First let's chat about bobbers. A bobber is great because it allows us to immediately check the mood of the fish. The size of your bobber, which is a strike indicator and depth setter, is big factor. Generally speaking, I see ice anglers using too big of a bobber. Fish will feel that drag resistance. They'll blow out the bait…
Enticing what lies beneath an ice hole is a mystery, and as anglers we need to solve that puzzle. In our hurry-up society, that’s a challenge. I see too many ice anglers fishing too fast, jumping from spot to spot, and in general leaving too early. Guys don’t devote enough time to fully working with different baits and lures. Anglers…
Casting is very productive for fall walleyes, but I don’t see many people doing it. The same summer rules apply: Position your boat so you can cast at angles toward structure, vary your retrieve, and work with different colors and styles of crankbaits.Boat control is always important, and it needs to be very precise this time of year. You can’t go…
There are a number of 'best' ways to catch fall walleyes. Crankbaits via leadcore line or longline trolling lead the pack in my opinion. You'll also find me casting crankbaits at rock piles, reefs and green weed flats. When trolling cranks, I'll sticks with No. 5s, 7s and 9s, depending on how thick and troublesome weeds are. For casting, I'll…
During late summer and early fall patterns, walleyes can be deep, shallow or anywhere in between. If I've tried to convey one message to other anglers the past few years about fall walleye fishing, it's that walleyes likely will behave differently from one lake to another. People ask me about walleye depth in late summer. That's easy! The depth of…
I’m getting more questions about where to find big bull bluegills in the summer. For midsummer sunfish, I start in deep water locations. Monitor those spots near spawning structure.Sparse weedflats, deep water near spawning grounds, sand locations: Those are logical places to start and, of course, will vary a little especially this year thanks to all the rain that has…
Too many anglers associate crappie fishing with spring, then give up in the summer. Via some common sense, and a little help from your electronics, you can find crappies during the summer.There’s a myth that crappies strictly school and suspend during the summer when they actually can be belly to the bottom this time of year.Start by searching deep water….
Anglers I respect always recommend choosing your spots before you arrive at a lake, and I agree. There’s an old saying that still works for me: “Find your own fish and fish them.” Via lake maps, chips, and software, locate some high percentage spots before you leave your house.Heavy fishing pressure will shut down fish activity, and when it does,…
Color is definitely a factor when fishing. I see it on rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, everywhere I wet a line. Walleyes, especially, have preferred food sources, depending on the environment they live in and what’s available to them at the moment. And there’s a time frame when we’re “matching the hatch” for a current forage. You want your bait to…
Here’s a quick rundown of what I’ll have in my arsenal for fishing walleyes in May and June. My top presentations include: jig and minnow, live bait rigs, three-ways, a Guppy weight system, and crankbaits. Now, allow me to elaborate on some of these techniques.Crankbaits are an underused option, but more productive than many people realize. In colder water temperatures,…
As hard water fishing wraps up, it’s time to start thinking about spring river fishing or inland open water seasons. Here’s where those boat storage tips from last fall really pay off. For starters, before embarking on an ice-out crappie adventure, make sure that battery is charged. You don’t want to arrive at the access with a dead battery, and…
Many anglers bag on ice fishing by mid-March but if I can find good ice, I love late ice fishing for crappies, sunfish, and perch. It’s a great time for fishing, but attention to ice safety becomes paramount.Fishing’s good because snowmelt has rejuvenated oxygen levels, but that running water can cause problems, too.To monitor conditions, learn to read the ice. You’ll…
Many attendees at my seminars ask how many rods I carry when going ice fishing. My answer: If you own four or five ice rods, take them all. That’s the easy part of the question. Now the part that requires effort: What species will you fish? Decide, then have rods pre-rigged at home. If you’re pursuing panfish, take all of your…
I love targeting jumbo perch in March via spring bobbers and waxworms. Use a No. 12 ice lure, a panfishing lure, for tougher bite finicky perch. And don’t be afraid to bring the maggots!This winter, I’m using a standard minnow head on a small jig or vertical jigging spoon. I’ll vary the distance we pinch off the minnow head as a factor…
For years, dedicated readers and attendees at my seminars have heard me explain that I always hook maggots through the beveled end. That’s changing a bit, but one rule that’s not changing is the need for a sharp hook. Why? Because you want to pierce that outer skin on your grub, not annhilate it.I take my hook and slip it just…
There’s a lot of misunderstanding about what type of jigs to use for walleyes. In winter, short-shanked jigs are the way to go, not long-shanked. The latter are for adding a dressing, particularly in an open water fishing situation. Short-shanked jigs are for live bait only, and we want to use the lightest jig possible to be in contact with…
Let’s focus on how to target a specific species on a specific body of water. Different scenarios require different equipment, plus we need to understand fish behavior and the water we’re working. Water clarity, weather, fishing pressure, type of lake, and availability of food sources all play a role here.Before hitting the ice, ask yourself: What do I think is going…
How does cold water affect aquatic creatures? Understanding this will help us learn how to target fish under the hard water.Fish adjust to water conditions. Their metabolism slows in cold water, but they still react to light, sound, temperature, feel and smell. The reaction time of these cold weather creatures has slowed down, but they still need to eat.It’s hard…
During early ice, weedlines are very productive. We still have some green weeds producing oxygen, so this sets up a food web. Green weeds are key, so generally, these fish are going to be shallower, though this is all relative to lake construction. Here’s how to target northern pike under such conditions.Work one rod with a leadhead jig or vertical…
Sunrise and sunset are the key times to go ice fishing for walleyes
