Walleyes in Rivers in Early Spring
MISSISSIPPI FALL FISHING REPORT
Sliding Towards Slip Bobber Perfection
By Brian “Bro” Brosdahl with Mark Courts
The author, Brian “Bro” Brosdahl, spent many of his formative years experimenting with jigs and various soft plastics near his home on the Upper Mississippi River. He was one of the first to connect the dots between jigs and jerkbaits.
Admittedly, I’m a meat and potatoes sort of guy. I’m eyeing the porterhouse steak on the menu long before the canary food, organic “meals under 500 calories”. In fact, I’ll take the whole right side of the menu, please. This instinctive weakness for hearty meat translates to my walleye fishing as well. Nine out of ten times I’m elbowing my way to the biggest minnow, not thinking much about soft plastic alternatives.
Give me minnows, or give me death…or perhaps something less dramatic, but along those lines.
With that said, I mean no disrespect to guys who put their trust in plastics, sometimes choosing them over live minnows, leeches, and crawlers. Professional walleye angler and educator Mark Courts is one of those guys I respect enough to cut some slack. When it comes to walleyes on plastics, he’s one of the savviest on the FLW Walleye Tour. And to give soft plastic its day in court, I questioned Courts…pun intended.
“Walleyes crush them,” began the Harris, Minn. resident and native. “When a walleye eats a plastic, it’s game over. I’m digging in there with pliers to pull the hook out of the roof of their mouths.”
A certified proponent of live bait, too, Courts knows that plastic have their time and place. And without hesitation, he named springtime fishing on rivers and reservoirs as the foremost situations for busting out the plastics. Courts explained: “Usually, rivers run darker than lakes in the spring. Because of the turbidity, you need to offer them a big target, something with major profile. Plastics fill that role.”
Any broad generalizations about soft plastics end here. Courts is particular about his shapes and sizes. As far as spring walleyes go, nothing does a better job of imitating natural forage (baitfish) than a fluke, sometimes referred to as “soft jerkbait.” Typical to soft plastics, they come in more colors and variations than jellybeans at the candy counter. I’ve seen them as long as a ruler for oceangoing stripers and as miniscule as a blue moon in a box of Lucky Charms to imitate young-of-the-year baitfish.
Relevant to walleyes, Courts’ preferred size falls somewhere in the middle. This is a direct reflection of what foodstuffs are being preyed upon. Typically, you’re dealing with some variety of shiner, shad, dace or sucker from an inch to five inches in length. To no great surprise, the marketplace bares numerous makes and models in those sizes and shapes.
So recognize the general shape and size of the baitfish and you’re half way there. The other component, which Courts said is equally as important, is finding “the right body to jig ratio for the current conditions at hand.” Essentially, you want to hitch the jig and plastic to create the most natural presentation possible.
“With too heavy a jig it’ll lock in the bottom,” said Courts. “Too light, and it’ll tumble downstream and never make contact with the bottom.” In a perfect world, Courts’ properly paired combo “tics the bottom every six inches to a foot.” Now that sounds more like the true behavior of a live, river running minnow...
In order to achieve equilibrium given a wide range of current speeds and depths, it’s only logical to tote an array of jig sizes. And Courts does. “I’ll throw jigs as light as 3/32-ounce and go all the way up to 3/8 ounce if the conditions call for it.” Again, the goal is to keep contact with the bottom without becoming part of it.
A guy who competes professionally on the bass side, too, Courts is super particular about jig styles. “It must have an extra long shank for reaching back into the plastic body,” he stated leaving little margin for error. “A wide gap is necessary as well. The more hook point exposed the better for sticking walleyes in dark and fast moving water. Small hooks are easily missed.”
Last but not least, Courts’ jigs are required to keep a solid grip on the plastic. His top performer is the Northland Slurp! Jig Head. “A double-barb, BarbWire™ collar holds plastics better than anything I’ve ever fished. They hang-on for cast after cast and walleye after walleye.” Slurp! Jig Heads also feature the long-shank and wide-gap that Courts demands.
