IS IT A WEED OR A WALLEYE??

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Telling the difference between a weed and a walleye can be difficult at times, especially for the novice fisherman. I get the feeling at times when I am guiding, that my clients get frustrated, because they get caught in the weeds, or loose their bait due to a weed hook-up. I suppose they wonder, why I don't move out further away from the weeds? Well, the weeds are not the bad guys. It's the weeds that hold most of our summertime walleyes. Matter of fact, it's these weeds that hold everything from panfish to muskies. Most importantly it's those weeds that are holding all the bait-fish, minnows, worms bugs etc. By now you should be getting my point, I love catching those elusive walleyes hiding in the weeds. But it takes a little practice to learn how to move your bait in and around in those weeds.

Now that we know the weeds are our friends, we need to talk about the various methods we need to use to catch fish from them. Number one, we need to use the right equipment. It's all about "Feeling"the walleye or a weed. RODS -A good medium light graphite rod. The rod is the number one thing that's going to help you feel the light pick-up of your bait that the walleye is going to give you. LINE - I use nothing heavier than six-pound test. You can catch a fairly good size walleye on a quality six-pound line. BAIT-Jig and minnow combination will get the job done most of the time. Sometimes in late July and August, I will also try a nightcrawler or a leech hooked on a jig. If we are fishing in shallow weeds, I like to use 1/16th ounce jig. If the weeds are a little deeper, or if it's windy, I will go to a 1/8th ounce jig. If you are fishing in heavy cover, but you can see some open pockets of water in amongst the weeds, you can also use a slip-bobber combination. Cast right into those pockets and let your bait settle, waiting for a bite. Sometimes getting the fish out of those pockets can be a little difficult. First of all I try to put my clients on the edge of weed-beds that I know walleyes like to feed in, such as cabbage weeds. Secondly I try to position the boat so we can cast a little bit past the outer edge of the weeds. There is no need to what I call Power-Cast way into the weeds. That will almost always get you caught in the weeds and end up ripping your bait off. The ideal spot to cast is about 5 to 6 feet into the weeds, where the weeds are maybe a couple of feet below the surface. As soon as your jig hits the water, start a short jigging action just over the top of the weeds, even at times ticking the tops of the weeds. This will excite the walleyes to check out what's going on up above. Sometimes you will get caught on the tops of those outer weeds, but that's OK, you can usually pull your jig out of those without losing your bait.

Now let's talk about what you need to do when your jig stops. You need to determine "Is it a WEED or is it A WALLEYE" ?? This is where your reaction is important. First thing to do, is hold a slight back pressure on your rod and wait a couple of seconds, for a slight tug on your line. If you get that tug then set the hook and work that walleye out of that weed edge. If you do not get a tug back, then you are probably hooked on a weed. Give a good tug and pull the jig loose, but don't reel it in all the way in right away. Let your bait drop a little, and start the slow jigging motion again. Remember, most of the time the walleyes are sitting right in the edge of those weeds you just pulled out of. So if any walleyes are present, they will hit your bait that's falling in front of them. On sunny days, walleyes will back up a little deeper in the weeds, and make it even more of a challenge for us to entice them out.

Weed fishing for walleyes is fun and can be very productive. If you are on vacation, and fishing a body of water you are not familiar with I recommend hiring a guide that can show you the productive weed areas in that lake. I have a favorite saying I use when I am out guiding, No Weeds- No Fish ! Sure I know, there are times when the walleyes are in deeper water, especially in the fall when the water cools down, but most of the time, those are smaller walleyes. The bigger walleyes will stay feeding in the weeds in the fall fattening up for the winter.

So remember, the next time you are out fishing walleyes, keep telling yourself, No Weeds-No Fish, and I know you will put more walleyes in your boat, especially once you master the art of determining "IS IT A WEED or A WALLEYE"? Remember, Keep it light, and feel the bite.

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