looking for some help

[bgcountry00]

I am still new to this area been up here less then a year. have not been walleye fishing before but would love to go. Anyone feel like helping me out. I have a older boat and would enjoy going the first few times with someone to get some pointers. either my boat or theirs. thanks in advance.

[Sarge]

Hopefully someone in the area will take you up on the offer.

I have my best luck jigging or drifting with lindy style rigs, still haven't mastered my home waters(miltona), but some of the smaller lakes have nice walleye numbers and are easier to pattern and find the right location. Because of their limited size C&R is important on smaller lakes but don't feel guilty taking a couple home for a meal.

[WaveWacker]

I'll be up this weekend but will probably have a boat full. Not sure when I'll be up next (projects at home).

Here are some tips that I can give you now. Not sure what you have for a rig, but some sort of electronics and a trolling motor really help out. Basically this time of year I'd look at shore line structure (points, inside turns, etc.) that have been getting some wind. Best over all spot to start would be next to the outside weedline (you can move around after you've searched there first). My bread and butter is a live bait rig, typically 3/8-1/2 oz. slip sinker, swivel and 4-6' leader with a plain #6 or #4 hook (can get into colored hooks as well. An overall bet for bait is leeches but I'll always have minnow and crawlers as well with me.

If your not familiar with a live bait rig, you fish it with the bail open (open face reel) and your finger holds the line. Once you feel a bite (could be an aggressive hit or just some slight weight) let the line go. Some times you have to give them a fair amount of time and others you can close the bail quickly, in both cases reel up slack line slowly always feeling for the weight of the fish. When you know (think) it tight to the fish, set hooks.

As summer sets in you can start to look at some main lake structure. Some may have weeds on the top of them and some may be bare. All can have magic moments.

Obviously the low light periods are prime but I've got fish in the Mid-day. You can try right now at night pulling floating rapala's in 3-8' of water. Don't be afraid to put a lot of line out behind the boat. Try to concentrate on and shelf type area that would have sand/gravel on it. Also you could fan cast and intlet areas (lighted slip bobber works as well). This is also a good tactic late int he fall.

Mid summer don't be afraid to get into the deep weeds as well. Plastics rigged weedless inside the deep weed edges can produce walleyes along with many other species to keep things interesting.

It may seem overwhelming and at times boring fishing. I tend to find enjoyment in it as a mystery that I have to try to figure out. When you do it's great. When you don't it's back to the drawing board. Keep in touch here or in the general Walleye subject for any questions that you may have.

Good Luck

WW

[EYEHUNTER10]

