Ask the Walleye Pro: Dennis Jeffrey
Q: What is your favorite body of water to fish and why? What kind of success will the PWT guys have on Otter Tail?
– Greg, Fergus Falls, Minn.
A: Greg, I have to say Lake Sakakawea in my hometown of Garrison, N.D., is my favorite body of water. This is a lake full of walleyes, salmon, smallmouth bass and big pike. One great thing about the lake is that it gets very little fishing pressure despite miles of open water. Lake Sakakawea is a great place to use spinners, live-bait rigs, jigs or crankbaits. I invite you and your guest to be my guest on the lake this summer. We fish out of a new 620 Ranger powered by the new 225 HO Evinrude E-TEC.
I have never been to Otter Tail, but you live close enough to go and watch the weigh-in. I do know that the PWT pros will put on a great show and catch some nice fish.
Q: What do you do when you draw a later flight and somebody else is on your spot? Is it unethical to ask them to move? How many spots do you typically have on day one of a tournament?
– Frank Tustler, West Fargo, N.D.
A: Frank, I would really be happy with four or five good spots that are relatively close to each other. It does happen that you go to your primary spot and someone else is there. I have to believe that he’s there because he found that spot during prefishing just as I did, and it would be unethical to ask him to move. Hopefully there is room for both of us, but if not, I will move to my second spot.
Q: What tournament of the 2006 FLW Walleye Tour season will produce the heaviest weights? Which event will produce the lightest weights?
– Dale, Onalaska, Wis.
A: Dale, that’s a great question. Thankfully, FLW Outdoors has picked five of the best fisheries you could ask for. In regards to the heaviest weights, I have to say, go Green. I think Green Bay will produce the heaviest weights as it has earned its reputation as one of the best walleye fisheries in the world. As far as the lightest weights, I would guess the Red Wing event. But the FLW pros are guys and gals that can get it done and catch fish anywhere. Being from Wisconsin, you probably already knew this. If you get to the weigh-in, grab me and say hello.
Q: I know typical seasonal patterns usually call for walleyes to be caught shallow in the spring on crankbaits, and then they move out to deeper water and become more difficult to catch. My question is what technique do you use once these fish have gone out to deeper water? Should I still try and use crankbaits?
– John Wotczak, Burnsville, Minn.
A: John, my simple response is to go deep-water cranking. I use my Lowrance 111 to find schools of baitfish and look for walleyes out deep. All the Lowrance units work extremely well in deep water. Moreover, we now have crankbaits that will dive down to 28 feet of water without any problems. If they’re even deeper than this, I would recommend trying some leadcore line. I also suggest picking up a copy of Precision Trolling, 7th Edition, as this is a must-have for cranking, along with a set of Off Shore planer boards and a good net.
My sponsors and I want to thank all of you for your questions. I hope you can attend one of the weigh-ins at a Wal-Mart store this year; it is truly a great event.
Dennis Jeffrey of Garrison, N.D., has been a professional fisherman since 1998. Since the inception of the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Jeffrey has qualified for the championship every year. His greatest angling achievement is winning the 2004 FLW Walleye Tour Angler of the Year award. At age 54, Jeffrey has been married to his wife, Irene, for 35 years. She is his No. 1 fishing partner and is also a co-angler on the tour. Working with numerous fishing organizations, Jeffrey’s goal is to get as many youths involved in fishing as possible. Jeffrey’s sponsors include Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Minn Kota, Lowrance, G.Loomis and Moritz Sport & Marine.