2020 walleye season nears...what's new?

[bosco]

I'm working from home now so I can pretty much set my own hours so I'm doing Monday and Tuesday's work today and tomorrow so I can maybe go out Sunday and Monday night (or Monday/Tuesday...whatever I want, really). I need it just a few degrees warmer. Shore casting would be one thing but putting the boat in and floating around on an aluminum ice box with the wind they're calling for tonight? I've got better options coming down the road real soon.

[justtracytrolling]

I could do shore or boat if I was at the lake, but I'm home and it's probably not warm enough for the effort...but never know!

[Gill-T]

Have you tried throwing those jig bodies on an underspin jig style?  Might help you to fish them slower with more vibration.  

[fisherman21]

Have you tried throwing those jig bodies on an underspin jig style?  Might help you to fish them slower with more vibration.  

On a 1/16oz tungsten head with the 3/0 hook fished with the impact fat, you can fish them as slow as you possibly want

 

 

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[justtracytrolling]

I have used them, but not with much success outside of the river.  These baits fish slower than any paddle tail I've used and they swim upright with only a 1/16 oz head with a 3/0 hook.  The bait is made of 2 different densities so a big hook doesn't flip it over without head weight.

[Sully]

I'm interested in these Keitech baits. Are there any special colors you guys use?

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[bosco]

Sight Flash are the ones Justin's been pushing. And by the way, mine JUST CAME IN MAIL TODAY!! So Justin, I'm putting them to the test tonight. They only had the Swing Impact FAT in stock when I ordered so that's what I've got to go with. But I've got a spot on a spot where 90% of the time there's eyes there. And 90% of that 90% I can pull 1 or 2 out of that spot. Often times more than that but not this early in the year for some reason. So I'm putting the Keitech to the test tonight. They're down a little deeper here so I've got my favorite option next to 2 other options next to the Keitech. I'll let you know about 2AM how they stacked up.

[justtracytrolling]

I'm heading out tonight myself!  I'm absolutely certain other colors will work and in some water better.  For clear water at night where alewives are the forage hard to beat sight flash.  I'm gonna throw the 5.8 fat all night.  I'll take a pic or 2 and post live if they cooperate!

[justtracytrolling]

Gonna lay right down I think.  Perfect for a tough test of the Keitechs Bosco.  Good luck...I'm confident but curious!  Lol

[justtracytrolling]

2-3 so far and a couple swing n miss trolling staging eyes with deep huskys and deep jointed huskys. Casting soon

[bosco]

Moved around early trying some atypical spots. Watching the graph. Getting better acquainted with some out of the way spots. Nothing. Went to my 90% spot and got one first cast. Firetiger HJ. Said "okay, time for the Keitech". Got one on the 2nd cast and lost it. Had another on the cast after that and it broke off.  My fault. A few more casts and nothing. It's SO flat and calm. I figured I'd float away, let the water settle down, throw up a report and get back at it. So far, so good on the Keitechs. Just my own mistakes kept them out of the livewell.

[bosco]

4 for 6. Fish are active but it's a work night. First I-Bay limit this season plus one 24" that went back. I'm pretty happy.

[justtracytrolling]

Takes a good hook set to drive in the roof of the mouth!  I'm working some water that's not really ready yet but needs a thorough scouting.  Struggling casting got 2

[bosco]

They slammed them though. Interesting that I was getting fish on two totally different colors, actions, and retrieved. If it wasn't for the mouth full of trebles they get on those Rapalas my box would've been empty. 

[UglyStik]

Would a stinger help with the Keitechs for hookups? Might make catch and release not an option cause they inhale them so far, but...

[justtracytrolling]

