Tip of the weekWalleyes are what most anglers want to fish for when they call or email me. I grew up fishing on shore as a kid and the fish that I could never get was a walleye. It became a prize to catch, this might be true for others as well - tough to catch fish become a sought after fish.
One reason walleyes aren't easy to get is they can be finicky, here lies the tip finicky fish are hook size sensitive. Bait anglers often ponder the question to use a # 4 or #6 hook for fatheads, leeches, and crawlers. The first thing you need to know is that larger hooks land more fish and larger hooks snag up a lot more. Smaller hooks get more bites though. Its a balancing act. There is also what I call the rule of hook and bait size relativity. The hook and the bait size have a rule that the relation needs to be the same where a small bait is paired with a small hook. A large bait is paired with a large hook. It is a huge mistake to use too big a hook. |
So should you walleye gals and guys use a 4 or a 6? This depends on baitsize, snags, and current. More flow lets you use a larger hook ( but not in snags and flow... there is always a caveat.)
There is also line diameter considerations 4 pound test does not work with a #4 hook as there is too much stretch in 4 pound mono to drive home the hook. Smaller hooks slip into the fishes mouth easier as they are thinner. Mono stretches. This comes back to my theory of a tight drag when fishing mono and thus the rear drag spinning reel is superior. I wrote about this on my "Turks Column." So the answer is there is no set answer its another example of how you need to think out there. THAT is if you ever do anything different. If you do the same thing every outing then sure you could settle on one hook over the other. But if you have dozens of spots you fish then you need to consider using different hooks. This is all stuff to have fun with. This geeky fishing stuff is fun. Don't stress it. Enjoy this food for thought! |
Tip of the Week - The line tie
The lower jaw of the needle nose is on the line tie. The split ring nowadays is what you actually tie your line onto, but originally you tied your line to this wire so its still called the line tie. Why is this important? Because this is how you tune a crankbait by adjusting the line tie. In time all cranks need tuning through wear. Bargain brands commonly don't run right out of the box, thats why I use Rapala - quality product. |
Pictured is a tuning attempt to bring the lure back into tune - towards my thumb. The lure was running wrong toward the finger. It MUST track STRAIGHT. The line tie is SO Touchy that the amount of pressure applied must be minuscule, or you will over tune. I used to do this with a needle-nose but got so frustrated by overtuning. I now use the EZ Tuner by Offshore Tackle - Fleet Farm sells them. I tell guys about this topic and the lightbulb doesn't really go on. Most of you fish lures out of tune and severely handicap your catches. This is why you can get out-fished on the same spot with the same lure - they have tuned their baits. Switching lure colors is not the answer. |
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Tip of the week - My bait system
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From here on out the heat of summer is an enemy to the health of your leeches and nightcrawlers.
I often use a lot of bait and I naturally want the unused bait like nightcrawlers to stay alive from one trip to another. To do this I use two coolers one large enough to keep both my crawler cooler and my leaches in this large cooler. |
What I do is have a cooler in a cooler. I keep a freezer pack in the worm cooler. When I am done with the worm cooler, I take out the freezer pack and put the whole cooler in my bait fridge.
I also have a small "bait to use" cooler that has a small freezer pack in it, there I put in about a dozen nightcrawlers. Then I don't go into my main cooler every other minute to get a crawler. This little bait cooler gets reloaded. |
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Tip of the week
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It is not uncommon to have big fish on when fishing the river, maybe a buffalo or a bass. Plus you have the current that adds power to the fish.
It is very important to use your ears when fishing and if you are reeling and your hear the drag constantly making the clicking noise the spool is spinning with the rotation of the bail as the handle is being turned as it trys to wrap line on the spool. When this happens your drag is too loose. After this happens pay close attention to your line when you are done fighting the fish because it can have excessive twist in it now. |
If you read my website you know I like a tight drag upon hookset and then I loosen the drag. I don't do cave man hooksets but I want a hookset and a slipping drag does NOT help that with MONOFILAMENT line.
Last tip is if the fish is running do not reel, let it run against a newly adjusted drag and have FUN! |
Tip of the week
Rolling swivels are top of the line, fraction of the cost of ball bearing swivels. I use VMC brand. |
As this is walleye season in May, I talk a lot about the Lindy Rig. When rigging it is very easy to snag up. You are snagged on either the weight or the hook.
If it is the weight you can feel the weight slowly grab bottom over the span of one long second - you should be able to feel fish or snag... If it is a snag lift your rod tip up back toward the snag and snap it and the weight should free. |
If it is the hook go exactly straight backwards with the boat, and reverse what you did to create a line angle more linear than vertical and snap the hook out. You will free at least half the hooks this way.
