How to fish Walleyes on a weedy lake (Lake Cowdry Alexandria MN Chain)

[tnixa]

I'm on Lake Cowdry in Douglas County MN which is part of the Alexandria Chain and I've always fished panfish but I know there are walleye as I've seen people clean them. I'd like to try for walleyes but I'm concerned about the weedy bottom and the abundance of panfish and northerns.

The lake has several steep drop-offs where the depths quickly go from about 5' to 30'. The weedline seems to end at around 15'. For panfish I typically fish these drop-offs just outside the weed line with a jig and worm or leech but I've never caught a walleye in my 30+ years of fishing this lake. I've seen guys troll outside the weedline but I think they are typically trying for northerns.

Any tips would be appreciated, thank you!

[mjayn]

I don't know the specific lake, but from what you described I would be jigging and casting jig and twister tails at the weed edge and letting them bounce down the slope. If that doesn't work, I would get into the weeds themselves, jig and twisters is a fairly easy lure to fish in the weeds if the weeds aren't too dense.

[ffishman]

Use your electronics to find the fish, which should be on the drop off. Park you boat in the deep water and cast a jig and bait up on the shallow part. Then slowly, very slowly jig the jig down the sloop.

[REW]

Pick up some Northland Weed Weasel jigs. The color in the picture is a good color to start with.

In addition, rather than fishing outside the weedline, fish inside the weedline or in clear spots in the weeds. Often you can cast to the clear spot and then work the jig through the weeds.

Lots of times the fish like to hold up in the weeds where there are abundant bait fish.

The weed weasel shrugs off weeds suprisingly well.

Best wishes

[tnixa]

Thanks for the tips! Any ideas on how to target walleyes? I think the northerns and bass are more aggressive and will beat the walleyes to the jig. Or is it more about depth? Walleyes typically hang out closer to the bottom?

[mjayn]

I would cover all bases. Cover the depths, fish the weeds. If other fish are being a nuisance(I'll take that problem), make some adjustments, move, slow bait down, speed bait up. Change colors, go to live bait. etc. Summer walleyes in the weeds are usually pretty aggressive, on the drop offs they could be either. No specific technique or presentation works in all situations, so switch until you are getting the results you want, then stick to it until it stops working, repeat.

[Grumps]

Just checked the MN DNR Lake Finder site.

Shows a very low catch per sample net for walleyes (<3) so you are going to have to work hard if you are targeting only walleyes.

I like a catch rate of >10 walleyes/net when I fish a new lake for walleyes. If it is less than that I just fish for fish.

Link to the lake survey is given below

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind...ownum=21010300

[GarryB]

The good news is the max depth is 52 feet and the bad news is the average water clarity is 14.0 feet, hence the weed line at 14-15 feet.



My best advice I have to offer would be for you to do a YouTube search for Don Dickson and then watch all of his instructional videos.


After you have watched Don's video's, you will know the where, the how to and the when.

[doubleheader]

Depending on the type of weeds You can also troll harnesses on bb’s. Fish them just s foot or so off the bottom. It been my experience the fish will hit a harness even with s little bit of weeds on it. Basically just pick your rod up and shake them off. Most times that will do the trick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tnixa]

Thanks for the info guys! That lake data site is cool! I'll check out the youtube videos also.