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| Weather has a nasty habit of turning otherwise clear bodies of water into stained, dirty or downright “chocolate milk” fishing conditions. Using blade baits and scent products is one way the Fishing 411 crew consistently catches walleye in these tough conditions. |
Most walleye fishermen agree that dirty water is the kiss of
death. It’s true that walleye are sight feeders and in dirty water conditions
they are generally much tougher to catch.
The thing about
fishing I often remind anglers is there are no absolutes. In other words, never
say never! In dirty water there are ways to catch walleye that are surprisingly
effective.
BLADE BAITS
Blade baits are
made from a stamped piece of metal with a molded lead weight on the bottom.
Some blade baits are equipped with “double hooks” similar to those bass
fishermen use for fishing plastic frogs, but most blade baits are equipped with
two treble hooks.
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| Blade baits have an unique vibration that makes them especially powerful fishing lures for targeting walleye in dirty water conditions. |
The tail treble
hook tends to be larger and the hook on the belly is a little smaller. This
hooking arrangement helps keep the two treble hooks from tangling with one
another and also the fishing line from catching on the hooks while jigging.
Because blades
can be casted long distances, they are often used to cover water quickly. When
casting it’s best to make a long cast and allow the blade bait to sink to
bottom. Reel up the slack line and when the rod tip loads from the weight of
the lure, raise the rod tip about a foot, pause and let the blade sink bait to bottom.
This simple
retrieve brings out the famous action of the blade bait. Blades have a tight
vibration that readily telegraphs up the line and can easily be felt in the
rod. When the blade can be felt vibrating all is good. The second the line goes
dead, chances are the blade bait has picked up debris from the bottom or the
line has become tangled in the hooks.
Blade baits
typically deliver violent strikes much like a walleye hitting a crankbait.
Casting is one approach, but drifting and vertical jigging is another way blade
baits excel. Vertical jigging makes it easier for the angler to maintain
contact with bottom while controlling the lift and drop rate of the bait. This
more controlled presentation allows the vibration of the blade to do it’s work and
just about eliminates problems with the line fouling on the hooks.
The most
effective way to vertical jig a blade bait is something called “tight line
jigging” that involves lifting the bait just a few inches off bottom and then
dropping the bait back to bottom on a tight line. Most anglers work the blade
too aggressively and end up spending most of their time untangling the fishing
line from the hooks.
One of the
reasons blades work so well in dirty water is the violent vibration pulls in
fish that can’t see the bait, but they certainly can “feel” it. When “tight
lining” the bait it makes it easier for fish to zero in on the lure.
ATTRACTOR JIGS
Another lure
group that performs well in dirty water conditions are known as attractor jigs.
These lead head jigs feature props, blades, flippers or other attractors that
make them easier for fish to see, feel and hear in dirty water. Combining these
jigs with a soft plastic “swimbait” tail is a great way to increase the overall
size of the presentation and also add in a thumping vibration from the paddle
tail.
Selecting
brightly colored jigs and plastic bodies is a must when fishing in dirty water.
Black and purple are also colors that contrast well against dirty water.
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| Injecting pure fish oil into live bait and cut baits is a great way to enhance the “scent stream” when fishing in dirty water conditions. |
Many anglers
feel the best way to approach dirty water is to slow down and use live bait or
cut bait. Certainly having a “scent stream” in the water will help when fishing
dirty water.
The natural
scent of a live minnow is a good place to start, but there are lots of unique
“scent products” on the market that can enhance the scent stream. Pro Cure, one
of the leading fishing scent manufacturers suggests injecting pure fish oils
into baits when fishing with both live and dead minnows. Pro Cure produces both
the oils and injector hardware for this style of fishing.
Another option
is to enhance live and cut baits by using baitfish dyes that make the baits
more visible to fish in dirty water. Again Pro Cure is a leader in this
department and their Bad Azz Color Blast is a UV and color enhancement that
comes in orange, pink, chartreuse/line, blue and purple colors. One little
squirt of this bait dye turns a minnow brilliant color and also adds a UV
visual attractant.
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| Color dyes and UV enhancers are great tools for making live and cut baits more visible to fish when targeting dirty water. |
SCENTS AND HARD BAITS
Fishing scents
are not just limited to live bait and cut bait. Blade baits can also be
enhanced by applying paste style scents to these lures. Most liquid fishing
scents wash off hard baits almost as quickly as they hit the water. The Pro
Cure Super Gel series of fishing scents are sticky and designed to adhere to
hard baits, soft plastics and even live bait. A little dab will produce a
powerful scent stream in the water for about 30-40 minutes before it is
necessary to re-apply.
Made from real
bait fish, Super Gel is made from dozens of different baitfish species. Some of
the more popular Super Gel choices among walleye anglers are Emerald Shiner,
Alewife, Gizzard Shad, Smelt and Minnow.
SUMMING IT UP
Fishing in dirty
water is something that walleye anglers don’t look forward to. Sight feeders
like walleye are easier to catch in clear to stained water, but they can be
caught even in dirty water when the right lures and scent products are used.
