Add olive oil then add seasoned fillets, sear till nicely caramelized on the first side, around 1.5 – two minutes, flip over, reduce heat to medium and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, depending on the desired doneness, remove fish and set aside.

Add the butter and sauté the salad greens, season with salt and pepper. Add the honey and lightly caramelize, add the orange juice and bring to a simmer. When finished, place salmon back in pan, garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Cheers!

Editor’s Note: Avid outdoors person, competitive angler, 2-time gold medal winning chef at the Culinary World Olympics and educator Cameron Tait truly loves being in the outdoors. Cameron is an active member of the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, Walleye Anglers Assoc. of Manitoba, Central Walleye Trail and on the Pro Staff team for Alumacraft / Suzuki and Minn Kota / Humminbird. When not pursuing his passion for the outdoors, Certified Chef du Cuisine Cameron can be found surrounded by mouth watering food.

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if you want to stay right in the walleye’s face. Light short hops and subtle movements speak their language, saying “eat me.” High hops or uncontrolled jigging catches a lot less walleyes. Chase your line with your trolling motor, make sure your line stays straight vertical if veers to the right, left or back, forward follow with the thrush with the trolling motor to keep it straight

WALLEYES

By: Brian Brosdhal

Tthe river thaw has started. As I’m leaving my driveway pulling my Lund boat, I see my snowmobile with the Otter Resort sitting on a trailer waiting for a super late ice adventure. But it will have to wait because it’s time to scratch the open water walleye itch. When word is out that anglers are launching boats on the Rainy River, the race is on. First open water on the Rainy River can be some of the best walleye fishing of the year. Along with the Rainy River, this is also primetime along the Detroit River a river or shall we call a straight between Great Lakes that becomes a walleye golden highway between the city of Windsor Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.

Up, Down or All

The first boats launched on the Rainy River as well as Detroit are local river rats upriver pushing a row boat with a small motor across the ice. They are usually on the water for a week or two before the influx of visitors. It starts on high current stretches which are the first spots to open on the river. The tributaries and run-off from melting snow chew up miles of ice overnight. With a little help from local skid steer operators cleaning the boat launch of ice and snow, anglers can launch every size and type of boat, which ushers in the spring river walleye fishing community.

In Their Face

Consistently catching walleyes on Rainy River starts with a chunky fathead or rainbow minnow hooked on a gold, pink or brightly-coloured Northland Tungsten 3/8oz. Jig Head. If the current is two -four miles per hour or less, down current controlled drifting. Walleyes on the rivers are tight to the bottom. Keeping your jig 6-12” from the bottom at all times is important

I had a fantastic experience with Northland Fishing Tackle’s Tungsten jig last year. The 3/8th oz. short shank fished heavier, keeping my bait in the target zone, slid through the current with ease and hooked up on a walleye every time. Short shank is great with rainbow minnows because you are able to nose-hook them. You can double-hook them on a long shank but they tend to slide down and curve on your jig. Shiners and fathead minnows are better for double-hooking on a tungsten long shank jig.

WORTH THE FIGHT

YOU DON’T NEED COURAGE FOR THE HARSHEST CONDITIONS. YOU NEED QUEST.

Mother Nature may be tough, but the all-new QUEST ™ Series from Minn Kota ® is tougher. These brushless motors don’t back down from a fight, built rugged with run-all-day battery life, integrated Humminbird ® sonar and game-changing power to push through to the spots where you can really prove your mettle. Choose between the all-new Ulterra ® QUEST – featuring push-button Auto Stow and Deploy – or Terrova ® QUEST for battle-tested toughness.

ALL-NEW QUEST SERIES

413 Lyndhurst

The old phrase “go with the flow” is well-stated when you are fishing waters with current. There are a lot of ways to fish for walleyes. Some anglers control drift downstream. The more water you cover, the more fish that are in your jig’s strike zone. SpotLock anchoring on Minn Kota trolling motors allow you to anchor anytime with the push of a button. The trolling motor will keep you on that spot until you disengage. With the SpotLock Jog feature, you are able to micro-move your position until it is in the strike zone. From a fixed position, anglers can jig vertically under the boat.

Go heavier if you are not making bottom contact. Using a Humminbird MEGA Live or 360, you can pitch slightly out and up-current and work your jig horizontally down-current and past the fish. Sometimes, I like to walk the jig downstream to fish I see on MEGA Live for faster bites. In the past anglers drifted in the Detroit Rivers fast current but advancements in technology using Humminbird MEGA Live forward viewing tournament anglers are learning there are key spots to Spot-Lock and pitch jigs into small slack water target zones. Sitting in current pitching to the top edges of sandbars in a deer stand waiting position for the fish to cross paths.

Pitching Perfect

I will pitch shallow current seams on the rivers but when I am in the mood for pitching, I head to humps, sandbars, rip-rap where the current has a slight break These are mainly wide spots in the rivers with slow current and some islands. My favourite thing about fishing on these bodies of water is pitching jigs.

I will use my Rainy River box of 1/4 to 3/8oz. jigs for 1/16 to 1/8oz. jigs. I like Northland Fishing Tackle’s Deep-Vee jigs and Thumper jigs with the belly spinner blade. Walleyes like chunky minnows here, too, but also hit on plastic tails like the Eye Candy Paddle Minnow or Jig Crawler add a little sent and let them marinade days before you go .

Lyndhurst

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This barely scratches the surface of the amazing new and improved products being designed specifically with ice fishing in mind. There are many, many options available. We haven’t even touched on the great improvements being made to ice huts, augers, reels, line, etc. It would fill an entire whole issue, possibly more if we tried to cover everything. Hopefully this feature will give you a starting point and get your investigative juices flowing.

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Both rivers are full of logs, boulders and rocks. While pitching shorelines or rock tops 4-8ft. deep on windy days, I regularly pull walleyes from 3-8ft. Short swimming, pull and pause. Walleyes will eat as the Paddle Tail is falling. On the upward jig, get ready to set the hook.

line twist and prevent cut-offs from toothy critters like pike.