Maintaining holy matrimony, Courts couples his jig with a soft jerkbait that was designed to wed a Slurp! Jig Head. “Can’t get a better match than the Slurpies Smelt Minnow. The profile is perfect. The material is supple yet durable. And I have eight unique colors to choose from.” Additionally, the Slurpies Smelt Minnow is available in both 3- and 4-inch sizes, yielding even more match-the-hatch flexibility.
Rigged and ready for deployment, Courts discusses specific fishing situations where the jig and jerkbait tandem is especially effective. “After the spawn, walleyes, especially big fish, settle into current seams. A number of structures form seams, too. Wingdams are a good example. Shoreline brush and rocky points and fingers also produce seams that hold walleyes.
Best of all, most seams are visible on the surface.” Courts says to watch closely for speed changes on the surface, either fast to slow, or slow to slack or even reversing – an eddy. It’s all about fishing those edges, or transitions.
Wide berthing river bends are worth a look, too. Current sweeps hurriedly along the outside bend while the shallower inside is slacker and more conducive to post-spawn feeding activities. Keep this information in your back pocket in case the typical current seams aren’t holding fish.
Once a spot’s been identified, Courts anchors or “slips” downstream across from the target. Slipping is a method of boat-control in current whereby the operator inches ever so slowly downstream while running the motor – gas or electric – upstream to manage speed. Yes, it’s effective, but it also takes skillful navigation. Anchoring is the easier choice and lets you focus more on fishing.
Anchored or slipping, Courts casts upstream of ground zero at a 45-degree angle and “walks” the jig and fluke downstream. He holds the rod at the 9- to 11 o’clock position and maintains a taut line to feel every bump of the riverbed and hopeful wallop of a walleye.
This wicked jig and plastic combo isn’t limited to current-going walleyes, either. I’ll often throw it in flooded backwater areas. Later in the summer, on natural lakes, jigs and flukes can be very productive along deep weedlines for walleyes and largemouth bass. And if you’re into smallmouth bass fishing, there might not be a better one-two punch out there.
Okay, Mr. Courts, I get it. I’ll save some space in the tackle box for jigs and plastics. But don’t try talking me into dumping the minnows. I consider them comfort food.
Walleyes in Rivers in Early Spring
By Bob Jensen
Although there is still plenty of ice-fishing going on, some anglers throughout the Midwest are already enjoying open water fishing.
They’re on rivers, and they’re fishing for walleyes. Walleyes will eat a bait year ‘round. While they will get more aggressive later in the year as the water temperatures rise, right now can be a good time to get in on the action. The walleyes are willing to bite, they can be found in good numbers in certain areas, and it’s always fun to get the boat in the water for the first open water fishing trip of the year. Here’s how you can get in on the action.
First you need to find a place to go. That’s not difficult in most areas of the Midwest. Major rivers like the Mississippi, Missouri, Fox, Wolf, and Illinois rivers are great places to find walleye and sauger action, but there are miles and miles of smaller rivers that can provide action also. Ask around and do a little homework and you’ll find a place close to where you live that can provide walleye or sauger action.
Bait presentation will be pretty simple. You can use three-way rigs or blade-baits or jigging spoons if you want, but you really only need jigs, and you really only need one style of jig. In the spring, you can’t beat a Fire-Ball jig. Early in the year when water temps are still pretty chilly, a jig and minnow combination is tough to beat, and many walleye anglers will agree that there is no jig better with minnows than a Fire-Ball. It has a short-shank hook that allows an angler to hook the minnow in the mouth and out the back of its head so the minnow’s mouth is right against the jig head. This makes the bait look smaller, which is an advantage in cold water, and also increases hooking percentages.
