Outdoor living 6/29

When you think of catching walleyes during the summer you automatically think of fishing early or late or even at night hours to fish for them. While these are great times to key in on walleyes, you might be better off in some situations while fishing right in the middle of a bright sunny day. This is, of course, quite a contrast to what most anglers are taught to believe. Jack Rea, Jefferson City, found that walleyes hit during the day while he was fishing Bull Shoals recently. Rea said, "I boated the largest walleye of my life just as we talked about heading in around 3 p.m. when this big fish hit. I guesstimated it would have weighed more than 10 pounds. The fish was well over 28 inches long. I put the lunker back into the lake after taking a few photos so it might give another angler a chance to catch it and also to pass on it's genes to the next generation." Catching the fish wasn't a fluke, as Rea caught several more sizable fish over the next two hours. Another Jeff City angler, Mike Clark, told me several years ago that he had been catching walleyes in July on Stockton during the hottest part of the day. "We saw action on top and we thought they were white bass. However, after casting spoons and catching several walleyes, we now don't wait until dark to go after walleyes," he said. On another occasion, Brent Frazee, outdoor editor of the Kansas City Star and I were fishing with Mike Moore on Stockton in late June during the noon hour and we were catching walleye. Moore said, "The fishing is good now, but it will get even better in July and into August." We finished the afternoon with nine walleyes over 18 inches and Brent landed a five pound channel catfish. On bodies of water that get way too much summertime recreational traffic, many serious walleye anglers wait for boaters of the day to get off the water before launching their boats for fishing. This could be a mistake, as I learned from a top notch angler from Minnesota, Al Linder, while fishing Whitefish Lake in Minnesota. Using the mud line created when all the wakes hit the shoreline, he would wait 'till around noon to start trolling jigs tipped with a nightcrawler right along the edge of this mud line. The stirring up of the mud was attracting baitfish to feed, and in turn attracting the walleyes. With the light not able to penetrate as deep as the dingy water, the fish kept feeding all afternoon. Other anglers using this method catch limits of walleyes in the five pound range during 90 degree days when other anglers were waiting for night to fish. Linder also catches walleyes during the daylight hours by backtrolling with a jig and nightcrawler. We fished several lakes using this method and it seemed that if we stayed in 18 feet of water, we could catch fish. When we got off course, we didn't get strikes. One of the best ways to find fish in a lake is by trolling lures at various depths through good looking spots. When you catch a fish, note the depth and troll over that spot several times to see if you can pick up more fish. Many walleye anglers throw a marker out when they catch a fish and then vertical jig or send a minnow down to pick up a few extra bites. Knowing what bait a certain lake contains is also a key to success. Normally walleye like a bait that is longer and thinner. In a lake with huge threadfin or gizzard shad, the fish are most likely to feed on the young of the year rather than the bigger shad. You may want to experiment with different color schemes to match the hatch so to speak. Walleye are known to be finicky about the bait they prefer. One lure of a different color and size can make a big difference as can the depth of the presentation. Keep adjusting your baits as necessary and make notes of what works and doesn't work for future reference. In the past, walleye anglers thought you needed an overcast day with some wind to chop the water to catch fish. However, there's too much evidence that shows you can catch walleye on clear days even in the summer during the day, at least in Missouri lakes.