any pike/walleye/carp fishermen on the site?

[Cheech]

I've been really getting into fishing lately. I'm goin up north in a few weeks on a fishing trip. (freshwater lakes in northern Quebec have some pretty good fishing)...

Anyway, for the longest time, I've only ever fished with worms and minnows, but I'm trying to get into fishing with lures, jigs, spoons, spinners... Also going to be trolling off a boat...

Just wanted to know if any of you guys/gals have a preference on what lures to use for these types of fish

here's the place we'll be going to

http://www.domaineshannon.com/fishing.html


Thanks! For a change, we'd actually like to catch something other than ugly catfish and eels!! ugh!

[msouth468]

If the place you are going has perch in it. Use perch look alike lures for the walleye. Pike will eat anything, so get some pretty decent 5 to 8 inch lures for them that look like generic fish, nothing fancy. Spoons work really well for pike, and you want to troll at about a walking pace for pike. To fast and they won't want to chase the lure, to slow and they will figure out that the lure isn't a real fish.

But, I've never fished in Canada before. So I don't know if my way of catching pike will work. You might be able to simple cast for pike since the water might be better up there than in the States. Just remember, the BIG pike eat big fish. So you should always have a pretty good sized lure just in case.

[timbo83]

for the walleye we use a crawler harness dragging on the bottom while we drift across the lake. for pike we use big spoons. cast it at the edge of a weed bed and retrieve. crank a couple cranks and jerk the rod back crank a couple cranks jerk rod back and keep repeating. for carp just sight fish them on the shallow shore lines. watch for them to roll at the water surface. use a big ol treble hook with a dough ball and cast it past them so you dont scare them and reel it right to them and let it float. if there hungery they'll eat it. thats just my 2 cents. it has worked for me hopefully it will work for you. good luck. p.s. i also use big spinner baits (2 times the size of a bass spinner bait) with a trailer hook and I also use big rapalas trolling behind the boat

[msouth468]

I remember when I was little and lived in michigan you could buy live baby ducks to use as pike bait. You just rubberbanded them to a big hook, cast and let them swim around until it was to late. Looking back that was cruel as can be, but man was is sweet when a pike slammed the surface hitting one of them.

[rocker92]

this (http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=411702&pdesc=Gulp_Alive_3_Minnow_Soft_Bait_pint&cname=Minnows&aID=504A5K&merchID=4006&r=view) + this (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat410008&id=0000545115370a&navCount=1&podId=0000545&parentId=cat410008&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IK&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true) = this (http://lifestyle.resourcesforattorneys.com/fishing/images/walleye-fishing.jpg)

this rig works wonders for walleye,pike,crappies,perch,and sunfish!!!



EDIT: are you going spring,summer, or fall?????


i have heard of people using small "float n' fly" rigs and they catch pike like mad!!!!!! (this rig is used in spring. cold water= slower metabolisms=less hungry fish.)

[Carlsonr]

My family goes to Northern Minnesota for a week in the summer to fish. I have had the best luck with trolling Rapalas over rocky bottoms. Just troll your boat in an s-pattern across the lake, and it alters the speed of lures on both sides of the boat as you go.

*edit* sinking Rapalas - anywhere from 8 - 25 feet depending on the lake, water temp, etc.

[Cheech]

I really appreciate the help/advice.

Season opens May 1st, thinking of doing a 3 night stay near the end of the month

- is there any time you'll add bait to a spoon? I sometimes see people adding a half worm on the hook...

is it always advantageous to troll, or is it sometimes better to stick to a spot and wait for the fish to find you?

Baby ducks, huh... lol... first time i ever heard that before.

Thanks again... I gotta figure out what a crawler harness is now, as for a few other terms I'm not familiar with.

[rocker92]

ill get you a link with a crawler harness in a minuet

[rocker92]

http://www.crookedeye.com/images/3harn.jpgthis is a crawler harness. it is about 3-6ft. they are used to hook a worm by the head and back-end,they help keep the worm long and make it more appealing to the fish.

EDIT: also called a "lindy rig" they just snap on and off. used with a walking sinker tied to your main line and then a swivel connects the 2 lines

[Carlsonr]

I would recommend trolling in general vs. spot fishing. You are more likely to find the fish. I would check out some trolling planks so you can get six lures behind the boat at different depths.

Just mix up the lure colors/sizes and the boat speed until you make a connection, and then start switching over to replicate what is working.

If you find a really hot spot and want to sit on it, you can mix it up and toss out jigs on the walleye.

In terms of baiting a spoon, it's not out of the question to put a leech on the treble hook.

[rocker92]

this (http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=411702&pdesc=Gulp_Alive_3_Minnow_Soft_Bait_pint&cname=Minnows&aID=504A5K&merchID=4006&r=view) + this (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat410008&id=0000545115370a&navCount=1&podId=0000545&parentId=cat410008&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IK&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true) = this (http://lifestyle.resourcesforattorneys.com/fishing/images/walleye-fishing.jpg)

this rig works wonders for walleye,pike,crappies,perch,and sunfish!!!



EDIT: are you going spring,summer, or fall?????


i have heard of people using small "float n' fly" rigs and they catch pike like mad!!!!!! (this rig is used in spring. cold water= slower metabolisms=less hungry fish.)
trolling with the top rig works wonders.

