Looking to step up my Blade Bait game..help.

Does anyone have any experience with heavier blade baits (5/8, 3/4)?? I’m going to try and target 16″-20″ males for eaters in about 80 ft. of water? Still in the river so there is current.

Scott Estes wrote:

I’m going to try and target 16″-20″ males for eaters in about 80 ft. of water?

Don’t. I’ll assume you just aren’t experienced based off your other questions, but you shouldn’t fish walleye deeper than about 30 feet of water as anything you catch from deeper (esp 80 feet) will die while reeling them up as they can’t handle the change in pressure. There’s plenty of fish all over in shallower water, if you can’t catch them, just keep practicing as it’s user error that’s stopping you.

Or he’s from out west where those reservoirs are stacked with eyes and actually have liberal limits to take em out.

I’d opt for heavier rod to handle depth and lure size. Should work just as good as anything else! Always worth a shot.

I actually am from out WEST. No limits here on the Columbia River. However, my boat rule is no more than 10 per fisherman. Also we have targeted fish here before and females are nonexistent. Fish over 20″ are also rare. I understand your concern but we’re looking for eaters so fish will not be returned to the river once they are brought up from the depths. I would agree with you, and would stop fishing the area if we were encountering large females.

Now to find the right rod for my Blade Biting/Jigging Rap combo. I’m looking at the St. Croix Legend Rods. I’m undecided between the 5’9”, 6’3”, or 6’8”. I local pro swears by the 5’9” for everything from vertical jigging to blades and Jigging raps. Most internet info suggests the 6’8”. I’m thinking 6’3” and splitting the difference. All 3 are MXF. Which one should I buy?

Another question…….Has anyone used “Captain Jay’s” blade baits? Color selection is pretty impressive. I’ve never heard of them so I’m not sure of performance.

Captain Jays Blades work great for me on Mississippi Pools 9 & 10, I can say that much.

John Deere, Fire Tiger, Gold, Silver/Blue, Silver/Purple, White, Captain Awesome, Voodoo Tiger and Lights Out have all been great colors.

My rod of choice is a 6′ 9″ MLXF St Croix Legend Xtreme

Best rod I have ever used for blades!

Scott Estes wrote:

Now to find the right rod for my Blade Biting/Jigging Rap combo. I’m looking at the St. Croix Legend Rods. I’m undecided between the 5’9”, 6’3”, or 6’8”. I local pro swears by the 5’9” for everything from vertical jigging to blades and Jigging raps. Most internet info suggests the 6’8”. I’m thinking 6’3” and splitting the difference. All 3 are MXF. Which one should I buy?

My gut tells me a 5’9″ would be far less fatiguing fishing that deep and heavy. I have that rod and only use it fishing vertical. Very lightweight and great control.

Keep in mind that I use lighter blades in pitching applications in the slack, lower water areas. I have evolved to tying floro leaders 10# to simply have far less hook foul ups not based on water clarity.

Also, the flow on pool 4 will be about half of what the flow is in the southern pools of WI Iowa IL pools.

Larger profile 1/2 oz or larger certainly have there application, I just rarely do that.

Dean Marshall wrote:

My gut tells me a 5’9″ would be far less fatiguing fishing that deep and heavy. I have that rod and only use it fishing vertical. Very lightweight and great control.

Thanks for the input. I think I’m trying to solve the oldest problem known to man…can one rod do it all? I know that it can’t but it’s worth a try. I already have a 5’9″ in a Fenwick Elite tech. I’m hoping that the 6’3″ will let me bridge between vertical jigging and casting the blades. Right now I vertical jig because that is what I know and the technique is prevalent here. However, this is only my second season walleye fishing and I’m hopping that I move into some other techniques this spring when walleye become more accessible in shallower waters.

Good point, and since you already have the 5’9 I believe the 6’8″ is a better choice for casting than the 6’3″