Ask the Walleye Pro: Jason Przekurat

Q: I have been fishing Lake Erie for about 35 years. Years ago after ice-out we would drag Erie Dearies with worms in front of the onion (Mich. side) North Cape Yacht Club to Monroe and got many large walleyes. However, for the past 15 years we have been fishing on the Ohio side of the Maumee Bay area reefs. If you are not jigging in April or May, you don’t get squat! I Wonder if we went back to Mich. waters if we would still catch them, or since the water is changed so much with the zebra mussels all you can use is a jig/minnow until the water temperature is over 55 degrees? Thanks.

-Tom Crumley, Toledo, Ohio

A: Thanks Tom, I’m not that familiar with the areas you mentioned but I’ve been on Erie enough times to tell you this. Yes the water has changed (clarity) since the zebra mussel arrived but the fishing still remains great. One thing you need to really watch for is the water clarity in the areas you’re fishing. Believe it or not, clean water is no good. Dirty water is no good either. You need to find stained water. On Lake Erie that would be visibility of about two or three feet.

Concentrate on areas of this water clarity and your success should improve. As far as the presentation, I noticed you didn’t mention anything about crankbaits. These lures have taken more big fish on Lake Erie in the spring than all others combined. The areas you need to look for when trolling cranks is the area just outside of spawning reefs. The big females only use the reefs to spawn and until then they suspend in deeper water adjacent to the reefs. Troll lures like Husky Jerks and Reef Runner Ripsticks with varied speeds (1.0 to 2.0mph) in the top 10 feet of the water column and in stained water and your numbers and size of fish should improve. Crawler harnesses work in these areas as well but not until water temps reach the high 40s to 50 degrees. Good luck this spring.

Q: What event of the 2006 season are you most looking forward to and why?

-Kris, Oshkosh, Wis.

A: Hey Kris, that would definitely be the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Minn. I’ve had some great success there over the years including winning the 2000 MWC Championship with friend and FLW pro Eric Olson. The thing that’s so nice about fishing the Mississippi is that you can catch fish with so many different methods.

This really opens the river up to anglers so things don’t get too crowded. We can literally fish some 60 miles of river and expect to catch fish in all 60 miles. Let’s not forget that May is probably the best month of the year there after a long, cold winter. They really start feeding well that time of year.

Q: What advice to have for an experienced walleye angler who is looking to begin competing in tournaments?

-walleyewisdom

A: Good question walleyewisdom. The first thing you need to find out is how much you actually know about walleyes and walleye fishing. By that I mean, enter a few tournaments on familiar water and enter a few that are new to you. Fishing familiar water will not help us learn but unfamiliar water and failure make us better fishermen. The first four years of my career were very unsuccessful but I learned from every bad day on the water. The last six years of my career on the other hand have been good only because I’ve learned from my early mistakes. The best advice I can give you would be to give the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League a try for a year to see where you stand. Then make your decision. Good luck this season.

Q: My question is what is the preferred temperature for walleyes? I’ve read in FLW Outdoors Magazine that the Green Bay walleyes swim in as little as four feet of water. How do you know if they are deep or shallow? Is water temperature a good indicator?

-Jerry, Willmar, Minn.

A:Jerry, believe it or not preferred water temp for walleyes is 70 degrees. This is the temperature they’re most comfortable in and also most aggressive. Ironically, this is also the time when we have the most difficulty catching them only because we aren’t fishing where they are. We need to follow water (surface) temperature as an indicator all the time. The first thing I do at any tournament is check water temperatures and keep a record of it.

A good rule is start shallow in the spring and gradually work our way deeper as water temps increase. Yes, we do catch walleyes in four feet of water in Green Bay but only for brief time frame in May. By early August those same fish are being caught in 20-40 feet of water some 30 miles away. We need to work our way offshore as the season progresses. The reason we have a tough time catching walleyes during the dog days of summer is simply because we haven’t followed them during the year. They often become suspended during the warm months which can make them harder to find. This goes for any body of water including lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Keep good records of water temperatures on your favorite body of water to track of fish movement.

Jason Przekurat is fast becoming a household name in walleye tournaments with his recent title as 2003 Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour Angler of the Year. Przekurat also has the title of 2000 MWC World Walleye Champion with friend and fellow pro Eric Olson. With career tournament winnings of more than $160,000 and five top-10 FLW Walleye Tour finishes, it looks like Przekurat is on his way to a successful career in tournament fishing. Przekurat hails from Stevens Point, Wis., and is currently sponsored by Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Minn Kota, Rapala, Lindy Fishing Tackle and Gander Mountain.