Q: Why was everyone using night crawlers on Lake Erie and Green Bay? Is that a Great Lakes thing? I’ve always heard that minnows and leeches work better for walleyes?
Les, Hastings, Minn.
A: Thanks Les for the great question. Jumbo night crawlers and large blade and bead combination harnesses work very well on the Great Lakes. I try to match the size of bait with the size of fish I am targeting. The Great Lakes are well known for giant walleyes and large presentations like this are very easy for them to eat. Slower speeds from .8 to 1.4 mph are also used for this presentation when water temperatures are in the upper 40s to lower 50s.
Minnows and leeches typically work very well and are a great everyday bait. However, do not limit yourself to one bait, try all three presentations and let the walleyes tell you what they like better. In the last few years, I have also been using only plastics on some of my presentations. This technology has come a long way and might give you the advantage you need to catch walleyes. Experiment with different techniques when the fish are biting and you might be surprised at what you catch.
Q: Congratulations on your fifth-place finish on Green Bay. Do you think you still have a chance at becoming Angler of the Year? If not, who do you think will win it?
Chad, Grand Forks, N.D.
A: Chad, thank you for your compliments on Green Bay. Angler of the Year is a long shot for me but if the stars align correctly it is possible. There are many great anglers ahead of me, who will not give up easily. It’s going to be an exciting race to the end to see who will be crowned, so keep your attention focused on the next stop at Devils Lake.
Q: Being from Bismarck, N.D., do you think you’ll have an advantage for the next tournament on Devils Lake? What’s your strategy going to be on our state’s best walleye fishery?
Tony, Devils Lake, N.D.
A: Tony, as you probably know being from Devils Lake yourself, it can be a very challenging body of water for anyone to catch big walleyes. Underwater road beds, submerged weeds, rock piles, cattail sloughs, buck brush piles and let’s not forget about the miles and miles of shoreline with submerged trees. Devils Lake has treated me very well in the past and I enjoy all the different techniques, but I have learned to “never count your fish until they are in the boat” on this world class fishery. I will see you at the weigh-in for the rest of the story as to which strategy I used.
Q: Does fishing pressure make walleyes move to different areas of the water? Meaning, are the fish “there” but just not biting when they see jig after jig? Or does the influx of boats and motors and what-not actually force the monsters from their turf?
Frank Snell, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
A: Frank, thanks for the question. My personal belief is that boat traffic will cause the walleyes to make slight adjustments in their feeding patterns. They might move out to deeper water, but do not lose focus, you might be surprised at what you find on the inside of everyone in shallow water. If you feel there are fish where you are, try something different than everyone else. A similar situation happened to me during a tournament. For two days I trolled crankbaits and produced nothing until I put live bait down on day three. Forty-five minutes later, I was done with a limit of giant walleyes. Keep an open mind and try new areas on your own body of water.