Contrary Walleyes!

[Marv Sandbek]

The more I know about walleyes, the less I understand them! A recent tournament has proven to me that I need to re-think my approach to early summer walleye success! I will set the scenario, and seek your reply on "How Weird Is This?!?!" 1) The lake is a well-known Minnesota walleye fishery. 2) Water clarity is 12 to 13 feet. 3) The Mayfly hatch is is "overdrive" and an early algae bloom is beginning. 4) Minnow forage is incredibly abundant, in fact, the screen on the LCR oftentimes goes "BLACK" with forage returns. 5) Water temperature averages 69 degrees. 6) The day is "clear-and-a-million" with a nice south/southeast breeze at 10 to 15 mph. And so, my partner and I apply what is widely accepted, conventional "Walleye Wisdom" and years of experience to this scenario, and we begin pre-tournament fishing activity by searching structure and breaklines for what should be "summer pattern" walleye. Sure enough . . .there they are, but, they will not respond to a variety of jig and live bait rig presentations, and they won't move to attack a deep spinner or crankbait. We worked everything imaginable from 10 feet to 36 feet, with marginal success. We caught just enough to keep our interest in the "traditional" approach to these fish! Our belief was that we could scratch out a limit of 15" to 17" fish . . not enough to win, but enough to cash a check! Our impression was that the bite would be tough for everyone! Here's where "HUMILITY" enters the scene! On tournament day, my partner and I worked hard for eight hours. We went with our original game plan, but soon realized that something had changed overnight. Even the smaller fish were reluctant to move to a bait. After catching and releasing a few "short' fish" from the 18 to 26 foot range, we went shallow, or so we thought. We worked the 10 to 12 foot stuff relentlessly. Wind blown points, mid-lake humps with 12 to 16 foot structure, and long, gently tapering flats. We tried every conceivable combination. We caught one "weigh fish" and proceeded to the scales with our tails tucked firmly between our legs! And so, what did we learn. First, we learned that 24 teams "Zeroed!" Okay, we are now feeling a little better! Next, we learned that the first three teams had 5 or more fish, and they all came out of less than 6 feet of water!!!! Yup . . .less than 6 feet of water! In fact, we were told by one contestant that the winning team was pitching 1/8 ounce jigs, tipped with a "piece" of nightcrawler into 3 to 4 feet of water, and then just letting the jig sit for awhile before beginning a slow retrieve back to the boat. Apparently, short-snelled live bait rigs were just as effective with a leech. And so, I revert back to my days as a young boy on the banks of my favorite river or lake . . . plain hook . . . split shot . . . worm or nightcrawler, and my old Ocean City baitcaster and 25 pound test, black dacron line. I could cast that rig to "just about" the same depth as the guys and gals were doing last Saturday! And guess what? I caught plenty of fish . . in the middle of summer . . and, yes, some of 'em were 'eyes! So, my conclusion is that I need to open my mind to wisdom beyond the conventional. I need to re-think my approach. These "new age" walleyes are teaching me that clear water, bright sunshine and warm temperatures does not necessarily keep the "biter's" out of shallow water. What these conditions have done, however, is kept me out of shallow water! That, my friends, is going to change . . and "right soon!"

Minnesota Marv

[Kolby]

Marv, really enjoyed your story, and I knew what the ending was going to be like the minute you started. This is the time of year when walleyes are putting on the feed heavily. And the food is up on the flats. Developing weeds up there make the shallows more attractive. I just came back from a lake in Northwest Iowa where you could see bottom in 10 feet of water - the best fishing was 4 to 10 feet deep. I caught and had several walleyes follow up through the course of the day when I would cast cranks. A few times I would see one come bursting out of the pack of 3 or 4 and suck in the crank as I stalled it below the boat. I set the hook the minute the crank disappeared. But a slip bobber and leech caught more fish. June and Weeds go together like eggs and bacon, doesn't matter if the weeds are in 3 feet or 10 feet, walleyes will be around them.

Kolby Kester
www.iawalleye.com

[shallowshallow]

Yep learned the shallow stuff from an old Pro...Propst, just got back from a SD river, water was somewhat murky..but we were catching fish back trolling bouncers and minnows in 4-6'of water right under the boat..using the big motor to backtroll cuz the electric died...caught about 30 fish. When they put the feed bag on ,they put it on...shallow!

[Box]

Marv,

The last walleye I caught, a 17.5" er, was from my small MN lake, very crystal clear water. In the bright sun of a late morning. How did I catch it?-- I saw it as I was reeling in a small bass, and I saw the eye just laying down in about 6-8 feet of water. I tossed a 1/8 jig with a Gulp body on it, right in front of it, and it sucked it in. It was really cool, and I wouldn't have guessed that would happen!

I also had a walleye come up following a smallie that I caught, right to the side of the boat in the small school of nice sized smallies that always follow the leader when one is on the line. Pretty funky. I am going to try for more shallow eyes this summer, even though it seems it shouldn't be...

-Box

http://www.walleyecentral.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=103808

[jenhock]

Very good story, I fished a tournament this weekend and not one keeper all shorts. We tried 6 foot but no luck, maybe should have tried 3 or foot. I might have to try that this weekend. Thanks for the advice.

[shallower]

18 inches is not too shallow in June.

[Marv Sandbek]

The story continues . . .

And so . . I took the lesson's learned @ White Earth Lake, (i.e., tournament won in less than 6 feet of water), and dragged myself kicking and screaming into "less than 10 feet" of water during a recent five-day pre-fishing marathon at Lake Bemidji. In preparation for the Krause-Anderson Walleye Classic, I found myself plying the traditional depths and structures in search of the "right fish" to cash a tournament check! Guess what??? Lotsa "hooks" on the graph, but zero bites!!! And so, after two days of that routine, I broke down and went shallow . . . all the way up to 10 feet! WOW!!! What a breakaway from my normal routine. Guess What??? The perch are biting! At 9 feet, the northerns are keeping my busy . . but, when I finally settle into a search pattern in 6 to 7 feet of water, yup . . you got it . . the first walleye "measure fish" of the pre-fishing week comes to the net. Duh . . . it sure took me long enough to get with the program! Anyway, the shallow program was working, and after making a few "tweaks" to the routine, I felt confident in what I had learned, and what I could relay to my fishing partner, (who could not join in on the pre-fishing fun)! The result was what my original goal had been from Day #1 . . .catch a limit of "weigh fish" and make a respectable showing in one of the upper midwest's premier walleye tournaments! And so, we finished in the Top 20 in a field of 100 teams . . just four ounces away from cashing a check . . and all of the fish came to the net in less than 8 feet of water! Amazing! An "Old Dog" can be taught a few new tricks after all! It's like the question an old friend of mine posed to me one day. He asked, "Marv . . how come is it that we get too soon old, and too late smart?" Good question my friend . . good question!

Minnesota Marv