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It used to be that anglers planned their fishing trips way in advance, and many still do. However, in conversations with resort owners and tourism people, more and more, anglers are becoming very spur-of-the-moment planners. They decide on Tuesday they want to go on a fishing trip for the upcoming weekend, maybe Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I’m getting to be like that myself. Every now and then I find myself with some unexpected time on my hands, and I want to do something with that time. I decide to go fishing. Here’s how I take full advantage of that spur-of-the-moment fishing trip.

First of all, my fishing equipment is usually ready to go. I keep all my stuff in the back of the truck or in the boat once fishing season rolls around. I always have several rods that are spooled with good line, the trolling motor batteries are always charged, I’m pretty much ready to go fishing whenever the opportunity presents itself. The rest of my life might be in disarray, but my fishing tackle is always ready for action.

Now it’s time to find a place to go. You can call friends for ideas, maybe you have connections near some potential destinations. Check out fishing reports on the Internet. Some of those reports are reliable, some aren’t. Of course things can change by the time you get to our destination, but up-to-the minute reports can be very helpful when trying to decide where to go fishing in the next few days.

I try to go to bodies of water that have progressive regulations whenever possible. The fishing, for the most part, on these lakes and rivers is just better. For instance, I was on Storm Lake in west central Iowa a few days ago. Five years ago the walleye fishing on Storm Lake wasn’t that good. Then a slot limit was put in place: Walleyes between seventeen and twenty two inches must be released. The walleye fishing has exploded: You’ll generally catch lots of fish, some too big to keep, but still lots of eaters. Storm Lake is close to lots of Midwest anglers and is now one of the best walleye lakes in the Midwest because of progressive regulations.

Another good example: I just spoke with my friend Craig Brown. Craig and his wife Paige own McArdle’s Resort on Lake Winnibigoshish in north central Minnesota. He described the walleye bite on Winnie right now as a “suicide bite”. Winnie is another lake that has benefitted greatly from a slot limit.

In many areas of the country largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and muskies have seen tremendous results from progressive limits. Areas that have reduced the panfish limits have also seen great improvement in panfish quantity and quality. If you’re planning a spontaneous fishing trip, it would be a good idea to look first at areas that are effectively managing their fisheries.

Now you just need someone to go with you on your spur-of-the- moment fishing trip. It’s almost always more fun to fish with someone. A family member might be able to come along, or maybe a friend can get away. You can share costs and companionship. That’s always a good thing. The key is, when you get the opportunity to go fishing, you need to take advantage of it. And, if you don’t get the opportunity to go, make the opportunity.

To see all the newest episodes of Fishing the Midwest television, visit fishingthemidwest.com or MyOutdoorTv.com