Fire-Ball jigs also have a quick attach-detach stinger hook system. If you’re getting short strikes, a stinger hook will put fish in the boat. A stinger hook is a treble hook that is attached to the jig with a short piece of wire or monofilament. The stinger is hooked into the minnow a little behind the dorsal fin. When a walleye hits short, it gets the stinger. Tie the jig to six pound test Trilene XT or Sensation.
Try different areas. Some folks like to be right up by the dam, and, some days they’ll do very well.
However, there will be lots of fish downstream from the dam a couple of miles, and there will probably be fewer anglers.
Perhaps the most important consideration is current. Work the areas at the edge of the current very carefully. Walleyes will tuck into areas out of the current whenever they can.
If you’re anxious to get the boat in the water, walleye fishing on rivers provides the best opportunity right now. Make this the year you find out for yourself how productive rivers can be for walleyes in early spring.
To see the new 2010 episodes of Fishing the Midwest television on-line, go to fishingthemidwest.com or visit MyOutdoorTv.com
By Jerry Carlson
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Every now and then I like to spend some time watching fish with an underwater camera. Not only is this pastime entertaining, it is also educational.
It was during an ice fishing trip to Red Lake in Northern Minnesota that I had an interesting experience I will not soon forget. I was playing with my camera when I spotted a walleye coming in. This fish worked the outer edges of the house before taking a closer look at our offerings.
I watched as this nice sized fish came over to a dead stick bobber pole and sucked in the minnow. The bobber on the surface never even twitched to indicate a bite had taken place.
A second later, the walleye spit out the minnow and began cruising off. About this time, I picked up my Buckshot Rattle Spoon and gave it a couple of shakes. I couldn’t see the bite because the spoon was on the opposite side of the lens, but I felt the “thunk” and set the hook.
Over the years, I have learned that walleye have a real weakness for jigging spoons. There is something about the vertical, dancing presentation that walleye find irresistible.
Even though jigging spoons are a deadly lure for winter fish, I do not choose my lure without considerable thought. I have some preferences that seem to make a difference.
First of all, I tend to use a smaller sized jig than others. I have found that winter fish are not all that aggressive when it comes to eating. Many times smaller minnows and downsized spoons will produce more fish than their bigger counterparts.
I like a little noise when jigging. I believe rattle spoons will out produce others most of the time. The subtle noise created by a small rattle does not go unnoticed by walleye. Sound travels very efficiently in water so even a small sound is easily picked up by fish.
The color and finish is something else I am fussy about. Many of today’s lures feature holographic finishes that are eye catching even in low light. I especially like chartreuse as this color shows up in low light better than any other. Couple this with the fact that walleye see green very well and you have even more reason to try chartreuse.
I have never quite figured out what walleye like about a minnow head, I just know it is important. I guess it is all about the scent. At any rate, a minnow head seems to be key in getting a lethargic fish to eat.
The actual jigging action I use is quite varied. I will range all the way from aggressive to very subtle. Generally, however, I stick with rod sweeps of two to four inches with lots of light jiggles thrown in after the pauses. Most strikes come when the lure is dropping or stationary.
As for other equipment, I find a medium action rod with four-pound-test Micro Ice to be ideal. A well working drag is also a must.
Jigging spoons and walleye seem to go hand in hand. It is certainly not the only way to take winter walleyes, but it is a method that needs to be utilized with other winter presentations.
Mississippi Fall Fishing Report
By Mike Yurk
A cold, damp, raw wind blew down the river. Overhead, gray clouds piled up promising rain. In the days that I duck hunted this might have been perfect. But today we weren’t duck hunting. We were fishing instead on the Mississippi River near Red Wing.
My neighbor, Tom Parker and I left our homes in Hudson, Wisc, and arrived late morning at the dam. We pulled into a group of boats that were working off the shoreline in about twenty five to thirty feel of water.
I dropped my jig and minnow over the side, felt it hit the bottom, tightened up the line and lifted the jig. I had a fish on. The fish tore off as my rod tip plunged. I turned the fish and started getting line back on the reel. I could feel the fish pulling strongly against my light spinning rod.
