Ontario Fishing Network E-Magazine

Ontario Fishing Network
E-Magazine

www.ontariofishing.net
Volume 12,  Issue 6- June 2012
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IN THIS ISSUE

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GetNorth Fishing Vacations


Cranktimidation
by Tom Neustrom

MNR Ontario Bass Report
By Emily Funnell

Better Technology for Finding More Muskies
by Pete Maina

Facts of Fishing Show
Pro Angler, Host of Facts of Fishing THE SHOW and Bassmaster Emcee Dave Mercer, Hits the water with his buddy "Da Gooch" to catch some summertime Walleye.

Off the Dock Toon
by Maureen Shelleau

White Birches Camp
Our lovely resort is situated on a peninsula between Wilson Lake and Pigeon Lake, one of a chain of 3 beautiful lakes on the Pickerel River System. Heated housekeeping cottages, park model trailers, camping cabins, RV and tent sites, group camping and outpost cottages, we have it all!

Lake Simcoe ... VHS Positive Zone Could Infect Other Lakes:
The Aurora Bassmasters would like to remind all boaters and anglers who visit Lake Simcoe, to be absolutely certain they do not inadvertently transfer water from this lake to others in the province.

Summer Pike Tips
By: Tyler Dunn
Late spring into early summer is quite possibly the best time of the year to catch some unreal numbers of pike.

Learning the Walleyes’ Feeding Triggers
By Keith Kavajecz and Gary Parsons
There are times when fish can be characterized as being in a “neutral” mood (not in an active feeding mode) only to be tempted by some outside influence which triggers an irresistible urge to eat.

Vintage Ad (1930's)
South Bend Bass-Oreno

Feel The Bite!
By Lawrence Euteneier
Exploring a Fish’s Sense of Taste

Get North - Ontario Fishing Vacation Directory (New site)
Search here for your next awesome fishing trip!

Fishing Lodge Classifieds
Come fish your heart out at one of these many Lodges, Camps and Resorts.


Facts of Fishing

Ontario Perch Fishing

Ontario Fish Species

Bay Of Quinte 

Total Snowshoes

BoatersWorld.com

Cranktimidation
By Tom Neustrom

(Crank-tim-a-da-tion): A fearfulness of crankbaits. Lacking the confidence to trust bodybaits. To be utterly intimidated by hard-bodied lures. Ex: “Tom suffered from cranktimidation, not having the confidence to employ the lure even when the fishing conditions were ideal for casting or trolling a crankbait.”

Seems we’re always hearing the term “confidence bait.” It’s the lure you throw with your chest pumped and head full of self-assurance. Might be a jig. Perhaps a spinner and crawler dragged almost pompously along the bottom. Maybe even hanging a leech under a slip-bobber with your chin held high. You’ve hooked walleye after walleye on the technique over the years. It’s the first outfit that hits the water…no matter what. Herein lays the fatal flaw: you’ll stubbornly fish it even when the lake says it ain’t working.

Ontario Fishing Crankbaits

I’ve watched guys drift a jig and minnow infinitely without a bite. Even if another boat passes by engaged in another technique and banging fish – say me trolling a crankbait – they doggedly or lazily stick to their guns. Those would be guns with the wrong rounds that won’t shoot.

Get on the boat, guys. When there’s the potential for catching walleyes on crankbaits, or you’ve actually seen fish with balsa and trebles hanging from their lips, do yourself a favor and make the move. Courageously tie on a crankbait. They can be fished furiously fast or subtly slow; are fun to burn through the water; get fish angry enough to strike when not hungry; and come in such a wide range of sizes, shapes and colors that experimenting becomes part of the fun.

So to get cranked-up, not cranky and fishless, here’s a commonplace summer circumstance where crankbaits rule: The spawn is long gone. Water temperatures are hiking into the 60s and 70s. Walleyes are roaming and ransacking baitfish. Getting fish to attack isn’t science.

Put a bead on long shoreline points, one with inner pockets and a notable plunge into deepwater. Beaten by wind? All the better. It’s been well documented, but always worth restating: Onshore winds relocate entire food chains. Zooplankton and other micro-edibles get driven by the waves. Baitfish follow, and are also held somewhat captive by the surging water. Walleyes come tumbling after. Or rather, slinging around to impart dental-destruction on fleshy minnows.

Rock, gravel and or vegetation are always preferred over flat desert, sandy bottoms. 8- to 16-feet of water is my is my go-to, starting range, slipping deeper as warranted. There is one caveat to that, however. If the wind is really howling, waves cresting, and clouds thicker than thieves, I’ll explore waters shallower than 8-feet.

