walleyes in timber

[RSH8]

As noted in the thread below, I sometimes fish a lake that is said to have walleyes right in timber. They could be any depth from near the surface all the way down to the base of the tree. The trees stick up by a few feet and are in anywhere from 10 to as much as 50 feet of water.

Trolling, most types of casting, in-line spinnners and crankbaits are out.

The methods we have tried are:
1. Toss small jigs on short casts into gaps in the timber and jig them back slowly. Lots of snags and few walleyes as yet, although we get some bass and crappies that way.

2. Toss a slip bobber and minnow near the treeline or in the gaps. Don't know how deep to set the slip bobber, as every patch of timber has different depth. Sometimes even this rig snags, if the baitfish swims around a submerged branch.

3. Ram the boat right into the timber, tie it up and vertical jig. Have not yet caught a fish this way. I get the feeling that the boat spooks the fish. Maybe this would work with long rods, like drop-shotting. The guy/gal in the front who has to tie up can get their head banged up when i plow into the woods!

One thing I have not tried is short casts with weedless spoons + bait or plastic, bass-type spinnerbaits, or Texas rigs. Basically bass fishing, with hopes for a walleye every now and then. Also have not tried weedless jigs; anyone make small ones?

Any ideas here? Anybody have a system that works in timber?

[Doc_wi]

I catch lots of walleye with Lindy Timbr Rock jigs tipped with a leech right in the timber. They work great. Also use them below a slip bobber for crappie, right in the wood.

[jeff woodruff]

I have used the Northland Weed Weasle on Devils Lake and have good luck bobber fishing right in the timber. Only got hung up three or four times all day. Use a heavier line so you can get the fish out of the trees

[Burr ND]

Your onto some of the productive methods I've found for fishing walleyes in wood.

There are a couple of different things I do, first is beefing up the equipment, primarily line. 20 lb Superlines will keep takle in your bag and be less time re-tying. Tighten down you drag, because you'll likely have to pull the fish up and out of the wood immediately, or run a greater risk of getting tangled.

Are you allowed more than 1 line where your fishing? If so, a good combo presentation is 1 slip bobber, and pitching a jig. It often seems like one of the presentations will significantly out produce the other, but it can change back and forth in the same day.

IMO, look for the heaviest mess of fallen tree's possible. The fallen branches and tangled mess seem to out produce a rather clean trunk standing straight up.

Move often, give a spot 15-20 minutes, and them move, sometimes only 40-50 feet, and tie up again. Typically tieing off on the tree will save lost anchors, I very rarely drop anchor. I fish right nest to the boat with bobbers, and only pitch short distances, as I'm using very light jigs - either Lindy Timber Rocks or Northland weed weasels.

It seems hard to do, but rethink casting cranks if your in shallow water. Again, heavy line will keep you from losing lures, and you'll develop a feel for how to work the crank and not snag up as much. When you do, just pull directly on the line and bull it out, staighten the hook or pull up the stump.

Calm days are better in wood, I think the tree's start swaying in the wind and scare the fish.

Look for the last tree in a row, a kind of holding or stopping off area. Also look for isolated trees. You don't have to fish these areas long, they will either be there, or they are not. It's a quick hit and move on situation with lone trees, and ends of rows.

Leeches are my preferred bait under a bobber.

Watch for follows when casting crank baits. Stop reeling just after you start pulling the crank off the bottom of the lake up to the boat, but before you can see the crank. Often, followers will attach when the crank starts rising in the water column, before it gets away. If you see a follower, change your presentation to smaller, slower, and try scent to entice a strike.

If you have trees in 10 to 50 FOW, you probably have trees in 0-10 FOW too. I'm usually in 4-6 FOW of water when fishing trees, try going shallower. Fish next to the boat so you can lift the fish straight up our of the tangles.

It's scary to cast in wood, but it does produce big time. Beef up your line and you can cast all day and only lose a crank or two each day - and it produces big time. When you catch 1 fish, be real serious about getting more right away. They tend to move through in waves, and with similar size. If you just caught a 4-8 lber, your best chance at catching another is right then!

[Trainwreck]

Are you talking about Hodenpyle resivoir?




"A bad day of fishing is far better than a great day at work!"

[RSH8]

>Are you talking about Hodenpyle resivoir?
>
>
>
>
>"A bad day of fishing is far better than a great day at
>work!"