In the Spring rivers are traditional destinations to shake the postwinter cabin fever out of your blood. Meet with friends and family for a remote northern getaway. Get on the water for walleyes. Gather around the campfire and share stories. Many anglers have been fishing here since they were kids because their families have been coming here for generations. And you never know if Old Man Winter will stick around or if Mother Nature has

to the lineup with a couple of new plastics, the Baby BallerZ and Micro Goat.

Detroit River has lots of suspended walleyes so fish them where you see them in the water column.

helped coin the name of the lure in honour of his excellent friend, Ned, who has turned it into a lure of extreme value with a cult-like following. “We were always comparing notes” said Gord. “We would email back and forth 4-5 times a day, for weeks on end, over many,

helped coin the name of the lure in honour of his excellent friend, Ned, who has turned it into a lure of extreme value with a cult-like following. “We were always comparing notes” said Gord. “We would email back and forth 4-5 times a day, for weeks on end, over many, many years.”

In the Spring rivers are traditional destinations to shake the postwinter cabin fever out of your blood. Meet with friends and family for a remote northern getaway. Get on the water for walleyes. Gather around the campfire and share stories. Many anglers have been fishing here since they were kids because their families have been coming here for generations. And you never know if Old Man Winter will stick around or if Mother Nature has something else in mind.

outside the boulder zone, you can use an upward flick of your wrist, followed by a drop of the rod tip, to make the lure jump up a foot or two, then immediately plummet to bottom, kicking up a cloud of sand/muck every time contact occurs. This really triggers strikes from aggressive walleyes trying to clobber the lure before the lure escapes on the next jump. Be sure to try the new Rapala Jigging Shadow Rap as well for a different fish-triggering action.

outside the boulder zone, you can use an upward flick of your wrist, followed by a drop of the rod tip, to make the lure jump up a foot or two, then immediately plummet to bottom, kicking up a cloud of sand/muck every time contact occurs. This really triggers strikes from aggressive walleyes trying to clobber the lure before the lure escapes on the next jump. Be sure to try the new Rapala Jigging Shadow Rap as well for a different fish-triggering action.

A closeup of the Yellow Perch Ultra Tungsten Ice Jig tipped with a Clam Motor Oil Jamei XL

Early to mid-fall is one of my favourite times to be on the water each year. The air is crisp yet not cold, boating traffic and angler competition are at a minimum, and big fish of all species bite, feeding to stock up energy reserves prior to a long, cold northern winter. That’s a combo you just can beat anytime, anywhere!

High or Low Water

They also introduced a new jighead, the Micro Shad HeadZ in black, pink, chartreuse and glow finishes. The Micro Shad HeadZ are available in 1/32 oz., 1/16 oz, 1/8 oz. and 3/16 oz. sizes and are poured on a 90-degree jig hook.

Zman ZinkerZ Coppertreuse PurpleHaze

My weapon of choice is a St. Croix Legend Elite 7’ Medium Extra Fast spooled with Sunline SX1 10lb. braid in green or hi-vis yellow. Top it off with 2-3ft. of Sunline FC 8lb. leader. It prevents ripping the walleye’s mouth and allows you a break spot if you are snagged.

soft plastics provide lift-drop lure action in deep water, although their increased bulk and water resistance usually do not allow you cover water as quickly as when using Jigging Raps. Experiment to see what works best.

“Outside of the little group that Ned founded and called, ‘The Finesse News Network’, it flew under the radar for nearly 20 years”, Gord told me during our conversation. “So, it is anything but ‘new’, although the fishing community is buzzing about the lure as the ‘hot new thing’. As a matter of fact, a lot of what are being called Ned Rigs these days are very far from accurate.” Gord further explained, “Many companies are calling any number of moon shaped jigs as Ned jigs. Likewise, company after company has named their smallest plastics as Ned this, or Ned that.”

I have seen people trying to launch boats that are frozen to their boat trailers because the air temperature is in the single digits. I have also seen summer-like weather and sunburned faces. there is a snow squall or a heatwave, you will find Heather and I chasing that 30-incher on a river somewhere in April. Good luck!

“Outside of the little group that Ned founded and called, ‘The Finesse News Network’, it flew under the radar for nearly 20 years”, Gord told me during our conversation. “So, it is anything but ‘new’, although the fishing community is buzzing about the lure as the ‘hot new thing’. As a matter of fact, a lot of what are being called Ned Rigs these days are very far from accurate.” Gord further explained, “Many companies are calling any number of moon shaped jigs as Ned jigs. Likewise, company after company has named (or renamed) their smallest plastics as Ned this, or Ned that.”

I have seen people trying to launch boats that are frozen to their boat trailers because the air temperature is in the single digits. I have also seen summer-like weather and sunburned faces. Whether there is a snow squall or a heatwave, you will find Heather and I chasing that 30-incher on a river somewhere in April. Good luck!

The location of the line tie on the top of the jighead makes them ideal for a vertical presentation such as used in ice fishi

situation. When people ask my what I think fish mistake the Ned Rig for my response is, ‘I don’t care what they mistake it for, as long as they’re biting it’.” Gord added, “If we’re fishing the clear waters of Whitefish Bay on Lake of the Woods, I like natural and neutral colours versus some of the brighter twotone colours in Kenora’s algae stained waters.”

I like to use a 7’ 1” St. Croix Eyecon spinning rod, medium power with moderate action, which is ideal for fishing Jigging

I like to use a 7’ 1” St. Croix Eyecon spinning rod, medium power with moderate action, which is ideal for fishing Jigging

Spring runoff can create high water on rivers at times, the launches can be under water, which obviously makes launching difficult.