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I heard the audible click of a bail opening at the front of the boat and the whisper of line being played out and I chuckled. I turned and watched the same scene that I had observed multiple times last Sunday night. There in the spotlight was the star of the evening, my frequent fishing buddy, Josh Holm of Valley City, ND; and he was ready to set the hook on his umpteenth walleye since sundown.
“Again?!” I asked in a swirl of awe and jealousy.
“Yup,” Josh responded stoically from the front of the boat as he dropped his rod tip in respect to the dead weight at the other end of the line.
Half joking and half serious, I asked my cousin, Dylan Zubke of Watford City, ND, who had joined us at the cabin for the holiday weekend, “are you watching this? We are in the presence of a master!”
He laughed and stated he didn’t have to be reminded of Josh’s walleye wisdom, as our professor for the evening had already instructed Dylan to his biggest walleye ever – a 28-incher coming just before dusk on a crawler-tipped stand-up jig just off the creek delta near the cabin. I cranked my reel in unison with Dylan and our jigs came up over the side of the boat as Josh’s line tightened and his rod bowed slightly. The small movement from his rod tip confirmed the fish was still at the other end.
Josh swept back forcefully and the rod bent in an arc that rivaled that of the crescent moon above, which had finally peaked through the cloud cover that been with us all day. The fish, in only a few feet of water, quickly and audibly thrashed its way to the surface. I clicked the switch on my headlamp and its profile was revealed. On any other night, the Brutus before us would have been an amazing walleye – girthy and big-headed – but it was becoming old hat for the man that now stood at the front of the boat. Still, those of us in the back of the boat let out a collective gasp at its size as it made its runs left and right and then under the boat.
I slipped the tattered net into the water and wondered how many walleyes it had held in its thirty-plus years or if it had held any that were bigger than the one that swirled before us in the headlamp-lit shallows. My guess was, from the multiple holes of varying sizes, a good number of fish had been there before; but from the size of the walleye in front of me, I ventured that few bigger had found their way into it during that same time.
After several powerful pushes under the boat, the fish rolled to the surface and slid well below the rim of the aluminum frame and tattered edges of the old cloth web, coming to rest deep in the bottom of the net. To be sure the walleye’s weight didn’t snap the old landing net; I cupped my free hand around the fish’s belly as I heaved it in. I tweaked the 1/8th-ounce stand up jig from the snout of the massive walleye, pulled a tangle of netting from its spiny dorsal fin and lifted it out to Josh.
“I think it might go 29,” I guessed excitedly as I readied the tape measure, “it looks a lot thicker than your first one,” I continued, rambling as I tried to read the measurement.
“It’ll be close,” Josh replied, calm as ever.
The fish in his hands taped out at all of 28 inches; the same as his first fish of the evening which he then followed up with big walleyes measuring 25, 27, and 20 inches which he released, and a couple eater-sized fish in the livewell. The two 28-inchers were perfect bookends to the outing which any angler would have been satisfied with.
I readied my camera, snapped a photo and checked the LCD screen to make sure it turned out. There, as he had been all night, Josh posed with a monster in his grasp and the businesslike look of a guy who can close one deal and move on to the next in a heartbeat, ignoring the previous achievement in favor of what bigger accomplishments lay ahead.
“You know you have to smile for at least one of these,” I said.
Josh laughed, gave a quick grin and the flash went off again, capturing the final fish of the night and a rare smile just before the walleye was released back into the sandy shallows near the small creek. As she swam off out of the glare of the three headlamps that followed her toward deeper water, Dylan and I congratulated Josh on what was by far the best big fish night we had ever seen walleye fishing.
“Yup, not bad,” Josh replied as he re-baited his hook, clicked his headlamp off and fired his jig into the darkness, hoping to master yet another fish…in our outdoors.

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I drove on the bridge over the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien Wisconsin this past weekend. The ice was gone and there were boats on the water. Reports were that fishing for walleyes and sauger was good. The open water fishing season for 2011 has started. When you get the chance to go fishing, will you be ready?

For many of us, that first fishing trip of the year often comes unexpectedly. A friend calls and says that “The crappies are going on that little pond just south of town,,,let’s go”. And you say, “Ok, I’ll pick you up in ten minutes”.

Then you start getting your gear together and realize that your “stuff” isn’t ready to go fishing. Or worse yet, you get to the pond and realize your “stuff” isn’t ready. The following ideas will help you be ready for that first trip of the open water fishing season.

If you’re a boat angler, make sure there’s a charge in the batteries. Getting to the lake and finding out the electric motor won’t work because the batteries are dead is a bad way to start the fishing season.

While the batteries are charging, check air pressure in the trailer tires. Make sure the turn signals and brake lights work on the trailer. Go through the storage compartments in the boat(you should have done this last fall when you put the boat away). Put your lifejackets and throw cushion in the boat. Make sure the license on the boat and trailer are current. When the battery is charged, make sure the depthfinders and electric motor work.

All anglers should check to make sure they’ve got a current fishing license.

Now for your fishing gear: Strip off some line(again, you should have done this last fall) and add some fresh line. You don’t need to refill the entire spool, just tie new line to the old. For most outfits, you’ll want to add about fifty yards of new line. Most people aren’t going to be making fifty yard casts, so fifty yards is completely adequate. Trilene XT or Sensation will be outstanding for most applications, go with FireLine if you want the ultimate in sensitivity, strength, and hooksetting ability.

Do an inventory of your lures and replace any that need to be replaced and add to your selection what you may have heard to be the hot bait, or color, of the season. If walleyes are your thing, be sure to check out the new spinners from Northland with the Live-Forage blades: They’re hot!

Replace rusted hooks on crankbaits and in-line spinners.

If you’re a wading angler, make sure your waders are patched if needed. Water that gets into your waders early in the year is very cold and can make fishing unpleasant.

