By Wade Watson "Kab Kid"
Recently I was talking about fishing northern Minnesota’s Lake Kabetogama with a fellow fisherman, and he said “I love that lake, but I struggle to catch fish. I see them all over my graph, but I can’t get them to bit.” We’ve all been there, struggling to get fish to bite but seeing them on your electronics. We fish for 8-10 hours in a day and love it…but fishing is so much better with the rewards of catching fish!
As a guide I feel like if I told you “Go fish by Sugarbush island in 22 feet of water” some people would think I just gave out the biggest secrets in the fishing world. Sugarbush island is a little over a mile long, with a variety of structures and shoreline breaks depending on the direction or side you fish. Even if I told you to go on the south side of the island in 22 feet of water, I hope you will do more than find a depth of 22 feet and drop your lure down in the water. Most of us have electronics but do we know how to read the difference between a school of baitfish and a few walleyes. Could you tell the difference between a school of Whitefish and a school of Walleyes in 30-40 feet of water? Let’s talk about a few basics things to look for that may help you catch more fish with a few changes to “what to look for” and “presenting realistic looking baits”.
Seasonal fishing patterns are directly related to a few basic things, first and foremost FOOD. Secondly, I would say knowing water temperatures can play a vital role during changing seasons. often i am told, “Well, my favorite way to fish walleyes is a jig and minnow, so that’s what I did all week.” Hands down the most classic walleye bait tested since man started fishing, I think…a ¼ to ¾ ounce jig with a minnow attached will catch fish. My argument is simply that sometimes if you want to catch MORE fish, adapt and try something else. I love a jig and minnow, but I really love a jig and minnow presentation in late May/early June on Kabetogama and Namakan when I start seeing young of the year minnows swimming in the sand near docks or boat ramps. This is FOOD, and this now is the primary food source for many of the lake’s fish for a few days/weeks. People will tell me, “I saw a lot of Perch minnows swimming near the shore”. Then why are you using a neon-purple 7-inch crank bait?
If I were a walleye eating Perch minnows than are 1-3” long, and suddenly, a 7-inch mouse looking lure swims by…I’m not sure that’s the main food. Now you all know I’m being a bit extreme I hope, but it happens all the time. Guests will insist on using a 12-legged frog looking lure when we haven’t seen a frog all season. Fly fisherman have long been taught to “match the hatch” for more success. So, it’s not unusual to see a fly fisherman on a trout stream turning over rocks and looking for bugs in the water or swatting a few flying insects to pick a “white” or “olive” colored fly to use. This is my exact thought process fishing walleyes…wrong or right. If I see Perch minnows at the dock putting my boat in the water in the spring, I’m using some type of "Perch color" (like green/orange/yellow) and smaller baits similar to the minnows I'm seeing. When we notice minnows that are just hatching or beginning to swim they are small, maybe 1-3 inches long. Save the 5-inch plastics for later in the summer and start the first month of the season using smaller plastics or baits. I know your “jig and minnow” will catch a few fish, but just maybe your 2.5-inch Perch colored plastic will catch you 10-15 walleyes in an hour. If you see a flock of Pelicans diving and coming up with fish in 5 feet of water in a sandy bay, that's a BIG clue on where the bait or maybe where the fish are located. Be adaptable, be aware if crayfish are molting, if crayfish are moving, if bugs are flying around in the evening, or if minnow or maybe even schools of fish are scattered across your electronics screen.
Personally, I think you will struggle if you start fishing Minnesota “opener” (early May) with a live-bait rig/Lindy Rig and a leech. "Why?", you may ask. Because leeches haven’t emerged into the lake yet. Talk to bait shops, talk to fisherman, talk to guides. Most of us love to fish and even though we are maybe tight-lipped on the specifics of exact locations, most will share some bait secrets. Well, I love my “jig and minnow”. SO DO I, but I also will try a leech, or maybe a silver/gold colored plastic to look like a shiner minnow, or even a lure. All I’m suggesting is that if you truly want to put more fish in the boat, or simply catch more fish, try using several baits, several colors, or even several presentations during your time fishing Lake Kabetogama or Namakan this year.
So, what FOODs should I look for on Kabetogama or Namakan when I go fishing? The primary forage for walleyes (and most sport fish) in our system are the following:
Perch (yellow perch)- The yellow perch (Perca flavescens) is a freshwater fish native to much of North America, particularly abundant in lakes and slow-moving rivers. It is easily recognized by its golden-yellow body with distinct vertical dark stripes. Typically, 2-13” in length, primarily found near weed lines, with larger sizes found on deeper rock structures.
Cisco- (Cisco are also commonly called tullibee or lake herring)- Cisco is common in Lake Superior, but they also occur in many inland lakes of the central and northeast lakes region of the state. The cisco is a cold-water fish that needs well-oxygenated water deep in the lake in summertime. Silver with dark coloring, and soft fins, and bigger (5-16 inches) makes for one of the most sought-after meals. Known for looking for cold water, finding schools of cisco during “fall turnover” phase of a lake can produces some BIG walleyes.