Something I’ve been doing to find structure without barging right over it, scattering walleyes, is running Humminbird’s Side Imaging. Structure located, and marked with a GPS icon, I can troll alongside it, rod out, without busting up the spot with prop turbulence. Side Imaging also reveals inside turns so I can alter my next pass to cover the feature.

TECHNIQUE ALA TROLLING

Time to break a severe case of cranktimidation. Instinct, or maybe second nature says to pitch jigs, maybe drift livebait rigs. Nah-ah. We’re cranking and trolling. And here’s the recipe. Follow it and you’ll be eating well.

To build that confidence, it’s prerequisite to operate with the proper tools, and that begins with the reel. No deliberating, I’m strapping a Daiwa Accudepth 17 reel to a trolling-friendly rod. The reel was actually engineered for trolling walleyes – not a repurposed saltwater dragging device. Being able to measure out line, with utter accuracy, is crucial to control – and ultimately staring down cranktimidation.

There are a number of trolling-specific rods to choose from. Lately, a number or my buddies, including Brian “Bro” Brosdahl, have been bragging about their St. Croix Eyecons. There are six models – various lengths and actions – crafted explicitly for trolling, from a five footer to a pole vault length 12-foot rod.

Walleye and crankbait in summerMy choice in fishing line is pretty straightforward as well. Everything’s spooled with Sufix 832 superline in 10-lb, 4-lb diameter. So sensitive you can feel a fish fart, not to mention the deadness of a crankbait when it fouls with debris. Before welcoming the crankbait, I tie in 6-foot span of 10-lb. Sufix fluorocarbon, connecting the lines with an InvisaSwivel. The clear leader line gives me the confidence that fish won’t get turned off by the colored main line. Also, the fluorocarbon acts a shock absorber. The InvisaSwivel eliminates line twist and keeps the crankbait running like a champ.

Here’s where you get out the notebook. Eons of hours spent trolling for walleyes has built a faultless mental library of lures to line to depth. Picking a series of crankbaits is child’s play. Rapala Shad Raps do it all. Mix the right size and pattern with an established depth-range and you’re taking candy from babies.

I’ll cut to the chase. If the walleyes are working in 8- to 10-feet of water, it’s a shallow-running #7 Shallow Shad Rap – one with the bent bill. Let out 80- to 100-feet of Sufix 832 and let the games begin. Go ahead and mess around with colors. But for me, it’s Bleeding Blue Shad, straight blue/silver, or Firetiger.

Little deeper, say 10- to 12-feet of water? I’m pulling a #5 Shad Rap – the classic elongated lip – with 80- to 90-feet behind the boat. Same colors apply, but here’s where I make the switch to Glass Shad Raps. Their foil skin echoes the aquatic surroundings, making them spot-on realistic at all depths. Additionally, the concave lip on Glass Shad Rap keeps it running straw-straight at trolling speeds over 2.5 mph.

If walleyes have crept out to 12- to 14-feet, it’s a #5 Shad Rap with 110- to 120-feet of Sufix pulling it along. Here’s an opportunity to upsize the bait as well. Go to a full-figured #7 Shad Rap and let only 70- to 80-feet of line out – same depth is achieved, just with more meat and metal.

This particular Shad Rap trolling pattern taps out at about 16-feet. So in 14- to 16-feet of water it’s a #7 Shad Rap with 110- to 120-feet of line behind. Hulking up to a #8 Shad Rap, just reel it back to 70 or 80-feet of line. Again, more size in the same zone.

We’ve only scratched the surface. There are as many crankbait techniques for walleyes as there are bass, but you need to get over the hump. Leave the jigs and minnows on shore for a trip or two. You’ll see.

Next time we’ll tackle even deeper water. Stay tuned…

Editors & Publishers
T.J. & Monique Quesnel
The Ontario Fishing Network E-Magazine is published 12 times a year on or near the beginning of every month. Our magazine is geared to any angler who enjoys fishing of any type in the wonderfully diverse province of Ontario. Editorial Submissions: We welcome query letters, but assume no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Subscriptions: Subscriptions are FREE of charge and delivered via email.  You can subscribe HERE:  Privacy Policy: Unlike other publications We NEVER make our subscribers list (your email address) available to any other companies. Advertising: If you are interested in advertising please email us. Circulation - 13,000  email subscribers © 2012  Due North Marketing / Ontario Fishing Network / T.J. Quesnel. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material without prior written permission strictly prohibited.