BY Mike Frisch
Two partners and I caught lots of walleyes – most in the 13 to 16 inch size range – on a recent fishing trip. While the fish weren’t big, the trip reminded me of just how much fun reeling in a bunch of fish can be, even if the fish aren’t big. With that trip in mind, this writing offers tips for anglers who “just wanna get bit” and don’t care about the size the fish are!
The first tip I have regarding getting lots of bites involves selecting the right fish species to target. For example, panfish and bass have reputations for being cooperative biters and so targeting them is solid advice in many situations.
Not only is selecting cooperative fish a good tip for catching a bunch, targeting the right lake is important too.
For example, the lake that my partner and I caught the walleyes on in the situation described above is noted for having good walleye populations and our trip reflected such. Also, for example, I live in the Alexandria area of Minnesota and we have lots of lakes with good numbers of bass. For that reason, and because I love the hard-fighting nature of bass, I often target bass when fishing close to home.
Targeting cooperative fish in lakes that have lots of them is a great start. Of equal importance, however, is using the right fishing presentation. For example, when largemouth bass are the target species, it is hard to beat a jig-worm or what is now called a Ned Rig as a lure choice. Regardless the name, a small plastic worm threaded on a jig head in the 1/8 ounce size range and fished on spinning gear is hard to beat. In recent years, in fact, a Ned Ocho threaded on a Tour Grade Ned Rig Head has been my “go to” bait whenever I want or need to catch good numbers of bass. On guide trips, for example, where getting bites is paramount to success, most often I will hand my clients rod and reels rigged with just such a set up.
While walleyes don’t have reputations for being as cooperative as bass or panfish, there are times when targeting them makes sense. When, for example, a lake has a bunch of “eaters,” fish like the ones mentioned at the beginning of this blog, targeting them is a good idea. My partners and I caught those fish by trolling small Hornet crankbaits fished on leadcore line and used planer boards to present those lures. The leadcore allowed us to get the medium diving baits down to the 25 to 30 foot depths the fish were in. Off Shore planer boards were used to spread lines which kept us from tangling, but also allowed us to effectively cover water in the large basin we were fishing. We paired the boards with Tattle Flags which “tattled” on the smallest fish, ones we might not have known were hooked without the use of the flags. We simply took turns reeling in fish and had an enjoyable day catching a bunch of fish!
If reeling in a bunch of fish is your goal, consider using the tips for “getting bit” as just described. You and your fishing partners might just catch a bunch and have a bunch of fun while it doing!
As always, remember to include a youngster in your next outdoors adventure!
Mike Frisch hosts the popular Fishing the Midwest TV series on the Sportsman Channel and several other networks as well. Visit www.fishingthemidwest.com to see all things Fishing the Midwest.
