If you are going after Walleye the best places are from the Midwest Northward and into Canada. Walleye prefer sand and gravel bottoms and lakes with perch which they readily eat. I fish a lot of lakes that have a healthy Walleye population but no perch. Walleye are finding themselves in lakes further south. Lakes with Walleye will also have a population of other gamefish such as Northern, Smallmouth, Largemouth, Crappie, Musky and sunfish.

Finding Walleye’s has a lot to do with the Oxygen in the lake. Lot’s of fertile lakes don’t have a good oxygen level at the lower depths especially below the thermocline. This will force Walleye into shallow water 10 ft. or shallower.

Walleye spawn in water along shoreline’s where there is good water movement and gravel on the bottom. Spawning begins when water gets to around 48 degrees. From this time until about 10 days after spawning females don’t bite. Smaller males will bite during spawning. After spawning Walleye

You usually find Walleye’s in 30 ft. of water or less. In the deeper lakes you will find walleye along shorelines and hanging around shallow mid lake humps. I caught a 10LB Walleye right up on a rock cliff in Canada that went down into the water. I bounced a jointed Rapala off the wall. My uncle and cousin caught bigger the same way.

Lot’s of Walleye’s are caught at night. Cloudy breezy days with a little chop ( The Walleye Chop ) are good because this deflects the sun’s rays. On calm sunny days Walleye spend their time in shade by weeds or near the bottom in deeper water.

Fishing in the evening with a slip bobber and leech is a great way to catch Walleye. Anchor at the edge of a drop off and cast up into 4 to 8 feet of water. Trolling with minnow lures and shad raps is good also. there is usually a good bite for 3 or 4 hours after dark.

Walleyes will hang at about 12 to 18 feet along the edge of the dropoff’s during the day. Slow trolling or back trolling with a 3 way rig with a leech or minnow or casting with a jig and minnow are good methods of catching them. During summer nights, troll in eight to ten feet of water along the tops of the midlake flats, next to the drop-off. Back trolling with a jig and minnow is very effective.

Mid summer is not as good of time to fish for Walleye but they can be caught. You may think that it is because it is so hot out but it is because the perch and bait fish are reaching the proper size (3 inches and bigger) to look really food to walleye and they gorge themselves on these fish. I am a firm believer in the bigger the minnow the bigger the fish caught!

Walleye can be caught through the ice around points and mid lake flats in 10 to 12 ft of water in early ice season. Jan. and later find them in 18 to 30 ft. depths.

This article would not be complete without saying a little something of how good Walleye are to eat! They are great!

To learn more about Walleye and the rare or even extinct Blue Walleye check out Tacklemaster Sports for lot’s of fishing information and resources.

website: http://www.tacklemastersports.com

Fishing With Planer Boards

By Joel Rice

In the shallow waters of the western basin of Lake Erie, planer board fishing has increased in popularity. One of the reasons may be that the water seems to be clearer as the zebra mussels have established themselves. Another reason may be that they work very well. If you have never heard of fishing with planer boards, then you may be missing out. Planer board fishing is a means to place your lures out to the sides of your boat rather than behind. It is a simple concept but difficult to develop an image if never seen. The boards themselves can be hand made or purchased online from various venders. Big Jon Sports is one such manufacturer that provides all the essentials. Basically, the board works like a skier pulling to the sides of the boat. As the boat moves forward, the board pulls away from the boat. A line, usually brightly colored, is attached to the planer board from the boat. There is usually a port and a starboard specificboard, but fishing with one board can be just as effective.