Follow, like and share my fishing adventures on YouTube, TikTok,

Follow, like and share my fishing adventures on YouTube, TikTok,

The StingerZ, Tiny TicklerZ, Baby BallerZ, Micro Goat, Shad FryZ and LarvaZ are all deadly on panfish whether rigged on a Micro Shad HeadZ or tipped on a spoon or other jigging type lures. Coconut Ice Glow, Pearl, Purple Death, Space Guppy, Electric Chicken and Bumble Bee are all colours that I’ve used with great success in open water or on the hardwater! Again, please note that these are all made from the same ElaZtech material that their famous TRD Ned Finesse

Jigging Rapalas allow you to fish aggressively beneath the boat in deep water, providing fish-triggering lure action and the ability to move quickly to locate and catch fish.

About the Author:

FISH IT RIGHT: RETRIEVES, RODS, REELS & LINE

I don’t think the rig can be fished wrong. You can drag it, shake it, count it down and swim it. Just use a systematic method of fishing it from top to bottom and cover the bases. And while on the subject of presentation, Gord had some real gems of advice, “The most interesting retrieve that I’ve been writing about, where crappies and smallmouth are involved is the “Bivins’ Bounce”. Terry Bivins is a retired NASCAR driver from the states and he is an

ranks among the most renowned leaders in the fishing industry. Averaging about 180 days a year on the water, Al is hailed as one of the world’s best all-around anglers. Al’s long and honoured career as an author, syndicated radio & TV fishing show host, video producer, fishing guide, tackle manufacturer, lecturer and champion tournament angler has spanned 35 years of the most revolutionary years in sportfishing.

If the mood of the fish that you’re on ever goes super negative, there are a few things to try before abandoning them to locate more aggressive fish. If the fish are proving to be super tight-lipped,

(Continued on page 52.)

Many anglers thought that would make it poorer. But, once the YUM Dinger was fished and most of the remaining salt dissolved, it has more buoyancy and the tail wiggled a bit.

Many anglers thought that would make it poorer. But, once the YUM Dinger was fished and most of the remaining salt dissolved, it has more buoyancy and the tail wiggled a bit.

any part of the lower untit or hydrofoil find clearer water for your best opportunities, please note Rainy River is alot darker water than the Detroit River so you don’t have to see quite as far 6” in good for the Rainy. Detroit is gin clear but gets muddled from wind and waves lightly cloudy is ok if its keep searching you might be surprised

“Everything changed when Zman produced the Zero worm, made from their proprietary ElaZtech material, for Strike King. After the Zero’s success, Zman made their own ZinkerZ under the Zman banner. This super-buoyant, 10X tough worm greatly improved the Ned Rig.”

Jason Matity & Jeff Matity are helplessly, hopelessly addicted to the sport of fishing. The only thing they like better than catching big fish is helping others catch big fish. Whether it’s trolling for northern pike and walleyes, to jigging for trout, burbot and perch, pitching jigs to bass, or dunking crawlers for carp and catfish, they are Saskatchewan’s multispecies fishing authority whether on ice or open water. Matitysgetfishing.com

“Everything changed when Zman produced the Zero worm, made from their proprietary ElaZtech material, for Strike King. After the Zero’s success, Zman made their own ZinkerZ under the Zman banner. This super-buoyant, 10X tough worm greatly improved the Ned Rig.”

Jason Matity & Jeff Matity are helplessly, hopelessly addicted to the sport of fishing. The only thing they like better than catching big fish is helping others catch big fish. Whether it’s trolling for northern pike and walleyes, to jigging for trout, burbot and perch, pitching jigs to bass, or dunking crawlers for carp and catfish, they are Saskatchewan’s multispecies fishing authority whether or open water. Matitysgetfishing.com

Inclement Weather

YOU are invited to come along for the ride…

YOU are invited to come along for the ride…

This is the time of year when winter can bounce back for a day or two. On the other hand, there could be a heatwave. Up or down extreme barometric readings may turn the fish off, as well as muddy water on these rivers. But you can’t catch the fish at home. In my opinion, the worst bite in a boat on early open water is better than not going at all! I just make sure I’m

“IF IT SWIMS... WE FISH FOR IT...AND WILL HELP YOU CATCH IT! GetFishing ‘Cuz Fishing’s Magic!”

“IF IT SWIMS... WE FISH FOR IT...AND WILL HELP YOU CATCH IT! GetFishing ‘Cuz Fishing’s Magic!”

I always have my AFTCO Reaper Hoodie and my Hydronaut heavy-duty waterproof suit ready to go in the giant storage compartment in my Lund GL 219 I wear my Fish Monkey Stealth Dry-Tech or Wooley Gloves all day. I never have to take them off while baiting minnows, pitching and handling fish, too.

“Finally, Zman tackle took the lead with their ElaZtech ZinkerZ worms that are nearly indestructible and have the greatest buoyance of all plastics. Ned catches as many as 180 bass on a single Zman worm! Ned’s involvement in the research and development of Ned products at Zman resulted in the Zman Finesse T.R.D. Series (The Real Deal), the first pre-cut or pre-formed Ned Rig worms and finesse bodies. The Finesse TRD eliminates the need to cut a 5” ZinkerZ in half and comes poured in a 2 3/4” worm. Ready to go! No cutting needed!” So, I asked Gord, “What would you consider the best all-round Ned Rig today?”

“Finally, Zman tackle took the lead with their ElaZtech ZinkerZ worms that are nearly indestructible and have the greatest buoyance of all plastics. Ned catches as many as 180 bass on a single Zman worm! Ned’s involvement in the research and development of Ned products at Zman resulted in the Zman Finesse T.R.D. Series , the first pre-cut or pre-formed Ned Rig worms and finesse bodies. The Finesse TRD eliminates the need to cut a 5” ZinkerZ in half and comes poured in a 2 3/4” worm. Ready to go! No cutting needed!” So, I asked Gord, “What would you consider the best all-round Ned Rig today?”