But if the hook is hooked and push comes to shove, I slowly pull and break off. But I want a lighter leader than my main line as to not loose the whole rig, maybe just the hook or maybe the leader and the hook, but not the whole rig. Tip: Use a lighter leader than the main line when fishing lots of snags or rocky areas. |
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Tip of the week
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Anglers like fishing tips about gear, and there is nothing more fishing gear related to fishing than rods.
Did you know if you bait fish a lot, that a a softer tipped and more moderate meaning slower action and lighter powered fishing rod is needed? In angling if you feel the fish they feel you! Often when baitfishing they don't have the hook and just the bait so fish need time to get the hook and the bait. |
Very expensive overly fast rods are not good baitfish rods.
The best rod I have ever used for baitfishing and casting a great all around rod is by Limit Creek Rods called " The Smoothie." I have many of them in my boat right now. I have used them from casting blade baits to Lindy rigging crawlers. The pictures you have seen on this site are caught by Limit Creek Rods. The tip of the week is soft tipped rods for bait. |
Lindy Rig based on ConditionsDo you know why a Lindy Rig was invented or why it is used? If not this is a Tip of the Week that will be one of the best tips you'll ever hear for walleye fishing.
Its starts first about knowing the conditions. Conditions? You fish a different technique based on conditions? I wish it wasn't the case and the fish would be easy to figure out, but yes you do and you also deploy or use these presentations differently as well based on conditions. You use a Lindy Rig to feed fish line so they can run with it so they have time to take the hook in their mouth. |
One way I know its going to be a "feed line" day is when I see that after catching a sheepshead its hooked in the lip. Sheeps are a pain because they are often gut hooked and fast! If a sheepshead is taking the hook light a walleye will be even more hesitant. Remember when a fish hits your lure they don't always have the hook!! This is when you feed line. Again its ultimately condition based but this is a tip and not an article so I won't get to much into the why... Use the Lindy Rig what its meant for and thats to feed line when the bite is hesitant. |
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Tip of the Week
Often Imitated...If you have followed my website for a while you have heard me talk about Rapala. They run true, and when they become out of tune from use, I can tune them back into tune. They are the original shad design that have been copied endlessly. I like the real thing and that is what a Rapala Shad Rap is! Tuned lures out fish untuned lures.
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Early in the season the subtle wobble of the shad rap is what the fish walleye want.
Colors can be played around with to see what is best on your day. Is it bright or cloudy? Did you know that an untuned lure of the "right" color will catch a lot less fish of than the "wrong" color but tuned lure. What I am saying is that a tuned lure will out fish any crankbait even if its an untuned lure of the "hot!!" color. Believe that. Read the October 29 Tip Of The Week below for the ultimate tuning tool - It's Brand New! |
Hook setting when jig fishing
I talk about this in the report page. There are times that fish will hit a jig very hard and it is a take them instantly scenario. Then there are times even during the same day where it is an aggressive big bite that the fish mouth the jig and just have the bait and not the hook.
Don't ask me why, I have no idea why they do that. I just know that they do.
This is why its important to be present in the moment while fishing and not assume everything will go the way it is going and that certain bites can and will differ. I've got a lot of experience fishing and so I've been through this. I also can tell you I miss bites. The point is not perfection but being willing to learn and figure stuff out. Stay flexible in fishing and you will do a lot better than those who are rigid in their approaches to fishing.
Don't ask me why, I have no idea why they do that. I just know that they do.
This is why its important to be present in the moment while fishing and not assume everything will go the way it is going and that certain bites can and will differ. I've got a lot of experience fishing and so I've been through this. I also can tell you I miss bites. The point is not perfection but being willing to learn and figure stuff out. Stay flexible in fishing and you will do a lot better than those who are rigid in their approaches to fishing.
Tails create vibration - fish focus on vibration.
A "Ringworm" by B Fish N. This one is a Chartreuse/ Orange Core.
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Dark water and moving water makes it a challenge for fish to find forage. One way you can call them in is with the subtle movement of a plastic tail. There are a lot of different tails on the market and colors or all over the board form natural to obnoxious. Walleye eat all of them based on specific conditions.
The point is plastic tails will help the fish find you in high river water. Along those lines this is when I like to use crankbaits with rattles. |
Ice and logs can wreck your transducer
River IceThere are big sheets of ice and small pieces floating down the river, and some of the chunks are crystal clear and dense. These are very hard on transducers.
