Walleye help...need answers please

[LEECH21]

Hi, I don't really consider myself to be a walleye guy or know alot on how to catch them. So I need some help for opener.

My friend and I are going to head out to a local lake, the same one we do every opener. I caught my biggest eye on this lake a few years back on the spot we always fish. It went 24.5 inches, not super huge.

So anyway on opener we are going to fish this lake. It is stained with about 4-5 inches of clarity. We are going to fish a spot where a swamp area drains into the main lake...kinda like a creek only not. The area is shallow about 2-3 feet deep and has some snags.

The question is that my friend swears by the rattle trap. He says it is the right lure for the situation. For the last few years I've believed him and that's all we threw. Most of the time we got skunked. But then again, that is what I caught my biggest walleye on at that spot. He says with the murky water the sound draws them to the bait. Oh yea, we will be fishing at night. But, we real in kinda fast that I think the fish are not keying in on the bait in time. Wouldn't a slower moving lure like a floating rapala work better? Then they can really zone in on the lure and smack it. Or am I way wrong? What do you guys think would be the best bet. Please, any suggestions would be helpful.

LEECH

[Shorelunch]

Rattle Traps are traditionally bass lures. That's not to say they can't fool a walleye. I'd try pitching light jigs and a minnow or the floating rap is a good idea as well. You could also try a shallow running shad rap as well. Another way would be using slip bobbers set up fairly shallow.

[markkstanley]

Rattletraps can be deadly on shallow eyes. Since there are two of you it is easy to experiment. Let your buddy throw the trap and you can twitch a floating Rap (I suggest a jointed one) or better a Husky Jerk or Bomber A which rattle enough. Fish will tell you what to throw. If neither are doing the job then the jigs are the next step. I suspect though that while that spot has an occasional big walleye it may not be a numbers spot. That's why I would start with cranks to cover the area for any active fish.

[Bushwacker]

Is trolling an option for you guys? When all else fails my buddy and I alway resort to trolling. He always trolls some sort of Rattle Trap and I go through Rattling Rogues, Shad Raps, Grappling Shads,ect. While I run through 10 trays of crankbaits and minnow-type lures, he always does just as well sticking with the one rattle trap. It is very versatile because they work in 5 ft or 25 ft. If you are trolling or casting, they seem most effective on 'eyes when you vary the speed, either pump the rod, or vary your retrieve.

[abens1078]

Leech, I'd try just about everything in the tacklebox so to speak. Pitch the jigs or slip bobber near those snags, experiment as mentioned above and also I'd try a suspending plug with a minnow head or crawler chunk on the back. Maybe a sent trail will help out to.

Abens1078

[musky hunter]

Dark water walleyes can be the easiest to catch. Walleyes can feed in pitch black darkness. The rattling lure is a good choice but not the only choice. Pitching jigs and minnows to weed bed edges, bobbers, all kinds of cranks, will probably work. How about trolling a worm or a minnow? Experiment and find a method that works for you and get good at it. If a method doesn't work in 15-20 minutes, try something different. Might even try some Berkely gulp, scent might work better than sound. Point is, have a plan A, B, C, etc. and keep changing till your satisfied.

[CNY Tim]

Slow crank a super roque (Clown) caught my biggest walleye on it 30" and on the next cast a 28". This bait has the best wobble action I have seen on slow reteieves and it rattles. If that doesn't work I would go with a large shallow shap rap sam slow methodic crank. Both baits are excellent in these situation also try Yozuri pin minnows when there a little finicky and not slashing the big stuff.

[Tonka Boy]

In this situation there are two methods I prefer (early season). First, the good old jig and plastics, or live bait. Pitch it out and SLOWLY drag it back to the boat. Any dead weight, set the hook! Those whistler jigs or techni-glow are good options...glow is a plus in stained water. Otherwise I would opt for a DT-4 or DT-6 to fan cast the area. Long profile baits seem to work better later in the season when forage is bigger. While the forage is still small, I like to stay with short and fat.

