Articles - UPNORTH

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=unicode"> <META content="Microsoft FrontPage 5.0" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY><table bgcolor="#DADA2E" border="0" width="700" height="100%" cellpadding="15"> <tr> <td> WALLEYE SEARCH MODE      by Jason Green</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top" colspan="2"> Whether you are on the water guiding, fishing a tournament or out for a day on the water with family and friends, the pressure to find catchable fish is always there. It is in ones best interest to have a plan of attack before reaching the lake and try to stick to the plan. Of course unforeseen situations usually come to light but the ability to adapt can make the difference. Before you get to the lake it is wise to ask yourself a few questions. Has the weather been consistent the past couple of days? Did a cold front move in? Has the wind been blowing in the same direction for 24 hours? The answers to these simple questions will give you the knowledge of where to start your day on the water. As summer patterns progress and water temperature increases many anglers struggle to find good numbers of fish. For me and a few other anglers in Northern Minnesota I would have to say this is our favorite time of year. As summer progress' a lake will go through a number of changes but the number one factor to me is vegetation. While water temperatures are increasing oxygen levels are becoming lower. Vegetation creates oxygen giving fish a more comfortable and healthy surrounding. It will also give them a feeling of safety from larger predators. Locating wind blown shorelines with strong vegetation is a perfect place to begin. If you can find an area mixed with vegetation, rock and gravel that is just a bonus but just because you have all these major fishing holding factors present doesn't mean they will always be holding fish. This is the time to go into a search mode. When I say search mode the goal is to cover as much water as possible in a short amount of time. For the past couple of summers I would have to say my go to search bait is the Salmo Hornet, especially when it becomes difficult to keep bait fresh and lively. Pulling these small consistent action baits on the outside of the weed line is really unbelievable. The key is in the speed you pull the Hornet and how much line you have out. When water temperatures are cooler you obviously want to be running slower. For example if your GPS is telling you the water temp is 65 degrees or cooler you will be running as slow as .5 mph. If the fish are more aggressive you might be running as fast as 1.8-2 mph. If water temps are 70 degrees or higher you could be running as fast as 3.5-4 mph. One crucial mistake anglers make in running crank baits of any kind is using to heavy of a rod and trying to set the hook. I find that using a 7' medium light bait casting rod with a line counting reel to be best. The medium light action is soft enough to feel the difference between a strike, structure and weeds while giving you the backbone needed to reel in a fish suitable to mount on the wall. You can also change the hornet's speed and hard wobble action with your pole by giving quick simple bursts. This is a nice way to mix things up. Once a strike is detected don't set the hook. You will only rip the hooks from the fish. At this time, place a waypoint on your GPS and let the fish hook itself. Once you have landed your catch go back to your waypoint and finesse fish the area thoroughly. To finesse fish the area you can go with a standard 1/16oz jig tipped with a minnow. If it is late in the season minnows might be difficult to keep alive so going artificial is my preferred method. This is where the real fun begins. Northland's Slurpies Swim'n Grub will tantalize just about any species of fish. The Double-Curl Screwtail with Holographic FishFlakes flash and shimmer luring fish in from a wide range. All you have to do is pitch one into an opening in the weeds and hop, twitch and work it back to the boat. Once you are done working the area you can crank things up again and continue moving down the shoreline. If you are one who always has live bait in the boat another good search method is a Chatter Bait or a Northland Rock'n Rainbow Spinner Rig. These Chatter Baits can be fished just like a Crank Bait on the outside weed edge. The blade design will vibrate and shake your live bait with a side-to-side motion. It also has weighted brass beads that will keep your rig in the strike zone and aid in its consistent action. These quality rigs are the ticket when live bait is needed. I hope these tips and suggested presentations help you pick up more fish on the open water when you are under pressure and the bite has slowed down. Jason Green is a Professional Fishing Guide in Northern Minnesota and the Editor of UPNORTH. For more information on fishing Northern Minnesota and weekly fishing reports go to <a href="http://www.upnorthinc.com/">www.upnorthinc.com</a> .   </td> </tr> </table> </BODY></HTML>

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