No I am fishing on Brushy Creek Lake near Ft. Dodge Iowa. Don't laugh, we got some walleyes here too.

Great suggestions so far, thanks very much.

[RSH8]

>Your onto some of the productive methods I've found for
>fishing walleyes in wood.
>
>There are a couple of different things I do, first is beefing
>up the equipment, primarily line. 20 lb Superlines will keep
>takle in your bag and be less time re-tying. Tighten down you
>drag, because you'll likely have to pull the fish up and out
>of the wood immediately, or run a greater risk of getting
>tangled.
>
>Are you allowed more than 1 line where your fishing? If so, a
>good combo presentation is 1 slip bobber, and pitching a jig.
>It often seems like one of the presentations will
>significantly out produce the other, but it can change back
>and forth in the same day.



Yes we do this. My wife likes slip bobbers anyway.


>
>IMO, look for the heaviest mess of fallen tree's possible.
>The fallen branches and tangled mess seem to out produce a
>rather clean trunk standing straight up.
>
>Move often, give a spot 15-20 minutes, and them move,
>sometimes only 40-50 feet, and tie up again. Typically tieing
>off on the tree will save lost anchors, I very rarely drop
>anchor. I fish right nest to the boat with bobbers, and only
>pitch short distances, as I'm using very light jigs - either
>Lindy Timber Rocks or Northland weed weasels.
>


Right, i think we are spending too much time in one spot. Need to hop around more and tie up in different locations within a given stand of timber.

I usually use 1/16 oz jigs with the collar cut off so they will hold live bait better. Anything heavier snags too quickly.

>It seems hard to do, but rethink casting cranks if your in
>shallow water. Again, heavy line will keep you from losing
>lures, and you'll develop a feel for how to work the crank and
>not snag up as much. When you do, just pull directly on the
>line and bull it out, staighten the hook or pull up the
>stump.
>


Do you change the hooks from standard to ones that will pull out straight? If so, who makes good treble hooks that can be straightened and bent back?


>Calm days are better in wood, I think the tree's start swaying
>in the wind and scare the fish.
>


It is usually very windy here in Iowa, except right at dusk. That's when we do best. These trees don't stick up out of the water very far, only a few feet, and all the protruding branches have been cut off.



>Look for the last tree in a row, a kind of holding or stopping
>off area. Also look for isolated trees. You don't have to
>fish these areas long, they will either be there, or they are
>not. It's a quick hit and move on situation with lone trees,
>and ends of rows.


Before they flooded this lake they clear cut lanes right next to the the shoreline. So there are many places where there is a big stand of timber with about 20 yards swath of clear water, 5 to 10 ft deep, with riprap shoreline. We have done best in these clear lanes, especially at dusk. Seems like the walleyes are hiding out in the shade under the timber during daylight, then they move into the cleared lanes at dusk.


>
>Leeches are my preferred bait under a bobber.
>
>Watch for follows when casting crank baits. Stop reeling just
>after you start pulling the crank off the bottom of the lake
>up to the boat, but before you can see the crank. Often,
>followers will attach when the crank starts rising in the
>water column, before it gets away. If you see a follower,
>change your presentation to smaller, slower, and try scent to
>entice a strike.
>
>If you have trees in 10 to 50 FOW, you probably have trees in
>0-10 FOW too. I'm usually in 4-6 FOW of water when fishing
>trees, try going shallower. Fish next to the boat so you can
>lift the fish straight up our of the tangles.
>


Most such trees have been cleared, as mentioned above. Ten feet is about the shallowest.

The boat doesn't spook the fish in such shallow water?




>It's scary to cast in wood, but it does produce big time.
>Beef up your line and you can cast all day and only lose a
>crank or two each day - and it produces big time. When you
>catch 1 fish, be real serious about getting more right away.
>They tend to move through in waves, and with similar size. If
>you just caught a 4-8 lber, your best chance at catching
>another is right then!
>


Excellent advice. i really appreciate details like this.

[DL Angler]

Also look for shallow timber along shorelines that has enough room to troll a boat through. Pitch cranks through the trees, it will help eliminate unproductive water. When you find fish with the cranks, you can bring out the bobbers. Shallow fish are active fish. In the summertime on Devils Lake, we move through trees casting cranks until we start locating fish. Then its time to bring out bobbers and fish them in real shallow(2-5fow). If the fish dont cooperate within 10 minutes, move. You have to remain mobile while looking for fish.