SPEED UP FOR MORE WALLEYES
By Bob Jensen

There are some fishing techniques that work better for walleyes at certain times of the year. Jigging is productive any time of the year, but is a great choice in the colder periods of the year. Slip-bobbering is good whenever the fish are holding in a small area. Some techniques and some lures are better for walleyes at certain times of the year. Let's look at some techniques that can be very good right now.

The absolute favorite technique for many walleye anglers in the summer is pulling either crankbaits or spinners. Both of these lure styles allow an angler to cover lots of territory, and when the fish are spread out, as they often are this time of year, covering water is a big advantage.

The key to success is giving the fish lots of different baits to look at. At times walleyes are very color conscious. If a couple of anglers are fishing from the same boat, they should use different colors and keep switching colors until the fish show what color they want.

Frenzy medium diving minnow crankbaits are especially good this time of year, especially when the walleyes are between seven and twelve feet down. Firetiger is a great color, but try the others also.

On some lakes, spinners with nightcrawlers will be very productive. Again, it's possible to cover lots of water quickly with spinners. A Rainbow Float'n Spin or a Rainbow Baitfish Image Harness would be excellent spinners to start with. Again, experiment with blade colors and sizes.

Traditionally, anglers have worked both crankbaits and spinners close to the bottom. In some bodies of water however, it is being learned that walleyes suspend frequently. They may be ten or twenty feet above the bottom. They are in these spots because that's where the baitfish are. If the fish are off the bottom, it is important to run your baits at the level where the fish are, or maybe a little higher. You don't want your bait below the fish because they generally won't go down to take a bait.

Anglers are learning that in-line planer boards are tools that will greatly increase the chance for walleye action. Most states allow anglers to use multiple lines per person, and the more lines you have in the water, the better your chance for getting bit, IF you can control the lines. In-line planer boards make it much easier to control the lines. Off Shore planer boards are easy to use and will help you catch more walleyes in many situations.

There are times when it will pay to slow your lure presentation down this time of year, but frequently, if you speed up in the summer, you're going to catch more walleyes. Experiment with speed, lure color and size, fish where the fish are, and you're going to have more walleyes pulling on the end of your line.