Make sure the bag on your landing net is in good shape. If a new net is in your future, one of the Conservation Series nets from Frabill would be an outstanding choice.

If you do these things, when that phone call from a fishing friend comes, you’ll be able to pick him/her up in ten minutes and be confident that your “stuff” is in fish-catching condition.

To see all the newest episodes of Fishing the Midwest television, visit fishingthemidwest.com

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by Bob Jensen

Winter arrived in the Midwest early this year and has hung on pretty aggressively. Everything has looked clean and white for a good number of weeks, but now it’s time to move on. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still lots of ice-fishing to do. In fact, many veteran ice-anglers will say the best ice-fishing of the year is still to come. For now though, I’m going to think about open water fishing.

Spring Fishing Open Water

I’m going to think about the first trip of the year. It will most likely be either a crappie trip or a river walleye trip. Both are fun and can be very productive.

If it’s a river walleye trip, we’ll probably have jigs on the end of our line, and those will more-than-likely be Fire-Ball jigs. Fire-ball jigs are great live-bait jigs, and often minnows will be what the walleyes prefer early in the year.

More and more though, we’re using soft bait like Gulp! Alive on our jigs. Early in the year, tie a Whistler jig onto your line and tip it with a three inch Gulp! Alive Minnow. Fish it into the current, and hold it stationary if you can. The Whistler has a small propeller on it, and that propeller will spin in the current. The propeller gets the walleye’s attention, and the smell and taste of the Gulp! seals the deal.

If I start the spring fishing season with a crappie trip, it will probably take place in a small bay on the north side of a lake. These areas usually heat up first, and the warm water attracts crappies. We’ll probably be using a small jig under a slip-bobber. We’ll fish it around docks and boat lifts and brush. Watching a bobber go under is a great way to fish, and it’s productive too.

I’m really looking forward to chasing bass again. The Midwest has so many outstanding bass fishing opportunities. Depending on where you live, you can fish for bass as soon as the ice goes out, or in other areas, you’ve got to wait for the season to open.

If you’re fishing a region that doesn’t protect the bass, a Power Tube rigged weedless with a Sling-Shot Worm Weight will be good. Fish it in deeper water, but near the areas where the bass will be spawning.
If the area you’re fishing has a season on bass, the water will probably be warmer when season opens, so a faster presentation will be good. Spinnerbaits, topwaters, and jerkbaits will all produce. The jerkbait can also be very good in cooler water. It’s fun and exciting to watch a largemouth or smallmouth bass attack a topwater bait.

I will also try to spend more time on lakes that have a slot limit on walleyes and pike. I’ll also try to spend more time on lakes that have high minimum length limits for bass and muskies. These progressive regulations just make the fishing so much better. The fishing across the entire Midwest is, for the most part, getting better all the time. I’m anxious to get out again and take advantage of that outstanding spring fishing.

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It comes as no surprise that when August begins losing to September, for many North Dakota residents hunting starts to win out over fishing in the competition for free-time activities.

But I’d also suggest, if you’ve bagged plenty of days pounding the North Dakota prairie, without experiencing the thrill of fall fishing, you might be missing out on one of North Dakota’s best kept secrets. Not that anglers don’t know about the potential that fall fishing offers. It’s just that when hunting geese, grouse, ducks and then pheasants becomes an option, people who fish and hunt must make choices.

Those who do make time for fall fishing benefit from that array of choices because of reduced competition and congestion. Boats that once share a landing with you are sitting in garages and driveways, while other anglers have abandoned their favorite shoreline hangouts to chase pheasants, ducks and geese.

In the summer we often associate fishing congestion with a hot bite. In the fall just because the banks are empty doesn’t mean you won’t find a hungry walleye, pike or bass waiting to bend the rod a bit.

Greg Power, North Dakota Game and Fish Department fisheries division chief, explains some fish behavior to better help anglers searching for a fresh fish dinner, and provide some insight as to why your late summer fishing may have been a bit slower than you’d prefer. “Typically, fishing does slow up in August because warm water temperatures cause species such as northern pike and trout to become lethargic and somewhat stressed and show little interest in feeding,” Power says.

But as fall arrives, the weather cools, water cools and conditions change. “The fish respond by going into fall feeding mode,” Power continued. “Northern pike, for example, become much more active in fall in pursuit of forage, and become accessible to shore anglers again. Various species of fish that hatched in spring are now big enough to interest pike and walleye in an easy meal.”

