Walleyes in brush…presentation?

Alright so recently I have been running into a lot of walleyes in a few brushpiles in a local lake while slip bobbering for crappies with small jigs and crappie minnows. My question is what would you guys throw around these brushpiles to pull out the waldo’s? I have thought of just slip bobbering with fatheads, but would you guys suggest something else? I know they are there (drop the aqua view down and they are thick…) Any help?

I probably should mention I have tried rigging with crawlers too-regular lindy and spinner rigs without any results in deeper water at the base of the dropoffs and the flats. Nada



Also MANY small panfish in the lake…so leeches might be out of the question

I would stick with a slip bobber and a jig with a horizontal profile and tipped with the biggest leech I can find.

Vertical jig.

Cast a dives to Rapala crankbait over the top of the brush pile, Several casts should draw aggressive walleyes out, if they don’t bite a crank then I think you have the best program with a slip bobber.

Draggin Jigs. The weed gaurd acts like a brush gaurd. Not saying your not going to loose any, but if you not loosing jigs then you are not fishing with them right.

Sounds to me like you already have it figured out, why change what’s working ?

I’m just looking for a way to catch a few more. I average two or three per trip. I only keep one per time for a meal. I lost one on 4lb test that was over 28″ easily. He got wrapped in the limbs and got off most of these fish are between 17 and 20″ on a lake not really known for walleyes. Just wondering if there is more than people actually think or if its just a really good brushpile. I’m gonna be searching all weekend

Second the draggin jig

small to mediuim spinner baits cast over top can be deadly..believe it or not but locals in some western states troll spinner baits for eyes and outfish “conventional” walleye baits 4 to 1 if not more…give it a try cant hurt

Third on the draggin’ jig, tipped with a crawler. Fish it on braid with floro or direct-tie if murky enough. Then muscle those fish out away from cover on the hookset and fight them out in the open. You’ll have alot better feel with the jig too.

Joel

Another option would be Fin-tech’s title SHot jig. The walleye versions are designed for that type of cover.

I basically made a living for the better part of 10 years fishing for walleyes in flooded timber on the Mississippi River during the summer months. The Draggin Jig is a great presentation in timber / brush fished with livebait or plastics.

http://www.bfishntackle.com/draggin_jigs.html

What really sets it apart is that while it is very snag resistant it retains a very good hooking percentage. Other snag-less jigs need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to finding that balance. Sure, they’re plenty snag-less… but you can’t hook the fish, either.

I can only be so stupid forgot about draggin jigs I will give them a shot tonight!

Ditto on the dragging jig but would also try a rattle trap, or beetle spin…I cast the deeper weedlines for crappies using that technique and pick of the occasional walleye or northern as well but sounds like you found where they are schooled up.

Put braid on your bobber rod. I have done that and had a lot less break offs.. Cranks, slow rolled spinner baits will pick off very active fish.. Dragging jig well turn a few then either a big leech or minnow will get some more too.. Don’t forget plastics too as an option… Caught a few big walleyes on a Texas rigged worm and a 1/4 oz bullet sinker

Yeah..throw brush jigs with some kinda monster monkey braid at fallen trees. Ya never know what’s lurkin in there. Learned that lesson 20 years ago in my favorite Duck Lake crappie spot down in Blue Earth County. Dern hog ‘eye come exploden out so hard she snapped the tip off my nephew’s favorite ultra-lite rod! And that lake had no natural reproduction–part of an old walleye stocking program they tried when the papermouths got too thick.

Weedless = fishless

I second James and everyone else on draggin jigs, I would also in the world of cranks look to smaller countdowns. I have used them with some success out here on flooded timber as you let them sink down a few counts and give them a few twitches and boom fish on. – Quintin.

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I second James and everyone else on draggin jigs, I would also in the world of cranks look to smaller countdowns. I have used them with some success out here on flooded timber as you let them sink down a few counts and give them a few twitches and boom fish on. – Quintin.

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That’s a great tactic I would have never thought of, may have to try that one.

Great info here. load up with heavier line. That draggin jig with a pulse R be a good choice.
I’d try a chatterbait too…

Just dont forget. One walleye in the hand is worth two in the brush….