Labour Day joy -- Fishing report

[LeXXington]

Finally get time to post this report guess better late than never 

 

The long weekend looked too be the best of the summer, how is that for a kick in the teeth

 

Gathered up the family Saturday and down too our little peace of heave on Lake Erie.

 

I got up bright and early Sunday to head out got too the launch and forgot my boat keys, at least it was only 5 min back to our camp site. Oh well bound too happen once or twice a year 

 

What a beautiful day too be on the water, nice and cool, calm in the morning

 

 

Got my riggers all set up and started my troll for the nice walleye, After about twenty minutes one pops its only a little one but kind of feisty..

 

Up it come and a beautiful silver bass.

 

 

Not that I would eat that but are they any good?

 

So I continue my trolling along, I go too check my bait and up comes another great walleye,

 

 

I must have lost about 3 more on hook ups but you could not have got a better day on the water,

 

Day 2

 

Up again early on the Sunday double check and triple check to make sure I have the boat keys 

 

Set up and again lost 2 with one line break. Stupid store bought worm harness.

 

Then one of the rods goes off and I picked up the best of the year so far..

 

 

 

It got so hot by 11:am stopped the boat, took up the riggers and overboard me and the dog went.

 

I would say it was the best day on the open water all year so far.

 

Now the tough questions for you Lake Erie guys,

 

No matter how light I set the riggers I could not get a walleye to pop the clip, they would just swim behind the boat until I poped it myself. If I went too light the harness drag would pop the rigger.

 

What type of clips do you guys use?

[jwl]

we generally use the type of clips that have 3 marks on them for settings...set in the middle of the clip..the light setting, your harnesses will pop the clip...the heavy setting is too heavy because in most cases the walleye don't slam your bait like a salmon or trout would. Lots times the walleye just grab the harness then just go with the flow and you wind up dragging the odd one with ya all over the place and not know it....you gotta watch the rod tip to see if you get a hit most often than not as oppsoed to just waiting for a rod to pop. Some of those fish you got most likely might have hit after you popped the rod off the ball yourself. have gotten lots over the years that way..if trolling around and no fish on, pop the rod on purpose and see what happens..often you get a nice one on as your harness is coming up and swinging back from the boat. Rigging will catch fish but often not too many...even if your line is 40-50 feet or more down, the walleye still tend to shy away from that close behind the boat, You will see more guys catch more fish with different set dipsies, they get deep but tend to run further back from the boat..or inline board with small dipsies or jets that run way back and to the side of the boat

[Billy Bob]

That is how MOST walleye are caught on riggers, they just don't hit it hard enough to trip the release. I use releases similar to the single Invader releases as shown here.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...&hasJS=true

 

But you should twist the line about 5 times before placing it into the release or the line will just slide through without ever releasing.

 

Bob

[brifishrgy]

No matter how light I set the riggers I could not get a walleye to pop the clip, they would just swim behind the boat until I poped it myself. If I went too light the harness drag would pop the rigger.

 

dont worry about the clips .. after trolling for a while speed up to about 5mph for just a few seconds .. if there is a fish on it will pop

 

Nice fish by the way .. I havent got out into the big lake for eyes yet this year ... hopefully soon though

[limeyangler]

great report and pics, nice walleyes too.

[tbayboy]

No idea about the clips but nice fish, sounds like you salvaged a couple nice days without poison ivy

[fishindevil]

Nice day on the water lex !!!!,great catch as well...cheers

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Nice pickerel!Was certainly a great long weekend. Apparently we are supposed to have similar weather in September.

[lunkerbasshunter]

wow that pickeral is a pig! the belly on it is huge!

thanks for the report!

 

Cheers!

[snag]

Worm harnesses rule.

 

I agree with Johnny. Hopefully the rest of sept. will be as nice!

 

Congrats

[Greencoachdog]

Great report, pics, and fish Paul!!!

 

The Silver (White) Bass are excellent to eat, they're cousins to the Saltwater Striped Bass.

[Jen]

That is a White Perch and a good sized one too ...those things are a pain in my butt on Erie the worm stealing Perch ...Great Report Lex ...we pounded fish yesterday in the tourney ...

[b2kptbo]

Good report, thats a nice fat pickeral...

[Leecher]

Great report and pics lex

 

A real chunky eye for sure!

Thanks for sharing

Leechman

[sonny]

It will also help to load up your rod more when fishing for walleye,,it will help with the release and help you notify the ones to small to release!