By Mike Frisch
Midwest Walleye Fishing Destinations Featured on Fishing the Midwest
As a fishing TV show host I am fortunate to travel across the Midwest sampling some of the region’s best fishing destinations. Earlier this summer, we filmed Fishing the Midwest TV episodes in places that I would consider fishing paradises! Here is a look at those trips.
Perham, Minnesota Walleye Fishing in Shallow Weeds
In early June we traveled to Perham, MN and got together with top walleye guide Levi Roberts of Rueben’s Guide Service. Levi indicated in a conversation prior to our trip that he was catching good numbers of walleyes on area lakes fishing shallow weeds.
Forward Facing Sonar and Jig-and-Minnow Presentation
We got on the water mid-morning on a bright, sunny day without much wind. Targeting the inside weedline, we moved along using forward facing sonar to “see” fish roaming in and amongst the weeds in 8 to about 12 foot of water. When we would see fish, we would use the trolling motor’s anchor mode to hold on the spot and cast jigs and minnows. We used primarily 1/8-ounce jigs tipped with sucker minnows or redtail chubs. Several fish came to the boat using this method. These were nice walleyes, most in the 18 to 22-inch size range. Levi proved very adept with a jig and minnow, catching several fish by shaking his jig/minnow combination on bottom to attract fish and trigger bites.
Slip-Bobber and Leech Pattern for Perham Walleyes
Mid-afternoon the jig and minnow bite slowed. Levi picked up a slip-bobber rod and baited the small jig on it with a leech and cast it to a couple fish we saw on sonar. Quickly his bobber went down with another chunky walleye. I made the switch to a bobber rig and in short order we had another 10 nice walleyes in the boat!
The Perham, MN area has lots of lakes, lots of fish of various species, and deserves a place on your angling bucket list! To learn more, visit www.perham.com.
Lake Oahe South Dakota Giant Walleye Fishing
Late May found us at New Evart’s Resort on South Dakota’s Lake Oahe. We fished a day and half with Gabe Outtrim from New Evart’s who also guides.
Slow Death Rigs Along Shoreline Structure
We spent the first afternoon and morning of the next day targeting walleyes in the 8–15-foot depths along shoreline structure by pulling “slow death” style rigs tipped with nightcrawlers. We caught a good number of walleyes from 14 to about 22 inches in length.
Trolling Deep Diving Crankbaits for Trophy Walleyes
Mid-afternoon Gabe suggested we switch to trolling deep diving crankbaits in water depths around 30 feet. He said that this depth range often held bigger fish, including giants over 30 inches in length! We got 4 lines out and it wasn’t long before some fish came to the boat, but none bigger than 20 inches. A couple hours in, a trolling rod doubled over from the weight of a big fish. I started to fight the fish as it held close to bottom and simply shook its head. Unfortunately, mid-fight the line broke right at the crankbait and we lost the fish.
About an hour later, however, another big fish hit. Once again, the fish stayed deep and refused to move. I kept steady pressure but let it fight near bottom. Eventually it tired and I slowly worked it to the surface. When it showed itself near the surface, we realized this was a Lake Oahe giant! It slid into the net and measured 31 5/8” long, the biggest walleye of my long fishing career. After some quick pictures, we released the fish to fight another day.
Gabe says the fish get even bigger and more numerous in October and we have a trip planned back then. If you want a chance at a walleye of a lifetime, consider New Evart’s Resort. Learn more at newevartsresort.com.
