Did Someone Mention Walleyes?

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Did Someone Mention Walleyes?

• A tribute to the virtues of teaching kids to
  fish

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This site is dedicated to my Dad and Mom, Nayland
and Mary Kay, who taught me to fish at an early
age. My Dad, who died when I was 14, could do
anything. He built this raft from two wing tanks
from a jet fighter and a Continental combine
engine. We sure enjoyed fishing on it .
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8.5 lbs. Shore Fishing Big Stone Opener
Okay, so I know the one on the left isnt a
walleye, but Big Stone Lake always gave up big
fish in the 1960s and 1970s. Both of these
were taken on a simple bait, a black and white
Daredevil. I truly think black and white are
deadly colors for walleye.
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These are typical of Big Stone Walleyes we have
taken over the years. I no longer keep large
fish unless they are injured, or I am going to
mount one. In the 1980s the limit was six fish
per day per person. I am a huge fan of the new
slot limit and four fish limit.
My baits of choice have long been floating stick
baits such as the Rapalla, and chartruese colored
jigs. We pitch jigs until sundown, and often go
to the stick baits after dark. In the spring of
the year in South Dakotas Glacial Lakes, this
will likely put a limit on your stringer.
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During the late 1980s and early 1990s we
discovered the Missouri River System. My
brother, Craig, took this one on a simple Lindy
Rig tipped with a minnow by Antelope Creek south
of Pierre. A great time to go is during February
when the trophies are in pre-spawn mode. This
fish was about 9lbs. , and it came at a point in
Craigs life where he needed a lift. Another
reason to fish!
Another great area is Minneconjou Bay on the
Cheyenne River tributary. This is big water, but
there are big fish, too. This was truly a 4lb.
average limit of walleye. My brother-in-laws,
Randy and Ken, and my sister Nancy were along for
this trip. Most of these were taken on ½ oz.
bottom bouncers and spinners. We almost lost a
boat to the wind and rocks.
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Like I mentioned before, the Missouri River is
big water and has the potential to be
life-threatenening. You just shouldnt go out
there with anything less than a 16ft. boat.
Twenty-five mph winds are common, and experience
is a must on the Missouri. Get someone to show
you around first if you are not familiar with the
water.
This 6 rattler tried to climb in my boat in the
Oak Creek area north of Mobridge. My
brother-in-law, Kenny, had a great time almost
causing heart attacks to some Iowan fishermen at
the cleaning table when he dumped it out of his
cooler. They thought it was still alive and
scattered like flies! At least we had the
cleaning table to ourselves for a while.
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If you dont ice fish Waubay Lake or Enemy Swim,
you are just plain missing out. After the boats
are put away for the winter try setting up
tip-ups with nothing but a 2 Eagle Claw hook, a
small chub, and a shot weight. That plus
patience and location on a good drop-off will get
you some fish. This was quality time with Emily
and Jason.
Kids love to ice-fish. The key is keeping them
warm, taking a lot of snacks, and having sleds or
a football along to keep them busy while you are
waiting for a flag to pop up. It is pretty
common to experience about a 45 minute flurry of
activity right at sundown with an occasional
large walleye.
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Its time to talk wading. In the spring of the
year we ought to just leave our boats at home.
Put on a good pair of neopreme waders, grab a
handful of Walmart 3/16 oz. jigs, find a
windy/rocky shoreline, and start fishing. My
friend, Troy Haaland, is the best jig fisherman
Ive ever seen, and I have personally witnessed
him catching and releasing 100 walleyes on two
separate occasions. Oh yes, be sure to get a hat
light and switch to Rapallas at dark!
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You should never forget about winter/spring
walleyes at Fort Thompson. If you watch the
weather, you can pick up some days that are
absolutely incredible. This is one of the best
early season jig bites you can find this side of
Canada. The key is locate fish on your graph
away from other boats, and present jigs as far
away from your boat as you can the slower, the
better. Once again, this trip isnt for
everyone, if you fall out of the boat in this
ice-water, you have about 5 minutes to get out
and dry so please be careful! Make sure you go
during the week when the dam is more likely to be
operating youll have much better fishing.
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The bonds you form fishing will last a lifetime.
Here is a picture of Troy and his son Michael
fishing near Prairie Dog Town south of
Mobridge. They were fishing bottom bouncers and
spinners that day. But the look on the father
and sons faces is worth much more than the
fillets.
I wouldnt want to get in a fishing contest with
these two guys unless they were on my side. Mike
Benson is a very versatile walleye fisherman who
changes tactics with changing conditions dark
colors when its dark, bright colors when it is
bright, and he can really read the wind. This was
one our wins at the Warner Fire Department
fishing tourney. Tourney fishing can be fun, if
it doesnt become a business!
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Ill finish this bit with a tribute to the lady
who not only gave me life, but saved my life as
well. She managed to hang on to our land at the
lake after Dad died, and took me fishing whenever
I asked her to, which was usually several times a
week! She kept me from going the wrong way, and
Im doing my best to pass this on to my kids. By
the way, my mom, Peg, turns 90 this summer, and
she still loves to fish off our dock. Her bait
of choice is a plain hook, a weight, and live
bait .keep fishing!