Great Lakes Walleye 101

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Singing Bridge
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Sun Jan 17, 2016 4:06 am

superseal wrote:Good stuff Bridge! We usually fish Lake Erie as it is closer but have made several trips to Sag Bay also. Not sure Erie will make ice this year?

How is the ice shaping up on the Bay?


The ice up here is way behind- we need sustained cold temps!

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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Sun Jan 17, 2016 4:26 am

Singing Bridge wrote:Ice fishing Saginaw Bay can be very dangerous, as I have personally rescued half a dozen different guys that may well have perished if I didn't come to their aid. You know things are getting hairy when Coast Guard Air Station Detroit and Air Station Traverse City both have copters rocketing out onto the Bay with flares shooting skyward from the ice many miles offshore... I shake my head when a couple of weeks have passed since I felt it was safe and guys are still going out there. A couple of tips:

* Use up to date satellite images of the Greak Lakes and Saginaw Bay to see that it is frozen completely across.

* Never travel alone, which many do... always ask a group of other guys if you can follow them out on the bay with your sled or quad. The answer will almost always be "no problem." When they stop to set up, DO NOT CROWD THEM, give them some space and set up yourself unless they volunteer it is alright to fish with them.

* Use a RAM mount for your GPS on the handlebar of your snowmobile or quad. Mark every spot you cross a pressure crack. If the weather kicks up and you have no visibility, especially after dark, you need to know where it is safe to cross or you could end up in peril / swimming / dead.

There's a lot more, but these are necessities. Fishermen die every year on the Bay, and they will this year as well.


*If you encounter a wide spot in the pressure crack, DON'T drive along side it looking for a place to cross. The ice next to crack can have multiple fractures.

*Take note of the wind direction. If it does a 180 consider getting off the ice. Especially early ice.

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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby mibowhunter » Sun Jan 17, 2016 9:14 am

Those pictures are awesome! Well, except the one with the ambulance. I was just talking to my neighbor the other day about Sag Bay and how it is one of those places I'd love to go ice fishing, but refuse to go alone becuase it scares the sh*t out of me. sorry for the language, but it does, I won't mess around on that lake.... Seen and heard too many horror stories.
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby BGHUNTER » Mon Jan 25, 2016 9:31 am

Awesome!!!
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby johndeere506 » Sat Feb 27, 2016 4:52 pm

This is a good thread on how to get started. I just bought a 1650 Lund Rebel, and will be upgrading the bow mount to a 55 Terrova Ipilot as soon as the boat is delivered. Ill be using 2 batteries in parallel. Im not too knowledgable with fish finders, so Im looking for tips on what matters most for trolling, and/or what model to buy that would actual help find/catch fish.

I have several line counters rod/reels I used for salmon/lake trout. Will those work or need to downsize the rod?

Im not experienced on any big water, only traverse bay as the largest. Ill be sticking mostly to smaller inland waters. What tendencies to walleyes have on inland lakes? Are they usually found on deeper flats, or on the deep side of drops/edges?

Ive caught some at night in the shallows at night a few different places by accident, but mostly all sand bottoms. At night does it matter if its sand bottom shallow vs rock/gravel? What about prime smallmouth rocky areas in 10-20 FOW? Do those produce walleye at night, or go shallower?

As for lures, Im just going to start trolling with small boards and simple lures suggested here. All I know is to keep it slightly higher than any fish Im marking, and keep at it until speed, lures, or location start to produce fish. Am I on the right track? I feel like a total rookie here for walleye. I need some open water to start practicing.

Im mostly a bass fisherman, with NO trolling experince other than a few salmon/lakers on dipsys/downriggers.
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Sat Mar 05, 2016 2:54 am

This is a good thread on how to get started. I just bought a 1650 Lund Rebel, and will be upgrading the bow mount to a 55 Terrova Ipilot as soon as the boat is delivered. Ill be using 2 batteries in parallel. Im not too knowledgable with fish finders, so Im looking for tips on what matters most for trolling, and/or what model to buy that would actual help find/catch fish.


Lots of good fish finders, I'd go with what is affordable. Being able to adjust a setting or two is important to me, for example I will manually adjust the ping speed to its highest reading so when I scout for walleye I can run at a fairly fast speed... covering more water quickly to find the fish.

I have several line counters rod/reels I used for salmon/lake trout. Will those work or need to downsize the rod?


They will work just fine for trolling, yes they are a little heavy but many guys use them.


Im not experienced on any big water, only traverse bay as the largest. Ill be sticking mostly to smaller inland waters. What tendencies to walleyes have on inland lakes? Are they usually found on deeper flats, or on the deep side of drops/edges?


It really depends on the type of lake / season (spring, summer, fall...) / age of lake / depth / baitfish types. For example if the inland lake has pelagic baitfish you will have at least some of the walleye suspended and after them, oftentimes the bigger overall walleyes themselves.

