Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
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By Louie Stout
If you believe that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, you might want to check out the Michiana Walleye Club’s Annual Tackle Swap Meet March 1 at the club grounds.
Admission is $5 for anyone age 16 and over. Food and beverages will be available for sale. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also, a few tables remain available for anyone who wants to exhibit or sell gear.
New, used and antique tackle will be displayed and for sale and all display tables are sold. Also, several other vendors will be displaying, including Conklin Custom Baits, Tim’s Custom Tackle Boxes, Dialed-In Charters, Sweet Water Trolling and Reel Legit Customs.
There also will be seminars. The schedule includes Noah Haas, fisheries student at Purdue, who will discuss walleye fishing on the St. Joe 10:30; Tim Wyatt, Lake Michigan Silver Fishing, 11:15; Mike Rhoads on jig fishing, noon.
The club address is 13040 Day Road, Mishawaka, 46545.
For more information email walleyemichiana@gmail.com.
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By Jay Anglin
Fall Walleye
Walleyes are still on the brain. Sure, the ponds and potholes are filling with ducks and bucks are getting frisky, but it’s tough mothballing the rods when the biggest walleyes of the year are on the move.
With that in mind, to scratch that itch, we reached out to Whitewater Fishing pro staffer Jason Przekurat for some quick pointers on late fall walleyes. The two-time National Walleye Tour Champion and two-time FLW Walleye Tour Angler of the Year shared some time-honored intel on how to maximize your time on the water.
1) Given a wide range of water and cover types available, what do your ideal spots consist of for targeting big fall walleyes?
“Excluding the Great Lakes, the one thing I've learned over the years when looking for big walleyes in the fall is to focus on areas that have steeper breaklines adjacent to deep water access. This would include areas that have either weeds or rock, but if focusing on weeds, make sure they are still green. All of these areas must have one thing in common and that is bait. Without the food they will not come.”
2) Lures and bait…what are your favorite lures for late fall walleyes and what are the best applications?
“Here are the two main presentations I focus on during the fall bite: First, for negative or finicky fish, I focus on live bait primarily some type of chub, be it a creek chub or redtail chub. If the water is too clear and the fish are boat shy, I will cast to them with a jig/minnow combo. If the fish don't mind the presence of your boat, it's time to go vertical use the old standby live bait rig and slowly pull it over them with your bow mount trolling motor. The second option for me is to get aggressive with any type of glide bait. Many times, I've seen fish ignore a big minnow but will react to the glide baits fishing them both vertically or by casting”
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IDNR Report
Indiana anglers are invited to participate in the 2024 Midwest Fall Walleye Classic, a virtual fishing tournament that offers the chance to win prizes and contribute to fisheries management while providing Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fisheries biologists with valuable data on the state’s walleye, sauger, and saugeye.
The tournament began Sept. 28 and ends Oct. 31. Only catches of walleye, sauger, and saugeye will count in the tournament.
The event continues a research project that’s funded by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. During the spring tournament, anglers provided 140 submissions.
Both a free and a $25 paid option to enter the fall tournament are offered. Biweekly cash prizes are available to paid participants, and free entrants are eligible for noncash prizes. All participants have a chance to win a grand prize at the end of the tournament.
Participants use the free mobile app MyCatch to submit photos of their catch on a measuring device to determine length and species. Once the photo is reviewed, and the catch is confirmed, it will appear on a live leaderboard so anglers can see their current tournament ranking.
For more information, visit on.IN.gov/walleye.
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Seaguar Report
National Walleye Tour pro and owner of The Walleye Guys guide service, Brian Bashore
Fishing electronics have continued to make our lives easier when locating cover, structure, and fish. These underwater eyes are highly effective tools that reduce the time to find productive fishing areas, no matter what species you target. For National Walleye Tour pro and owner of The Walleye Guys guide service, Brian Bashore, his electronics are vital for finding walleyes.
Forward-facing sonar is the hot trend in the fishing world right now, and Bashore utilizes it, but the entire package of side-scan, 2D sonar, 360-imaging, and down-scanning technology all play a role in his fishing. They work together and help reinforce what he finds on the water, each playing a pivotal role in helping him and his clients catch more walleyes.
If He Could Only Pick One
Of all the different sonar technologies available today, Bashore would choose Humminbird Side Imaging if he could only have one on his boat. It's crucial to his efforts, and he generally uses it first before refining his approach with forward-facing sonar and standard 2D sonar.