News & Stories
Different (Jig) Strokes for Different Folks!
Posted by director on March 24, 2021
Different (Jig) Strokes for Different Folks!
By Mike Frisch
Spring is here and open water is starting to appear all across the Midwest. For lots of anglers, that means it’s time to break open the jig box and head to their favorite walleye waters. Jigs tipped with minnows as well as those dressed with a variety of soft baits are often what catch the most walleyes during this time frame. Here’s a look at different ways to fish jigs during this time frame from a couple of very adept jig fishermen. Fishermen who, by the way, also happen to be related and fish the same water productively, albeit using different methods!
My buddy Artie Arndt from Ortonville, Minnesota has won a bunch of money in walleye tournaments on his home waters of Big Stone Lake fishing jigs and minnows. Artie is what I’d call a “meat and potatoes” angler using traditional methods to catch fish. His keys are that he uses those techniques in good spots and that he’s really good at them!
Arndt loves to target Big Stone’s shallow rocks looking for irregularities that serve as ambush points for walleyes waiting for unsuspecting minnows to wander by. When he pitches his light, 1/16-ounce jig/minnow combos, he lets them sink in momentarily, but not letting them rest on bottom, before sweeping slowly forward and allowing them to sink again. Artie’s key is to keep the bait very near bottom without letting it fall in between, and wedge among, the rocks.
Another “Arti-ism” is that he sets the hook often. What I mean is that when he feels “something different” that might, or might not, be a fish, he sets the hook. As a guide, I often watch clients trying to “feel” to determine if that sensation on the line’s end is a bite or something else, maybe a weed, rock, or another obstruction. Often, during this process, the fish senses resistance and drops the bait, leaving a disappointed angler saying something like “shoot, that was a fish!”
Artie, on the other hand, quickly gets his line tight when he suspects a bite and sets the hook. This method sometimes means jigs caught in weeds or rocks, but also often leads to a solid hookset and a walleye in the boat!
While Artie is a meat and potatoes angler who relies a great deal on his trusty jig and minnow, his son, Tanner, is a bit of a “Renaissance man” more apt to trying new lures and techniques to catch walleyes. While father and son often engage in good-natured banter about the other’s fishing techniques, Tanner claimed “top dog” honors (at least for now) last spring when he and his partners won the Big Stone Walleye League, beating a talented field of in-the-know local hotshots.
Like his Dad, Tanner spends lots of time casting jigs to rocks. The difference, however, is that Tanner has spent considerable time experimenting with a variety of soft plastic baits as dressings on his jigs. Often, Tanner prefers swimbait-style plastics like Rage Swimmers and also experiments with retrieve methods and speeds when fishing them.
When the fish are on shallow shoreline rocks, for example, Tanner likes to “slow roll” a swimbait on a 1/8-ounce jig using a steady retrieve. Deeper fish, like those holding in 6 to 10 feet on rock to sand transitions, often are susceptible to the same plastics but fished on heavier (1/4-ounce) jigs using sharp snap and fall presentations to trigger bites.
So which is the better early season walleye bait, Artie’s jig and minnow or Tanner’s jig and plastic? Good question. The answer might be to have both a jig/minnow and jig/swimbait combination tied on your lines this spring, experiment with ways to fish them, and let the walleyes provide the answer. Whatever the case it’s time to get the jig box out and head for your favorite walleye waters.
And, as always, remember to include a youngster in your fishing adventures this spring!
Mike Frisch hosts the popular Fishing the Midwest TV series. Visit www.fishingthemidwest.com to see all things Fishing the Midwest.
Photo – Joe Arndt with a Big Stone Lake walleye. Joe’s not sure who is the best walleye angler in his family, but he does know that walleyes love jigs in the spring!
Get Ready for Open Water!
Posted by director on March 23, 2021
Get Ready For Open Water!
By Mike Frisch
I must admit that March can be a bit of a trying time for this angler. I love being on the ice during this time chasing crappies and bluegills, but sunnier, warm spring days also have me longing for the first spring “boat” trips of the year too. Unfortunately, those trips are probably a few weeks off yet. Nevertheless, there are some things I try to do every year during March to help ensure that I am ready when the first open-water fishing opportunity presents itself.
Tackle preparation
Being a multi-species angler who fishes walleyes, panfish, and large & smallmouth bass has its challenges when it comes to having the right gear and, just as importantly, keeping it organized. Not only do I separate my tackle by species, but I also separate it by lure type within a species. That means lots of tackle boxes and, by season’s end, often many “less than tidy” tackle boxes!
Now is the time of year when I go through each box, reorganize it, and re-stock it with needed lures and components. I would much rather take the time to do this now, than to be rushed to get it done when open-water starts appearing. Or, worse yet, to be on the season’s first walleye fishing trip and find that my favorite crankbait from last year, the one that I just lost to a hungry northern pike, is also the only one I had!
Rod/Reel/Line preparation
Getting tackle organized and re-stocked are good tasks to complete now. Other jobs I like to do now involve my rods and reels. Now is a good time to clean and lubricate reels if you didn’t get that done last fall. Plus, I also pull all the line from my reels and respool with fresh line before the season starts. Fresh line has less line memory and is usually more manageable. And, respooling with new fishing line greatly decreases the odds of a nicked or weakened spot in the line that could cause the first fish of the season to break off!
