Mayfly Madness - Fish 'Em High
Mayflies mean S L O W walleye fishing right?  Not always!   Some of our best days on the water are during the mayfly hatch from mid-June to mid-July.  You need to change your presentaion and adapt to changing walleye behavior.  If the mayflies are on the top of the water, where do you think the walleyes are feeding?  Yep, on top of the water.  We use crawler harness with 1/2 ounce inline weights.  Run them 15-25 feet behind the planer boards and pick up the speed to keep them up high and take advantage of the aggressively feeding fish.  Be sure to run the boards at least 100 feet out from the boat to catch fish that spook to the side.  

Check out our Walleye Kid Custom Crawler Harness called Mayfly Madness.  It's a combination of brown and tan beads with a gold blade.  Check it out

"We Went 6 for 10 today" - Are You Kidding?
How many of you end up losing fish at the back of the boat?  We talk to guys all the time that will tell us "we went 6 for 10 today" or "we went 8 for 11 today".  If you are losing fish at the boat it's time to upgrade the size and quality of hooks you are using.  Our hook of choice for crawler harnesses is a #2 Gamakatsu Octopus Hooks.  These hooks are awesome and once a fish is hooked they RARELY get off.  They're expensive hooks but compared to how much you will spend on gas, bait, and other expenses it's nothing.

Real World Test:  During the 2007 season we tracked every fish we hooked up in the western basin on Gamakatsu hooks.  Once the planer board was off the line or we set the hook on our bottom bouncer we considered the fish to be "on" for testing and tracking.  We tracked the first 100 walleye that we hooked and lost only THREE fish - yes three fish out of 100 that were hooked and the planer board removed.  If you are not getting the same result make the switch.

Here is the program we use:  Keep the rod tip up at all times, crank the fish in with steady pressure (no pumping the rod), use a net with a long handle, and slowly walk backwards toward the front of the boat as the fish comes to the next.  

Check out our Walleye Kid Online Store where you can get some real hooks and more.  Check it out

Tattletale Flag - Cool Update 
We use our tattletale flages effectively for all lures and all speeds - even pulling jet divers and spoons.  A simple modification makes these a great tool throughtout the year.  Simply drill three or four small holes on the flag post.  Move the spring higher on the flag post as your speed increases or you run bigger baits.  We can even run big Reef Runner effectively in the fall and see a light bite or a smaller fish.  Of course if your fishing at Huron in November your more likely to see the board disappear before you see the flag move! Give it a try.

Get a Lance Valentine seminar DVD that will teach you about open water trolling with planer boards plus much more.  Check It Out

Sonar - Upper and Lower Chart Limits
One of the greatest features on any sonar is the ability to set upper and lower chart limits.  This picture has the upper limit set on 2 feet and the lower limit set on 26 feet.  By using these settings in 24 feet of water we have eliminated surface clutter and see a full screen of information - including that big walleye 5 feet below the surface!  You should be constantly adjusting these setting as you drive around looking for fish.  Here is how to do it: Hit "Menu" then hit "Upper and Lower Limits".  Start with "Upper Limit" and hit "Enter".  Use the arrow keys to adjust the upper limit setting.  Hit enter and do the same thing to set the lower limit setting.  Hit "Exit" twice and you're in business. 

We usually eliminate the top 2-4 feet of water - don't take out too much or you will miss high riding fish.  We set the lower limit about two feet deeper than the water we are in.  Give it a try next time your out!

Get a Lance Valentine seminar DVD that will teach you about this sonar technique plus much more.  Check It Out