Walleyes eating what???

[Mac]

The walleye bite is way off here. Caught 2 on power worms and their stomachs were crammed with some kind of black or dark brown insect about 1/2 inch long, plus one also had some kind of brown insect about 1-1 1/2 inch long. The landing was covered with clouds of flying insects that looked like a mosquito that was on hormones and had no stinger. Are these guys feeding in the mud in the deep part of the lake? What time of day are the insects emerging? Any suggestions on an attractive bait?

[Juls)WI]

Those are Mayflies, more commonly known as "lake flies". The larve are hatched in the water. The flies surface, and take off for land. Around the Winnebago area, these clouds of flies can make camping a nightmare! If your lucky..the wind will push them to the oppisite shore your staying on..;-)
The fish feed on these flies as they surface, and make the bite a hard one to figure out.

Good Luck!

Juls

[RANGER]

Juls has it right - these are May Flies. When they begin emerging from the lake/river bottom the Walleye have a feast! They won't hit standard rigs. I've been there...Did that - That's why I carry a "breakdown" (back packing) Fly Rod with me in the boat. When this happens I start throwing May Fly grubs I buy at Dick's. Keeps me going.

RANGER

[Swat1]

When the fly hatches start there are 2 things I like to try.

1. Take an 18" piece of 10 -20 lb mono and snell a single hook on one end then put a red bead then a gold bead on the line add a clevise and a small # 2 or 3 hammered gold blade then add another red bead on top of the clevise. Take another bead and tie it into the middle of a loop knot in the end of the line. Take an egg sinker and put it on over the loop. (I like a 1/4 to 1/2 oz sinker.) The bead you tied into the loop knot will keep the sinker from going down past the loop knot and fouling the rig. Tip the hook with about 1/3 to 1/2 of a night crawler and cast it out letting it get to the bottom then with a slow steady retrieve bring it back in.

On Lake Erie we call this a "weapon" or a "Mayfly Rig" whether it simulates a may fly or a minnow going after a mayfly I'm not sure but they do seem to work here.

2. I will also troll a gold minnow immitator crank bait I like to run the Reef Runner or the Rip Stick in the Gold and black color. This will also at times work very well.

Good Luck and I hope this helps

Dan

[AquaMan]

Get your Flyrod out and tie on a emergent nymph with a gold bead...tons-o-fun. The shallows and river mouths should be your best shot at these feeders since the Mayfly will not typically lay its eggs in anything deeper then about 8 feet. Pebble and rocky shorelines are the best.

Otherwise, the other post about the spinner rig will pull them in, too. Either way, match the hatch for your best results. Know that this hatch only lasts about 2 weeks. But, those flies will provide some great forage almost exclusively during that time.

Have some fun with this hatch!


AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~