Jeff & Jason Matity

Jeff & Jason Matity

Visit our YouTube Channel & SUBSCRIBE for FREE!!

Visit our YouTube Channel & SUBSCRIBE for FREE!!

“When Zman came out with the ZinkerZ and, now, the pre-cut Finesse T.R.D., that just perfected it to no end. When you fished it on any of the Zman Shroom mushroom head jigs, it was the Ned Rig personified. All of the colours and subtle hues that Zman and others have in their line-ups can cover any water clarity

“When Zman came out with the ZinkerZ and, now, the pre-cut Finesse T.R.D., that just perfected it to no end. When you fished it on any of the Zman Shroom mushroom head jigs, it was the Ned Rig personified. All of the colours and subtle hues that Zman and others have in their line-ups can cover any water clarity

Don’t forget to check your batteries before you hit the water. Start your outboard motor for a quick second and then test your trolling motor batteries. This is best done at home rather than

Jig Head

NedlockZ

Gopher Tackle

Mushroom Head

Jig Head

Zman OG Mushroom Jig Head

Zman

TONY ROACH’S JERKBAIT TACTICS FOR SPRING WALLEYE

Slow waaaay down...

The most important variable to experiment with when using jerkbaits or floating minnow baits in the spring is speed and length of pause. When Roach trolls suspending jerkbaits, he often trolls as slow as a 1mph. Slow speeds are often crucial and that also includes casting.

The other component that is crucial is working the rod and adding pauses... there are times when you can let a suspending jerk bait hang for 15-20 seconds and a fish will often hit after this extended pause. Many anglers simply work these baits too fast early in the year.

TOP LURES FOR SPRING WALLEYE

Roach’s favourite lures are often suspending. The classic Rapala Husky Jerk has caught more walleye for Roach than any other jerkbait but Roach also uses a lot of Shadow Raps and X-Raps. Roach is a big believer in the trigger of the pause that suspending baits have but will use floating lures like a classic #11 Original Floater where there is current.

CASTING VS TROLLING

Roach would rather cast than troll if given the choice and Roach’s favourite patterns include casting up onto large shallow sand flats or windblown shorelines.

Think large sand flats that have weeds later in the summer. Early in the season, the weeds haven’t grown up yet or are just coming up a few feet and a shallow-running jerkbait will run over these locations without getting fouled up. You can also troll these locations, especially after dark.

DAYTIME ADJUSTMENTS

Roach explains that many fisheries like Mille Lacs were always fairly clear but with the presence of zebra mussels, many of MN’s most renowned walleye fisheries now have extremely clear water. Wind or overcast skies can often aid in catching walleye on shallow locations but there are more adjustments to make.

These fish are often using this shallow water even under bright skies or during the middle of the day. The key is getting away from the boat. Make long casts. Use long rods, lighten up the line and be able to get away from the boat. When trolling, don’t be afraid to use planer boards to get away from the boat. If using braid, use a long fluorocarbon leader instead of tying direct. In this clear water, lean on dark natural colour patterns and some subtle metallics.

Our friends at Virtual Angling kick out a TON of fishy gems just like this one over on their walleye page. Some of it is free content, some of it requires a membership.

2

LAKE ERIE IS ON A HISTORIC RUN –

By Brett McComas

Roach finds that walleye are often easier to catch on jerkbaits early in the morning, right before dark or after dark on many lakes in MN that offer clear water.

The walleye hatch success has been well above average for 6 consecutive years, including the 3 largest hatches ever surveyed. Anglers will mostly catch abundant 2- to 6-yr-oldfish ranging from 15-24”. Larger fish from 2015 and earlier hatches will provide chances to reel in qualifying walleye (minimum 28”) .

Abundant young fish will show up in the catch and range from 9-14”, with an increasing number of 2-yr-olds reaching 15” as the season progresses. Anglers are encouraged to release sub-legal fish (the daily limit on Lake Erie is 6 fish per angler with a 15” minimum length requirement.) with as little handling as possible so they can contribute to the future fishery. In 2023, Ohio’s anglers caught and released more than 1 million small walleye.

I’ve only been to Lake Erie once, a couple years back, and it was absolutely wild… when mother nature would actually let you get out and fish lol. Water temps were about 37-380 F this early-April day and they wanted baits sloooow and high… we were running our cranks just 10-12’ down (over 30-35’) at 1.0-1.3 mph and it was game on:

I’d really like to get back there again one day… and cast….

area for other fish and anglers. Suspended, blissfully, in the open water adjacent to the feeding shelf is a brilliant strategy that seems unique to big walleye. Your Shad Rap, moving by at their level, often fools these beauties.

PARTNER WITH ALLIES – Conservation is rarely quick, cheap or easy. That means you can’t go it alone. Successful conservation work is often the outcome of partnerships that bring together individuals and organizations with diverse interests.

TWHO IS TARGET WALLEYE?

Tfish. As a scientist I have much to learn from anglers and anglers can certainly learn from scientists, but those interactions are unlikely to help anyone catch piles more fish! To say that I am a frustrated angler is an understatement. There are days – and we all have them – where I simply can’t get a bite. I have all the necessary equipment, I read all of the blogs and magazines, I spent 11 years doing university level education mostly focused on fish, and for the last 12 years I have been a professor of fish biology.

The OFAH & MNRF Renewed Partnership on ISAP

Angling clubs and anglers would do well to engage with lake associations and other local stewardship groups to identify area of common interest. Even groups that may be in conflict at times can find common ground around broader aquatic conservation issues. Without partnerships, aquatic conservation is doomed.

In other words, doing X will rarely ensure that we will have the outcome Y. Ecosystems are complex and pathways of action tend to be indirect. For example, if we can cool lake inflows by planting trees and reduce nutrient

Target Walleye – Walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jay Ku mar, Chris Philen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!

