Sound and Large Walleyes in Shallow?

Most all of you know I don’t know nutting about walleyes so be nice. In fact I have a hard time touching them if no one else will take them off the hook for me.

But, on to the question or observation.

For the last few years I’ve been picking up a few good size walleyes in shallow water 2 – 6 feet mostly. We anchor and soak our baits using a slip sinker.

When I have someone along that has heavy(er) boots on, I can almost…almost always guarantee that we will not have a bite. I’m not saying we always have a fish on when everyone is in sneakers, but it sure seems if those boots make noise on the bottom of the boat, walleyes will not bite.

I’m running a Lund 17′ for a deck floor. I wouldn’t think the noise would be transferred into the water, but that’s the only thing I can think of to explain fish less nights with boots in the boat.

Anyone esle see this pattern in shallow water?

PS this does not hold true for Trophy Cats….Thanks God!

I think walleyes and crappies both have very accute lateral lines. Vibrations or sound waves of certain lengths could very well spook them in shallow water.

i think that when you done fishing out of old beer cans melted down and formed to look like a rig and switch to glass people will respect you more..party on bk

If it wasn’t for people like me the world would be filled with beer cans. I do have a purpose in life.

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I do have a purpose in life.

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A purpose other than harassing me ? Who’d a thunk

check your pm.

Now what was the question?

I do think that noise makes a difference for shallow fish, and not just walleyes. I also think that those shallow water fish hear less of the guys stomping around in a glass boat vs. a tin boat. Just my experience.

Yeah Brian what John said. You’d better just get it over with and go get a Skeeter MX

Well it does make sense…glass over tin transferring sound into the water. I don’t think I’ll be changing anything soon…well not unless walleye fishing becomes popular.

So what about built in stereo speakers then? Listening to Money by Pink Floyd killing my less than 10 foot of water trolling bite?

Any big fish shallow spook easy. I fish very shallow a lot here and fish often don’t move in until boat traffic goes way down. You can almost set a stop watch and the first bobber goes down a half hour after the boats leave for dinner. You could test this by swimming under your boat and have Jesse jump up and down.

BK Switch your music to Dropkick Murphys. The bagpipe music brings them in.

I specifically mounted an engine mount trolling motor for this very reason. In calm conditions, when trolling the open basin on Mille Lacs targeting suspended walleyes up high in the water column, I notice a big difference using that trolling motor versus my kicker motor.

That’s what I was looking for Brad.

I’ve seen two flatheads with their backs sticking out of the water in the weeds. My spotlight didn’t bother them, but a bully and 4 oz sinker made them Hi Tail out of there.

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BK Switch your music to Dropkick Murphys. The bagpipe music brings them in.

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Sarge:

That was good!!! U been watching too much Charlie Moore!!! The Dropkick Murphy’s are seriously good!!!

Mark

http://youtu.be/7Yg8MuaWMT0

Ironically, I can’t tell you how many nights we knock the heck out of big eyes in shallow with the radio up just a little too loud. Of course this is trolling on Mille Lacs in the fall.

In a semi-related note. I am becoming more and more convinced that there is a serious night bite for eyes that goes on during the summer months on the Mississippi. I originally thought that it was more of a hit and miss kind of thing; but there seems to be mounting evidence (Jakob’s report and all the cat reports) that those walleyes are feeding at night and off vibrations not sight. Even a walleye can’t see much in 3″ clarity when it is dark out. I need to rethink these bankers hours river fishing in the summer and start doing a little more night fishing.

There goes the after hours neighborhood.

I find night fishing romantic. Don’t you?

Ugh!

Got that pic on the desktop and I aint afraid to use it!

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In a semi-related note. I am becoming more and more convinced that there is a serious night bite for eyes that goes on during the summer months on the Mississippi. I originally thought that it was more of a hit and miss kind of thing; but there seems to be mounting evidence (Jakob’s report and all the cat reports) that those walleyes are feeding at night and off vibrations not sight. Even a walleye can’t see much in 3″ clarity when it is dark out. I need to rethink these bankers hours river fishing in the summer and start doing a little more night fishing.

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I believe two of the most important factors of a crankbait is the vibration along with the sound it provides (rattles).

Mark: I got a almost 20 y/o son going to school in Madison and he plays bagpipes. My musical tastes are being influenced.

Hey Kooty,

I’ve heard they kind of like dancing and your air guitar too!

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Any big fish shallow spook easy.

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Open water I would tend to agree with this statement.

I think maybe maybe not…certain flats on Pepin only 3 feet deep boats running all over the top of em and still catching 5-6 lb fish ……Go Figure ??????????

Good point Tom.

Maybe it has to do with the calm and quiet conditions befor the noise as a sudden sound definately gets the attention of alot of things and they go into self protection mode. Maybe the walleyes get conditioned to boats running on the water. I thought the saying was be quiet and don’t spook the fish especially when its calm.