[snoopy65]

Fisherwoman here. We troll with worm harnesses & long A Bombers for walleye. Steelhead seem to like them as well, not sure about pike. The best colors are Wonderbread and Monkey Puke. As far as Perch goes we use crappie rigs and put double minnows on them and drop them over the side of the boat while anchored. If they are hitting by the time they get to the bottom it is time to pull them up. We fish Lake Erie from spring till the ice is on.

[FISHSHROD]

I don't remember what baits I used , it was back in 1986. I caught a bunch of walleye trolling and a few pike casting. It was fun but not sure if the black flies and skeetoes will be around when you will be there. We were there in early June up on Lake Gilbert and got chewed , bring skeetoe netted hat, long sleve shirts, and long pants and duct tape. They dropped us off at a cabin and left us there for a week. No phone , no radio :) OH and taking a bath in the lake !!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH, IT WAS COLD:eek3:

[Cheech]

thanks again for the advice... I'll be upgrading my tackle box with some of your suggestions, for sure...

I think the biggest surprise to me is how important trolling seems to be. We've been fishing on a boat for a few years, and not once did we give trolling a chance. It'll be a new approach for us.

fishshrod, I think the flies come out a little later (hopefully) but yeah, we remember to bring bug spray! Without a doubt. lol..

[rocker92]

it doesnt take long for the bugs to come out!!!

[Cheech]

so I just spent a bunch of money I don't have on jigs, lures, spoons, etc etc ... almost ready!

Can't forget the bug spray ! :D

[FISHSHROD]

I remember now that we were trolling when we caught most of the pike. It was cool being out there listening to the wolves at night.

[srikamaraja]

There is nothing like a lazy afternoon spent drinking beer with creek water up to your knees...

...dip-netting for Redfin Pickerel.

I know it's not fishing, but it's in the same spirit.:-P

[Tay690]

Pike for some reason are much more active in cold water...in summer they come in like logs but in the fall they go on feeding frenzies

Walleye this time of year come up more shallow (all day long) and before dawn and just after dusk they move up to feed in the shallows (bigger walleye that is...the smaller 3-5 lb walleye will still stay in their school in water about 15-25 feet)

If trolling for pike or walleye you can basically use any lure that resembles a minnow (I recommend Rapala Husky Jerk ...it suspends and is very easy to keep at a specific depth...in this case 15-25 feet)

the colour depends on the clarity of the water and native baitfish species in the lake...like previously mentioned if there are a lot of perch in the lake, use a minnow about 10-12 inches that resembles a perch

Walleye are a lot more difficult to catch this time of year because their feeding period is majorly cut down ... about 30-40 minutes from my experience and they tend to hit BIG BAIT instead of picking away at 4-5 pieces of little bait

for Walleye trolling has to be extremely slow this time of year...the water is becoming very dirty due to the fall turnover and they have a big advantage for hunting...but the colder water makes them very lethargic

if trolling for walleye specifically you should back troll (throw the boat in reverse and let out about 30-40 feet of line with the Husky Jerk) and troll in a very large "S" pattern to avoid spooking less fish

I can't think of anything else atm lol sorry for the essay

I'm happy I can actually give back to the community now ^_^
I'm a newb in fishkeeping but I've been fishing since I was a baby

FINALLY A TRADEOFF

Edit: I forgot to add target structures to my essay OMG
Walleye structures to target this time of year are weedlines (especially bullrushes just on the outskirt)
Large sandy shoals of about 10 feet of water (before dawn or just after dusk again)
any underwater shoal with a hump on it for some reason hold lots of walleye this time of year
and last but not least...the steepest part of any shore breakline (if the drop off stays consistent and gradual and then all of the sudden there's one spot that drops from 20-30 feet in about 5 feet distance...there will be schools feeding on the drop off...waiting for the night time to come up to the shallows to feed on baitfish)

THERE I'M DONE NOW

2nd Edit: If you do end up catching a walleye make sure you take the cheeks! There are too many people that just take the fillets off of the walleye and leave the cheeks. THIS IS A SERIOUS NO NO! The cheeks on a walleye are like fillet mignon and boy are they yummy!

[tonergirl]

I remember when I was little and lived in michigan you could buy live baby ducks to use as pike bait. You just rubberbanded them to a big hook, cast and let them swim around until it was to late. Looking back that was cruel as can be, but man was is sweet when a pike slammed the surface hitting one of them.

:irked: That is the cruelest thing I've ever heard of, in my life!! :nono::nono::nono:

[Tay690]

Oh I've heard much worse for muskie...Kittens + Driftwood = Big Muskie

now that's cruel

[SubRosa]

A few years back we were fish at the PennWarner club.. There are several lakes there on a reclaimed landfill. They were draining one lake into another by means of a 3' diameter pipe that sent a stream of water out into the lake churning up the mud. A river of muddy water extended out into the lake and all winter long the edges of that river produced Walleye like I've never seen. Fishing from the bank we'd average 4 or 5 fish a day each most in the 4-5 lb range. Every once in a while we pulled in a 9-10 pounder! Too bad I wouldn't eat a fish out of there on a bet!