When you sit down and pencil out the seasons and priorities this fall, I completely understand why hunting often trumps fishing. But even when a hunting trip takes top priority, it’s still relatively easy to allow for a possible fishing diversion.

Fishing rods, reels and bait are more portable and effective than ever. A collapsible pole along with a small box of artificial bait takes up very little space in a vehicle, but can add another level of enjoyment to a hunting trip if an opportunity for a few casts presents itself.

Even if nothing is biting, absorbing a simmering fall sun while in a boat or sitting on the bank of a favorite fishing hole is an excellent way to steal some more time outdoors before winter changes the landscape. After all, its fall and your outside!

Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@nd.gov

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I’ve got one lunker fish to my credit and I won’t lie, it was more about luck than skill, and that’s how it usually works for me.

Save for the hardcore anglers who spend more time fishing than sleeping, the majority of us are not on the water fishing three hours a day for five days a week, rain or shine. So I feel pretty confident saying that most anglers probably don’t have a lot of stories about the “Big One,” and some of those likely wouldn’t even make the list for most of our more intense peers.

My big fish story begins and ends on a small reservoir in LaMoure County, and involves a 40-inch pike – chuckle all you want but you don’t know the story, and it’s not real important to hear how I fought it for three hours. Okay, maybe that’s an embelishment, but anglers understand that many trophies are not remembered only for how big they were, but also include the totality of the experience.

Catching a big fish with light line, a broken drag and no net in marginal conditions creates a vivid memory. By the way, my story includes all of those. After landing my whopper I fully intended to release the fish, but it was just injured too badly, so it ended up grilled. I’d have been more than happy to return it to the lake.

I suspect my thoughts at the time were similar to those of many anglers, that keeping a fish of a lifetime isn’t always necessary. Many of us are apt to practice CPR – catch, photo and release.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department biologists have for many years analyzed and weighed additional regulations that would require release of some big fish instead of leaving that decision up to individual anglers.

Potential new regulations receive the same analysis as those that already exist. Those that don’t provide a clear biological or social benefit typically don’t get on the books, and those that no longer serve their original purpose are often removed. For instance, Game and Fish this year removed minimum length restrictions for walleyes on two lakes because after many years they didn’t really accomplish their intended purpose.

Along that same line, Department biologists seriously considered, and then decided not to implement a “one-over” rule, specific to walleyes, that would have allowed only one fish over a certain length in the daily limit. While some anglers feel such a rule would save many big fish from harvest, Game and Fish evaluation from several different angles did not identify enough favorable outcomes to justify adding a new restriction.

Previous Department creel surveys show most anglers practice self-restraint and don’t, as a standard practice, keep more than one trophy fish from an outing. Biologists evaluated the potential of a 20- or 22-inch one-over restriction on the Missouri River and Lake Oahe, and discovered only 10 percent of the boats with one angler and 5 percent of the boats with multiple anglers kept more than one walleye greater than 20 inches.

While fisheries biologists did not feel a one-over regulation was necessary for the current two-year proclamation period, conditions are always changing. Who’s to say we’ll never need such a regulation in the future, but for now new restrictions aren’t necessary to maintain the good fishing anglers are enjoying.

Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by
email:dleier@nd.gov

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Admittedly, I’m a meat and potatoes sort of guy. I’m eyeing the porterhouse steak on the menu long before the canary food, organic “meals under 500 calories”. In fact, I’ll take the whole right side of the menu, please. This instinctive weakness for hearty meat translates to my walleye fishing as well. Nine out of ten times I’m elbowing my way to the biggest minnow, not thinking much about soft plastic alternatives.

Like Mark Courts, Scott Glorvigen (pictured) knows a thing or two about pitching jigs and soft jerkbaits for river and reservoir walleyes. This unfortunate fish crossed paths with a Northland Slurp! Jig Head and 4-inch Slurpies Smelt Minnow. Photo courtesy of www.northlandtackle.com

Give me minnows, or give me death…or perhaps something less dramatic, but along those lines.