One other important thing to remember is these fish are spooky in shallow water. Even though it's stained and they can't see you, keep the noise to a minimum. Make long casts.

Give this a shot. If the fish are still there and conditions are good, you'll most likely have your buddy switching up in no time.

[CALVINIST]

Since you are fishing water that is thick, I would think walleyes would much more likely respond to baits that give off alot of vibration. Rattle traps, in-line spinner baits, bucktails, are cranks you might want to try. Reef Runners might work too; my brother caught two nice eyes on Chartruese in water with clarity of half inch.

[Fisher Dave]

I think I would try a simple lighted bobber and a Jumbo leech. This sounds like a pretty small, shallow area where whatever fish are feeding are going to be pretty easy to pinpoint... at least roughly.

Sometimes a more subtle presentation is better, especially int he shallows. Walking a shoreline, or constantly repositioning a boat can make a ton of comotion that can shut down fish in a hurry... Sitting tight in the darkness with a lighted bobber can be deadly, especially in confined areas... it's a bit more of a shot in the dark on a huge, shallow flat, but that doesnt sound like what this spot is about.

[Surface Tension]

With that shallow area next to the main lake I'd be looking for a day when the wind blows that warm water out of that shallow bay and into the lake. What the lake contour and bottom content is adjacent to the shallow bay would dictate what presentaion I'd be using. Typicaly when that water rolls out of the shallows its going to curl around either point on the main lake depending on wind direction. You'd be ammased how close to shore you'll find the eyes when that happens. Just like the wind they're here today gone tomorrow but they won't go that far from the entrance to that shallow bay and they'll wait till that wind is blowing that warm water out again. They'll just drop back into deeper water. Stick a clump of weeds out there that made it throught the winter and I'd be throwing jigs. Any type of structure and again I'd be working the area for a consintration of eyes with a jig. When you find something like this it really dosen't take that long to figuer out whats going on and were those eyes are relating to the situation.

[Note from admin-

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[pikerliker]

Hey CNY Tim what exactly is a super roque? I've never heard of that? I have had luck with shallow eye's at dusk with a spinner bait with a head that lights up tipped with a jumbo leach. Also just a jumbo leach or minnow under a lighted bobber.

~piker

[LEECH21]

Thanks guys for all the replies. I think I give it all a shot. Every idea is worth a try. I only hope now the weather will cooperate. Wish me luck!

[CNY Tim]

Smithwick Suspending Super Rattling Rogues

These ripbaits are effective and easy to use and more importantly, they catch fish. The finishes may not be as exotic as some of the new Japanese baits on the market today, but the action of these baits as they are jerked or super-slow cranked through the water is erratic and unique and will trigger a strike response in walleyes. The clown pattern is my favorite. Since they rattle, walleyes or bass will be able to locate them easily in muddy or stained water conditions. Since they suspend, you can fish them slowly and walleyes will be able to catch up to them and hammer them. In clear water conditions, the jerk-jerk-pause retrieve will drive fish mad with the erratic escaping prey look and they will hit the Rogues hard. These ripbaits come equipped with the deadly Excalibur Rotating Treble Hook. It is ultra-sharp and hard for the fish to shake loose when they are hooked.

Another favorite of mine is the Rapala Husky jerk silver and black it's like 4" long and my favorite on clear watered lakes and rivers.

One thing that helped me immensely about choosing suspending baits was an In-Fisherman article by Doug Stange that said if you want big walleyes use big baits and boy was he right on. One of my favorite tactics is when fishing a creek channel while wading I will cast directly across the channel and crank it down into the channel pause it and give it a couple of quick rips and pause and WHAM!!! If the eyes are there they will murder it.

[Ole #1]

Light up slip bobber, split shot and a red gamagatsu hook. A leech, rainbow chub, or shiner will work great. This method of fishing at night is very relaxing and is very productive.

Ole

[Ole1855]

I second Ole #1's response, there's nothing more exciting for me to be out on a dark calm nite, before the bugs come out, watching a lighted bobber slowly slip under the water.

Ole