Since it's almost that time of year, and there's been a few threads about Walleye recently... here's an article I wrote with some tips on landing a trophy Bay of Quinte Walleye!
Quinte Gold Rush – Part 1
Deep down inside, I'm a Bass fisherman...but having had the opportunity to guide and also having a world class fishery like the Bay of Quinte just an hour away, you can't help but get addicted to catching some true monster Walleye.
Not only are there literally tens of thousands of trophy 10+lb Walleye in "The Bay", but they stick around for quite a while too! The "big girls" move in from Lake Ontario typically late October to early November and they're in the Bay throughout the winter into their spring spawn (in May)! This gives anglers ample opportunity to land some "Quinte Gold".
Quinte really is like no other... until I really started focusing on hooking one of these "Eyezilla's" I never really gave much thought to just how amazing the Walleye fishery on Quinte really is. Before fishing The Bay my personal best Walleye was a 5.1 lb Rice lake 'eye. Now, don't get me wrong, a 5 lber out of a Kawartha Lake is a decent fish.... but that's nothing compared to Quinte.
Since I've started fishing the Bay I've broken my "personal best" 6 times... and I know that I can probably break it 6 more times too! That's how good the fishery is. It's a true world class fishery.
Fall Migration
Typically from late October into early November, massive schools of trophy-sized Walleye move into the Bay of Quinte to spend the winter preparing for their upcoming spring spawn up the various rivers around South-eastern Ontario. These fish are coming into the Bay for one reason, and one reason only...to feed. They are in the Bay to gorge themselves all winter long to gain the nutrients required to produce good healthy eggs, as well as to have the energy for their exhausting springtime journey. This means nice big baits for nice BIG fish!
Fall Lure Selection
Large minnow shaped baits dominate in the fall. (Shad-type baits in the Spring) Deep diving "banana body" baits like Reef Runners, Deep Crystal Minnows, Rapala Tail Dancers & Trolls-To series are the best of the best. Make sure you have a good selection of colours for the fall. It's the subtle changes that can make all the difference in the world.
Purple's and Blue's seem to be the all around most productive colour bases for me. The Reef Runner 800 series "Purple Demon" is a must have, along with the Blue/Silver Yo-Zuri Deep Crystal Minnow. These have been my two most consistent baits. Notice how I said the most consistent, not the only... make sure you have a wide range of colours including Firetiger, Chartreuse Wonderbread, Cheap Sunglasses, Black/Silver, Barbie, Perch, just to name a few. One of the best parts is that our girlfriends/wives need 50 different colour & style combinations of "shoes" for "different occassions"... that's exactly what our tackleboxes need as well (just in a different way). Remember --> Tackleboxes = closet, Crankbaits = "shoes", Rods & Reels = "different occasions"! She's defense-less and you're covered for baits AND new rod/reel combos!
Techniques
Trolling
This is the "big fish" technique for the fall. Covering lots of water trying to locate fish is what the fall is all about. These fish are fresh in from the lake and are hungry. They are following the bait and therefore are always on the move. Once you find the fish, note the depth, and get your baits down to them! By combining the proper rigging (rods/reels, line, weights, baits) and information about the baits you're using, you can really "dial in" on these monster 'eyeballs!
The "Precision Trolling" book is a must have for any serious Walleye angler. It has the depth curves on a huge list of the most popular crankbaits so you can tell exactly how deep your bait is running depending on the amount of line you have out. This is where "line counter" reels are worth their weight in gold (no pun intended ). After you determine how much line is needed out to get your bait down to the depth the fish are at, you simply let your reel do the counting for you and let out exactly that much line. You now know that your bait is going to swim by the yap of a great big Walleye!
Planer Boards
A lot of anglers overlook these VERY USEFUL tools! The point of a planer board is to spread your baits out from each other and away from the boat, while trolling. With having such clear water in Southern Ontario, typically when you troll over a school of Walleye, they tend to "spread out" and move away from the boat moving overhead. Hence why planer boards come in very handy!
For ease of use I much prefer the inline boards from Offshore Tackle, that attach directly to your line. Once you have your line out to where you want it, simply attach the planer board directly to your line and let it spread your bait out away from the boat. Once the board/bait are where you want them, engage your reel, throw your rod in a rod holder and wait.
One question I get asked a lot is "how can you tell when a Walleye hits your bait when using a planer board?"
I find that there are 3 typical ways that indicate a strike.
1) Planer board starts going crazy and drifting back or out to the side (almost like a bobber with a sunfish on the end)
2) Planer board starts drifting back to directly behind the boat.
3) Depending on the angle the fish hits it from, I've had boards literally "fall over" on their sides.
In a nutshell, if your planer board is doing something abnormal and not running nice and smooth/straight..there's something on the end of the line. Mind you, it might be weeds, a small fish, or even a tangled up bait. Like anything, practice makes perfect and once you see a few walleye hit boards, you'll become accustomed to recognizing a strike. It's actually a lot easier than it sounds.
Trolling Speeds
When trolling I've found that anywhere between 0.9 - 1.6 mph are the ideal trolling speeds for Quinte. Start out around the 1.4-1.6 mph range and if there's no action, slow it down to the 0.9-1.2 mph mark. Vary your speed throughout the day to pin point the most productive one. Always try to troll in an "S" pattern as well. The baits on the outside of the curves will speed up slightly at the same time the inside ones are slowing down (sometimes to a dead stop). Let the fish tell you what they want.. are always telling you something...
Vertical Jigging
While trolling is typically more for the "big bites", vertical jigging is typically more for the "quantity" bites. Obviously there are exceptions to every rule, and I've seen lots of small fish caught trolling along with large fish caught jigging.
When you mark a large school of fish on or near the bottom and want to stop and have some non-stop action, vertical jigging is the way to do it! Tie on your favourite jigging spoons (same as your ice fishing ones) or "puppet-type" baits and tip them with a minnow, or Gulp! Alive minnow and get to RIPPIN!
Once you're sitting on top of a good school of fish, let your bait fall all the way to the bottom and then RIP it (3-4ft) off the bottom and let flutter down on a semi-slack line. Be sure to always watch your line as your bait is falling. Any sudden stop in the bait, or "jump" in the line, or sharp "thump" means a fish has smacked it on the way down.
This technique doesnt typically produce the same size that trolling will, it provides great fun, constant action and great table fare! Especially when the "big ones" aren't biting...
"Quinte Gold Rush - Part 2" will be all about Ice Fishing on the Bay!