With that said, I mean no disrespect to guys who put their trust in plastics, sometimes choosing them over live minnows, leeches, and crawlers. Professional walleye angler and educator Mark Courts is one of those guys I respect enough to cut some slack. When it comes to walleyes on plastics, he’s one of the savviest on the FLW Walleye Tour. And to give soft plastic its day in court, I questioned Courts…pun intended.

“Walleyes crush them,” began the Harris, Minn. resident and native. “When a walleye eats a plastic, it’s game over. I’m digging in there with pliers to pull the hook out of the roof of their mouths.”

A certified proponent of live bait, too, Courts knows that plastic have their time and place. And without hesitation, he named springtime fishing on rivers and reservoirs as the foremost situations for busting out the plastics. Courts explained: “Usually, rivers run darker than lakes in the spring. Because of the turbidity, you need to offer them a big target, something with major profile. Plastics fill that role.”

Any broad generalizations about soft plastics end here. Courts is particular about his shapes and sizes. As far as spring walleyes go, nothing does a better job of imitating natural forage (baitfish) than a fluke, sometimes referred to as “soft jerkbait.” Typical to soft plastics, they come in more colors and variations than jellybeans at the candy counter. I’ve seen them as long as a ruler for oceangoing stripers and as miniscule as a blue moon in a box of Lucky Charms to imitate young-of-the-year baitfish.

Relevant to walleyes, Courts’ preferred size falls somewhere in the middle. This is a direct reflection of what foodstuffs are being preyed upon. Typically, you’re dealing with some variety of shiner, shad, dace or sucker from an inch to five inches in length. To no great surprise, the marketplace bares numerous makes and models in those sizes and shapes.

So recognize the general shape and size of the baitfish and you’re half way there. The other component, which Courts said is equally as important, is finding “the right body to jig ratio for the current conditions at hand.” Essentially, you want to hitch the jig and plastic to create the most natural presentation possible.

“With too heavy a jig it’ll lock in the bottom,” said Courts. “Too light, and it’ll tumble downstream and never make contact with the bottom.” In a perfect world, Courts’ properly paired combo “tics the bottom every six inches to a foot.” Now that sounds more like the true behavior of a live, river running minnow…

In order to achieve equilibrium given a wide range of current speeds and depths, it’s only logical to tote an array of jig sizes. And Courts does. “I’ll throw jigs as light as 3/32-ounce and go all the way up to 3/8 ounce if the conditions call for it.” Again, the goal is to keep contact with the bottom without becoming part of it.

A guy who competes professionally on the bass side, too, Courts is super particular about jig styles. “It must have an extra long shank for reaching back into the plastic body,” he stated leaving little margin for error. “A wide gap is necessary as well. The more hook point exposed the better for sticking walleyes in dark and fast moving water. Small hooks are easily missed.”

Last but not least, Courts’ jigs are required to keep a solid grip on the plastic. His top performer is the Northland Slurp! Jig Head. “A double-barb, BarbWire™ collar holds plastics better than anything I’ve ever fished. They hang-on for cast after cast and walleye after walleye.” Slurp! Jig Heads also feature the long-shank and wide-gap that Courts demands.

Maintaining holy matrimony, Courts couples his jig with a soft jerkbait that was designed to wed a Slurp! Jig Head. “Can’t get a better match than the Slurpies Smelt Minnow. The profile is perfect. The material is supple yet durable. And I have eight unique colors to choose from.” Additionally, the Slurpies Smelt Minnow is available in both 3- and 4-inch sizes, yielding even more match-the-hatch flexibility.

Rigged and ready for deployment, Courts discusses specific fishing situations where the jig and jerkbait tandem is especially effective. “After the spawn, walleyes, especially big fish, settle into current seams. A number of structures form seams, too. Wingdams are a good example. Shoreline brush and rocky points and fingers also produce seams that hold walleyes.

Best of all, most seams are visible on the surface.” Courts says to watch closely for speed changes on the surface, either fast to slow, or slow to slack or even reversing – an eddy. It’s all about fishing those edges, or transitions.

Wide berthing river bends are worth a look, too. Current sweeps hurriedly along the outside bend while the shallower inside is slacker and more conducive to post-spawn feeding activities. Keep this information in your back pocket in case the typical current seams aren’t holding fish.

Once a spot’s been identified, Courts anchors or “slips” downstream across from the target. Slipping is a method of boat-control in current whereby the operator inches ever so slowly downstream while running the motor – gas or electric – upstream to manage speed. Yes, it’s effective, but it also takes skillful navigation. Anchoring is the easier choice and lets you focus more on fishing.

