help on Madison

[MuskyBug85]

i go to gustavus and love to catch walleyes, i know there are walleyes in madison and i was wondering if some on could steer me in the right direction. i dont need where on the lake just general water depth and baits of chose. up north its easy, 14 to 26 with a spoon and minnow head or a silver Jigging rap, i have had no success with either bait down here??? is it just me or am i missing something about these southern lakes, also is there no day bite walleyes down here??

[BIG DS]

Perch or fire tiger jigging raps work best on most local lakes as perch are the most common forage. Depths will vary with temp and sunlight. The norm would be 24 to 30 fow. Madison has shad as a natural forage so silver or white should work fine. Later ice, fatheads seem to work well also.

[therat]

Check the dnr website for a lake map and check out the narrows. You can always find a few walleyes around the narrows although this year might be rough becuase, at least in my opinion, it seems the forage was pretty thick this fall and the fish are pretty well fed without our lame lures danglin in their faces. Check any of the points too. I would also look for mud bottom....you can tell this by using your vexilar. If the bottom bar extends for several feet past it means soft bottom, if its a short bar it means hard bottom. Thats about all I can tell ya.

[Team Otter]

The 'eyes in Madison this past year have been well fed to say the least. The shad population out there was crazy. I would "tackle down" and use plain, glow hooks and slip bobbers. Hook the minnow right in the center of the top of the back so the minnow really struggles. This will closely imitate a dying shad as it plummets to the bottom.

[MuskyBug85]

thanks for the help, in your guys opinion do you think that washington is a better option for 'eyes?

[Team Otter]

Washington, German, Jefferson, Tetonka, Gorman, Elsyian, Frances, Rays, Madison, and a host of others all have their moments. But, in my humble opinion, if I was forced to choose, you'd find me on Madison.

[harvey lee]

I would pick Washington,but then I cant catch anything on Madison.

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

Good luck here I've found the fish but they are well fed to say the least. Untill this lake gets a good shad kill again you will just have to just get lucky.