Ive caught some at night in the shallows at night a few different places by accident, but mostly all sand bottoms. At night does it matter if its sand bottom shallow vs rock/gravel?


You can catch lots of walleye over sandy bottoms at night if their food source is present- for example shiners near a creek or river mouth, shoreline weeds, etc.

What about prime smallmouth rocky areas in 10-20 FOW? Do those produce walleye at night, or go shallower?


They will produce walleyes and other predators, expect a mixed bag. There needs to be a reason for the predators to be there, it isn't just because its a rocky bottom. If water temps / clarity / have baitfish in the rocky areas the predators are on them.



As for lures, Im just going to start trolling with small boards and simple lures suggested here. All I know is to keep it slightly higher than any fish Im marking, and keep at it until speed, lures, or location start to produce fish. Am I on the right track? I feel like a total rookie here for walleye. I need some open water to start practicing.


You are on the right track... I feel it is important to add something though. A lot of guys that want to get into walleye fishing start off, like you, on smaller inland lakes. That style of lake can be the most difficult for the beginner... a lot of these lakes actually have poor populations of fish. Because they are small, the fish react ten times as severely to environmental stimuli which can make them very tough to catch... changes in barometric pressure, lighting, poor structure and food supply... on and on. To highly experienced walleye fishermen these types of lakes are fun because of the challenge they present... but in your case I would highly recommend finding a lake with a good population of legal sized walleye, that have a good supply of food and anglers that are routinely successful.



Im mostly a bass fisherman, with NO trolling experince other than a few salmon/lakers on dipsys/downriggers.
[/quote]

In the spring, near shore weeds and rock piles that hold bass will also hold walleye, pike and muskie. Tailor your presentation to the walleye, but its a blast to catch them all.

Ask questions any time, there are a lot of very experienced walleye fishermen here on the Beast. 8-)
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Wed Jun 14, 2017 1:37 pm

Hoping to put some walleye tactics on video this summer. Finding the time is always the challenge!
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Singing Bridge
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Mon Apr 22, 2019 1:41 am

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Happy Easter Walleye World!!
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby P&YBuck1 » Mon Apr 22, 2019 2:05 pm

Nice stringer Singing Bridge...

I always like your write ups so would be cool if you got a video to show your techniques and structure you target for your walleyes.

Thanks as always for these great learning tools for us!

Happy Easter!
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby Acer18 » Tue Apr 23, 2019 2:34 am

Happy Easter and nice set of fish bridge! We are heading over may 1st to try the sag river in my little boat, think there will still be fish in the system? (Figured it'd be packed opening weekend..) My dads taking the big rig on the bay the 3rd-5th as well.

Love this time of year; our haul from our 1st ever Detroit trip last week.
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Singing Bridge
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Sun Apr 28, 2019 11:21 am

P&YBuck1 wrote:Nice stringer Singing Bridge...

I always like your write ups so would be cool if you got a video to show your techniques and structure you target for your walleyes.

Thanks as always for these great learning tools for us!

Happy Easter!


You bet- I will work on getting that video you mentioned, just moved so it will likely be a bit.
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Singing Bridge
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Sun Apr 28, 2019 11:23 am

Acer18 wrote:Happy Easter and nice set of fish bridge! We are heading over may 1st to try the sag river in my little boat, think there will still be fish in the system? (Figured it'd be packed opening weekend..) My dads taking the big rig on the bay the 3rd-5th as well.

Love this time of year; our haul from our 1st ever Detroit trip last week.


Yes, the Saginaw will be loaded... let us know how you fared!
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby Jonny » Sun Apr 28, 2019 11:50 am

Nice stringer bridge. Couple buddies and myself are heading over to Erie the first week of June. Turtle Creek area.

Think we have like 6 or 7 boats going. Should be a good time. If not we have 30 cases on our shopping list so we will have fun regardless, especially if the weather doesn't cooperate.
You have a monkey Mr. Munson?
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Mon Apr 29, 2019 12:58 am

Jonny wrote:Nice stringer bridge. Couple buddies and myself are heading over to Erie the first week of June. Turtle Creek area.

Think we have like 6 or 7 boats going. Should be a good time. If not we have 30 cases on our shopping list so we will have fun regardless, especially if the weather doesn't cooperate.


Now that's a walleye trip ! If the weather cooperates don't let those 30 cases keep you from beating the charter captains out in the morning on Erie or elsewhere... that philosophy has led to many of my best catches !

Bridge
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Re: Great Lakes Walleye 101

Unread postby Acer18 » Mon Apr 29, 2019 7:53 am

Bridge,
I ended up having to schedule a 3rd and final interview for the 1st.. good for pay but not for fish :?. Broke the recoil on my buddies outboard b4 we even got it off the dock. We decided to try it anways as it was a 2hr drive over, so we stayed close to launch with the trolling motor. Popped alot of drum and 1 nice catfish but no eyes.
Launched from the mouth at the DNR launch.


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