Anchored or slipping, Courts casts upstream of ground zero at a 45-degree angle and “walks” the jig and fluke downstream. He holds the rod at the 9- to 11 o’clock position and maintains a taut line to feel every bump of the riverbed and hopeful wallop of a walleye.

This wicked jig and plastic combo isn’t limited to current-going walleyes, either. I’ll often throw it in flooded backwater areas. Later in the summer, on natural lakes, jigs and flukes can be very productive along deep weedlines for walleyes and largemouth bass. And if you’re into smallmouth bass fishing, there might not be a better one-two punch out there.

Okay, Mr. Courts, I get it. I’ll save some space in the tackle box for jigs and plastics. But don’t try talking me into dumping the minnows. I consider them comfort food.

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“Never before have I asked you, or anyone, to keep an angling secret. I’m going to break this rule now and ask you point-blank NOT to pass on this information. It is much too deadly, it took many years to accumulate, and it’s worth too much to just give out willy-nilly . . .This method is so deadly that I debated for several years about publishing it at all. But I finally decided to do it because there are just too darn many big fish that don’t get caught. They grow old, grow big, and die of old age—wasted!”
-Bill Binkelman, from Nightcrawler Secrets, circa 1965

Drifting back to a time when fishing sages still clenched corncob pipes, a man named Bill Binkelman was starting something big. Inspired by the writings of the great Buck Perry, Binkelman, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin sporting goods store manager, began work on a new breed of fishing how-to, which eventually became Fishing Facts magazine. Meanwhile, Binkelman wrote Nightcrawler Secrets, a short work that was the acknowledged ”good book” on live bait fishing for walleyes, bass and pretty much everything else that sported fins. The information espoused in his writings was so thought-provoking, so revolutionary for the time that it created an entire generation of disciples. Among them were Al and Ron Lindner, Spence Petros, Tom Neustrom, and many other notables. Binkelman popularized modern structure theory and the depthfinder, jig fishing, floating jig heads, fluorescent colors, even drop-shotting. Clearly, his contributions to fishing stand alone.

But if Bill were alive today, it’s bait he’d want to talk about—simple, beautiful bait. The Nightcrawler Secrets method, as it became known, featured finesse tackle and precision boat control on exact spots-on-spots—concepts unheard of at the time. He used ultra-fine #8 bronze Aberdeen hooks, 4-pound test monofilament, and only the fattest, healthiest, wildest nightcrawlers he could get. “Super-Crawlers” he called them. Stored at optimal temperature, then specially conditioned, regular crawlers became super-crawlers— baits that virtually jumped out of your hand.

Given the volume of recent media coverage advocating artificial lures over live bait, you’d be tempted to believe that baits like the super-crawler have become obsolete—that the good ol’ nightcrawler ain’t what it used to be. Nonsense. In reality, few anglers today have ever fished, let alone seen a true super-crawler. They’re that good, that special.

Live bait artists like Tom Neustrom know the difference. “A well-conditioned crawler is about as good as it gets for walleyes, especially once water warms into the low 60s,” says Neustrom, a Freshwater Fishing Hall-of-Fame fishing guide from Deer River, Minnesota. “Even in fall, a time when everyone else is rigging with big redtail chubs, I like to show fish a nice big crawler. That’s a trick not a lot of people try, but oftentimes, crawlers score over chubs by a wide margin.”

Like Binkelman’s finesse approach, Neustrom subscribes to his own crawler rigging program. “Rather than hooking the worm once through the head, I like to thread it lightly through the tip,” he says, “Pull the hook out about an inch from the nose. Almost like you’d rig a plastic grub on a jighead. You want to position the crawler to trail as straight as possible.

Neustrom continues: “Most people want to inject the tail of the crawler with air, but you’ll get much better action in your bait if you add air to the collar. I’ve experimented with many different rigging styles, but this approach makes the crawler shimmy in a seductive way that really triggers big fish. A lot of people today think crawlers are a beginner’s bait, which is ridiculous. Precision crawler fishing is an art, just like Binkelman told us back then.”