The line attached to the board from the boat can vary in length. On average, 75 foot of line is considered sufficient for most situations. The line is attached to a reel, either electric or manual. The manual reels are a cheap alternative to electric but can be cumbersome to crank in at times. The reels are attached to a mast, usually at the bow of the boat. The mast is elevated in order to keep the line from touching the water as it pulls the board. It will become clear as to why this is important a little later. The ideal height of the mast or reel depends on the boat. Again, the goal is to keep the line from touching the water. Now the fun begins. How do we use the boards to fish? Set your boat to trolling speed, set up your planer board, and let out the line from the reel. Now, you can take your fishing pole with lure and let out the desired amount of line for your fishing situation. It is important to know how much line is out and this can be done with a line counter. Next, attach the line to the planer board release and attach to the planer board line. There are currently many options available for releases form manufactured (Cannon, Big Jon, Scotty) to home made using clothes pins and shower curtain rings, or even rubber bands. Whatever you choose, you will need to test it for your fishing needs. As the boat moves forward, the tension on the line from the lure pulls the fishing line towards the planer board. Now, the line can be set to stop at whatever distance out from the boat that is desired. Place the pole in the pole holder closest to the bow of the boat. This process will be repeated for whatever number of poles that will be used on that side of the boat. This process is repeated on the other side of the boat if running another board. Now that the planer boards are set up and you are anxiously awaiting your first hit, it is important to remember that once a fish hits, be patient. After the release lets go of the line, gently set the hook and apply tension as the fish passes all the other lines to the back of the boat. This is a must in order to reduce tangles. After landing the fish, simply let out line from the other rods still attached to the planer board. The pole that was just used to bring in the fish now becomes the inside pole. This can be repeated over and over as long as enough releases are available. Once there are no more releases, simply bring in the board and collect all the releases. There are some simple steps one can take to master planer board fishing. One is to have line counter reels on your poles in order to know how much line is out for each lure. This will help reduce tangles. If your farthest pole is running 120 feet of line and your inside pole is running 200 feet of line, then a tangle is sure to happen when bringing in that next fish. Another easy thing to do is have enough releases. Constantly bringing in the board to collect the line releases is cumbersome and can take away from a catching that next fish. The last simple tip is having the pole holders situated so that the poles can be easily repositioned when changing after a landing a fish. Setting up the layout at the back of the fishing boat, depending on the fishing situation can be scary. Think that on each planer board (port and starboard) there may be 3 to 6 poles. At the back of the boat, there may be a pair of downriggers with 1 to 2 poles each. There is a lot that can happen with this many poles in the water, not just tangles….. Why is planer board fishing increasing in popularity? One theory is that spooked fish swim out away from the boat. As they move to get out of the way, the lures attached to the boards are out there waiting for them. Another theory is that planer board fishing enables fisherman to add many more lures to the water minimizing tangles and increasing their catch. Whatever the purpose, planer board fishing is a great way to catch fish and for those interested, all it takes is getting the right equipment and having a little patience. Good luck and go fishing. Joel Rice is a fishing enthusiast who provides information for beginning anglers. Many hours of fishing Lake Erie have provided the basis for information on planer board fishing For information about planer boards and planer board rigging, please visit TheDownrigger.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joel_Rice

]]> http://notjustfishing.com/blog/2010/10/fishing-with-planer-boards/feed/ 0 http://notjustfishing.com/blog/2010/08/tips-for-jig-fishing-walleyes/ http://notjustfishing.com/blog/2010/08/tips-for-jig-fishing-walleyes/#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:02:13 +0000 iain loveman http://notjustfishing.com/blog/?p=1315 Tips and Techniques For Jig Fishing Walleyes
By Jeff Matura
Jig fishing for walleyes can be a very effective technique that can be used in a variety of situations from shallow water to deep water, and from the winter season to summer time. Because it’s up to the angler to put the desired action into the jig, this lure can be used for sluggish or aggressive fish. I would have to say that a jig is the most versatile walleye lure on the market today.

For the majority of situations, especially on rivers, you will be working the jig along the bottom, as that’s where the walleyes will be. To select the weight of the jig head to use simply use whatever weight it takes to maintain feel of the bottom. In most cases you will want to use the lightest jig possible to maintain feel of the bottom.

Vertical Jigging
Another method of fishing jigs from a boat is “vertical jigging”. This technique is best suited when fishing from a boat in water depths of 9 to 40 feet deep. Although most walleye won’t be found deeper than 20 feet, many sauger will be found 20 to 40 feet deep in the winter to early spring. Vertical jigging is also best for the sluggish fish found in the cooler waters of late fall, winter, and early spring.

To vertical jig for walleyes and sauger the anglers boat should be moving down stream at the same speed of the current. Next simply raise your jig off the bottom, and slowly drop your rod tip until you feel the jig touch the bottom, then repeat this motion. As with the “lift and drop” technique be sure to keep a tight line when dropping the jig back down so that you can feel a walleye strike your jig. Be sure to experiment how you’re fishing the jig until you find what the fish want the most. In most cases the lightest jig possible will catch the most fish.

Dragging Jigs
Dragging jigs is simply as the name implies. Typically a 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jig will be used. Simple let out about 1 ½ times amount of line as the water depth and allow the jig to drag along the bottom. When fishing from a boat in a lake either drift with the wind or use your trolling motor. In a river simply drift downstream, or use your trolling motor to drag the jig upstream. This technique works the best for sluggish fish in colder water. When dragging a jig don’t be afraid to use larger plastics, such as 5 inch ringworms, or 4-5 inch twister grubs.

Jig Fishing Tips:
1. While the weight of the jig selected is the first decision, the next decision will be the length of the plastic twister tail, or etc. use. This most depends upon the time of year and how aggressive the fish are. I would recommend a plastic bait in length of 3 to 5 inches.

2. The color of the plastic twister tail or ringworm will most often make a huge difference. Generally speaking, user more natural colors in clear water such as black, purple, and blue. When fishing dirty water use plastics with brighter colors such as orange, chartreuse, or yellow.

3. Hair jigs tipped with a 2 – 3 inch minnow can be really effective for both walleyes and sauger from winter to early spring time.

4. To catch a larger percentage of fish that are short striking your jig and minnow combination try using a stinger hook. A stinger hook is a small treble hook attached to the hook of your jig with a short piece of mono fishing line. When hooking the minnow towards the tail with the stinger hook be sure to leave slack in the line so the minnow can move and look natural.

5. Heavy or large diameter fishing line is a detriment to the angler, as it will reduce the action of a jig, and also requiring the angler to select a heavier jig to reach the bottom.

