Tips to Become a Better Eagle Lake Walleye Angler
By Gord Bastable and Joe “the Professor” Moskal Vermilion Bay Lodge, Ontario, Canada
A Little Perspective…
Eagle Lake offers very good walleye fishing, but they seldom “jump into the boat”. Catching fish requires that you locate them and then present your lure or bait so that it gets bit. Here are a few basic things to consider that will make your fishing more effective.
Methods That Will Catch Walleye on Eagle Lake
There are many methods for catching walleye. This article will cover three good ones for Eagle. Each has a different purpose and requires different skill and equipment. Remember, the better you become at each one of these, the more fish, and bigger fish, you’re going to catch. So, we suggest that you use your stay at Vermilion Bay Lodge, in part, to intentionally become a better angler. Challenge yourself to make it more than just another fishing trip. After all, you’re going to be on outstanding walleye water.
If you’re fishing with a partner, talk about what you’re each interested in and then work together on the methods. Be aware that the methods are not compatible for simultaneous use. For example, one of you should not be jigging while the other is trolling. Agree upon a method and stick with it until change is deemed desirable or necessary. You can take turns selecting the method to fish with which has the advantage of forcing periodic changes if what you’re doing is not working very well. Experiment with different lure sizes, weights and colors. And if one lure proves to be hot, both of you can run it.
Late May-Early June
Mid-Late June
July-Early Aug.
Mid Aug.& Sept.
(3” up to 4 ¾”)
Colors: silver/black, Tennessee Shad
———————-
Reef Runner*
“Rip Stick”*
Color: gold clown
Rap. Tail Dancer*
(#7, 2 ¾”)
Colors: hot green, shad
(#7, 2 ¾”…#9, 3 ½”)
“Rip Stick” &
“Deep Little Ripper”
(#9, 3 ½…Deep T.D.)
“Deep Diver”
(Deep Tail Dancer, 4 3/8”)
Colors: all seem to work
May-Early June
Mid to Late June
July to Early Aug.
Mid Aug. & Sept.
chartreuse, orange
3/8 to 1 oz.
1 to 2 oz.
2 oz.
Mid-Aug. On
2 to 3 oz.
Significant Seasonal Events-“Adapting to the Mayfly Hatch”: The annual hatch of mayfly larvae which occurs mid-June to early July, and lasting several weeks, is a preferred food source for walleye and can create difficulties for some anglers. Rather than using this as an excuse to NOT catch walleyes, use this feeding frenzy to your advantage! Walleyes will actively seek out areas where mayflies are hatching, generally mud bottom, cabbage strewn, shallow sections of the lake. Back bays containing the warmest water will show the first mayfly hatch……key in on this structure! Larvae activity is triggered by rising water temps which is often at its peak during mid day, high light conditions. Contrary to our “walleye instincts” mid day (10-2) can often be the best time period to catch fish during the may fly hatch! Cover these areas by trolling crankbaits, keying in on weed edges and shallow mud flats. Many times the walleye will be buried in the cabbage beds themselves. Working a jig tipped with a crawler or casting & twitching a lure such as the Rapala Suspending Husky Jerk can often result in some quality fish. Remember, these fish are often “stuffed” full of food and may require an aggressive approach….bigger baits, erratic action, a quicker retrieve….mix things up till you find what works.
In Conclusion:
There you have it, three ways that will definitely catch walleyes. You will be pleasantly surprised with the numbers and size of the fish you will be catching as you develop real skill with these methods. We have caught hundreds of walleyes on Eagle Lake using the same methods described above. You can too!
On behalf of the Boyes Group, I would like to pass on our sincere thanks for hosting the Muskie Madness Week and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at VBL and had a great time!! This was our 7th year on Eagle Lake and we have stayed at a few other lodges but VBL takes the cake hands down! You can definitely count us in for next year. I’m happy to see you post some of my pics, they turned out well. Thanks again Gord for a wonderful week of fishing and your stellar hospitality, you run a first class operation, we look forward to seeing you next year!