Starting to sound like a broken record here.

[Big Cliff]

Well, another 4 hours out on the lake again this morning and not a single walleye to show for it. cast bucktails, pink jig heads with white twister tails and several other variations of plastics. Tried trolling the weed edges, tipping our jigs with worms, drift fishing everything from 4 fow to 14 fow. All we could manage were a bunch of small perch. Talked to two other boats, same results. Guess they all moved to other lakes for the summer LOL.

 

Going back out again right after I have lunch, there is a nice breeze and a bit of a chop so even if the fish don't cooporate it will make for a nice afternoon.

[Sinker]

Weird stuff Cliff. I might have to come up and see if its the angler, or the lake

 

I might know a spot or two where you could catch a couple eyes.

[JohnF]

Have you tried a great big net?

 

JF

[Squid]

My friend over on Pigeon was saying the exact same thing yesterday!! all the walleye have shut their yaps!! is it the sunshine and warm weather?

[misfish]

My late uncle Mel would never fish for eyes during the day time light.Always headed out just before dark and troll/drift til midnight or even longer, if it was a clear night with a full moon.Did very well each time as I recall.

I can see his point, as thier eyes are very sensitive to bright light.

[Big Cliff]

Almost two more hours: A small mouth, a small muskie, and 6 small perch, not a single walleye.

 

Sinker, if you can show me how to get some walleye out of this lake this spring, I'll owe you big time! I have had lots of advice from some really knowledgable people and I've tried every bit of it with very limited resultes. Many of the suggestions are well in keeping with techniques that I have used very successfully in the past but either I am doing something wrong or having the worst run of luck I have ever had!

 

There are a lot of dead bluegill and sun fish (70' of shore line and I'll bet there are at least 20 dead fish) washing up on shore, not sure what the cause is. I am starting to wonder if it is related?

[Dutch]

Caught some on pigeon when the water temp was still in the mid-60's. Haven't been out since the water temp has been higher.

 

Fished some great looking weed, but nothing to show for it. Water was really clear.

 

Only time we were able to get any, was over a shallow sand bottom that was all churned up with the wind. They were liking the stained water. We did well, each got our limit and threw back 2-3 that were under the slot. Best day of walleye fishing I have ever had.

 

Look for the stained water, IMO.

[mbosh1980]

getting a bit of a die off on clear lake as well. Mostly perch and sunfish.

[BUSTER]

white jig with a leach is all we use up north, nothing else seems to work?

[Paully]

Try walley divers by the locks.. been killer at a certain lock for the last week

[Oggie]

At this time of year I think you need to find a current. Either a river generated current or a wind current around a point. I've made the mistake of fishing all of the normal summer spots this time of year and nothin doing. They're feeding near currents.

 

Dan O.

[fish-miester]

I will probably be fishing sturgeon all day tomorrow. if I do I'll let you know how I make out!

[davew3]

Try trolling with floating worm harnesses. Put a slip sinker about 5 ft up. Go slow, like 1 mph. Either along the weeds or right over top. Use green or purple single blade units. Such as Bob Izumi from Crappy Tire.

 

Good luck.

[Radnine]

I hear you Cliff. I spent the last two weekends at Rice and we worked like dogs for the ones we got on the long weekend and got even less last weekend. And just like you these are spots that have never failed to produce in the past. We were marking loads and if you threw enough things right on their noses, they bit. But it was very hard work, and in the end who knows if the few we got were just luck, or persistence.

Keep at her, they've got to eat something sooner or later.

Jim

[Headhunter]

Hey Cliff,

Have you noticed any insect /larva hatches lately? With everything being about 2-3 weeks early this year, perhaps the Pickereyes are stuffing themselves with insects, making your offerings inconsequentcial?

Are you fishing typical spring patterns and if so, perhaps switching to "summer" tatics will net you better results.

The only other suggestion that I have for you is probably somewhat radical for your lake, but have you tried trolling deep flats, middle of the lake and considered planner boards?

Unless the population has crashed, they have to be there and they have to eat... hope this helps?

HH

[fish-miester]

Hey Cliff !

Just got back from "Your Lake".. fished from 1:30-4ish till the rain started and well there are walleye in there ! I caught 4 ! 1 under and 3 in slot. only kept 2 tho.. so there is atleast one in there of slot size for you

 

PM me if you wanna know my handy dandy secret spots

[Guest Johnny Bass]

We too went to Sturgeon and caught 4. 3 littles ones and a decent one, all out side the slot!

 

The big one was caught on a small perch jointed shad rap and the 3 little ones were caught working bottom with a white grub. We seen another guy catch a decent pickerel on a rapala and some drifting worm harnesses.

 

It was too windy and we couldn't work weedlines(no trolling motor). Only the large fish was caught near a weedline. The rest in open water between 12 and 13 feet. Hope this helps.

[Governator]

I'd say find a stream in to the lake and fish that area. On a windy day fish the shoreline the wind is blowing in to, they should be feeding on blown in baitfish.

 

Good luck.

