Two Old Classics

By Mark Romanack with JP Bushey

These alewives were taken from the stomach of a lake trout. Not how
well the U20 Flatfish matches these baitfish in size and color. No doubt
 this is a big reason why the Flatfish is such a deadly bait on lake trout
 and other trout and salmon species.

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Perhaps, but sometimes those “old school” tricks are all an angler needs to enjoy fishing success any angler would be envious of.

Ontario based Off Shore Tackle pro staffer JP Bushey and his father Larry Bushey have developed a lake trout trolling system that’s simple to master and deadly effective. This father/son fishing team target lake trout on the many rocky shoals of Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay, but their trolling methods will produce trout anywhere these fish are found hugging the bottom.

The foundation of this “Bushey Fishing Success Story” focuses on two classic fishing products that have helped generations of anglers be more successful on the water. Together the Bushey family uses these products to catch literally hundreds of trout every year!

Boat Launch Etiquette

By Mark Romanack with Captain Terry Kunnen

Even a big rig like this can be launched and loaded quickly with
a little practice.

The art of launching and loading a fishing boat may seem simple, but based on the number of disasters I witness every year, a good number of us could benefit by boning up on our boat launch etiquette! When everyone who visits a boat launch follows these simple “rules of the road” the process of getting in and out of the water becomes far less stressful. After all, fishing is supposed to be fun and no one wants to start or end their day on a sour note.

HAVE YOUR LAUNCH FEE READY
When you pull up to a boat launching facility have your launch fee ready to go. If you have the exact change the process goes much faster and allows the attendant to serve more anglers in less time.

Tadpoles and Willowspoons

By Tony Puccio with Mark Romanack

Tony Puccio of Bait Rigs Tackle is one of the Author’s oldest friends and
also one of the best walleye anglers you’ll ever meet. Tony uses the Tadpole
 Diver produced by Off Shore Tackle to fish the Bait Rigs Tackle Willowspoon
 for open water walleye. The combination is made in heaven and gives open
 water trollers another option to toss at those big water walleye.

The Off Shore Tackle Tadpole Resettable Divers are seeing a lot of action among open water walleye trollers. Most of the guys using these divers are matching them up with traditional Colorado blade worm harnesses and beating up the open water walleye.

Another great terminal tackle option for the Tadpole Diver are small spoons like the Bait Rigs Walleye Willowspoon. This spoon comes in two sizes and is factory rigged with a single hook. Tie up a six foot leader of 12-15 pound test fluorocarbon line and tip the hook with half a nightcrawler. The Willowspoon fishes great behind a Tadpole Diver and gives walleye anglers another presentation to explore.

Willowspoons are so thin and lightweight they have great action at trolling speeds ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 MPH. Available in seven different colors, the No. 3 size in gold is my favorite for walleye.

Low and Slow Wins the Race for Late Season Walleye

By  Mark Romanack

To consistently catch open water walleye in the late fall the author uses 

his electric motor to troll from 1.5 to 1.2 MPH on average. Auto pilot 

motors like the MotorGuide Xi5 not only help anglers dial in the precise

 trolling speeds, these motors keep the boat moving on productive 

trolling passes that can be duplicated over and over again.

Late season walleye are interesting creatures. To catch these fish consistently you don’t have to launch in the pre-dawn. Those 5 a.m. curtain calls are pretty important during the dog days of summer, but in the fall walleye tend to bite low, slow and the best bite is often during the middle of the day.

LOW DOWN WALLEYE

Across the Great Lakes, fall walleye fishing peaks as water temperatures dip down. It’s a safe bet that some of the best open water walleye trolling of the year will take place in the month of November. In places like Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay, Green Bay and Little Bay de Noc most of these fish are going to be suspending in the water column 20 to 40 feet down.