DNR gill net data show high numbers for Namakan (8-14 cisco per net) in past few years with a mean length of nearly 14-inches long. (Link to DNR Data)
Whitefish- The lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is a species of freshwater whitefish from North America. Lake whitefish are found throughout much of Canada and parts of the northern United States, including all of the Great Lakes. The lake whitefish is sometimes referred to as a "humpback" fish due to the small size of the head in relation to the length of the body. Lake Whitefish can grow to larger sizes than Cisco. The Minnesota state record Cisco weighed 5 pounds, 11.8 ounces, and was caught in Saint Louis County. The Minnesota state record Lake Whitefish weighed 12 pounds, 4.5 ounces, and was caught on Leech Lake. Another cold-water fish, often found during summer months in deep water or suspended at deeper depths.
Leeches- The sight of an undulating leech is irresistible to walleye. Black or brown in color, leeches will curl up in cold water and move more in warmer water. Leeches work great on jigs, rigs and spinners. A leech dangling under a slip float and soaking in a fish’s face has long been a reliable way to finesse walleye.
Leeches work best from late spring to early fall when the water is warm enough for them to be active swimmers. Leeches ball up in cold water, rendering them unappealing to fish. We have “horse-leeches” which are extremely large and very “mushy”- DO NOT USE. Other leeches are what we call “river-leeches” and are much firmer and more active- this is what is sold at stores and the bait you want.
Minnows- I am categorizing a lot of 1–3-inch minnows such as “darters, chubs, fathead, golden shiner, and bluntnose”. Colors can vary somewhat, but typically gold, silver, blue or green colors will mimic minnows the best. One of the season's first baits moving in the water, deeper depths in cold areas but will occupy warmer shallow bays post spawn and be the primary food source for many anglers during Spring, early Summer, and Fall fishing.
Crayfish- There are four species of crayfish that are of concern in Northern Minnesota. They are: Calico crayfish (Faxonius immunis)(p.3) Northern Clearwater crayfish (Faxonius propinquus)(p.4) Rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus)(p.5) Virile crayfish (Faxonius virilis)(p.6) The three most commonly found species are the Virile crayfish, the Northern Clearwater crayfish, and the Rusty crayfish. These three species typically comprise more than 90% of specimens in crayfish collections. Crayfish molt at different rates depending on their size and age. Under good conditions, they usually molt every 15-25 days. Juveniles molt more frequently, while adults molt only once or twice per year. Molting can occur any time between late spring and early autumn. Crayfish became increasingly vulnerable during “the molt”. Typically, I will notice this while cleaning fish, and if I see crayfishing in the stomach-start using orange, red, or gold colors.
Night Crawlers: Honestly, my summer/and early fall favorite presentation. The movement, ability to adjust the length, and change speeds (from trolling to slip bobbers). Tan, orange, or natural color typically- I truly am not sure what a “night crawler” mimics in the water but the taste, smell or something seems to attract walleyes like a steak dinner.
So, now we have talked about food and types of food in Lake Kabetogama and Namakan, why is water temperature important? Water temperatures play a key role in “what is in the water” and “how it moves”. Maybe someone told you that when the water is cold, we want to slow down the retrieval of your bait. Meaning, to simply consistently reel in a lure or even your jig and minnow might not attract fish to come bite/feed because the bait is not very active during cold water periods and this presentation does not look "natural". I will “walk my jig along the bottom” or “drag it”. A cast may take 5 minutes to retrieve in cold-cold water. The bite is likely to be much more subtle in this case. Mid-summer think of the lake like going to the grocery store. Every type of bait is available, it’s busy, and we eat anytime we get hungry. During these summer months it is essential you try different speeds, different depths, different colors. One day you may find fish along a weed line of 9 feet, but you also may find active fish on a rock reef in 24 feet of water.
Marking fish on your electronics aren’t always walleyes. Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but I see people frustrated because “I see them on the bottom, but they won’t bite”. This may be a timing thing, move along and try to find active fish. Maybe even move up or down the depth column slightly because often “bait” or active fish maybe not in the large group you are seeing on your electronics. Walleyes often school up in similar sized fish I found, so if all you are catching in 30 feet of water is 11-inch walleyes, MOVE depths. "All I catch is slot fish" is one comment that drives me crazy...so i ask, "did you try different depths". The normal reply is "No, because we were catching fish". Remember, that often schools of fish will stay in groups of similar size so try working the same areas but change your speed (either by moving around faster or if casting reel/retrieve at a different speed). Slowly go through an area looking at your electronics and approach this bay, reef, or break line with a plan. Forward facing, down imaging, side imaging, or traditional sonars allow us a view to that world of fishing, but knowing what to look for, what baits are swimming around, and have a few basic patterns will definitely put more fish on your line.
Need more? Jason Halfen "the technological angler" covers the basics of identifying FISH on 2D, down-imaging, side-imaging electronics: https://www.outdoorsfirst.com/article/helix-how-to-videos-what-do-fish-look-like-on-different-sonar-technologies/