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Walleye have made me want to give up fiahing. Me and a buddy fished deer Creek for walleye from kayaks on Tuesday from 5- 8 pm with no luck. I marked a bunch on fish in 25-30 feet of water on the North end near the shore. Drifted with a bottom bouncer and worm harness for a while with no luck (forgot the live worms so I was using a berkley plastic). Moved to jig fishing a swimbait then cranking a deep dive crank all no interest. I did have a few fish look at my jig but passed on the offering. I'm in my third year of my walleye search and all have have to show is allot of tackle. I could use any advise on walleye to help me keep my sanity.
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You're sure to get advice from more experienced walleye anglers than myself, but I can share what has worked for me at DC. I've most consistently caught walleyes in DC throwing 4-6" jerk baits against the rocks and aggressively fishing them back. If the wind is blowing against the rocks I'm even confident I'll catch fish. If there's a mud line from wind or powerboats, even better. There are fish relatively shallow now. Last weekend I got fish in 5-10 feet of water, including a 30.5" piggy. I've also caught fish on traditional jig and worm combos but the hard take on a jerk bait fished moderately fast is a lot more fun, and perhaps more effective for the big fish. Plus you get bonus smallies.
My only other thought is that weather plays a significant role. Dark, stormy days when the water temp is 55-65 degrees are what I'm hoping for. This weekend could be good!
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Yep look in shallower water. They are moving up to feed after the spawn. This time of year I rarely fish deeper than 20-25'.
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Could you be a little more specific about what jerk baits to use? I don't want to buy the wrong lures at the price they are now.
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The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
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I've been fishing mostly with a Smithwicks suspending rattlin rogue in black/silver and rainbow trout colors. The trout color is no longer available but I think anything flashy will work. At around $7 a piece they're not nearly as expensive as Lucky Craft or any of the other high-end Japanese baits on the market. Some other options that are in the same style include the Rapala Husky Jerk and Bomber Long A. Tons of options. I think the key is the retrieve. Make long casts and fish the bait back in an erratic, jerky retrieve. The takes are not subtle and often happen right at the boat.
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Thanks, that's very helpful. For the time being I'm boatless. How would you fish them from the shore?
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The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
