workcanwait....
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Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
Been going out on Lake Erie for Walleye on average twice a week and enjoying it.
My first year trolling out there have been a shore/stream fisherman.
The captain I have been fishing with has many years experience 16 ft boat all the gear.
We have been catching lots but not a lot of legal fish last couple weeks.
I know there is a swarm of 14 inchers throughout the lake and everyone is catching them.
Just curious if anyone has any tips or ideas on how to catch bigger ones other than just keep sorting through them.
PM me if you would rather not tell everyone...and go ahead and post some sarcastic smart a_s comments been on this board long enough to know that's just the norm.
Thanks in advance to anyone who has some ideas or knowledge they will share!
WCW
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Big Tuna
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/07 03:38:57
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☄ Helpfulby workcanwait.... 2017/07/07 14:15:41
Use some bigger stick baits and spoons. Troll 1.8-2.0 mph.
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bassackwards
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/07 06:37:39
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☄ Helpfulby workcanwait.... 2017/07/07 14:15:36
Go bigger.....and go deeper.....go faster. We were out Tuesday and got nothing but 14-15 inch fish in the 40 to 50 foot range, made the move to 65 feet and were able to salvage a one man limit of 2-3 pound fish.
We ran 6 rods. 2 riggers, 3 dipsy rods, and one planer. In the 50 foot range we picked up most undersized fish on harnesses and smaller cranks. We were circling the perch pack (big perch pack). I found another perch pack out in 63 FOW and began circling the outsides of that pack.....bingo. We took off the harnesses and ran a combo of sticks and spoons, and ran all the lures a bit higher in the water column. I also stepped up the speed to 2.5. Spoons on dipsys were the hot rods, ran #3 setting on 2 and #1 on one, back 90-110 (40-45 foot range). Purple magnum seemed to be the hot item of Tuesday.
I do not think the "big ones" are quite here yet (my opinion).
We were out of East avenue boat launch, headed out off the point to begin with. When we went deeper I move west about 1 mile towards Ohio.
I will be out again on Saturday (weather permitting). I think I will venture to 70 fow off the Ohio line and try the same setup. If you see the "Happy Lab Sport-fishing" boat out......give a wave !
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workcanwait....
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/07 11:50:57
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Yeah bigger sticks we have tried and spoons.
We have been fishing 40-50ft lately running between 2.0-2.5.
Mostly we are getting out 5pm until midnight after captain gets off work so in a 16 ft boat we have not been going out to 60 ft .
Seemed to be a lot of good marks last night in 50ft but getting through the dinks is tough.
Sure are a lot of fish out there...
Thanks for replies still all ears looking for advice if anyone else is kind enough to share...PM me if you like.
WCW
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ShenangoEyes
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/07 12:49:25
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☄ Helpfulby workcanwait.... 2017/07/07 14:15:31
Deeper, bigger faster. Monday I was out of Connie into pa. Had 1 short of a limit by 1030, so I switched to a steelhead setup, running a couple big Al's fish flashers with bigger spoons, and was running 3.5 mph on the GPS, headed north, out to about 74'. No steelies, but, those little walleyes will even hit on that setup. I did finish out my limit on that rig, with a fat 22".
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freshwaterdrumR
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/07 13:18:55
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☄ Helpfulby workcanwait.... 2017/07/07 14:15:29
Try deeper water and/or bigger baits fished low and slow. Its been tough to stay on any bigger fish. Seems like even if you find a bigger grade of fish they are no where to be found the next day. I honestly don't know if its possible to get away from the small ones. Out of every port along the southern shore its the same story right now.
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workcanwait....
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/07 14:15:24
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Yeah a GAZILLION lil ones out there but I guess that's good for the future.
Thanks for replies...sounds like we are headed out again Sunday morning see what happens.
Still listening to any advice given...and all helpful replies no nonsense whats happening to this forum THANKS AGAIN... WCW
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pikepredator2
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/07 16:51:26
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☄ Helpfulby workcanwait.... 2017/07/08 00:43:10
Walleye have been on fire for a month now, never seen anything like it. Usually don't even start fishing for eyes until the end of July after I've filled my freezer with perch. I've had the boat for 10 years now and have never seen the small, same year class of eyes I've seen this year, all seem to be between 13-15 inches. Of course the big ones come in the boat, but nothing like in the past due to all the little ones. Just my opinion, but I'm also thinking the mass numbers of these small walleye just might be feeding on the perch and preventing them from schooling like they should be. Seems we're just going to have to weed thru the smaller ones. Might be changing my way of thinking tho. If my theory is correct on these smaller eyes eating up the perch, just might start keeping those smaller legal ones. Just remember tho, if you throw a 15 incher in your cooler, chances are it's not going to be legal when you get it back to the dock. Heard 8 boats got fined the past few days for undersized fish tho I'm sure they were legal to begin with.
