targeting walleye pickerel with plastics

[RipHair]

I realize this is bassforums but figured I'd ask in case. I found myself on a remote island with a huge variety of terminal tackle and all manners of plastics from senkos, toads, swim baits, etc. Bass are hitting real nice but this location also has walleye/pickerel and I'm curious if senkos or plastics might work?

 

I tried a 1/4 oz drop shot with 5" senko wacky and caught something at around 20' around a drop off. The fish got off when it surfaced no idea if it was a SMB or not but I'm gonna be trying again tomorrow around dusk.

[Finessegenics]

Go with the lightest ball head jig possible, I’ve used 1/8 oz in up to 20 FOW, and rig on any appropriately sized plastic of your choice. I like a finesse type worm 4” long or a grub of similar length. Hop it on bottom or slowly swim it. The walleye I’ve fished for really seem to like a naturally presented bait, which is why I go so light even in deep water. The current/ wind along with your slow retrieve will make the bait look lively but natural along the bottom.

[Dogface]

If I wanted walleye or pickerel I would use the swim baits. 

[Deephaven]

Jig n grub has boated countless walleye for me both when trying for them and accidentally.

[RipHair]

Thanks for the replies. Of all the terminal tackle I have I actually don't have any ball or football jigheads the closest I have is a ned rig head, shaky heady and some halfmoons.I have cylinder drop shot weights as well.

[WRB]

My 1st trip to meet my fiancees parents at Lake of Woods was interesting to say the least. Being from California I knew nothing about walleyes, Pike of Musky outside of reading about them.

Lake of the Woods is a famous fishery so I am thinking of Musky fishing and maybe Smallmouth bass. I packed a few bags of hand poured soft plastic worms and grubs plus a spool of 8 lb mono. I knew my future wife’s parents like to fish for walleyes using minnows on a jig. The soft plastics and mono was for Smallmouth bass, if I got the opportunity. This was back in the early 70’s so night crawler cinnamon with black vain and motor oil with red flake worms and grubs is what I packed with 1/8 oz dart head jigs.

Bottom line I caught a lot of walleyes on those soft plastics and jigs using my future in-laws braid bait casting tackle using the 8 lb mono as a leader. 

Not knowing ant better I fished outside weed lines at the end of islands looking for Smallmouth and caught walleyes.

We caught walleyes drifting jigs and minnows around reefs but they were surprised I caught bigger walleyes with plastics along weed edge breaks.

Tom

 

 

 

laws 

 

 

 

[Finessegenics]

5 hours ago, RipHair said:

Thanks for the replies. Of all the terminal tackle I have I actually don't have any ball or football jigheads the closest I have is a ned rig head, shaky heady and some halfmoons.I have cylinder drop shot weights as well.

Those would be good too, I just said ball head for simplicity 

[gim]

I would fish during times of low light too. Sunset, night time, or daytime with clouds/wind would be ideal. Bright sunshine is destined to fail for walleyes.

[Fallser]

The only time I really fish for walleye is when I go to a lodge in NE Ontario.  For walleyes, we use 1/4 oz ball jigs. As the owner, at the time, told us the first time we went there. "You can bring any color jig you want as long as it's chartreuse."  Mostly we use live bait, nightcrawlers, minnows or leeches.  We either drift or anchor up and jig.  For soft plastics, we use mainly twister tail grubs 2 o 4 inches long.  We'll catch smallies and pike this way to. Also, we'll cast the jigs and retrieve them slowly or fast.  This year I'm adding Ned rigs and drop shot rigs to the mix.  

[RipHair]

Yup this is in N.E. Ontario.

 

Went out at dusk and used my lightweight rod with 8lb tatsu FC, VMC Halfmoon jig, piece of black blue flake senko and on the 3rd cast where I remember catching them as a kid I hooked one off the bottom. I knew it wasn't a bass and she put up a nice fight especially on this dinky rod. Was probably 3-4lbs and maybe the biggest walleye I've caught yet.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions in this thread - gonna be fun catching more the next couple of weeks and might also target some muskies too.

[Fallser]

On 7/17/2022 at 10:01 PM, RipHair said:

Yup this is in N.E. Ontario.

Just curious.  What lake?   Since it has muskies, it's got to be a lot further south than where I go.

[RipHair]

On 8/6/2022 at 11:18 PM, Fallser said:

Just curious.  What lake?   Since it has muskies, it's got to be a lot further south than where I go.

