Catching Walleyes under the “Mayfly Sky”

Mayflies often give anglers a stomache ache as they head to northern Minnesota on a week long fishing trip. The additional food source frankly is something that you will have to compete with in many cases. Some anglers will choose to try locate pods of fish in portions of the lake where the hatch has been minimal, and others tend to simply look for the biggest hatch. The biggest hatch will surely hold the largest schools of fish. Walleyes FIND food.

Catching Walleyes under a a large scum of Mayflies is something I’ve been doing for many years. James and I filmed a show covering just how we go about feeding the already…..FULL. Locating large pods of Walleyes is rarely easier than with an influx of food gathered in an area. Getting those fish to bite on the otherhand is not always easy. This is where anglers need to consider a slightly different jiggin technique to optimize success. Lacing 1/3 of a crawler or a small fathead on a 3/16 oz (H20 precision jig is the best crawler jig on the planet with the wire keeper to hold that crawler in place. Now pop the bottom and slowly rise your bait through the water column. The popping of the bottom initiates a small cloud of sediment that often triggers fish and attracts them from a distance. The slow rise simulates a bug heading through the water column. You can also do this same routine in a cast and retrieve method. Far too many anglers fish way way to fast during this period. Leave your fancy rip jigging at home and catch a load of big Eyes while others have thrown in the towel. Yesterday from 2-4 PM we landed nearly 30 eyes with this technique.

Congrats to Pete Bernier on yesterday’s 26 inch Walleye located directly underneath a “Mayfly Sky”. Beautiful limit of Walleyes with plenty of nice slots mixed in.

Now pop the bottom and slowly rise your bait through the water column. The popping of the bottom initiates a small cloud of sediment that often triggers fish and attracts them from a distance. The slow rise simulates a bug heading through the water column. You can also do this same routine in a cast and retrieve method.

Chris, well stated! I have great success with dragging ringworms in these conditions on northern WI lakes. Slowing down is a huge key. I generally go to a slightly heavier jig and drag it along the bottom, keying in on the edge of mud flats and weed edges. Towards the end of the hatch when you find those few last clumps of mayflies hanging on a tree limb will usually produce some good concentrations of actively feeding fish.

Here’s the show IDO filmed with Chris that shows this very technique in action.

http://www.idofishing.com/videos/viewvid.php/Number/1104891/mayfly-hatch-tactics

As always, Chris, thanks for sharing your guide tested tricks for dealing with tough conditions.

Nice post Chris! Mayflies do bring out grumblings in fisherman, no doubt.

Down here on Pepin today there are mayflies going as well. Talked to three boats of fisherman and all they did is complain about the mayflies.

I pulled cranks instead of using jigs as you mentioned. I put a chunk of crawler on the crankbait as well.

Caught my PB leadcore walleye today — a very fat 25 incher. My seven year old daughter cranked it for a while and then netted her like a pro.

I could find the emerging hordes on the depth finder and–viola! The walleyes were nearby. When I kept close but not in the flies, I got bit!

Just a different approach to the same “flying” issue.

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Nice post Chris! Mayflies do bring out grumblings in fisherman, no doubt.

Down here on Pepin today there are mayflies going as well. Talked to three boats of fisherman and all they did is complain about the mayflies.

I pulled cranks instead of using jigs as you mentioned. I put a chunk of crawler on the crankbait as well.

Caught my PB leadcore walleye today — a very fat 25 incher. My seven year old daughter cranked it for a while and then netted her like a pro.

I could find the emerging hordes on the depth finder and–viola! The walleyes were nearby. When I kept close but not in the flies, I got bit!

Just a different approach to the same “flying” issue.

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Atta boy Scott!! Sometimes a guy can waste all his energy complaining, while others thinking outside the box readily beat a tough condition. Kudos Bud!!

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Here’s the show IDO filmed with Chris that shows this very technique in action.

http://www.idofishing.com/videos/viewvid.php/Number/1104891/mayfly-hatch-tactics

As always, Chris, thanks for sharing your guide tested tricks for dealing with tough conditions.

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Thanks Bro!!

Chris or James
We are having a Mayfly hatch here on pool 13, it being the Miss. river not Rainy Lake, what area’s should I be targeting using your jig/crawler presentation?

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Chris or James
We are having a Mayfly hatch here on pool 13, it being the Miss. river not Rainy Lake, what area’s should I be targeting using your jig/crawler presentation?

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There is little question each fishery will react a bit differently to a fly hatch of any sort. Some hatches on fisheries are truly massive. I’d personally try locate a wash of flies. On the river I understand your electronics are simply loaded with clutter, so locating pods of eyes on the graph is likey a bit more complicated than on a Lake setting. On the Mighty Miss I’d presume a back eddy near a current seam will likey congregate large concentrations of Mayflies. Try get right in them and fish under the “Fly Sky”. Don’t rule out a black or brown hair jig

Chris,
The multiple Mayfly hatches on the the mississippi have always been a lot of head scratching and frustrating for me with poor results. Thank you very much for pointing me in the right direction your reply is greatly appreciated.

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Chris,
The multiple Mayfly hatches on the the mississippi have always been a lot of head scratching and frustrating for me with poor results. Thank you very much for pointing me in the right direction your reply is greatly appreciated.

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No Problem. It goes without saying that we’d all wish the fly hatch was short and sweet, but it doesn’t have to mean staying home.