I just got into walleye fishing this year (okay when I say get into it, I mean wanting to get into it) and I've been out Several times without any success. I feel like I've got a good variety of the correct gear and understand the concepts (make sure your jig/ whatever your using is on the bottom moving slowly) it seems like the majority of people recommend chartreuse as a go to color, but I've got many different colors and sizes of jigs and swimbaits ranging from 2.5-4 inches and several colors of jig heads varying from 1/16 to 1/4 ounce.
I've got all this stuff and no walleye which is kind of a problem for me.
I was out at the Provo river Inlet at utah lake and I watched some Asian gentleman catch 4 good sized walleye 10 feet away from me, asked them what they are doing different than me and is was the same advice I have been given, make sure bait is slow moving across the bottom etc.. I've decided that asians just have something magic on their skin that attracts fish.
Which brings me to my question. Scents? Any insight on scents? Do people tip their jigs with anything? Most people I talk to say sometimes it matters and sometime it doesn't, but I wonder if I'm being misled to save more fish for them to catch lol
Any insight is appreciated!
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When they're feeding, it doesn't much matter what you use. When they're not - well, then it doesn't much matter, either.
But it's hard to beat a Gulp! or Gulp Alive! minnow on a jig either way. In murkier waters, sharp color contrast helps. Black and chartreuse is a proven walleye color, as is purple and chartreuse. Black and white, red and white, red and yellow...all good at times.
It also never hurts to put a piece of crawler on, too. Either by itself or just added to your jig along with the plastic.
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[#0000FF]In addition to all of the "can't miss" suggestions for sizes, styles and colors of jigs...and scents...it pays to know bottom contours and where the fish are cruising or holding. The "regulars" who consistently catch fish have usually found some small "sweet" spots that attract or hold fish. And those spots might only be the size of your vehicle. Then you need to know just how far to cast and what depth and speed to retrieve...and with what amount of weight.
All that is to say that there are no magic formulas. But the longer you fish...using proper tackle and technique...the more you learn...and the more fish you will catch. It is good to ask others but don't expect them to download what they have spent a lifetime learning. A lot of what they do has become a matter of muscle memory and instinct and they might not even be able to articulate exactly what they are doing that you are not.
I can tell you from past experience that there will be magical days when the fish are in and active...and you will catch multiples. But you need to quickly wrap your head to keep it from swelling too big. Because surely your next trip will leave you frustrated and wondering if you really did catch those fish or if it was just a dream.
Been that, done there...or whatever.
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I've always liked some kind of chartreuse color at utah lake, if it's all chartreuse or with another color. in utah lake fish with the 2 1/8oz or lighter jig set up about 12 in. apart. with that set up your bottom jig will keep contact with the bottom and the top jig will ride more in the strike zone. when fishing this set up just keep your jig moving as slow as possible and not dragging very much. you want to tick bottom as much as possible but keep it moving slow.
talk with Tubedude and see if you can buy some of his home made jigs, they are the
bomb for walleye.
try some smelly jelly anchovy with glitter.
good luck with the walleye bug, I caught it over 20 years ago and still can't shake it.
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Don't for get to get TD's write ups on tandoms and general jigging, and yes the Asians have some kind of magic, they are fisherman for sure, if you figure it out let me know.
I like a fast action pole, 8lbs nanofil, 6or8 lbs flouro, you might want to use just one jig for a while to get the feel of the jig tapping the bottom, one of the biggest things to me and I don't hear about it is make sure your jig swims strait,
if you are just targeting eye's guaranteed there will be more bad days that good ones at least until you put your time in, that's how it was told to me.
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This right here is why I love this forum! A person comes on for a little info and gets well thought out honest answers. So nice to know that this more of a community than a competition. I'm proud to be associated with such a group of sportsmen.
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I agree with you on that comment, a lot better than the snarky comments I've seen in other locations... Thanks for the comment... J
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Well thank you everyone that's a ton of helpful info I will let you know how it goes!
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[quote Saltslam]This right here is why I love this forum! A person comes on for a little info and gets well thought out honest answers. So nice to know that this more of a community than a competition. I'm proud to be associated with such a group of sportsmen.[/quote]
Then you get some wisenheimer coming along with some made up scent:[crazy]
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Quote:smelly jelly anchovy with glitte
I mean c'mon! What next tye-dyed worms, and minnows with a special twist?
Geez some people!
- or a wise-donkey like me coming along making fun for no good reason.
Smelly Jelly - it's not just for breakfast anymore!
But seriously - I found some jigs with a flat bottom, supposed to be great for Walleye, and all that ticking the bottom business.
woops, didn't mean to double post. Stupid work internet!