I yelled for Tom to grab the net. It felt like a good fish. I had gotten most of the line back on the reel but the fish was still pulling way. Although it was not far under the surface I still could not see the fish in the dirty water. Suddenly the rod tip sprung back. I had lost the fish.
Although I had lost the fish I felt that getting the first hit of the day on the first cast was a good omen. However, this omen was fleeting. It seemed to take a long time before I felt another strike that resulted in a small sauger.
After returning the fish to the water I switched from a jig and minnow to a blade spoon. I had noticed that many of the other fishermen around us were using them and they seemed to be catching more fish. A few minutes later as I ripped the blade spoon up though the water I felt a fish hit. This fish was a little bigger then the last but it went back in the water as well.
Tom now abandoned the jig and minnow and switched as well to a blade spoon. A few minutes later I saw his spinning rod bent in half. I quickly brought my line in and grabbed the net. I extended the net, waiting for Tom to lead his fish into it. It was a keeper sauger and the first that we put in the livewell. Tom wanted a fish fry.
For the rest of the afternoon people all around us were steadily catching fish. The predominately successful bait were blade spoons. Color did not seem to matter as I noticed that everyone seemed to be using a different color and they were all catching fish. Tom and I used different colors. I was using a firetiger color and Tom, at times, was using orange. They both caught fish.
The jig and minnow is the most typical bait used on the river. We did eventually catch some fish on the jig and minnow but the blade spoon was the most productive bait throughout the day. We experimented with several different baits and caught fish with all of them. One fisherman close to us was using a long leader on a egg shaped slip sinker and told us that he was close to catching his limit.
We are well into fall now. The hunting seasons are all in full swing and in Minnesota the gun deer season is opening soon. By the sounds of the shooting from the marsh on the Wisconsin side of the river while we were fishing it seemed that, as I thought, it was a good day to be duck hunting as well.
Lake fishing is beginning to close down and it is not long before the first ice will be seen on our most northern lakes. The cold weather and storms the week before Tom and I were fishing had spelled the end of bass fishing for me so it was now time to fish the river. Another fisherman we talked to on the Mississippi had fished Mille Lacs the day before and had been skunked. But that day on the Mississippi he didn’t seem to be having any problems catching fish.
The Mississippi River is one of the best destinations to catch fish in late fall. Fall weather can be turbulent but has little or no effect on fishing on the Mississippi River. I have caught fish on the Mississippi in the worst weather imaginable. In fact, it does seem that fall fishing on the Mississippi River have a lot of similarities with duck hunting. Bad weather can mean good hunting or fishing.
For the next month or so fishing should remain good on the Mississippi River. I will normally fish the river until at least Thanksgiving and sometimes into the first week or so of December if temperatures do not get
too bitterly cold. One year I did fish in the first week of December when the temperature that day had a high of thirteen degrees. In retrospect, that was a bit crazy but we still caught fish.
The three most productive baits for all fall walleye fishing on the Mississippi are jigs and minnows, blade spoons and bait rigs. Blade spoons seem to work especially well in the fall. I think that the fish are actively feeding to fatten up for the winter and they are aggressive enough to attack such an active bait. For both jigs and blade spoons anything that has chartreuse in it, followed by gold and then orange seem to be the most productive colors. For size I usually use three quarter ounce so that I can get the bait to the bottom in the strong current
It was now later afternoon and Tom and I had only a few more minutes that we planned on fishing. I had just switched to a bait rig. As we were drifting, I felt a tap and pulled back to feel a fish tearing off. I quickly turned it as it fought the casting rod I was using. I heard Tom ask if I needed the net and I looked over my shoulder.
He was netting a three pound sauger. My fish was smaller so I just swung it into the boat. His fish was added to the other in the live well while I released mine. He had four sauger, including the last one he caught, and a two pound walleye. He was going to have a very fine fish fry.