Was on Stoney Lake in the Kawarthas.

[TnRiver46]

They eat my 4” zoom dead ringers somewhat regular. Got a small one with an 8 inch purple worm not long ago too 

[Fallser]

2 hours ago, RipHair said:

Was on Stoney Lake in the Kawarthas.

Not far from Simcoe.  That's the only lake I know in that area, never fished it but have driven by it many times heading north on the 400 to 11.  The lake I go to is about and hour and half north of North Bay.  

[Further North]

On 7/17/2022 at 9:01 PM, RipHair said:

...might also target some muskies too.

If you don’t have at least a medium heavy rod and steel leaders, you're under geared for musky unless you get very lucky with hook placement. 

[Dwight Hottle]

8 hours ago, Fallser said:

Not far from Simcoe.  That's the only lake I know in that area, never fished it but have driven by it many times heading north on the 400 to 11.  The lake I go to is about and hour and half north of North Bay.  

 

Lake Kipawa?

[Further North]

The most successful soft plastic I use on esox is a Texas rigged (over tieable wire) Strike King Smokin' Rooster.

I don't know why, but they go after it with a vengence.

This 43" musky is one of two that ate one on LOTW this June, along with dozens of pike.

...unfortunately, Strike King stopped making the Smokin' Rooster at some point during COVID.  They sold their remaining stock to Sierra Trading post - and I bought as much as they'd sell me, leaving me with about 700 in various colors.

I also had a mold made, to make them in esox triggering color combinations.

[casts_by_fly]

Youve got a lot of advice on walleye.  Let me talk about Pickerel.

 

First, they are not picky.  They want any lure or bait that looks like its injured and getting away.  Erratic is good.  I couldn't tell you how many times they hit a lure as you're about to pull it out of the water.  They have the same closing burst as muskies and pike when they are 'just following' and then decide they want something.  

 

second, they are not the top predators pretty much anywhere.  they often live with muskies and pike in the same lakes.  Even in bass lakes I'm not sure they are top dog.  As such, they tend to be in 'smaller' areas.  Shallower water, thicker weeds, backs of coves, etc.  The bigger ones patrol bigger areas (keep in mind 24" is a big one) but the normal 15-20" fish are in the same places you'd find bass so fish for them like largemouths.  I catch bunches of them targeting largemouths.

 

 

[Fallser]

4 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Lake Kipawa?

Lady Evelyn Lake

[Fallser]

59 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

Youve got a lot of advice on walleye.  Let me talk about Pickerel.

Walleye are also called Pickerel in Ontario.  I'm not sure how far north chain pickerel range but they wouldn't be native to that area.  It's confusing.   The first couple of years I went north I kept wondering why I was seeing signs advertising "fresh pickerel" or a "pickerel fry".  Being from the same general area as you, when you say pickerel, chain pickerel is what comes to mind.  Couldn't figure out why anyone would want to buy fresh chain pickerel.  If I catch them from a clean lake I'll eat them, but they're a bugger to clean. 

[casts_by_fly]

3 hours ago, Fallser said:

Walleye are also called Pickerel in Ontario.  I'm not sure how far north chain pickerel range but they wouldn't be native to that area.  It's confusing.   The first couple of years I went north I kept wondering why I was seeing signs advertising "fresh pickerel" or a "pickerel fry".  Being from the same general area as you, when you say pickerel, chain pickerel is what comes to mind.  Couldn't figure out why anyone would want to buy fresh chain pickerel.  If I catch them from a clean lake I'll eat them, but they're a bugger to clean. 

ha!  Yes, I was talking chain pickerel. I have never heard of walleye being called pickerel. Learn something every day 

[Fallser]

If you ever go to Ontario, and you order a hamburger and chips, don't order a side of French fries. 

[RipHair]

On 8/12/2022 at 9:38 PM, Fallser said:

If you ever go to Ontario, and you order a hamburger and chips, don't order a side of French fries. 

Yeah, order a poutine!

On 8/12/2022 at 4:13 PM, casts_by_fly said:

ha!  Yes, I was talking chain pickerel. I have never heard of walleye being called pickerel. Learn something every day 

Yup it's why I put pickerel/walleye in the title to get accommodate both Canada and US folks.

 

I fished some lakes in Maryland for bass and the d**n chain pickerel kept hitting my lures - got pretty annoying after awhile in fact. Indeed they are like pike basically but real Canadian pickerel are amazing eating. Even Costco in Canada sells frozen pickerel filets haha.