Screwy Spindoctor Secrets: When I guide alongside Rob at G&SMarina.com, I have as many as 4 guests pulling spinner harnesses. During a hot bite, our goal is to achieve a 100-fish day with multiple trophies mixed throughout. How? Precision boat control, all the while keeping 4 lines baited and in the water.

Sometimes it is just better to go against the flow on a river. To get bites in any condition, try slow dragging a 2 to 3 oz. bottom bouncer with a Northland Butterfly Blade Harness and a minnow or a crawler with a simple bead on a short 2 to 3 feet of Sunline FC fluorocarbon leader with a Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap Hook. Big walleyes can’t pass up a fat rainbow sucker minnow or creek chub slowly dragging upstream on the edge of a current seam at .5 mph. This will create strikes. Just remember, its bottom bouncing and not bottom dragging. Touch the sinker on the bottom every now and then to make you are near the bottom. This is a great approach after a cold front or if the river is murky. And there are times when crankbaits just work better on rivers. I keep my rod locker ready with Northland Rumble Shiners on St. Croix Eyecon trolling rods ready to deploy.

My go-to worm is the Zman Finesse TRD. It’s a ready-to-go option that I trim to length before threading onto the Spin Bait hook. Use two-tone options having distinct dark to light colour schemes that when energetically corkscrew create a strobelike flash of counter colour hues akin to the dark back vs white belly of a minnow.

Yet, I think what matters most is time on the water. I can look at a water body and say – wow, that looks like text book bass habitat – and not catch a thing. And then throw a random cast and hook a bass where they “aren’t supposed to be”. I think that is another key message – fish don’t necessarily follow the rules.

to keep livestock out of streams, that means we have better water quality in lakes. Better water quality means more healthy plankton and plant communities that support gamefish communities. Look beyond the easy actions that are often confused as conservation –such as installing fish attractors – and instead think about what you can do to protect and restore the entire aquatic ecosystem. That will make things better for fish, loons, kayakers, swimmers

he Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry have renewed their partnership to deliver Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program (ISAP)

Get

Rolling River

In closing, DO SOMETHING! And if you follow some of the guidance provided here, that “something” will hopefully benefit fish and aquatic ecosystems – even if indirectly. When it comes to ecosystems, rarely are relationships linear.

About the Author

The ISAP is a collaborative initiative led by the OFAH to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species to Ontario’s forests and waters and to protect Ontario’s biodiversity. The program provides information and guidance to industry, citizens, communities, and both government and non-government agencies to undertake prevention, monitoring, control, and outreach activities. With $275,000 in funding provided by the MNRF for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the OFAH will continue to increase awareness of the environmental, economic, and social impacts of invasive species and engage the public in prevention and early detection measures.

G&S Exclusive Tactics: Watch walleye eating spinner rigs at youtube.com/matitysgetfishing to see on-the-water footage showing how walleye follow a spinner harness, for a remarkable distance, before biting. There is a combination of visual appeal, vibration and scent that elicits a strike. The natural phenomenon that made the Original SloDeath hook a universal catch-all has not been well explained. The curved hook must marry with the bait properly to energetically corkscrew in the water.

Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye He was discovered in Brainerd, MN after years of wondering how in the heck people break into the fishing biz. He’s in it now, but still can’t answer that question…. Brett is one of those guys who majored in marketing, only because there was no such thing as a “fishing degree” at the time….

The Zman plastics cling to the hook remarkably well. They do not disintegrate with every strike as live worms do. Finally, the addition of any Pro-Cure SuperGel scent makes walleye slurp the worm without hesitation. These artificially intelligent adaptations increase time in the water / fish in the boat execution.

The underwater world holds many mysteries that fascinate me as a scientists and angler. Sometimes that fascination can lead to some minor frustrations when I can’t figure out where the fish are or how to get them to bite – but that is what keeps me coming back for more!

About the Author

Rainy River can get extremely rough at the Gap, Four Mile Bay or the long straight stretches where the northwest wind blows. I have spent many days fishing in rough water during cold weather and it’s hard to beat a windshield this time of year. This is one of the many reasons I choose a Lund 2075 Pro V boat with a Mercury 300 Pro XS for guiding, tournaments and fun fishing anywhere, anytime. I stay comfortable all day, no matter the winds and the waves. When the struggle is real, Spot-Lock into the wind and hide behind your windshield!

Dr. Steven Cooke is a professor and Canada Research Chair at Carleton University (www.fecpl.ca). He is also a Science Ambassador for #Keepemwet Fishing.

–

Dr. Cooke is a professor of fish ecology at Carleton University (www. fecpl.ca). He is an avid angler and advises governments around the globe on fisheries management and conservation. He is also a Science Ambassador for #Keepemwet Fishing.

In 2021-2022, the ISAP will be delivering digital outreach through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@invspecies), hiring a team of summer staff to deliver community-based initiatives, attending events and/or meetings, receiving reports of suspect invaders through the Invading Species Hotline (1-800-563-7711) or the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System (eddmaps.org), and continuing to support efforts to eradicate water soldier from Ontario. The ISAP will also be delivering aquatic invasive species outreach as part of the binational Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz, and through the delivery of campaigns like Operation Boat Clean and Operation Bait Bucket in the Lake Simcoe watershed.

Jason Matity & Jeff Matity are helplessly, hopelessly addicted to the sport of fishing. The only thing they like better than catching big fish is helping others catch big fish. Whether it’s trolling for northern pike and walleyes, to jigging for trout, burbot and perch, pitching jigs to bass, or dunking crawlers for carp and catfish, they are Saskatchewan’s multispecies fishing authority whether on ice or open water. Matitysgetfishing.com

Bottomless Pot of Gold? Walleye can live for several decades. A female’s egg quality improves her whole life and her job eating carp and suckers is vitally important to the entire ecosystem. Rob has a strict Camp Policy where pictures and measurements are taken of trophy fish so that his guest can still get a replica for their wall.

