Scorching daytime temperatures and a mile high sun doesn't
exactly sound like ideal conditions for catching numbers of
big walleyes but it can be done, especially if you know where
to look. To be successful anglers will have to give up on
what had been productive just a few short weeks ago and get
with a program more in tune with a walleye’s present needs.
When the hot summer sun starts bearing down water temps can
push into the lukewarm range and early season patterns can
quickly dry up. When it happens many anglers make the mistake
of believing that the walleyes are simply not feeding, but
nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, walleyes
will feed even more heavily at this time of the year and it’s
when they make their biggest growth gains. One of the reasons
anglers can find the going during the summer months a little
tough is because make they haven’t made the necessary adjustments
required to stay with a fish that’s on the move. Walleyes
make a living by taking advantage of their opportunities,
and in many cases those opportunities are no where near where
they where at the beginning of the season. As spring slides
into summer there is a shallow to deep migration that occurs
on most bodies of water. The migration doesn’t happen overnight,
and not all of the walleyes in a system make the move to deep
structure. Instead, the process more likely begins with a
few scattered groups of fish showing up on deeper haunts like
sunken humps, underwater points, and even flats, followed
by a slow and steady migration that eventually results in
fishable numbers of walleyes. As more and more walleyes make
the deeper move, concentrations of fish begin to build up
creating a terrific opportunity for anglers in the know. Knowing
it can happen is the easy part, while capitalizing on it takes
a little more effort.
Rick Olson worked deep structure for this big summer
walleye
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To get the most out of a good summer pattern you have
to be prepared to give up on what you think you know,
and let the fish do the talking. One of the most appealing
aspects of locating walleyes holding on deep structure
is the fact that they show up readily on good electronics.
High quality electronics like the Raymarine C Series that
can incorporate high defnintion fish finding capabilites
with G.P.S. can make the job of finding deep summer fish
a whole lot easier. Besides the ability to mark fish holding
tight to the bottom, or bust out schools of bait and show
individual fish, the C-Series can also combine Global
Positioning with incredibly accurate mapping, like Navionics
Gold charts. When you do make a move off shore it's easy
to become confused as to your exact location, especially
on big water, and the ability to display an accurate map
along with your present condition can be invaluable. The
result is more time spent fishing and less time wasted
looking for a particular spot. The key to whole fish finding
process is keeping your lines in the boat, and relying
totally on your electronics to divulge the whereabouts
of deep running walleyes. It takes a little self control,
but you can save a ton of valuable time if you do the
investigative work up front. |
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The fact is you’ll never ever catch them where they’re
not, and if you’re not marking; you’re not on ‘em..
Good summer presentations involve an element of speed,
like trolling crankbaits or spinners. With an increase
in water temperature a walleye’s metabolism increases
accordingly. A quicker moving bait appeals to that bump
in metabolism and will often get snapped up while a
slower offering gets completely ignored. A top pick
for working unfamiliar waters would have to be a spinner
and live bait combination behind a heavy bottom bouncer.
Bottom bouncers run relatively snag free which can be
a big plus when working an uneven bottom with plenty
of potential hang-ups. They also allow you to keep your
bait running close to the bottom without actually dragging
it, and helps to keep your offering at ‘eye level. There
are exceptions to the deep summer patterns, and includes
dark or stained bodies of water where visibility is
extremely limited. There may still be a shallow to deep
migration but it may occur on a much smaller scale.
The thing is the fish are still there, and some of them
can still be caught, and it might as well be by you.
Rick Olson
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