Walleye

[lmt out]

Haven't been down in a month or so. My first year fishing stockton so my first winter fishing there also. What should I be keying on this time of year and what method?

[packersooner]

lmt out,

In the handful of times we have gotten out the last few winters, our best success for walleye has been in large main lake coves beneath pods of shad. We usually fish in 35 to 55 feet of water once lake temps get down around or colder than 40 degrees. In many cases, the walleye are mixed in with...or slightly deeper than crappie chasing the shad. Usually, you can't go wrong with a jig/minnow combo. If the shad are near the bottom, you can actually fish a bottom bouncer with a minnow or crawler.

Several posters on this board have also stated that they have caught them shallow in the dead of winter, and have caught them jigging spoons near the bottom of the main lake channel near the dam. That narrows it down!

Jason

[lmt out]

Thanks for the help. The wife has been asking to go, so maybe we'll get down in the next week or 2.

Ed

[rps]

Many of my walleye associates swear by the Rapala Jigging Rap.

[packersooner]

rps,

I gave those a try one time out this summer at Bull Shoals. Had something large on but it got off. The only drawback to those jigging raps are the small hooks. You are gonna lose some fish.

They are definitely big up north for walleye. Seen many a fishing show/article on them.

I'll have to give them another shot this winter. Should be great for deep open water jigging!

Jason

[powerdive]

I'm a Rapper. I cut off the end hooks and swap out the belly treble for the next size up, as it seems that 99% of my fish were always caught on the treble and 99% of the snags came on the end hooks.

[lmt out]

what size jiggin raps are you using?

[powerdive]

#7 for me, for 25-75 feet.

[ozarkgunner]

Jerkbaits (megabass 110+1) on boulder main lake points. 3-9 foot deep. 6-8 count pause.

[ozarkgunner]

three limits last three time out in the last week.