post edited by pikepredator2 - 2017/07/07 17:05:17
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Meatball
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/07 21:27:49
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☄ Helpfulby workcanwait.... 2017/07/08 00:43:08
It is definitely insane fishing, purple colors real hot, although I will say after catching over a hundred with one other guy fishing 60'-65' Monday, the big ones were caught in 45 up high on tues. Nobody around us. 9lb biggest with a few 8 mixed in. They are trying to eat but cant cause there are so many little ones. fish the fringes, stay away from the crowds, the bigguns are there too
"I feel sorry for the people who don't drink. When they wake up, that is the best they are going to feel all day" -- Frank Sinatra
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workcanwait....
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/08 00:45:34
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Yeah we are not keeping anything under 16 inches...got a few yesterday under 10 inches???...WCW
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workcanwait....
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/08 00:48:13
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Yeah meatball I think the big ones are there and hungry from fish finder watching but its hard to hook em' when your dragging lil ones on the lures already.Gotta check lines constantly...WCW
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workcanwait....
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/08 11:26:45
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Pike Predator we caught a 20 inch walleye and it had a 7 inch perch in belly and I have heard the perch guys are catching walleye regularly so your probably right.Another observation is there are a lot of shad around...WCW
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bassackwards
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/10 06:40:13
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Was out Saturday......was kinda rough in the morning ! Out from 5:am till 10:00am, was a rough ride out, better coming back in. Went out to 68 FOW before I began marking isolated pods (thinking bait balls) on the fish finder. I decided to skip the 40-60 FOW due to catching lots of little guys the last few weeks.
Bingo. 64-68 FOW produced what I had been wanting. Would have had a limit by 9:00 of fish over 20" (2-3 pounders), but I was just catching and releasing. I did not get any undersized fish. Ran into some Sheep-head, white bass and big perch along the way as well.
No steelhead.
Hot ticket was a purple and black stinger, riggers down 40'-50', 5 color with purple reef runner, dipsy divers mostly back 120" with ring on #3. Most dipsy bites came on a reef runner in a wonderbread color. I only ran 5 rods due to wind in the morning.
Stayed home and mowed the yard Sunday.
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workcanwait....
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/10 10:12:21
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Nice thanks for the report...we decided it was too bumpy this weekend.
Worked on the food plots and other chores...WCW
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bassackwards
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/10 12:07:33
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WCW.....
Too bumpy is about right. I gave a second thought on Saturday once I rounded the point. My bow cover was a necessity, especially trolling into the waves. It was a long ride out to 60+ FOW.
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Divemaster
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/10 19:32:24
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☄ Helpfulby workcanwait.... 2017/07/11 10:42:57
This weekend was a mess. 3-5 footers off the point, baits had to be jumping up and down four feet at a time down there but we still found a few eaters. Anyway, for larger individuals. As others have said: go deeper, troll faster, use larger baits. Also, put a good few presentations high in the water column. It's been my observation that, at least with Lake Trout and Walleye, the larger fish will be hunting higher in the water column while smaller fish tend to forage around the bottom, though the suspended fish are often more "fickle". For example, 95% of my Lakers are within 1-10' of bottom, and I've caught a handful of 20-25 pound fish right on the bottom over the past couple seasons. However, I've also caught some very nice fish between 15-20 pounds pretty high up as well, and usually all the marks on the fishfinder I see up high are larger fish. My nicest fish this year, a fat 18 pounder, was taken 25' down over 145 FOW. With Walleye too, my PB last year at 32" was hooked 20' down over 65 FOW. Skipping the worm harnesses and little spoons & plugs and going for the mag spoons, 800-900 reef runners, and borderline-musky crankbaits will help too. Just my experience.
post edited by Divemaster - 2017/07/10 19:33:51
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workcanwait....
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/12 11:00:11
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Wandered out in evening yesterday-45fow spoons and rats....8 walleye 1 legal 23"- 2 perch- 3 white bass -1 sheephead...1 broken Okuma reel.
Back at it Saturday AM...WCW
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workcanwait....
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Re: Walleye...any suggestions on how to catch the BIG ONES
2017/07/19 10:30:01
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Did a lil better last night...24 in boat in 4 hours 6 keepers.
Dipseys and harness got most of them 50ft down.
Stopped by Elk b4 we went out still no mouth that I could see...WCW
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