Scott Soderquist
Guest writerMinnesotaís long awaited spring walleye opener will soon be upon us.
Anticipation by many is high for yet another super season of angling.This is evident by the number of anxious anglers found at our local sporting goods retailers staring glossy eyed at the rows upon rows of this seasons newest and hottest baits, all of which practically guarantee a boat load of fish to the lucky purchaser.
The fact is, there are no such things as magic baits. Youíll have to trust me on this one. Without question, most of, if not all the successful fishermen I know have two things in common; knowledge of the fish theyíre after and most importantly a common sense approach to fishing.
Take for example, many walleye anglers make a habit of fishing in the same manner regardless of the fishing situation theyíre faced with. In fact Iíve seen anglers leave the dock with a certain colored jig on their line and come back hours later with the same jig tied on, and you guessed it, with no fish.
We as fishermen can sometimes get a case of tunnel vision when it comes time for choosing our baits and tackle for catching walleyes.
When chasing walleyes, I most often leave the dock with a complete array of jigs, live bait rigs, slip bombers and crankbaits along with an assortment of minnows, nightcrawlers, and of course leeches. Sometime Iíll return with a lot of unused minnows, nightcrawlers, and leeches.
My point is that it is important not to get stuck on just one presentation or bait. What worked yesterday may or may not work today. Being willing to change baits and presentations to match the walleyes location and activity level is the real deal.
Plain and simple, it doesnít matter what you want to use to catch walleyes, give them what they want on their terms and youíll catch more fish.
Take for example when fishing a deep midlake hump or slow drifting a sandy shoreline, a slip sinker live bait rig tipped with a crawler or leech may be a good choice. Say youíre fishing rock piles or submerged timber. Switching to a slip bobber set-up or pitching a light jig may be the way to go. How about a deep water rock or gravel flat? Try a bottom bouncer rig. Got weed walleyes? How about a weedless jig or, well, you get the idea.
My point is, there is no one magic lure that will serve all your fishing needs. Be willing to change things up a bit. Try new lures, presentations and techniques. Donít be a one lure fisherman.
Top of Page