Another task that can reduce the chances of a lost fish, is inspecting each rod and it’s individual line guides for broken or chipped guides. More than one trophy fish swam back to the depths because the fishing line contacted the sharp edge of a damaged line guide.
Incidentally, if a new rod or two is in your plans, now is a great time for that purchase before retailer inventories get “picked over” which happened last year. Last spring, I wrote of the new Lew’s Speed Stick walleye rods that I was excited to use after sampling some the previous fall. This year, Lew’s has introduced a line of bass technique specific rods designed by top tournament angler Kevin Van Dam. The KVD series features premium IM8 graphite rod blanks and quality components. And, like the walleye rods, the bass rods come at very affordable price points too.
Trip Planning
Organizing and purchasing new tackle and rod/reel/line preparation are good tasks to complete. Another thing that I do during March is to review some of the “fishing notes” I kept from previous seasons. I realize not every angler keeps records, but now is a good time to reflect back on last season, and previous seasons, in an effort to plan productive trips for this season.
For instance, last year in March I realized that I had missed out on one of my favorite spring bites the prior year – walleyes fished using spot-tail shiners – because of other commitments and fishing plans. I made a point to save a couple days for the spring “shiner bite” last May and was rewarded with some good fishing action!
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Good open-water fishing action is still a bit in the future. Now is a good time, however, to prepare for the coming season. In fact, taking care of some of the tasks from above now, should help guarantee that you’ll be more ready to capitalize on the first opportunities when open-water appears!
And, as always, remember to include a youngster in your next outdoors adventure.
Mike Frisch hosts the popular Fishing the Midwest TV series. Visit www.fishingthemidwest.com to see all things Fishing the Midwest.
Photo – The author with a Crater Jig walleye. Completing the tasks detailed in this story can help ensure that the season’s first big fish makes it in the boat!
Early Season Walleye Like Jigs!
Posted by director on March 8, 2021
by Bob Jensen
The recent warm weather has anglers excited, and some of the most excited anglers are those who like to chase and catch walleyes. All across Walleye Country, anglers who enjoy catching walleyes are getting ready to get in or on the water. In rivers that are home to walleyes, anglers are already after them. Regardless of whether a lake or river is being fished, many of the anglers chasing walleyes will have a jig tied onto their line. There are a few things that we need to consider if we’re going to consistently catch walleyes on jigs early in the open water fishing season. Following are some of those things.
In smaller rivers, many anglers like to get in the water to catch walleyes. A wading approach can be very productive, and in fact, it might be the only way to get after walleyes. Across much of the Midwest, the smaller rivers that are home to walleyes are too shallow for a boat: A wading approach is the only way to fish for them.
When wading and casting, a jig with a piece of plastic is often good. You'll be casting and slowly retrieving the jig. In many small rivers there are so many rocks that a dragging retrieve just isn't practical: You'll get snagged too much. Go with an 1/8th ounce Crater Jig tipped with one of the smaller Rage Swimmer plastics and swim it just above the bottom. You'll still get snagged every now and then, but not as much as you would if dragging a jig and minnow. A minnow imitating color is good, but a brighter color will be better if the water is stained. Experiment with colors until you hit the right one.
In many states, it’s legal to use 2 lines for fishing. Some states even allow 3 lines. If you’re fishing from an anchored boat or a dock, it’s very productive to use multiple lines. Because the walleyes are usually shallow shortly after ice-out, fishing from an anchored position will be good. You can cast to an area and effectively work it over without spooking the fish. Put a slip-bobber with a small jig and a minnow out there while you cast a jig/plastic or jig/minnow combination.
Fathead minnows are preferred in some areas, shiners are better in others. You'll want to be sure to have plenty of the preferred minnow on hand. If the bite is as good as it often is this time of year, or if you're fishing around rocks or casting the jig/minnow combo, you'll use a lot of minnows. Again, plastics can do an outstanding job. They’re available in a lot of colors, shapes, and sizes, they stay on the jig longer than a minnow, and they require no care. Sometimes though, the walleyes want the real deal. In the spring, if you’re fishing from a boat, have some minnows with.
In the cold waters of spring, the take will often be light. You’ll feel just a bit of weight. This is when a softer action, super-sensitive rod really is appreciated. Lew’s has several spinning rods in various models that do an outstanding job. A 6’6” or 7’ medium-light rod is preferred by many who cast jigs for shallow walleyes.
6 pound test line is preferred in areas where snags aren’t much of an issue, but 8 pound test will be better if a good number of snags are present.
When fishing a river, remember that as much as possible, you'll want your jig to be moving downstream. Fish that are willing to feed will usually be facing upstream, so if your jig is moving downstream like an injured minnow or bug, the fish that are facing upstream will be able to easier see the jig approaching.
For the next several weeks, a jig will be the go-to bait for walleye anglers almost anywhere that walleyes swim. Tie a jig onto your line, put it in front of a walleye, and chances are good you'll get bit.
Photo Caption-Mike Frisch with a walleye that ate a jig.
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