Making Super-Crawlers
“If you think all nightcrawlers are alike, you’ve got a big surprise coming,” Binkelman wrote in his 1965 live bait manifesto. “Super-crawlers make ordinary crawlers look sick. I’m not selling them. In fact, you can’t even buy them—but you can make your own.”

For Binkelman, the super-crawler conditioning process began with a sizeable cache of worms. He’d buy bulk boxes of 12 dozen or so at a time. (Today, choice bait outlets like Vados— www.vadosbait.com—offer bulk packs for about $30 per gross.) From there, he’d begin sorting by grade: select jumbos in one group, so-so’s in another, and feeble “culls,” which went into the garden. In a high-quality gross, roughly a third of the crawlers typically qualify for the “select” grade.

For long-term storage, place your stash of “selects” into a big Styrofoam cooler, such as a Frabill Habitat V, filled with Super-Gro bedding, which keeps crawlers cool and happy. A refrigerator with temperature control (set at 45 to 55-degrees) — or even the corner of your basement— provides an optimal climate.

Over many years bait dealers have tried every conceivable type of bedding—leaves, moss, manure, topsoil, newspaper, etc. In his day, Binkelman preferred a common brand of commercial bedding. Frabill’s Super-Gro is better still—a specially formulated blend of ingredients, odorless and chemical free, that make average crawlers super. This bedding is clean, easy to use, and even contains a built-in food source—another key to growing super-crawlers.

Before adding crawlers to the Super-Gro bedding, dampen it slightly with non-chlorinated water. The bedding should be moist but not wet. Gather mounds of bedding into your hands, and squeeze until it’s drip free. With excess water removed from all bedding, return it to the Habitat cooler to about half-full. Let the bedding chill until temperature drops to approximately 50-degrees (use a meat thermometer.) Finally, add your select jumbo crawlers (the Habitat storage cooler holds up to twelve dozen baits). Check your baits every few days—dead or weak ones rise to the surface. Remove them immediately. Otherwise, once the habitat is established, handle crawlers and bedding as little as possible. This is important.

The quickest path to great crawlers is to use Frabill’s complete crawler care kit, the Habitat Deluxe Worm Kit— a Habitat V cooler, smaller Fisherman’s Worm Tote, Super-Gro bedding and a tub of special Fat N Sassy crawler food. These are the products bait dealers use most.

A day before leaving for a fishing trip is when Binkelman would put the finishing touches on his super-crawlers. Atop two to three-inches of bedding, he’d place a couple dozen crawlers into each of several smaller transport coolers, like a Fisherman’s Worm Tote. Between layers of damp newspapers he’d place a few ice cubes. He would use enough newspaper with the lid in place, to create slight pressure on the bedding. This forces crawlers to absorb excess moisture and balloon up.

The final step—one that’s been used by anglers like Gary Roach and Neustrom for decades—is to fill small cups with non-chlorinated water and a bit of ice. Just minutes before fishing, drop a couple crawlers into a water cup. This makes crawlers really balloon up and jump.

As Binkelman liked to say: “Walleyes and all game-fish love nightcrawlers!”

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Livebait is back, baby. You better believe it. Despite the buzz about plastics, the reality is, walleyes eat live bait. Period. In the end, all artificial lures lack two potent, inimitable ingredients: organic random movement and instinctive flight response. In the presence of predators, live baits like minnows exhibit a set of natural, random escape maneuvers. These moves represent the single most effective strike triggers in existence. Often, walleyes (and other species) simply will not ingest an offering until they’ve examined it for extended periods. Without all the little shakes, twitches and retreat signals performed by live bait, sometimes you simply will not get bit.

Walleyes, jigs, rigs and live bait—what could be more natural?

Talk is talk. Yet the truth lives within the boats of master walleye men. Inside the baitwells of anglers the likes of Gary Roach and Bruce “Doc” Samson reside a perpetual, steady supply of fresh live bait. Let’s begin with Mr. Walleye himself.

Roach on Rigging

“When the going gets tough, it’s still tough to beat a Roach (live bait) Rig, even after all these years,” states the venerable Roach. “Quick-Change Walking Sinker, ant swivel, fine-wire VMC cone-cut hook, and Roach Finesse Snell—still the deadliest livebait delivery system ever devised.” The real beauty of the rig, Roach says, lies in its simplicity. But it’s a deceptive simplicity, Roach adds.

