Get Hooked on Artificials for Walleyes
Category: npaa
Jul 23rd, 2013 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jul 23rd, 2013 at 12:00 AM
A broad range of artificial lures have been designed for catching walleyes. From casting and trolling crankbaits to jigging and “spinnering” with Berkley Gulp! and PowerBait, walleye anglers have realized several benefits.
“First,” according to Berkley Pro Team angler and Championship winner Johnnie Candle, “they save time and that equates to the lure being in front of more walleyes. Second, it means not having to manage and keep bait alive in the hot summer months. Third, it works – so why bother with live?”
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Candle lives in Devils Lake, North Dakota, the location of the upcoming Aug 2-4 Masters Walleye Circuit tournament where teams of anglers will compete using only artificial lures. “It’s not unusual for most of us guides and locals to pitch jigs adorned with Berkley artificials. They are so good, it almost seems like the real thing,” he said. The key is where it’s fished. Devils Lake has hundreds of likely hang-outs for walleyes, especially around the cabbage weed edges in 5 to 10 feet of water.
Popular among the jig “pitchers” are Berkley Gulp! quarter ounce Minnow Jigheads with a super strong 3/0 wide gap hook and unique keeper system so artificials stays attached. When matched with a Berkley Gulp! 3-inch Minnow Grub, this is one of the best producers on the lake. Jigs are hopped off the bottom in six inch to two-foot snaps of the rod tip, never sitting on the bottom for more than a second or two. Berkley Gulp! Minnows, Jerk Shads and 4-inch PowerBait grubs are other good choices. Lesson learned: When wind is blowing into the weeds, the walleye activity is about five-times as good.
While testing the new Berkley Gulp! Killer Crawlers a few weeks ago, pro team member and Devils Lake regular Al Freidig, found these three inch orange crawlers fished on a Berkley Flicker, two-hook, spinner rig to be the answer. Tested side-by-side with real crawlers, they caught as many or more walleyes. “I tried the natural and green crawlers, but orange was the key,” he said. Many Devils Lake anglers run spinners behind bottom bouncers on or alongside submerged roads in the lake which has come up more than 30 feet over the past 20 years. Right now, the 13 to 16 foot depths are holding many walleyes and with the clear water of this unusually late spring, weeds in some areas are growing in 16 feet of water.
Anglers using conventional spinner rigs have Berkley PowerBait and Gulp! options from three to seven inch crawlers. Casting and straight retrieving with jigs and PowerBait Ripple Shads and Hollow Bellies are walleye catchers, also. Freidig said, “Don’t be afraid to reel the Minnow Grubs on a steady retrieve, especially in the trees and over submerged weeds.”
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Devils Lake trollers are targeting walleyes with Flicker Shads. When using the smaller sizes, they favor leadcore trolling. The larger sizes are popular for open-water trolling or when attempting to contact the walleyes 24 to 28 feet below the surface on old shorelines of rock and gravel.
Berkley’s Midwest Field-Marketing Manager and veteran industry observer Cody Roswick said, “Artificial baits from Berkley even the playing field. Anglers don’t have to hunt for the liveliest or perfect-sized minnows or leeches or bother with keeping them alive. All they do when they get to their fishing spot is open the Gulp! bag and get the net!” He also said new sizes, shapes and colors are showing up regularly, so keep checking the www.Berkley-Fishing.com website for news.
For more information on the Masters Walleye Circuit and the upcoming Devils Lake Tournament go to: www.masterswalleyecircuit.com
About Pure Fishing, Inc.
Pure Fishing, Inc. is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia, All Star, Berkley, Fenwick, Gulp!, Mitchell, Penn, Pflueger, Sebile, SevenStrand, Shakespeare, SpiderWire, Stren, Trilene and Ugly Stick. With operations in 19 countries and a dedicated workforce conversant in 28 languages, Pure Fishing, Inc. is a part of Jarden Outdoor Solutions, a leader in developing outdoor and active lifestyle products and a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation. Additional information can be found at www.purefishing.com.