Going Thursday - Help!

[Daze Off]

Just got invited to go to Mille Lacs for the day on Thursday and fish for walleyes in the AM and perhaps smallies in the PM.

I've got the smallie thing under control because I target bass 99% of the time. Pretty sure I can figure something out there anyway.

Now, walleyes are a whole 'nother deal for me. I've got some bottom bouncers and a couple of Lindy rigs but what should I be thinking about dragging this time of year and on what kind of rig? I'll let my host choose the spots but I don't want to be totally unpreprared. Last walleye I caught was on a bass jig swimming back to the boat.....now there's a plan! I've also got an assortment of cranks that might work - shad raps of various kinds/sizes, tail dancers, and even clown colored and perch colored wally divers.

Forecast is for partly cloudy, 80 degrees, east wind @ 5 mph. Any truth to the saying "wind from the east, fish bite the least"?

Thanks for whatever experience you can share?

Daze Off

[TrophyEyes]

We would love to help. I will let you know that in the last 20 threads on this site we pretty much devulge all the secrets to catching walleyes. Check out the threads talking about spinners, 3 way cranks, Lindy rigs, and any of the recent reports on the action (most are dated in the title). The trick for walleyes on Mille Lacs is long leaders (7-9ft in length). Key colors on Mille Lacs are Green, gold and silver depending on the sun. Spinners on a three way with a night crawler have produced the most fish and some of the biggest over the last couple weeks. The second option would be a lindy rig, chart beed and red hook with a jumbo leech. The good thing is that the walleyes are eating almost anything you put in front of them. Use your electronics to find them on the flats and some of the deep structure (Mud=big fish, gravel=numbers and eaters).

[rodmaker]

TrophyEyes has nailed it.

I was out last Wed. Fished the mud - Blue Jug flat.(1) 28 1/4 (1) 27 (5) 26 - 26 1/2. LOng snells I was using an 11 ft snell , red hook and a chart/ bead. I was using a G Loomis IMX 1084 steelhead rod. Works like a "gem " for these long snells.

I like the hammered copper and silver colors also for spinners. Pink may start to work now also. Can't go wrong like trophyEyes mentioned with chart. also.

Make sure you have jumbo leeches. and crawlers.

If it's going to be calm, cover alot of areas. Give the mud a shot first, then gravel.

You should catch fish

[crewdog]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for some of the different presentation tips. Really paid off on sat (outfished the other folks in the boat 10 to 1 just by trying some of the tips gleaned from reading between the BS and the gripes). Tied my personal best walleye 27 inches and change x2 (well worth the cost of a bead and hook to see them swim away). I would suggest long snells and mixing up bead/beads. H2O with navionics helps too.

[Daze Off]

Thanks folks - will let you know how we did when I get back to the office on Friday....

One question though - not quite sure what a three-way rig is...one to the main line, one to sinker, one to bait? Is there line between the 3-way swivel and the sinker?

Always interested in a new way to fish....

Daze Off

[TrophyEyes]

Yes there is line between the 3-way swivel and the sinker. It should be between 10" to 24". I use about 14". Let the weight hit the bottom and then reel up about 2 cranks. When you set the hook on this rig set it sideways in a sweeping motion, not up like you would jigging or bobber fishing. You have to do it sideways otherwise you get slack in the line created by the down force of the weight and the hook set is not effective.

[Daze Off]

See the results under "Mud Slow on Thursday"

Thanks again for the assistance - I'm sure we would have been totally skunked without it - we caught our fish on exactly the stuff you guys prescribed.

Daze Off