Jeff & Jason Matity

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I have an AFTCO Barricade rainsuit and, even in the rain, I am dry as a cork. I know I am not the only one who fishes in inclement weather. I have witnessed many anglers boat big walleyes at the same time I am!

“Over the course of 28 years, we have successfully raised

Just Fishing

Summer 2019

Just Fishing . 51

Fall 2021

The anticipation mounts for anglers like kids on Christmas Eve when the tree is decked out in its festive glory and presents are piled high around it… but we don’t hide the excitement as well as the kids do! We make plans well in advance and have many restless nights leading up to the big day. As soon as that alarm chirps its morning tune, whether we’ve actually caught some Z’s or not, we burst out of bed like racehorses bolting from the gates, brimming with excitement for the epic fishing that awaits us!

The excitement intensifies, fuelled by the flood of nostalgia as memories of past

My fondest opening day tradition traces back to when my father, zio’s and the older cousins journeyed north for the May Two-Four weekend. That was the pike and walleye opener across most of Ontario. Fishing wasn’t the main focus for them though – it was about escaping the city, bonding with the guys, cooking over an open fire, enjoying a few... or more... drinks, and embracing their inner woodsman.

and forged countless memories and wonderful friendships at Waterfalls Lodge, and now that our families are growing, we bring them up as well!

During her first trip to Waterfalls Lodge, my wife Megan and I found ourselves fishing right behind our friend Joe. Little did we know, Megan would reel in a fish that would become the stuff of legend for years to come! You see, Joe had been the one to show Adrian and I “the ropes” at the lodge back in the day, and we’ve been friends ever since.

Some great friends we have made.

– (Mike left – Joe right)

They let me join when I was 15 years old and for ten glorious years, that weekend held the crown as the best weekend of my year! But like so many things, it could not last.

Now, picture this: Megan is slowly twitching a jerk-bait back to the boat when suddenly, a whopping 34-inch walleye decides to make it its lunch. The sheer size of that fish, coupled with the unforgettable sight of its massive mouth inhaling the jerkbait right beside the boat isn’t the

Don’t get me wrong, I’m no stranger to chasing fish year-round! But for me, the opener isn’t just another day on the calendar – it’s usually steeped in some sort of tradition and the kick-off to what I’m sure will be an absolute blast of a fishing season ahead! Or, at least, that’s what I’m crossing my fingers for! It doesn’t get less exciting as the years roll by either.

With expanding families and conflicting schedules, a hiatus of the May Two-Four Fishing Trip became inevitable. After missing it for one year, my friend Adrian and I decided that tradition was too good to let die. In 2010, Adrian, Moe, Vito, Marco, and I embarked on our very own May Two-Four Fishing Trip to Waterfalls Lodge. We became regular visitors there

only reason this catch will be etched in our memories. The fact that Joe was right there when Megan landed that incredible fish at one of my absolute favourite spots on earth makes the memory all the more special. It’s like the universe conspired to make that moment truly unforgettable.

Megan my wife out fishing me on the opener.

Dad, Zio & Bruce cooking on the opener in the 80’s.

(Opening Day Memories continued from page 40.)

A few years before that, I found myself sharing a boat with Adrian on a day that seemed determined to drench our spirits with miserable weather. But determined to fish as much as we could that trip, we pressed on! Braving the relentless rain, we had a hunch that an inlet we knew would

be teaming with fish, so after dinner at the lodge we headed back out and straight to the inlet. What ensued was nothing short of magic – it seemed as the the fish where waiting with opened mouths at the end of each cast! It didn’t seem to matter what lure we used; those fish were ready to pounce on anything that dared to move! It may have been 10 years ago now that it

happened, but we talk about it like it was yesterday!

It’s incredible how experiences in a specific place can intertwine so deeply with the anticipation and buzz of opening day. It makes me wonder, how many days on the water throughout the entire fishing season can truly rival the thrill and significance of an opening day? It’s a day etched in memory, retold around campfires and dinner tables, eagerly relived with opener buddies time and time again.

The opener isn’t just a day; it’s a catalyst for creating legends and setting the standard for future fishing trips. It encapsulates cherished memories of fishing in extraordinary locations. It is not just about catching fish, it is a celebration of tradition, spent with cherished companions in special locations.

However you see it, the opener is truly special.

About the Author – Daniel Notarianni:

Born in Southern Ontario, Daniel founded Live 2 Fish in 2012 and his passion for fishing and the outdoors has taken him all over North America as a guide, writer, photographer and educator. From small creek brook trout and Great Lakes bass to snook in the surf and peacock bass in the swamps, Daniel loves catching fish!

Dad and Zio back in the 80’s.

Adrian and I with a double header at the Waterfalls Lodge.

Head For Cover

RRLET THE ARCH BEGIN

“Ninety percent of the fish are in ten percent of the water?” There’s a lot of truth to that statement, so long as you grasp its true meaning. For those of you who aren’t sure, it’s not suggesting that most of the fish in a given body of water are gathered in a single creek or cove. Instead, it means the vast majority can be found at the same approximate depth, relating to the same type of cover, at a given period of time. That, my friends, is the foundation for “pattern fishing”. Figuring out depth and cover is the key to finding fish on virtually any body of water. And it’s precisely the information any top level pro wants before heading into battle.

Time Is Money

In tournament fishing, every minute counts. Whether it’s practice or actual competition, time is limited. That’s why so many pros try to prepare for each event in advance. Scouting, networking and studying maps are all part of pre-tournament prep, and they can prove invaluable when trying to dissect large bodies of water.

Even on smaller impoundments, cover types can vary considerably. For instance, the lower end of a reservoir may be heavily developed, offering plenty of manmade cover, like docks, brushpiles, riprap and seawalls, while the upper end may feature none of these. There, you’re more likely to encounter natural targets, like flooded brush, willows and laydowns. With options like these, which direction would you take?