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Level transducerHere is a pic of a level transducer. The mounting bracket on the boat receives the transducer brace. These two pieces are joined by a bolt and nut.
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Popped up transducerHere is a pic of the transducer after I got back from a trip. The transducer popped up a few clicks upon impact of something, likely ice. Here is the tip. Make sure that the bolt is not overly tightened and so rigid the transducer wont move upon impact. You want some give these transducer are tough, but they need to move slightly upon impact.
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Piece It Together Like A Pro! Walleye
Tip of the Week |
I will once again teach my original course called Piece It Together Like A Pro! Walleye. The course explains how fish move seasonally, weekly, and daily based on the environmental conditions that exist. I focus heavily on river conditions, but a lake angler will gain much from this as well.
The 80 page manual, including charts and diagrams, is free with the course. This is a professional level course based on theories proven out over 20 years of continued fast water field experience and analysis. |
Announcing dates for this 4-day class:
Cabela’s Woodbury Feb. 26, 28, March 5 & 7 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm Course fee & Sign Up required Contact me with any questions. I am excited to teach this brand new class! |
You will learn how to take facts and turn them into clues as to where the fish are and how to pattern them. The 80 page manual, including charts and diagrams, is free with the course. This is a professional level course taught with theories proven by 20 years of continued analysis, from fishing high pressured bodies of water where catches are not guaranteed.
I have had inquires about this already and so if your are interested please contact me. The class size will not be overly large and it will be a fun atmosphere. It needs to be a three or four night class from say 6-8pm starting in late January, and somewhere in the east metro. Maybe an all day class on a Saturday. Not sure. The cost is similar to a half day guide trip, and will be some of the best money you ever spend on your fishing. |
December 2, 2018
As it is that time of year anglers want to hit the ice...
so I will do an ice fishing tip.
The tip is about “match ups” line, pole, and hooks.
Do not mix up walleye fishing with light line used for panfish. You will need a minimum of four pound line, ideally 6# is better. So try not to switch up panfish with walleye gear. You do not want to set the hook on a nice fish and snap the light panfish line.
The pole really has to give when using light line or if your “hookset happy” you’ll break off. The light backbone is your shock absorber.
For panfish 4# and under is needed.
Most anglers are pretty sophisticated these days and have this match up concept figured out, but for sure its ALL small stuff with panfish, from hooks to line test to swivels, to a light pole for panfish.
The tungsten weights are really good when you are panfishing and you are using a 4# line. Don’t get fooled into thinking the lightest is best because really light line is a headache especially when hole hopping. One wrong move (easy to do) and the line is frozen to the hole and you break the $&%#!
K- Drill you heard about them. They ARE all that.
Tip over.
The tip is about “match ups” line, pole, and hooks.
Do not mix up walleye fishing with light line used for panfish. You will need a minimum of four pound line, ideally 6# is better. So try not to switch up panfish with walleye gear. You do not want to set the hook on a nice fish and snap the light panfish line.
The pole really has to give when using light line or if your “hookset happy” you’ll break off. The light backbone is your shock absorber.
For panfish 4# and under is needed.
Most anglers are pretty sophisticated these days and have this match up concept figured out, but for sure its ALL small stuff with panfish, from hooks to line test to swivels, to a light pole for panfish.
The tungsten weights are really good when you are panfishing and you are using a 4# line. Don’t get fooled into thinking the lightest is best because really light line is a headache especially when hole hopping. One wrong move (easy to do) and the line is frozen to the hole and you break the $&%#!
K- Drill you heard about them. They ARE all that.
Tip over.
Fishery Regulations SurveyFor a long time on this site and in person I have expressed two fisheries regulations topics. One is that there should be changes made to protect walleye over 20″ and that the white bass limit of 25 fish is way to high.
The Mississippi River Fisheries crew are trying to do just this. I feel that if they can get these changes it will follow suit that the St. Croix can see these as well. Plus I believe many of the fish swim both rivers. So if we protect Mississippi Fish you are protecting St. Croix Fish. The survey is loaded with good facts its a nice read – informative. Worth your time. Please take the time to fill out the following survey. https://goo.gl/forms/zWWZOf4njVWKDhdm1 |
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November 7
Make sure you match the line diameter...up with the weight of your jigs. Six pound mono is a great all around choice. Look closely at the line diameter measurement!! Some lines by either model or brand or both are thicker or thinner. So you can find two lines both with the same test # rating, but are different thicknesses….
There’s no rule on what tool always to use or how – so I’m not commenting on one diameter thickness being categorically better – BUT if you’re say vertical jigging… I would prefer a thinner diameter. Any questions email me. |
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