Lake Baits versus River Baits

I’m starting to wonder if there are some presentations that only work on rivers and others that work on lakes. I’ll admit right away that I’m not much of a Walleye fisherman, but I think that isn’t an issue here. The two baits I’m talking about are swim jigs for Bass and rubber worms for Walleyes.

To start with I have to admit considerable surprise that people catch Walleyes on rubber worms. I fish with rubber worms a lot, everywhere from shallow slop all the way out to the deep weedline. I’ve been using worms (including ringworms) since the mid 70’s. I’ve caught thousands of Bass, Northern pike, Crappies, Sunfish, and even Bullheads but I’ve NEVER caught a Walleye on a worm. This is all lake fishing, including some lakes that have decent Walleye populations. In these same lakes I’ve caught Walleyes while throwing crank baits. I have no doubt that I could spend an evening with Steve D. on Pool 2 and catch Walleyes this way. What I don’t understand is why it doesn’t seem to work in lakes. Water clarity maybe?

Next up are swim jigs. I bought a few this spring after reading about the success people on this site have had with them and after reading an article in In-Fisherman. I threw them a lot in a variety of situations and the only action I had was getting bitten off by Northerns. I would carefully work through and area with no results and then come back through with Spinnerbaits or Crankbaits and pick up some Bass. I tried burning them back, dragging them across the weed tops, and fluttering them up and down. Again this was all lake fishing. Is it a matter of my presentation or don’t they work in lakes?

I sure don’t have any good theories but I guess I have all winter to think about it.

Rootski

Rootski,

I have found that these baits work in both lakes and rivers. I think a big part of it is confidence. I have become a lot more successful with swim jigs on the lakes around Madison, Wisconsin than when I first started using them there. Part of it is learning over again how to fish these baits in different conditions. I also learned to swim jigs on the Miss.

If you were to have found the right combination of size/color/presentation, you would have probably loaded up on bass in those areas you were fishing. Sometimes for me it is as simple as changing the color of the jigs, or trailers. One thing for sure is that no mater where, or when I fish in the year, I always have a swim jig tied on. They can be just too deadly not to.

As far as the rubber worms go, I often catch walleyes from both rivers and lakes while jig worming. If you think about it, a rubber worm is nothing other than an extended grub.

I am sure others will also chime in with there thoughts, but if one bait catches fish for me in lakes, I would at least give it some serious consideration in rivers,if the conditions warrant it.

Just my thoughts
Bassman

Roots; I’ve often thought the same thing about some baits that work in lakes don’t work in rivers. I think it has more to do with color and location. I have caught walleye in certain locations and go to a diffrent type of lake, same time of year, and all I caught were northerns in same type of areas,same baits. Lakes and rivers are different challenges, requireing different approaches, which I’m sure your aware of. I think alot of what your talking about might just be color. I’m not the greatest on the river. For me I think it’s more location.
I used to not beleive you could catch walleye in lakes on plastic worms. Along time ago I got a free box of Berkly power baits as a promo or something. I was fishing a lake right after a cold front in early summer. I nor anyone in the boat was catching anything, so I decided to try a Power worm. Had like 3 small walleye grab them. I stink at rubber worm fishing so I have hardly ever used them. But I wouldn’t hessitate using the smaller power worms on eyes anymore. I’ve had luck with only one color. Chartruse (to me it looks like a bright, clear, light green. Tried them on the river and caught nothing. Used green power minnow right after and caught eyes? Next time try switching colors. I think that should help. Maybe smaller size worms in spring and pre-summer. Larger ones as you get more into summer. Good luck. cooker

I’ve done very well in recent years in lakes using BFT’s ringworms and paddletails on walleye. Pitching shorelines, dragging and working primary rocky drop-offs have all worked well. I have noticed certain colors seem to work better in lakes than rivers, and vice versa. I will say that the catalpa orange / chart tail has worked great no matter where I’ve fished it.