So now it becomes a process of eliminating nonproductive cover as well – keeping in mind that multiple patterns are likely to exist. Beginning to sound complicated? I bet. Now throw in the time constraints of a limited practice period and you can begin to see what we’re up against. While finding something obscure or overlooked is the goal, the fact is, most pros will start on the most dominant form of cover, especially when grass is involved. Whether it grows shallow or deep, pro anglers know grass is a magnet for bass, at just about any time of year.

If a lake or river is void of grass, then they search for other dominant forms of cover, hoping to figure out which the fish are relating to. It can be a tedious search, but when they eventually connect with the right size fish, determining its depth and cover preference will usually lead to more like it.

But what do the pros do once practice begins? Where do they start? Well, that depends largely on the pro of course, and how well he or she has prepared for the event. Assuming they’ve done their homework, most will try to apply that info as they break down the tournament waters. Others are less structured, relying more on their instincts or intuition. It can also depend on how well a pro knows the water. Having a strong familiarity with the lake or river you’re competing on helps, but it’s no guarantee for success. Even a local ace with vast experience to draw from can be fooled by changing conditions.

Let’s assume they have little or no knowledge of the water. What then? Most pros will try to go with their strengths... at least initially. Then they will factor in such things as seasonal patterns, prevailing conditions, available cover, and so on – keeping in mind that multiple patterns are likely to exist at the same time, and that any of them might hold the potential to win. That’s one reason B.A.S.S. tries to schedule tournaments on large bodies of water, so that anglers can spread out and have some options. Kentucky Lake, Toledo Bend, Guntersville, Champlain and other lakes of this size offer lots of options because their habitat is so diverse and widespread. On big water, an angler can usually find something that will play to his or her strengths, no matter what the conditions are.

Search baits like these can help eliminate non-productive water in a hurry. (L-R) Z-man JackHammer with Yamamoto Zako trailer, Hildebrandt HeadBanger buzzbait, Shimano Macbeth Flat, Macbeth Original & World Minnow.

Even touring pros get stumped from time to time. I’m walking proof of that.

Choose Your Weapon

While the search is underway, the pro is also in the process of fine-tuning his or her lure selection. And that, too, is a process of elimination. It’s important to know lots of lures and techniques. When fish are shallow, for instance, it’s a safe bet most of the field will know it, and chances are you’ll be fishing behind someone. So having a few tricks up your sleeve can really pay off.

The same goes for deeper water. Although structure fish may see less pressure, they can be finicky, and they can quickly cool off to a particular lure or technique. So you’ll need ways to fire them up again, which plays to versatility – knowing lots of lures and techniques. Remember, lures are nothing more than tools designed to work at varying depths, in or around various types of cover and/ or structure. So no matter how your selection is determined, what’s important is that its finely tuned and catching fish. The last thing any of us want is a bunch of randomly rigged rods piled high on the deck. That usually means you failed in practice.

Timing Is Everything

Okay, now lets assume we’ve discovered a solid pattern – one that’s led to some key areas where the fish are sure to replenish. And let’s assume we have the right lure and technique for making them bite. What happens if, for some inexplicable reason, the fish won’t cooperate? We know they’re there, but something has changed. This happens a lot, even for the pros. And how they react will ultimately determine their chances for success.

Other times we score, and we score big!

Swimming worms like Yamamoto’s Speed Senko are great for covering water, especially when grass is nvolved.

river system? Absolutely! Pattern fishing isn’t usually restricted to just a few locations. It should work on a large scale. In fact, many big tournaments are won by anglers who seek fresh, “new water” each day of the event. They’re so confident in the patterns they’ve established, they’re satisfied to run and gun, hitting as many similar locations as possible.

When All Else Fails

What about those times when a pattern fails completely? Well, that’s when a good back-up plan comes in. Although it may not get you to the winner’s circle, it might make the difference in cashing a check or watching from the bank. The bottom line is putting fish on the scales, regardless of what it takes. Believe me, even the most consistent pros are sometimes lost. Their primary pattern craps out and they’re left with nothing... not even a backup plan. In situations like these, many competitors will pick an area and just go fishing, throwing at anything and everything that looks good. And this sometimes works, but not very often.

So do you change lures? Maybe. Or, what about changing the angle of your retrieve? That might work also. But often it boils down to just one simple factor, and that’s timing.

(Pike

continued. from page 36.)

Walleye and pike can also be caught trolling minnowbaits and crankbaits. This includes running a bait over the top of weeds, along a deep weedline, or through water just beyond the weed edge.

Timing is everything. And it’s the angler who figures out the right timing who will ultimately excel. That’s why many pros make brief, repeated stops on the same locations. They’re trying to hit them at the most opportune time, hoping to trigger a key fish or perhaps a whole school of fish into feeding. Some refer to it as “rhythm”, and when it’s working, there’s no better feeling.

Flats

I’ve had some incredible days fishing flats where pike and walleye were feeding on yellow perch and other baitfish.

Rather than fishing aimlessly down a stretch of bank, I suggest something a bit more promising. If it’s a reservoir and I have nothing figured out, I try to put myself where there’s less water and fewer distractions – like the backs of creeks or far up the main river. I know by keeping my head down and picking these smaller areas apart, the odds of running into fish – even quality fish – can be better. On a natural lake or river system, I may concentrate on super thick cover, fishing solely for resident bass. Are these strategies guaranteed to salvage a bad day? No. But they have bailed me out on numerous occasions.

What if a pro has no key spots to cycle through? Is it possible to remain competitive by running a pattern throughout a lake or

While flats by nature are fairly uniform areas, there will be specific features where fish congregate. Examples include isolated rock piles, patches of grass, a slight depression in bottom, where a point extends off a flat, and the ledge where the flat drops into deep water. Cover water until you figure out what spots are holding fish. Then dissect these zones by experimenting with different lures and trying different casting angles to maximize the number of fish you catch.