I like the green smelly jelly bait fish formula with glitter[
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I hate to burst your bubble CS but smell jelly anchovy with glitter is for sale in the stories and has been for a long time, and as for the tye-dyed worms well thats something you will never get. yes I do have a mixture of worm color that has been proven time and time again. the jigs with the flat bottom have been around more then 15 years, cabelas came out with them a very long time ago.
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Hey Yote I was wondering why when you reply it double posts.
and the green smelly jelly has a lot better after taste than the yellow.
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I think all the suggestions are excellent ways to multiply your chances of bait presentation and selection.
From my experience including lots of research, walleye are extremely sensitive to water temps/time of year. The water temps drive pre spawn - post spawn - dog days timeframes. Also remember temps, clarity, time of day, and even boat activity/noise can dictate fish depths.
I would say water temps and lake contour are the two most important considerations a walleye fisher must know. These will help you locate the fish...the rest is up to you!
Saying that....another very important bit of information pertinent to Utah is we fish reservoirs. Pretty much every year our water levels fluctuate, this often times changes fish patterns and hangouts. This is why you MUST know the contour of the reservoir your fishing so adjustments can be made relative to current water levels.
Walleye are a different breed that often time make their own rules...persistence will pay off.
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Thanks everyone for your input, I went out this morning and was able to catch 1 19.5 inch walleye and my buddy was able to catch one a little smaller. All your tips helped much appreciated!
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[quote familyteacher]make sure your jig/ whatever your using is on the bottom moving slowly)[/quote]
All I've got to say about this advice is, don't get trapped into believing that this IS the WAY to catch walleyes. I was sold this same bill of goods 33 years ago fishing for walleye off Geneva bubble up at night. Have I caught walleye with it? Yes! But, if this is the way to catch walleye, how come my friends and I have caught more walleye using faster presentations with jigs, spinners and crankbaits? No, I'm not a walleye catching expert, but I've caught a fair number during and after the spawn. These fish are predators that aren't lazy or half dead balls of mush. They can and will move quickly even in cold water. During the spawn their main priority isn't eating, but you can get a reactions strike out of them. The only advantage you have then is that they are concentrated and easy to find and with so many mouths around you're bound to get lucky on one or two.
When I have caught them on a jig slowly bounced along the bottom, the bites came when I bumped a rock or something and pop the jig over the obstruction causing a darting directional change which got a reaction strike from following fish. You have to be paying attention because the bites often are quick and light. I've done much better on post spawn walleye using jigs, spinners and crankbaits fished much faster.
My whole point is be willing to try different things and let the fish decide what they want. Figure out what works for you. Change up your presentation with some quick hops or rod sweeps followed by a pause. You might be surprised.
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fishnate has a good point. I love to catch walleye but I rarely target them. I have learned how to catch them by accidentally catching them and then noting what/where/when, etc. Waypoints and a journal helps keep track of things.
One of my best techniques is throwing a fire tiger shad rap and running it along the bank and fishing parallel with the bank. But, that's just me and the way I fish. The longer you chase after walleye the more you will figure out your own pattern and adapt as they move around.
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Never said they was new. I knew. Saul Good.
Sorry, forgot to use the sarcasm font.
I know smelly jelly isn't new. I use lots of scents for Kokanee, like Carp Spit (for reals).
The tye-dye worms was a Tye-Dye Twin joke. The twisted minners, that's a TD thing. If you ever get minnows from him, speficy you want the good twist.
The jigs I'm thinnin' of are "stand up jigs". Some even come with a flashy blade to make more ruckus.
Here's a pic of one, but it's not painted. Usually they gots all kinds of purdy colors, eyes even.
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ybIAAOSwBL...s-l300.jpg
[#0000FF]You raise some excellent points. The first being that walleyes WILL hit faster and more erratic retrieves...at times. Those times are usually NOT during the spawn when the water is cold and the metabolism is slow...and they are more focused on other things.
But once the spawn is over and the water warms walleyes act more like bass. They will chase down and chomp a lively plastic or hardbait. In fact, one of the trickniques I picked up from a midwest fishing program was fishing lipless cranks like jigs...letting them sink to the bottom at the end of a cast and then ripping them up off the bottom and letting them fall. Catches both walleyes and wipers.
The same technique has produced a few for me this past year using plastics...on my "Pistol Pat" jig heads. I modify several of my fave jig molds to allow me to pour in a short length of wire. After I paint the heads I add beads and a propeller blade. Those little propeller blades spin on both the lift and the drop...deadly.
So you are a gradiate of the Geneva brigade too? What a zoo. Never could stand to eat any of the fish from that outflow. Smell and taste like creosote. Best thing that ever happened to Utah Lake was when Geneva closed.
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