It's baffling at first how you can lose a fish when they slam it three times as hard as an hj....roof of the mouth is hard!  I actually sharpen brand new jigs too.  That being said my buddies tonight dropped 3 or 4.  I stayed away from my bread and butter and just worked all the water I could trying to find some isolated pods of fish that are in spots where my experience says you can find some fish but I've never seen anyone else fish at night.  Ended up 3-4 on the evening troll.  Casted several hours and never got on any pattern whatsoever and the action was too spotty so we quit casting going 2-4 I think.  I slid out to 12-15 fow and trolled  2 handheld rods with 1/2 ounce jigs and keitechs at 1-1.2 gps and went 4-6.  Normally I'm against double hook sets or hooksets trolling, but even trolling you have to have a real hookset.  Unlike stickbaits you can be late on the set no prob cause they don't let go.  Next time you filet a walleye cut apart the head and just see what it take to get a hook in the roof of the mouth.  I use the hardest set I dare without breaking 15 leader and I usually only drop 1 fish every other trip tops and it's always my stupid mistake.  I just didn't have enough walleye in any area I went to grind out casting 6-8 fow.  Crystal clear water and dead flat makes the fish that are in tighter super spooky.  All of the eyes I was watching with a light were neutral at best and none were actively cruising.  Only place I even saw a pod together was on a stringer tied to rnsurfnturf's dock.  I caught 3 sets of eyes in my nav lights right on surface and thought here we go until I realized they were not in play!  Almost played a mean prank but didn't!  He went 3-6 in a prime spot early.  Never took a pic but my buddy took a few I can post later.

[justtracytrolling]

Did see some big girls but never cracked the 7 lb mark.  Kept 3 for the 3 of us.

[Gill-T]

Try kirbing the hook and see if it helps. 

[bosco]

2 hours ago, UglyStik said:

Would a stinger help with the Keitechs for hookups? Might make catch and release not an option cause they inhale them so far, but...

You know...I thought of that but I didn't have any stingers in the tackle I brought. I have a small boat and night fishing sort of requires everything to have a place and extreme organization so I bring only what I need so my terminal tackle box stayed home. If I had them I'd have used them in that moment. Honestly though, I've NEVER utilized these type of paddle baits so I'm up for the challenge. I'll chalk up losing a few eyes to growing in my learning curve.

[fisherman21]

My first night running the keitechs I lost a few due to weak hooksets. My last three times out every fish I have set the hook on has been landed. I just try and rip their head off on the hook set now lol. My last 3 trips I have landed 20 fish and haven’t lost any that I hooked. I did have a couple hits that I missed, but they were gone before I even set the hook.


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[justtracytrolling]

Normally a big walleye hookset leads to loose hooks in torn mouth, but you just are hooking them deep in the hard roof...just watch a bass fisherman and do that you seldom ever loose a fish and you will struggle to get the jig out!  No wimpy rods and braid!

[devoknevo]

8 hours ago, bosco said:

They slammed them though. Interesting that I was getting fish on two totally different colors, actions, and retrieved. If it wasn't for the mouth full of trebles they get on those Rapalas my box would've been empty. 

Nice catch Bosco!

  I just put the boat in but haven't tried the night bite yet. Looks like the fish are there though and I'll give you a report soon.

[Stillwater]

Great reports and fishing tips guys. Thanks for sharing. Buying stock in Keitech today (HaHa).

When Justin O. and this many seasoned eye men are having these results you simply have to listen.

Way to go on Bosco. Nice fish.

[justtracytrolling]

I don't normally get involved in promoting tackle, but in this case I've been using these a few years and as good as the blue bombers and white hjs are as night casting baits these are a difference maker.  Im not fishing Oneida where everyone does things completely different and everybody catches.  I'm fishing where even good walleye anglers come back to the dock empty handed trip after trip.  I've not had a casting skunk in May or june on these baits other than the short opening nights in 2 years.  The flat bright nights are zeros far more often than limits but not anymore.  Last spring lyke2fish brought his boys up for a night casting trip.  He went for the full moon week and picked the night with the most wind.  Turned out dead flat gin clear and Kevin was very frustrated as he figured he wouldnt get to see his boys first casting walleyes yet.  I said I think we are gonna have to work but the Keitechs will work.  I think they landed 4?  Both outfished one of the best night stickbait casters that ever existed...and he was right he got skunked with sticks!  This is another 5.8 fat which is much bigger than the 4.8 in profile and length... choked!  Thats a fish that was totally fooled...not some tiny tick of a hit on a stick.  How often do you catch a fish on a hj14 and it isn't visible...just isn't fair not to share these!

[bosco]

5 tonight. 18”- 24”.  Would like to have gotten 1 more for a 2 man limit but they all went back tonight anyways. Hands down this is the best month of May I’ve ever had. (It helps I went to Erie and Chautauqua opening weekend to pad my numbers a bit) Temps 52-53 up 3 degrees from 2 nights ago.