By Tom Neustrom
The word positioning is a rather awkward way to begin a fishing article, but there is no better word to describe the cross meaning of the word edge.
For years, anglers in the know, have been fishing edges of every feasible type of structure imaginable and have found places fish inhabit that have amazed even the non-believers. Make no mistake, that fishing the edge of structure, no matter how big or small, will enhance your success and give you a better understanding of being consistent wherever you fish, and for about every species.
For decades, when the father of structure fishing, Buck Perry, tried to drill it into our heads that fishing structure was relatively an easy equation, no one could understand why certain species of fish inhabited different types of specific locations. Buck was way ahead of his time and to this day he passed on to many of us the theories that we live by today.
The Lindners understood the mechanics of edges better than anyone and were mopping up on fish where ever their fishing caravan took them. Fishing Facts Magazine and In-Fisherman were the angling Bibles of the industry for ions and they filled our heads full of ideas and theories that have created the foundation of why we put so much emphasis on locating and fishing edges of structure.
As a professional guide and one of creations biggest fish heads, I have always been intrigued by places that fish will position themselves. I realize that time of the year and food sources can throw a monkey wrench into the entire process, but edges of structure have helped me to be consistent. Walleyes, Bass, Northern Pike, Muskies and Panfish all relate to structural edges at one time or another, but knowing when and where to fish these primo locals, and for what species, will always be a challenge.
I love to catch any fish, but walleyes have always been my trademark and have haunted me at times with their attitudes. Years ago, there were thoughts of walleyes locating themselves in relatively deeper water and only coming out at night to feed. Those nonsense theories have come and gone and we know that walleyes are very adaptable to countless locations at many different times of the day. Excellent examples of structural elements where edges significantly play an important role are sunken islands, weed beds, points, inside turns, shoreline breaks, rock piles, standing timber and even open water areas that can define locations of walleyes. Forage is a significant factor that can at times dictate specific edges that we fish.
Early and late in the season, jig fishing is my bread and butter when it comes to fishing edges of most structural elements that I chase walleyes. It can be a search weapon when setting up on the edge of weed beds, a long protruding point, back trolling a break line, or fishing a specific spot on a spot. A Northland Fireball or Gumball Jig, tipped with a minnow, half a crawler, or a plastic Slurpie Tail, can be a tough hombre when it comes to quickly checking out specific edges for active walleyes. My second choice is most often a shallow or deeper diving crankbait like a Rapala Husky Jerk, a #7 or #8 Shad Rap, X-Rap Shallow, or an X-Rap Shad. Crankbaits are also great search baits and can trigger strikes in any given situation. Keeping your boat away from the edge that you want to fish is critical and in many situations can make the difference in being successful. Deeper edges where I may be backtrolling chasing walleyes are less susceptible to cause fish to be spooked because of the depth.
I use my electronics like a surgeon dissecting every nook and cranny of structure that I encounter. With my Humminbird 997 SI , I can pick apart the locations of different species of fish on edges, mark their locations, and then come back and fish them. Except for deep structure, many times I will cast to the edge believing that the species of fish I intend to catch are located in heavy vegetation or rocks that are at times impossible to read fish accurately. Edges have been ambush points for fish from their existence and provide just what is needed for the fish and angler alike to make contact.
Don’t ever get caught up in the statement “they just weren’t biting today”; for there is nothing further from the truth. One of my good friends and mentor, Al Lindner, told me a long time ago, “ there are always fish biting somewhere we just have to find them”. Have you ever noticed at a tournament or working with a professional guide there are always exceptions to the rule on a slow or adverse fishing day, and someone finds the fish that are biting. The good ones can react to change and have backup plans to inject into their game plan that make them successful.
Fishing the edges of structure, no matter their location or makeup, will put fish in your boat. Proper presentation and the right bait is important, but” living on the edge” will create a better understanding and increase your odds of angling success.
Sliding Towards Slip Bobber Perfection
Electronics play an important role in locating potential fish holding structure for slip bobber fishing.
