Pitching ringworms

[NAGORSKI]

I'm gonna get out this weekend and I want to try using more plastics. Now how do you guys do it? Position the boat below the wing d a ms and cast above and drag the jig over the dam or vice versa. Any other tactics would help also. I'll be down in Red Wing on Sat. and Sun. good luck everyone.

[mistermom]

Hey Nagorski!

I'm just a beginner at the pitching; but I've had lessons from some of the best. You want to position above the wingdam within an easy cast of the top of the dam. Using as light as jig as possible cast to the top of the dam and let the current flow take your ringworm along. Keep your rodtip up and reel as little as possible. You just want the ringworm to float along naturally. If you are on bottom and getting snagged up constantly, go lighter. If you aren't hitting bottom at all or feel you aren't getting deep enough, go heavier. You want your boat positioned along the current seam, where the strong current meets the lighter current.

The wingdams haven't been too good last I heard. The sandflats and the riprap might be better places to try. Good luck!

mm

Oh! And you don't necessarily anchor for fishing the flats or riprap. Use a controlled drift and drag behind the boat or pitch. And if the water levels are still way up there you might want to try looking in the trees too.

[Tyler Holm]

Most of the time, you want to let the current move your jig. Cast upstream and let the current bring it back. You may have to "hop" the jig it its getting hung up. You want the lure to move a little slower than the current. Try different depths by adjusting your casting. A braided line like FireLine will help you feel the bottom as well as cut the current better.

If your drifting, keep your jig as vertical as possible so you can control your line and keep it out of the debris. Always make sure your on or near the bottom.

If the current is strong, keep an eye our for slackwater and seams.

[markkstanley]

Generally the active walleyes will be on the front of the wingdam. They can be on the top or along the bottom, where there is a natural current break. You need to work the jig along the face of the wingdam from top to bottom letting the current sweep the jig along. I have found a subtle lift and then reeling down to take up line works. Getting the jighead weight right is the most important aspect of the whole affair. I start out with the lightest weight and move heavier if I have to. Use Hi Vis line so you can watch you line. Make sure you work the shoreline corner and the tips. Remember the goal is to work down the face of the wingdam not to go over the top. I like to anchor when I can but using your trolling motor to move along the face works very well if the current allows it. If most of the bites are coming from the bottom of the wingdam you can switch to a vertical jig presentation. The downstream side of the wingdam will hold fish but they are typically neutral to inactive so I do not spend much time working the backside of a wingdam. Later in the year say about May switch to crankbaits. Developing the right touch will take a bit of practice and a supply of jigheads but once you get in the zone it is a gas. The walleyes really smack the ringworms. Most times they swallow the whole rig and only your line shows.

[NAGORSKI]

Thanks for the info guys. So what about color? If I'm using a red and white ringworm, what color jig would you use.What other colors have you worked with. I also like to 3 way later in the spring w/a floating jig. But I catch most of my fish leadlining down by maiden rock early summer. I'm just tring to open up my options here.

[markkstanley]

Color can change hourly both for the ringworm and the jighead. Basic black jig head and plain most of the time. Sometimes orange or chartreuse. My go to ringie colors are chartreuse pepper, purple chartreuse tail, pro blue, oyster shell and firecracker. The cotton candy has also done well. Ask Dean at Everts what combinations have been working. He is the best "free" source of info and won't steer you wrong.

Three ways are another great tactic but with the spring crowd on Pool 4 I don't use it. Someone will drift over your rig and snarl everything up. If you have the wingdam to yourself I'd give the 3way a whirl if the fish are holding at the bottom.

[droptine300]

So where do you guys place the jig and do you use stinger hooks. Do you place your jig on the head of the worm or in the middle of the body?

Thanks,

Droptine

[markkstanley]

No stinger needed and ringworm is threaded on the jighead - no wacky style. The walleyes will engulf the ringworm so no worry about short strikes. This is another reason to keep the jighead as light as possible so the walleyes can just slurp the whole thing in.

[SCONASOTAN]

If you're fishing this weekend I would concentrate more on shoreline slack water where there is rock riprap as these fish have just finished their spawn and are still holding in those areas. The water is high so the wing dams aren't hlding back the water enough to hold these fish. There might be some fish there but we had great success on the shoreline slack yesterday. chartuese of sour apple jig heads and fircracker/chartuese tail ringworms were the ticket. they smack the jig so a stinger would be just plain silly.