“This rig didn’t happen overnight. It took years of fishing effort, tweaking and redesigning.” The result, Roach says, is a rig that simply places bait in the walleye’s face, then steps back and allows the tasty morsel to steal the show. “Keep a rig and active live bait in front of a walleye, and eventually, she’ll eat. It’s as close to a sure thing there is.”

Crawler Haulin’ Hawgs

Meat and metal form a lethal alliance as a live bait spinner.

There are times, of course— especially as water warms in summer— when extra speed, bulk and flash trigger big fish. It’s why when Roach finds walleyes on broad flats, he reaches for the bottom bouncer rods. “When walleyes get cranked up in summer, I love running a big spinner rig,” Roach continues. “Flashy Colorado blades, beefed up #6 beads and a 4-foot snell tied with 17-pound test Berkley XT and run behind a bottom bouncer – it’s a package that puts a fat juicy crawler in front of a lot of big ‘eyes.”

Developed on the Great Lakes and windswept western reservoirs, the Crawler Hauler by Northland Fishing Tackle is equally at home on shallow, dark water rivers and lakes. “Lots of times, bulking up your rig is far more effective than the usual tendency to downsize, especially for big fish, and at night,” Roach contends.

Thumper Jigging

Longtime tournament ace and electronics guru, Doc Samson, agrees. “Live bait is simply about confidence,” Samson offers. “Even in the toughest bites, live bait adds the extra dimensions of natural scent and movement. As Gary says, eventually something’s going to eat it.”

For Samson, live bait has been like money in the bank. In 2002, he walked away with a cool $300K, winning the FLW Championship with Roach Rigs and minnows. More recently, he cashed a first place check at a PWT event at Ottertail Lake, Minnesota, rigging a 1/16-ounce Northland Thumper Jig and leech below a slip-float. “I love blade jigs like the Thumper,” Samson reveals.

“Lots of fishermen think they’re for dirty water only. Actually, they shine in clear water; I think the flash of the little spinner better attracts walleyes in clear water, because there’s more light available to reflect off the blades.” Walleyes, Samson believes, detect the subtle baitfish-like flash of the blades flickering near the bottom, and swim over to eat. A vigorous leech seals the deal.

“Rig your float rig so the jig hovers just inches off bottom,” he instructs. “In troughs between waves, the jig dips and the blade just rubs bottom—looks exactly like a silvery-sided baitfish. Tipped with a leech, this is a real go-to method,” he offers, with a grin.

Keeping Your Soldiers Happy

For live bait artists like Roach and Samson, proper bait care is key—but it’s also the one step most anglers fail to execute. “My baits are like my soldiers,” says Samson. “They’re always fresh and ready for combat. I often see guys fishing bait that’s in really sorry shape. I want to tell them they might as well be fishing with an old sock.”

To assure your bait stays healthy and happy, follow a few simple steps:

Minnows – Maintain a steady cool environment in your bait container (under 60-degrees whenever possible), adding non-chlorinated ice to baitwells as water warms. Avoid adding too much ice at once, which can shock and kill baitfish. Keep water infused with a steady stream of oxygen, too. An insulated baitwell, such as a Frabill Aqua-Life Bait Station, provides a cool, aerated baitfish environment. Change water every day in cooler weather; several times on hot summer days.

Crawlers – The “happiest” environment for crawlers is within an insulated cooler filled with slightly damp (not soggy) worm bedding. Bedding is cleaner and makes for robust crawlers. Frabill offers a great bait care product called the Habitat Deluxe Worm Kit. The kit includes a large insulated “Habitat” cooler, smaller cooler for toting enough bait for a trip, a pack of specially-formulated Super-Gro bedding, and even a jar of crawler food. Here’s an old guide secret: just minutes before fishing, place a crawler into a small cup of cool water. The crawler will swell in size, becoming fat and frisky on the hook. Don’t over soak.

Leeches – Like baitfish, leeches require cool, clean water. Most top walleye anglers keep leeches in a container like a Frabill Leech Tote, which fits nicely inside your boat’s aerated livewell. The Tote features a removable bait strainer that lets you hand-select the choicest leeches in the stash.

As long as walleyes swim, livebait will remain a prime presentation. Put a frisky minnow, leech or crawler in a walleye’s face and it’s over. They just can’t help themselves.

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