6. Don’t be afraid to try fishing a plain jig tipped with a minnow, night crawler, or leech. On some days it can be just the ticket.

7. If your getting a lot of snags when fishing jigs you are most like using to heavy of jig, or not maintaining feel of the bottom when vertical jigging, meaning you are dragging. Although dragging can be an effective technique it is only practical on smooth bottoms.

Jeff Matura has been fishing during the open water season and through the ice for over twenty years. The majority of his time fishing has been spent in the Midwest on lakes and rivers including the Mississippi River for crappie, walleye, and bass.

Vistit his latest websites for the best deals on portable depth finders along with gas camping stoves.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Matura

Fishing for walleye can be frustrating, the most frustrating part is finding the strike zone. Walleye are a cold water fish, so when the temperature heats up, they head for deeper waters where it is cooler. As night time rolls around, they come up closer to the surface to feed, or even head to the shallows. Once you find the depth at which they are feeding, the battle is half way over. Just remember that they are a cold water fish, and this will help you locate walleye.

Walleye have big glassy eyes that are designed to see in low-dim light. So they like to forage at night or in the twilight hours when they have a distinct advantage over their prey. There have been experiments done regarding the feeding habits of walleye; and they have yielded clear-cut results: walleye are just more active at night or in the twilight hours. I have also read that walleye have sensitive eyes, and this is why they are more active at night, because their not comfortable in the bright sunlight. I don’t know if this is true, however, I do now for a fact, that walleye are more active at night and it really doesn’t matter why.

For lures that work with walleye, I like the jerk baits (long skinny minnows with a small plastic lip) just remember to get the ones that float if your using the Carolina rig. Crankbaits also work well for fishing in the shallows. Plastic grubs and worms work great for the Carolina rig.

Author: Jamie L Roberts
I have been fishing for a number of years and I have acquired some proven techniques that I believe will help most fisherman. You can read my blogs at http://fishermansbox.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_L_Roberts

Fall Fat Walleye Fishing

When trolling structure or fishing shallow weed lines produce fewer walleye, you think where did they all go?

This is known as the start of the fall transition period and it can begin as early as mid-August.

So now in order to find the walleye you so desperately seek, you will have to do a little detective work. Dying weeds are your first clue that the transition has come. Weeds begin dying from colder overnight temperatures and what most people don’t understand is baitfish will only stay in the weeds as long as they are very green. When the weeds start dying, walleye leave the shallow-water weed areas.

The good news is, not all lakes are affected at once. Shallow, dark water lakes experience the transition first and deep, clear water lakes are not affected until later in the fall. The transition can be frustrating if you don’t know where to locate walleye. The thing to remember is, fish migrate to predictable areas and gather in big schools according to size. Locate the big ones and it’s like you found gold.

When water temperatures drop to 62 degrees F, walleye tend to migrate deeper. During this time they tend to be in places like sharper breaks or mid-lake humps of about 20 feet rather than 15 feet. Because walleye are more selective about where they stay, there is a trick to finding them. For example, if they are on a mid-lake hump with scattered boulders, they will be on the boulders. If it’s all rock, look for the sand and that is where they will be. If it is all sand, look for a rock pile. I know it sounds strange, but it works.

Precision with regard to location is very important. If you get it right, you will hit the walleye jackpot. Keep in mind as water continues to turn colder, walleye will be on structure that leads to the deepest part of the lake. Deep boulders become “fish magnets” because walleye find places where mud and hard bottom meet the deepest part of the lake.

First it is important to learn their spawning habits. In the northern states, the spawning period for walleye can be anywhere from mid-April to mid-May.

This depends on how early the warm weather starts in the spring. Keep in mind that walleye do not spawn at the same time. Some start early, but the majority wait until the conditions are ideal, and some procrastinate and don’t spawn until late in the spring.

Now the question to ask yourself is, what are the ideal conditions walleye need before they start spawning? The two most important things needed are water temperature and rock or rubble shore lines.

Water temperature is an important factor because it not only starts the spawning activity, but it plays a role in maximum reproduction. Walleye need the water to warm slowly and constantly without temperature swings or wave action. This is most important during the gestation and hatching period.

Rock or rubble shorelines are also extremely important due to the fact that this type of structure can provide a successful hatch. How does this happen? Well if walleye spawn on this type of structure, the eggs have something uneven to fall into, therefore protecting them from predators that like to feed on the eggs.

Picking the right equipment is extremely important when fishing for walleye as they are extremely picky. Some suggested bait and tackle are listed below:

• Rigs with live bait or live bait with slip bobbers.
• Minnows and night crawlers or insect larvae e.g. Marabou jigs or similar lures.

Now all you need to know is the right time to snag these elusive fish. It is said that nighttime is the best time to catch walleye. This is true because walleye are notorious for being nighttime feeders. This is due to the fact that during the day there is tons of boat activity which scares the fish off. When the aquatic world turns black, walleye come out to feed.

Night is when the predators prey and you can include yourself among them to guarantee fishing success. Remember nighttime is the right time for catching walleye in the spring. Keep repeating this as your mantra and you will become a fishing superstar.