Always start by surveying a given water body to understand wind, weeds, clarity, depths, fronts, structure, and fishing pressure.
“Tackle” Terry Tuma talks about the importance of frequently checking, and changing, fishing line – problems with line can reduce the poundage of test line and cause you to lose fish when that weaker line breaks. Keeping an eye out is especially necessary when using mono or fluorocarbon line and not so much when using braided fishing line.
“Tackle” Terry Tuma talks about catching weed walleyes – jigging in the weeds by using either leeches or plastics can bring success. Running crankbaits, using live-bait rigs along weed lines and utilizing weedless hooks can help, too.
“Tackle” Terry Tuma discusses catching walleyes in the weeds. “T3” says walleyes are often plentiful in the weeds on many lakes because of less fishing and boating pressure in those areas, adding that walleyes can be found on the weed edges, near rocks in the weeds and transition areas.
“Tackle” Terry Tuma talks about using different crankbaits during the open-water fishing season, discussing the differences involving round-bill and square-bill cranks.
“Tackle” Terry Tuma talks fishing line to use – from mono to fluorocarbon to braided lines – under different conditions.
You don’t want to lose fish, so make sure you have the right-sized net. Then keep the net out of the water, gently sliding it under the fish, steering it into the net.
You don’t need to have a lot of line out behind the boat. You’ll feel the bite much better and be able to set the hook much firmer.
The use of bottom bouncers and how the presentation of them can help land walleyes during the open-water season.