When the walleye action slowed down late in the summer many anglers thought the fish lost their teeth. It made sense; some of the walleyes that were caught had red looking gums and there had to be a reason for the lack of success. Even though it sounded good the old wives tail wasn’t accurate, in fact walleyes keep of feeding and downright heavy at times. It’s just that they do it where most haven’t gone before, out in the middle of nowhere. Those that stick with what they know and are afraid to try something new are the ones that need an excuse for poor results (been there done that), but if you’re willing to give the great unknown a try you might be surprised by what you’ve been missing. By mid-summer; walleyes that have been holding on deep humps, reefs, and even transition lines will ... [ Pound this link... ]
Slip Bobber Tactics for Walleye
Slip Bobber Tactics for Walleye ARE Extremely Effective When Done Correctly by Jason Mitchell For some anglers, the thought of using slip bobber tactics for walleye seems like a boring concept. Akin to watching paint dry on the side of the barn. Throw the bobber out, let the bobber sit and wait… and wait until a fish swims by. While you can just sit and stare, you can also fish slip bobbers with a much more aggressive mindset and if you fish slip bobbers correctly, you are hustling and adjusting the entire time until bobbers start getting dunked. Slip bobber tactics for walleye can be so incredibly effective because of the precision involved. You can stick or drift through the "X" for long periods of time and let good live bait do the work. A lively ... [ Pound this link... ]
Clear Water Walleyes – Clearing Up Late Summer Walleyes
Pro Fisherman Mark Courts had to adapt to nail giant clear water walleyes. by Ron Anlauf Things change, that’s the way it is. There usually isn’t much you can do about it either, except maybe adapt. When it comes to clear water walleye angling there have been plenty of changes, including water that has been getting clearer and clearer. Some of it has been good and due to more diligent efforts to clean up the environment like restricting agricultural runoff and limiting drainage from leaching septic tanks all of which can add to a lake’s fertility and produce more algae blooms and reduce visibility. The bad has been the spread of invasive species like zebra mussels which filter nutrients from water and can sterilize a system and limit the amount of forage available to plankton which ... [ Pound this link... ]
“CRANKTIMIDATION” Cranking ‘Eyes with Authority
Slam dunk crankbaiting techniques for busting the backs of summer walleyes (Crank-tim-a-da-tion): A fearfulness of crankbaits. Lacking the confidence to trust bodybaits. To be utterly intimidated by hard-bodied lures. Ex: “Tom suffered from cranktimidation, not having the confidence to employ the lure even when the fishing conditions were ideal for casting or trolling a crankbait.” Seems we’re always hearing the term “confidence bait.” It’s the lure you throw with your chest pumped and head full of self-assurance. Might be a jig. Perhaps a spinner and crawler dragged almost pompously along the bottom. Maybe even hanging a leech under a slip-bobber with your chin held high. You’ve hooked walleye after walleye on the technique over the years. It’s the first outfit that hits the water…no ... [ Pound this link... ]
Spring Time Panfish.
Spring Time Panfish My favorite time of year is quickly approaching. The time when the Red Wing Black Birds start arriving, when the call of the Loon greets my morning, and the chill of the crisp morning air hits my face as I launch the boat on to one of my favorite crappie waters. YES, I love chasing springtime crappies! Typically they are eager to bite if you put in the time to pattern them at this time of year. I usually start my open water fishing within 3-4 days of the ice melting off my favorite lakes. Shallow, dark bottom bays will attract the ‘bugs’ and minnows…and the crappies and ‘gils will follow as they are interested in putting on the feedbag before the spawn. A few people have the misconception that the fish are spawning during this early period, because when they clean ... [ Pound this link... ]
Great sturgeon fishing to follow rapid spawning
Spawning has been rapid, as anticipated, and this should promise some great sturgeon fishing when season opens later in the year. Today (April 18) was a big day for our fisheries crew on the Winnebago System. We had three crews working to tag sturgeon below the Shawano Dam and we were able to handle 700 fish. This was especially a productive day because we also collected and fertilized eggs for multiple sturgeon restoration projects, which significantly slows us down compared to just collecting and tagging fish. - Ryan Koenigs, sturgeon biologist, Oshkosh. Sturgeon spawning During mid-April to early May, Lake Sturgeon travel upstream to their spawning grounds, giving the public a prime opportunity to see these ancient ones up close. Sturgeon spawning is ... [ Pound this link... ]
In The Zone For Vertically Stacked Bass By Brett Richardson
The first migrations of the late winter / early spring can be interrupted by multiple fronts and high wind conditions. This scenario forces migratory smallmouth and largemouth bass to be stacked vertically throughout the water column, as both groups of big fish and solitary giants make their way toward secondary staging locations. Many trophy bass hunters experience good results with slower horizontal presentations during this early time frame until fronts arrive. The stacking bass factor seems to elude many, as bass tend to have a miniscule strike zone and are suspending. These groups of fish can be located in various depths through the water column and generally in neutral to negative mode. Throughout the decades, I've seen this scenario every season and have made a habit of locating ... [ Pound this link... ]
Spring Canadian Bear Hunting; an incredible cast and blast adventure
While spot and stalk is an option for black bear hunting in some western States and Provinces where there is more open range for spotting, the heavily timbered Canadian Shield typically requires baiting sites. Canadian spring black bear hunting in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan offer an outdoor overdose for hunters and anglers. Long days are often combined with close proximity to incredible fishing with evenings and mornings capped off with bear hunting. It's the ultimate cast and blast experience if you love to both hunt and fish. Hunters typically wait in tree stands over the site, which is really conductive for archery. Baiting the perfect location with barrels of frosting and other sweets however doesn’t necessarily guarantee that a bear will visit. Bears ... [ Pound this link... ]
Go Small or Go Home
by Matt Johnson Modern day society continues to push the mentality of doing things “big” and bold. “Go big or go home” is no longer just a term used on the sports field, but also rather in the office, at the factory, or even in the classroom. We are wired to take things to the max and “push it to the limit.” But what about fishing? Or better yet, what about those first few weeks after ice-out when the panfish are still in “ice mode” trying to find their appetite? “Go big or go home” might send you off with the latter, but “go small or go home” could be the ticket to an amazing day on the water. So what does “ Go Small or Go Home ” mean exactly? For me, it means keeping you ice fishing tackle with you when you first hit the open water scene. When you sit back and think about ... [ Pound this link... ]
Five of Fishing’s Diamonds in the Rough – the top Midwest fisheries
Easy as an angler to get caught up with that tide and chase after the most popular girl in the class, but there are some incredible opportunities at top Midwest fisheries that often fly under the radar. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and such is the case of fish popularity. Walleyes, for example, are held in snob regard across the upper Midwest. Trout purists hold down the west, and everyone south of Des Moines, Iowa, is obsessed with bass. Overlooked species provide an extremely high quality fishing experience for what is often trophy caliber fish. In some cases, these overlooked top Midwest fisheries are just victim of geography - in that they would receive much more pressure and interest if they were located in a different region of the ... [ Pound this link... ]