Outdoorsmen Adventures.com

Owner of North Country Guide Service Tournament angler and member of Team Outdoorsmen Adventures

Take your dad fishing . . . today. As a young boy growing up I loved to fish with my dad, Gordon. He wasn’t necessarily the best fisherman on the lake, but he was responsible for instilling in me a love for fishing that has been a part of my life ever since. My dad is still alive, but he is no longer able to fish by himself. Without me making an effort, he wouldn’t get to enjoy this wonderful experience.

These days, Dad needs help getting in the boat. He may even need help baiting his hook, tying lines, and cleaning weeds off. Just like I did many years ago. Now it is my turn to ensure… Continue reading

“Your bobber is down. Start reeling. Hold your rod up. There you go. Nice fish.” Remember those words? I do. As a young boy my dad took me fishing. I looked forward to those times, which fortunately, were quite often for me. My dad loved to fish. Even when he had a buddy or relative that he was going with, he would often include me. He started a love of fishing in me that has lasted a lifetime. I have four brothers who are avid anglers. Is it just in our blood, or something else?

It was the time we got to spend with our dad that was as important as the activity. My dad was a pretty good fisherman. His passion for the sport rubbed off on us. He invested in good fishing equipment and a safe boat. Dad seemed to always know where the fish were biting, how deep, and on what bait. He took us fishing for walleyes, his favorite pursuit. I remember my first big walleye, where I caught it, what I was using, and what the weather was like. I was shaking when dad got that fish in the landing net. I was forever hooked.

There are lessons to be learned from the story I have just shared. First, obviously, you need to make time to spend with your children. No children? Mentor someone else’s child. There are many agencies that will connect you. The local YMCA is a good place to start.… Continue reading

Gotcha! I’ll bet you are asking, “what does a fishing guide, like Duane, know about deer hunting?” Well, while I do deer hunt in the fall, I am talking about the white-tipped tails of walleyes.

In the fall, the walleyes that have been buried in the weeds all summer start to move out to where we can locate them easily. And, when we find them, they are usually hungry. They seem to be bulking up in time for the cooler water to come. However, they are not everywhere. They may be holed up in some unlikely areas where you probably haven’t looked for them in the last 12 months; in fact, you may never have looked for them in some of the spots where they are found in the fall.

As the air temperatures cool in the fall, many lakes go through a turnover. Usually in deep clear lakes, a thermocline (a steep temperature gradient marked by a layer above and below which the water is at different temperatures) develops throughout the summer. Using an underwater camera, we have witnessed a thick layer of dense milky matter that forms at the thermocline level. Low oxygen and poor light levels below the thermocline prevent much fish activity in deeper water. As the surface water cools, it starts to sink causing a turnover action with the warmer water immediately below. In shallower lakes, it usually causes decaying weeds to float to the surface. Once the water clears, it is “game on!”… Continue reading

Every year I hear anglers complaining about the “dog days” in mid-to-late summer. The number of boats on the water diminishes as fishing success drops. Anglers are referring to a period of warm water temperatures when seemingly the fish stop biting. Some folks speculate that the fish have sore mouths and have quit feeding. I have heard old timers say, “fish lose their teeth”.

I have never heard or read about any scientific or biological evidence of either of those theories. I do know this: Fish are cold-blooded creatures that must eat to survive. The warmer the water, the more they need to eat. The reason anglers aren’t catching has little to do with whether the fish are feeding. Believe me, they are eating a lot. Walleyes put on most of their weight during this time.

Smart anglers have good success during those “dog days”.  At walleye tournaments, throughout the Midwest, anglers continue to weigh hefty limits of fish. That leads me to believe most anglers simply aren’t applying the right methods to catch fish during the warm water periods.… Continue reading

Most fishing experts agree on one thing: No matter what species you are after, “match the hatch” for fishing success. For walleyes in late spring and early summer, that means smaller lures pay big dividends.

As lakes shed their covering of ice across the upper Midwest, the shallows, which warm faster, come alive. Just about every species takes their turn spawning in shallow water. That means lots of small baitfish for hungry predators. Walleyes feed on just about anything they can swallow.

One of the first forage species walleyes seek is spottail shiners. Shiners will spawn just about anywhere in shallow water, but key locations on lakes are creek mouths and culverts with incoming water.

Lures.

Small minnow baits work exceptionally well during this time. The old standby, the Original Floater Rapala®, works great in shallow water. However, one of the very best lures I have found are the new Minnow Raps® from Normark®. The Minnow Rap is a skinnier version of the Shad Rap®, a long time favorite for many walleye anglers. The #7 size is a near perfect match to the size of spawning spottail shiners. They will dive to about 5-6 feet on a casting retrieve with 8# test line. Trolled on the same line, they will run about 9-11 feet deep.

Experiment with colors. There are several shad colors available that match shiners. I like the bright colors, like fire tiger or chartreuse during low light conditions.

Casting Tactics.

At night, walleyes will follow shiners right up to shore. Many anglers catch walleyes from docks or by casting to the shoreline from a boat. Shorelines with the wind blowing in can be awesome if you can keep the boat from beaching.

This is one of those times of the year when wading may be the best option for catching walleyes. If you can gain access to the areas where shiners are spawning, you probably won’t have to wait long for your first walleye bite of the season. The key to success is to be very quiet and try to stand still, which may be hard in cold water. I have caught walleyes within a foot of the end of my rod while wading. You can imagine how “thrilling” that can be.

When casting in shallow water, a deep diving lure like the Minnow Rap may run too deep on a constant retrieve. Try a slow stop and go approach. Crank a few turns, pause for few seconds, and then start reeling again.… Continue reading