By Jerry Carlson
When it comes to precision fishing, there are many thoughts and opinions on what real precision might entail. If you are fishing the great lakes, precision fishing might mean getting the most out of your snap weights and planer boards. However, if you are fishing finicky walleye, precision fishing may mean utilizing slip bobbers.
Over the years, I have successfully implemented a slip bobber presentation on many different lakes. It has helped me target northern on the weed line, crappie in deep water and tightly schooled walleye that are not in the mood to chase.
My most recent slip bobber fishing adventure took place on Mille Lacs Lake in Central Minnesota. During a fishing trip based out of Hunter Winfield’s Resort in Isle, I had a chance to spend a day with fishing guide and resort owner, Mike Christensen.
Although Christensen was adept at many aspects of walleye fishing, he had refined the slip bobber presentation to perfection. His coaching definitely helped me take the slip float concept to a higher level.
Let’s start with equipment. Not surprisingly, Christensen believed in using long, limber poles. His rods were all eight feet or longer and spooled with six-pound-test mono. Long rods are great for picking up line when setting the hook. They are also very forgiving when fighting feisty fish.
The floats Christensen used were fitted with a metal grommet in the top. The grommet reduced line wear in the float and allowed the line to slip through the center of the float quickly and efficiently.
For a weight, Christensen used a rather large split shot. He felt the heavier weight not only dropped his bait into the fish zone faster, it also slowed the drift on windy days.
The hook was also important. Instead of a single hook, he utilized a small 32nd ounce jig head. He believed the jig head not only added fish attracting color but more importantly, greatly reduced the number of gullet hooked fish he had to deal with.
Many times, slip bobber presentations are done in areas that are too rocky and snaggy to be fished in other ways. Rocks will not only eat sinkers and jigs, they will also devour anchors. For this reason, serious bobber anglers purchase a water-spike style anchor that can always be retrieved.
The specialized anchor was not the only adaptation Christensen made use of when anchoring in the rocks. He also used anchor rope that would float. This allowed him to motor over to where the anchor was and then lift the floating rope off of the water and concentrate on the anchor. The floating rope really simplified the process.
There is one more consideration when anchoring a boat. Technically, one anchor drop allows anglers to fish three spots. By changing the rope from the bow eye to a side cleat, a boat will shift to one side or the other. This allows repositioning without lifting the anchor.
Although Christensen targeted shallow water at certain times of the season, he really liked working deep rock for much of the year. By utilizing GPS and the LakeMaster chip (www.lakemap.com), we were able to concentrate our efforts on small, insignificant rock humps far out from shore that were identified on the LakeMaster chip.
Christensen went on to explain that the pattern he has found works like this. First he cruises one of these subtle humps to locate the depth at which the fish are holding. Once that depth is established, he will follow that same depth contour in search of more fish.
For example, on the day Little Falls angler, Mike Wood and I fished with Christensen, we located fish at 18 feet on a hump that topped out at 15. By watching the GPS screen, we were able to see the map of the area we were fishing and could follow the 18 foot contour line around the structure to locate isolated pods of fish.
Contrary to what most anglers think, Christensen did not believe the wind had to be blowing in order for him to catch fish. In fact, he believed he caught more fish on calm days because he had better boat control.
Although the wind forced us to anchor over most of the fish we located, there were times when Christensen would simply back the boat into the wind as we would toss our rigs over the side. As a general rule, active fish would bite within the first few minutes of dropping down.
When it comes to slip bobber angling for walleye, leeches are definitely the main stay for bait. However, on this particular day, crawlers produced as well as leeches.
To many anglers, slip bobber fishing may seem like a simple approach with limited capabilities. Although it does seem simply at the outset, a precision slip bobber presentation is very sophisticated and will often produce fish when other methods fail.
The best way to discover the merits of slip bobbers is to use them. Experience is the only means that one can move this precise style of fishing closer to perfection.
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