Deep Structure

So next time you’re faced with an unfamiliar lake or river, do your homework ahead of time. Then, when you’re on the water, try to be methodical in your search. If given the chance, pattern fishing can work. It’s just a matter of determining the right depth and cover.

Follow Bernie Schultz on Instagram, Facebook and through his website

On large, deep lakes, walleye and pike frequently relate to deep, mid-lake structures and feed heavily on cisco, smelt, and other open-water baitfish. These locations typically begin producing in early summer as lake temperatures warm, prompting some populations of walleye and pike to leave shallow areas for deeper, cooler water.

Editor’s Note:

Casting jigs is productive on deep, sandy humps and other structures with minimal snags. Craggy, rocky bottoms are another matter. These are better fished vertically jigging a spoon, bladebait, or a soft-jerkbait on deep structure.

Trolling a deep-diving crankbait is another good strategy and an effective way to cover a lot of water. Pulling the bait through deep water and then across the top of a hump can trigger strikes.

Bernie Schultz competes on the Bassmaster Elite Series and serves as a columnist to Bassmaster.com and InsideLine.net. He’s also an educator and promoter of angling, representing many of the biggest brands in fishing – including Mercury Marine, Caymas Boats, Power-Pole, Fuji Rod Components, Shimano, Yamamoto, Hildebrandt, Garmin Electronics, T-H Marine, Power Pro and Don’t Die Lithiums. You can visit him at: www.bernieschultzfishing.com and on Facebook at “Bernie Schultz Fishing.”

& Walleye Mashup!

TIPS TECHNIQUES &

Location... Location... Location...

JIGGETY... JIGGETY... JIG...

simply because you will need to start someplace. The more you learn by fishing, the more you can refine the rules that govern the lake you are on that day.

TWalleye jigging encompasses a range of different lures that include blade baits, hair jigs, Jigging Raps, jigs rigged with soft baits, and, of course, the classic ball head jig tipped with live bait. Throughout the seasons, water depth, temperature, structure and the simple mood of the fish can dictate which jigging methods and lure options are going to perform the best. Every year, walleyes can be found in a variety of locations using these jigging baits. Taking the time to learn how, when and where to fish each option is simply going to enable you to catch more walleyes.

he steps to follow in locating fish under the ice is no easy task. Anglers heading out on lakes with little or no ice fishing pressure are in for some plain old hard work. Few anglers relish the challenge of finding fish on a new lake. Most prefer “following the crowds” and let their eyes be their fish finders. To some, going from one group of anglers to another is their form of “recon”. If you ice fish, you may not want to join the crowd or at some time you will be faced with the challenge of being the only angler on the ice, so here are a few tips to remember the next time it happens to you and you want to find fish.

PLAIN HARD BALL JIG WITH NIGHTCRAWLER

Your first step is to understand the kind of water you are going to fish. This will mean getting a lake map and looking at the types of structure you have available to you at this time of year. Remember, your ability to travel on a lake may be limited to foot power or poor ice conditions may limit the areas you can reach safely. It is always a good idea to know the roads and the various winter access points that surround any given lake.

Early in the season, when the water temperatures are around 55°F monstrous walleye can be caught using a plain hardball jig with a nightcrawler by targeting the tops of submerged rock humps in 5- to 8-feet of water. Success can be had by fan casting and slow-reeling the bait over the tops of the humps. Forward-facing sonar can be used to locate isolated boulder piles allowing you to swim the bait right through them. This technique is similar to fishing for smallmouth bass in midsummer when they are up on the crowns of rock piles. It is a successful presentation and a great way to target walleye in this particular situation.

When it comes to finding fish, every time you try to make rules as to where you SHOULD find fish, the rules change. Like catching sunfish at night, many would agree that sunfish don’t bite at night, but in some lakes, you don’t catch the really big ones until the sun goes down… go figure. Here are a few good guidelines to use to begin your search,

Another interesting jigging presentation discovered while fishing on Sturgeon Lake in Northwest Ontario is jig trolling. In midsummer a 1/2 oz. jig with a 3.5" Suicide Shad was used. Instead of casting the bait and jigging it back to the boat, it was dropped to the bottom and then reeled 3 to 4 feet off the bottom, while moving the boat at a prolonged rate of speed – around 0.5 miles per hour. The key was to hold the bait suspended off the bottom without bouncing it. This technique allows you to cover ground quickly in moderate to deeper water conditions. It’s important to note that many walleye anglers do not carry these heavier jigs, but they can be a game-changer in certain situations.

JIGGING RAP – A MUST-HAVE BAIT

One bait that all walleye anglers should have in their boat is the Rap. This bait has proven to be incredibly effective in a wide range of fishing situations. Whether you’re fishing in moderate to deeper water or shallow sand flats in the early season, the jigging rap can produce results. It’s a versatile bait that allows you to cover a lot of ground quickly due to its weight. One important tip when fishing with a Jigging Rap is to fish it erratically and aggressively. This means popping it off the bottom and dropping the rod tip back to the bait, causing it to jump right and left. This presentation can make a significant difference in your success when using the jigging rap.

Walleyes love deep, hard bottom areas. Crappies and perch love waters of over 30 feet with a super soft bottom, and sunfish love to hang off steep weedy break lines. Finding the right fish holding elements for the fish you are after is fairly easy with a lake map. If the lake has one deep hole, then you would start there for crappie. If a lake is a maze of structure, then it is best to break the lake into small regions that you can work without getting too confused. Your first goal on most lakes is to establish the edge of the weed line. Most winter lakes get far clearer then they do in the summer, and some of the biggest sunfish in the lake move into the old weed line for protection from predators. Checking the edge of the weed line is even better if you are near a point or inside turn where the deep water comes closest to shore.

Drive In To Spring

Courtesy of: Lindner's Angling Edge

June 29 – July 7