well said wacker also if you can find a fl8 or fl18 flasher to put in the boat youll reap the benefits, cuz most lcd graphs wont do half the work of a good flasher, also dont be afraid to shore fish at night with a good lighted bobber try to stay at least 8"-18" off the the bottom of the weeds, also just a sinker and 18' of line tied to a hook or a floating hook(gumdrop) will work good from shore or in the boat just toss it out and leave the spool open or if you got a realy loose drag on your real try turning the drag all the way back and youll hear the fish taking line, its amazing how many set the hook them selves this way(circle hooks or glow gamagatsu hooks)#6 for the gamis, or about the biggest circle hook you can find with a decent size piece of meat to match it), just grab your rod and drop the tip back twoard the fish tighten rear drag(best) and real it in. Some people use bells or gowsticks taped to the end of their rods too. I live near waska and am out on the lake alot, and i have aboat but im in the process of relocating down to spicer/newlondon area so my fishing is limited mostly to after dark excursions mostly during the week but if your interested i have plenty of room as i usually fish alone, so i may enjoy some company and have a quite a few hours of walleye fishing under my belt. I started walleye fishing at 21 yrs old and now im 32 and have managed maybe 10 fish over 10 pounds now and a 32.5 incher for the wall :0. Good luck with the area, I've been here for 3 yrs(grandparents live on lake since i was a kid) and realized the grass isnt always greener on the otherside of the fence when it comes to fishing, usually just more pressure, more tourneys, and all together less quality fish so believe it or not im heading south for bigger fish lol, the deer hunting is even tough up here, with all the multiseason hunters and hardly any trees on the public land around here, or deer for that matter. Ive seen the lakes and woods decline in qulity hunting and fishing steadily for the past 5 seasons and the past 3 seasons have been terrible. I hope they get control of things before my kids dont have a place to hunt and fish when they grow up. I know i make it sound bad, but if things are gonna get better someones gonna have to say something. Waska was great from about 96 on through 2000 again from 2001-2003, but it was so good that it drew the attention of magazines and then the tourneys, and the leagues, and the poor average angler who just wants a spot to himself on a 10 mile lake, yeah right !!!! lol Wakskas full of 12-13 inchers so i predict in 3 short years it will be booming again. If ya like to bass fish though Id say waskas about the best bass fishery I've fished to date, wish people would want to eat them though. After catching 40 + bass and a few smallies the sun may go down and you may finally get that 12-15 inch walleye, very frustrating and costly on the leeches i might add. Well enough about that, try to buy a new rapala like a x-rap the yellow one with the red head has been working great for me just about everywhere ive been, A quality rod will help too fleet farm has a line of cheaper berkleys for around 30 dollars they are a solid 1 piece blank available to 7 feet long(dont get the 2 piece), I matched mine with there shimano 4000 side stab around 30 dolllars, then i got a 6'6 lighter rod(identical) and a sidestab 2500 for it so thats 2 IM-6 graphite rods with new reals for 120 which is half what i spent 4 yrs ago to buy the same thing. Them rods have made it 4 yrs with no breaks used almost daily, so spend a little cash and get set up for walleyes before you begin, and youll enjoy it a whole lot more. A good float is the thill nite lite, theres better but theyll do the job try to get the red lights, if you like to use a taller thinner float try your fav float with a clip on style nite light stick. Husky Jerks, x-raps, smithwicks, are all good chices but stay with colors walleyes like. Firetiger, crome blue w/orange belly, clown, black/silver, black/gold, dont forget to have a few plain rapala floaters to, a gold and black one or natural perch. If your in the boat try to work the inside edge of the weed line like 0-6 feet trolling a shallow running shad(smallest you can get) and during the day try walleye divers on the deep breal from 14-18 feet, you want to have enough line out to tick the weeds just a little from time to time, give em a rip and they usually tear free. With any lure try to use a gps and keep track of your trolling speed 1.8-2.2 when theyre active and .8 - 1.2 maybe when its dead water, usually flat calm moonlit nights can make things tough and spooky in the shallows, but if you creep youll still get em, try to stop the trolling motor at times or pump your rod forward and back this will trigger whats called a reaction strike. Most of you huskys, and xraps work good because they suspend, meaning when u stop they stop and dont float up or sink down, also use a palmer knot and tye direct to the lure and keep it dead center, and wet it down before you draw it up, during the day a super braid line would be great for digging lure deeper, but night 10-14 pound mono will let you long line and not dig weeds. Stren makes a cheap line available at walmart on a salt water style(small wide spool) Its called stren high impact, its almost like running superline with all the benefits of mono and actualy casts great on a big spool rod. Trilene Big Game is another that ive tryed these spools are huge so dont by more than 2 cuz 1 will likely last you all season, respooling often. When your line gets all twisted up try to cut the lure off and let it all out behind the boat trolling with nothing attached to the line , this will put the line back on with less twist then when you filled it. Fill your spool with the new roll of line floating in a bucket of water, it works great for me after years of trial and error. Most of all if you find something that works for ya stick with it. Oh ya a few more things youll want : a good pair of carharts, some long johns, wool socks winter boots and some qulity rain gear, and a real good coleman lantern with the dual fuel. I could go on for hours so i wont but good luck and i hope ive helped ya out some how, I love to see people getting started in the sport, its a great clean pasttime, and will never stop challengeing you to become better, its just a bit addictive, so becareful or youll wander out of your bed at 2 in the morning and wonder what your doing on the lake when you get there good luck!! [email protected] if you want to hook up in the near future!!

[bgcountry00]

sounds good when we going. I have the tackle and my Rods. I am just looking for someone to get out and get a line wet with so I can learn a little about it wheater it be from a boat or from shore. Just want to fish