Have you ever wondered why you have a whole tackle box full of tricks, but only seem to catch fish on a select few of them?? I’m here to wager that there are many items that plastics will produce for you in a big way if you can convince yourself to fish them with confidence. When anglers experience success using certain techniques, and tackle they are very reluctant to switch it up while on the water. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had customers scratch their head at how we’re fishing that particular day only to thank me for turning a light switch on for producing big walleyes with a slightly different method than they are accustomed to fishing. The other issue I see is that we’re all guilty of fishing a new technique with a lack of intensity. In this article I’m going to discuss the art and science of working big plastics for TROPHY WALLEYES!! When fishing an artificial bait via jig you’ll need to decipher the pattern triggering strikes on that particular day. The moods of the fish can change on each day, so don’t get stuck in a rut with your retrieves. How you work the bait along with the action of the plastics tail need to convince the fish to eat. This involves the right swim, dart and drop with at the same time the ability to detect that strike. I often hear people say that they aren’t hitting plastics as hard as live bait. Actually that rarely is the case as when moving a plastic through the water column big fish typically will commit in a big way by flat out destroying the plastic, but often times anglers are caught out of position. You’ll need to set your pop can down in here boys!! If your long casting your presentation a proper no stretch braided line, and sensitive fast action rod selection will help enable you to detect the pick up. Without proper gear you’ll have fish pound your bait and spit it without you ever skipping a bite of your sandwich. Trust me the reason meat fishing is seemingly more productive at times when fish are in a feeding frenzy is that they are holding that bait long enough for the average angler to realize something isn’t quite right. As anglers learn to fine tune their game they also learn to detect the ticks or slack line that occurs when your plastic is inhaled by a LARGE WALLEYE. Often times that same tick or slack is given to a jig and minnow, but you get second chances to realize what has happened while with plastics fish will often realize they’ve been fooled and spit the bait. You always need to be ready for the strike, and often times that hit will occur immediately after a snap and pause while the baits descends back to the bottom.
Working the program. When it comes to fishing plastics I’m a big fan of the large K-Grubs. They provide a big bodied target best simulating a fat ciscoe or smelt in which here on Rainy lake is a key component to the diets of large fish. The Fall months are prime time for these walleyes to fatten up for the long hardwater period in which they become less active. Anglers often times forget the importance of size matching the baitfish that the trophy fish are targeting. Lots of chatter about color, and little chatter about size. I’m here to tell you I feel the size match of your presentation is at least equal to color. Yes you can catch big fish on small baits, but I’ll put my money on a larger bait for larger fish when fall blows in this year. So case in point……..Here you are marking big fish in the fall and it is just you vs the fish. First off make a special note of where you are marking those lucky 7 arcs. If your marking those fish suspended off the break work your baits suspended attempting to swim that jig and plastic at the correct water column so you can be effective. If the fish are hugging the bottom snap and swim that bait off the bottom. I usually choose to long cast these baits, so I’ll mark an area and position my boat in a way that allows me to swim the bait through the desired school. Of course proper boat alignment is vital with this method. I figure I can cast into the wind or with it, but NOT across it. Tight lines and jig contact are VITAL to your success!!
I’ve had anglers ask why choose plastics over live bait?? Isn’t all about catching fish, and who really cares what method utilized as long as your catching fish?? I use plastics when I feel plastics optimize my chances to produce big fish. There are a number of situations in which I feel a plastic gives me an edge on the fish. When fish need to be triggered to strike I like plastics. Number one instance is when the fish are being fooled with an aggressive darting retrieve. I feel I can best produce strikes with plastics in those situations. I can work them faster and cast them longer than fishing with live bait without fear of casting by bait off. I also can experience mulitiple strikes on a single retrieve. I enjoy the flexibility of experimentation with the sizes and colors of my presentation without carrying a multitude of live baits in the boat. Furthermore I often times find it is difficult to find nice big bodied live baits I feel is often needed to land the biggest and the baddest.
In closing as anglers we continue to strive to be on the cutting edge that allows the biggest bruisers that inhabit the depths to merely grace our boats if only for a quick measurement and digital. There is truly something magicall about landing a trophy fish, and the feeling you get when you put the beans to a monster walleye. Fall fishing on Rainy Lake is arguably the best time of year to land a trophy walleye. Last year we boated 5 over 30 inches and 26 over 28 inches. As always there are no guarantees when seeking bruiser fish, but there is also no substitute for being on trophy waters in prime times!! If you want a trophy fish the best recipe for success is fishing trophy waters in prime time!! We’ll see you on the water team! We’ll be the boat with the net out!!