Edited June 3, 2010 by Governator

[fish-miester]

We too went to Sturgeon and caught 4. 3 littles ones and a decent one, all out side the slot!

 

The big one was caught on a small perch jointed shad rap and the 3 little ones were caught working bottom with a white grub. We seen another guy catch a decent pickerel on a rapala and some drifting worm harnesses.

 

It was too windy and we couldn't work weedlines(no trolling motor). Only the large fish was caught near a weedline. The rest in open water between 12 and 13 feet. Hope this helps.

 

 

where abouts were you fishin ?

[Guest Johnny Bass]

The South end. I think its called goose bay. We started at the mouth and worked our way down. We tried to work weedlines but it was difficult with the wind and no trolling motor(or drift socks) so we opted to drift fish right across the bay. The key is to drift till you hit one and throw out the anchor/marker. I picked up a couple of fish like that but then we lost the marker(we drifted too far from it). When we found it we picked it up and went to another spot and abandoned the marker idea.lol

[fish-miester]

The South end. I think its called goose bay. We started at the mouth and worked our way down. We tried to work weedlines but it was difficult with the wind and no trolling motor(or drift socks) so we opted to drift fish right across the bay. The key is to drift till you hit one and throw out the anchor/marker. I picked up a couple of fish like that but then we lost the marker(we drifted too far from it). When we found it we picked it up and went to another spot and abandoned the marker idea.lol

 

 

haha I was fishin goose bay yesterday, I was one of the loners in a blue springbok w/bowmount troling motor

[ChrisK]

Well, another 4 hours out on the lake again this morning and not a single walleye to show for it. cast bucktails, pink jig heads with white twister tails and several other variations of plastics. Tried trolling the weed edges, tipping our jigs with worms, drift fishing everything from 4 fow to 14 fow. All we could manage were a bunch of small perch. Talked to two other boats, same results. Guess they all moved to other lakes for the summer LOL.

 

Going back out again right after I have lunch, there is a nice breeze and a bit of a chop so even if the fish don't cooporate it will make for a nice afternoon.

Cliff,

I don't usually post long drawn out replies but this is one area that I have got real good at and I like share it with you guys cause it took me litterally years of trial and error to perfect....Here it is bud

 

Finicky tight lipped walleye need a little more finessing to get them to bite. Let me tell ya,Nipissing is full of them and we seem to get them pretty consistantly using this method.....

Its called a "Blown Lindy Rig" Basically a lindy rig with a nightcrawler inflated with air to suspend the worm off the bottom in the strike zone. I fish this rig on the thermocline which is about 17ft to 22ft of water in Nipissing. Not in open water though but on the shoals of little inner bays where they come in to feed in the evenings. These are not weed walleye but open water walleye that suspend in open water during the day and then make a horizontal move to the adjacent shoals closest to them to settle in and start feeding for the evening. This is where we get them. They are usually very hungry during this time and are willing to take an offering.

So to do this right you will need a positioning motor and a fish finder. On your lowest setting or setting required to push the boat slowly against wind and current travel along the shoal on the thermocline dragging your lindy rig across the bottom. Slower the better as this will keep the worm in the walleye's peripheral vision the longest. If they are being tight lipped a big fat suspended nightcrawler will usually get them to commit. If they are feeding aggressive they will hammer the blown worms like freight trains so be prepared....

There is however a little technique involved with this application. First of all the hooking of the night crawler. Use a small bait hook with a gap size no wider than the night crawler. Hook the worm once through the end of its snout so there is no hanging section left to fold over. This makes the worm slip through the water without bending it in half thus creating a more natural presentation(whats natural about a worm in 17ft of water)....Now when your pulling this across bottom keep your bail open and finger on the line to hold it so the line doesn't just peel off the spool. When a walleye picks up the worm and decides to swim away with it simply let your finger off the line and allow the walleye so swim away. Give him a minute to swallow the hole worm. If you rush him and set the hook to soon you will come up with nothing more than the head of the worm on your hook so be patient. When you finally decided that the time is right to set the hook reel up the slack line slowly until you feel the weight of the fish. Once you have established this fish is on and perhaps even swimming away set the hook with a long swift vertical hook set.

One pet peev about this rig......It catches everything !! So identifying

the fish on the other end is a definite advantage before going through all the motions. If its a small perch or rock bass you feel rapid tugs,head shakes so in this case just gently raise your pole and pull the worm away from the little fish. If its a walleye you will feel long pulls and if your pole is ultra sensitive you will even feel your line bumping across the walleyes teeth like when you run your finger across the edge of a comb. Remember although the urge is strong don't set the hook even if the walleye freight trains your worm... He still at this point doesn't have the worm where you want it. Just let the line out by lifting your finger off the open bail and be patient for a minute and then go through the rest of the process.

If you want to buy store made lindy rigs they are available but I use more of a finness type rig which is home made. Consists of a 3/8oz lindy walker slider weight(looks like a boot),a plastic bead,and micro swivel(ant size) and some 4 to 6lb flourocarbon for leader material(leader 24")and then a small barbed bait hook.

 

 

 

 

Good Luck Cliff !!