Ask the Walleye Pro: Robert Lampman

Q: Are you in favor of the Walleye Tour Championship moving from Cleveland to Bismarck? Personally, I don’t think the Missouri River even compares to Lake Erie for both numbers and size of fish. Why was the decision made?

-Eric, Sandusky, Ohio

A: You are right about Lake Erie having more and bigger walleyes. The season-opening Walleye Tour event this year is in Port Clinton, Ohio, and everyone will get to experience the big basin once again. I don’t know specifically why the championship switched to Bismarck. I don’t really keep up with that stuff, I just fish. One of the things to note about tournaments is that it is not always about the biggest fish in the water, it is also about the challenge of fishing for slots, trying different presentations and finding the right-sized walleyes to get a limit to take to the scale. The opportunity to fish so many different bodies of water is the spice that keeps tournament fishing interesting. Having said that about all the variables and challenges, I also want you to know that last year was the first time I fished in Cleveland and it was a great time. The waves got a little big a few days but it just made me all the better at boat control. (Editors note: Lampman took 16th at the 2007 Walleye Tour Championship with a two-day total weight of 37 pounds – earning a check for $4,700.)

Q: Are there any new “hot” baits in professional walleye fishing? In the bass world, the swimbait is all the rage. In fact, Jay Yelas used it almost exclusively in winning Angler of the Year last season. What’s new in the walleye world?

-Paul, Davenport, Iowa

A: I think the key to success in walleye fishing is to improve your basic techniques. I will tell you what worked for me last year. In Detroit, a Judson Jig worked great (made by a gentleman that lives right in your Quad Cities area). On Lake Erie, I was really impressed with Hutch’s perch blade, no matter where I went the walleyes picked it as a favorite. In Escanaba, we spent more time looking for the sharpest hooks we could find because most of it was done with spinner rigs, but the Bare Naked Reef Runner was effective. Near Port Clinton the Rapala Tail Dancers are great fish locators and in Red Wing it is tough to beat a willow cat, but I did note that more anglers were trying handlining on the Mississippi River. Also, St. Croix is making some unbelievable trolling rods that have really benefited walleye fishermen.

Q: After winning the 2005 Walleye Tour Championship on the Mississippi River, is there anything else you’d like to accomplish in your career?

-Randy T., Alma, Wis.

A: Randy, thanks for asking about my fishing dreams. What I would really like is a year of winning all four qualifiers and then taking another championship. What would you call that? How about a front-to-back and a back-to-back and a double whammy?

In all seriousness, now is the time of the year to dream when your boat is sitting in a heated garage with nowhere to go. I am a competition fisherman; I love competing more than anything else in tournaments. I admire the promotional anglers for the public speaking and product promotion they do to make a living in this business but I am just a funny, quiet guy who likes to fish. When I was in college a professor once told us that just because we had a license for a profession didn’t mean we were professionals.

A professional is someone who has earned the respect of his peers and the public through hard work and a focus on ethics. For my career, I would just like to know that my fellow anglers respect my contribution to competitive fishing. Someday, I would like my grandsons to fully appreciate the hard work and dedication it took to win a championship without a team of people helping me. I would like them to be able to know that honesty and fair play can win competitive events. It would be good for them to recognize the fact that people who enter walleye tournaments put a lot of their own personal money to promote the sport of walleye fishing, to instill the concept and belief in conservation and good sportsmanship. If even a couple youngsters who loved fishing learned that with determination, they too could one day be a world champion – then I have given hope to a couple more dreamers.

Q: How come people only troll with night crawlers? It seems when people jig or use a slip bobber, it’s always with a leech or a minnow. Is there a certain time to use a crawler in a stationary, vertical setting?

-Tony Seeter, Annandale, Minn.

A: Anywhere and anytime you use a leech or a minnow on a bobber or in a vertical presentation, you can also use a crawler. On Devils Lake, we used crawlers all the time and it was mostly with bobbers. I particularly like using crawlers in the summer when the deep holes are hiding lunkers.

Q: In your opinion, who is the best walleye fisherman in the game? On the bass side, it’s pretty clear that Kevin VanDam is top dog. Who is top dog of the walleye world?

-Billy Renner, Oconomowoc, Wis.

A: Walleye fishermen are like Vikings of old. The long boats were powered by individual Vikings rowing on each side of the craft. When they discovered new lands the people on shore would yell, “Who is the leader out there?” and each Viking would loudly answer, “I am.” Because each person was vital to the direction, they each saw themselves as the leader. Any person fishing the Walleye Tour could answer this question with, “I am.”

But in reality, professional walleye fishing is still too new to have a top dog. Some are good at competing, some at promotion and some with public education. It’s hard to compare by looking at who has won the most money because the payouts have changed dramatically. If you went by consistency in placement and positive public impression, I think you would find the name Scott Fairbairn to be recognized as one of the top dogs along with Nick Johnson. That’s my opinion.

Robert Lampman is a veteran walleye pro from De Soto, Wis. A talented river fisherman, Lampman won the 2005 FLW Walleye Tour Championship on the Mississippi River near Moline, Ill. To date, Lampman’s career earnings with FLW Outdoors sit at over $170,000. In addition to the Walleye Tour, Lampman has also competed in team events on the Master’s Walleye Circuit with his wife Colleen. Lampman operates his own land surveying company, so when he’s not chasing walleyes, he is probably climbing the bluffs and measuring in the coulees of western Wisconsin. His sponsors include Lampman Land Surveying, Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Minn Kota and Lowrance.