Cold-water blade bait tricks.
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Rippin’ blade baits is still one of the most overlooked and not-talked-about techniques for cold-water walleye. They get a lot more love in river systems, but they can be equally as effective on lakes when water temps are on the drop.
For sure something I need to get better at working into my starting lineup!
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Like anything, it just takes that one confidence-boosting day to get this technique added into your cold-water rotation. So here’s your daily dose of blade bait tips, tricks, and gear – in no particular order...
1. Bunch of blade-y info from bait designer Walt Matan
> Blades like the BFishN Tackle B3 Blade Baits cast like bullets and get down to the fish zone fast. You’d think this would spook a shallow walleye, but it attracts them.
> ...relies on vibration and sound to get the fish to react...resembles a fleeing baitfish ...consists of a flat metal spoon with a weighted nose. ...will vibrate on the retrieve and on the lift.
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> Never tie directly to a blade bait – some makes will have several attach points or holes at the top (which give wider or tighter wobbles). It’s best to use a snap or split-ring on top to prevent line cutting.
> [Help] prevent snags in stumps, fallen timber or rock bottoms by cutting off the front barb of the front hook.
> A slow, steady retrieve of a blade is popular, but you should try it with a stop-and-go and high-speed retrieve. I also like to rip-jig the blade up with a fast rip of the rod followed by a slow reel to pull up the slack.
> I prefer a 7′ M rod with 10- to 14-lb mono since it has more stretch. Most hits are fast and furious...often times when you rear back to set the hook with a superline, the blade rips free....
Where to throw ’em
> Dams: Walleye, sauger and white bass will all make a migration to the dam during cold-water periods...cast up to the dam. Most fish will hit on the first few cranks of your reel.... A slow retrieve, just fast enough to keep the blade vibration is key. Mix the retrieve up with a slow pumping motion for violent strikes.
> Creek mouths: Cast blade baits to the mouth of the creek and to the shorelines upriver and downriver of the creek. Depending on the size and scope of the river you’re fishing, you might need to be out in the middle of the river channel and cast towards shore.
> Deep holes: Usually found in the bend in the river channel or around bridges. You’ll want to fish the holes vertically by dropping the blade to bottom and jigging up. Many anglers will rip the blade up too hard...this is not as effective as a quick 12” lift.
> Bridges: Prime areas because they have deep holes, current and eddies. You can rip vertically or cast towards shore. Try both sides of the river.... ...blades are heavy, so they cast far and fall quickly – when casting towards shore, you’ll want to get the blade moving as soon as it hits the water so you don’t snag up.
2. Jason Przekurat's wing-dam cadence
Some great info packed into this short clip from The Next Bite talking about Octobrrrr jigging cadences with blade baits or glide baits in river systems.
How far he lifts the bait off bottom depends on the water clarity: If there's 1' of clarity, he lifts the bait 1' off bottom on the pump, etc.
He also says that about 90% of his bites come when he lets the bait “hover” 🕴️ aka holding the rod in place after you pump the bait...versus dropping your rod tip back down. This lets the bait hover/hang naturally in the current. Once it hits bottom, reel up the slack and pump again – repeat until “thwack!”
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3. Usually it's important to sloooow dowwwn...
...in cold water, but James Lindner uses blade baits to cover water on clear-water lakes in central MN. Info from this AnglingBuzz write-up, few excerpts below:
> As summer turns into fall and water temperatures drop below 60°F walleyes begin to transition from deep-water reefs to shallow-water structure in search of baitfish. Throughout the fall months walleyes can be found on the large shallow sand flats, main-lake points, and reefs in less than 20’ of water. This time of year walleye get more aggressive and key in on faster, more erratic presentations. While there’s a variety of different reactionary baits that work, blade baits are unrivaled for fall walleyes.
> Fishing blade baits for walleyes is an overlooked tactic that can be a great way to trigger strikes in cold water. Blade baits allow you to cover a lot of water quickly which is incredibly beneficial if the walleyes are scattered across larger areas. Blade baits can also be fished on a number of different bottom types like sand, mud, and rocks.
James’ go-to blade bait
> The Rapala Rippin’ Blade is a great blade bait that produces a big vibration creating lots of commotion. It features an extra heavy nose that allows it to sink fast and drop into the strike zone quickly. The heaviness of the bait [offered in a 9/16-oz size] also allows the angler to cover more water and ultimately leading to more fish. ...loud, flashy, injured baitfish imitation is something that cold-water walleyes can’t resist.
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Retrieval tactics
> Having the right retrieve is crucial in order to effectively fish blade baits for walleyes. The best way to fish a blade bait is to cast out and let it hit the bottom. Once the bait hits the bottom pop-jig it back off the bottom in 2-3 foot jig strokes. This will allow the blade bait to give off flash and vibration as it is ripped up and falls down. It will also cause some bottom disturbance which will attract walleyes from a distance. Work the bait fairly quickly. This retrieval method will allow you to cover a lot of water and trigger bites from passing fish.
Changing your cadence
> When fishing blade baits for walleyes it can pay to change up your retrieve depending on the day and the behavior of the fish. If fish are in a lethargic mood and don’t want to chase a bait you can slowly swim your bait back giving it subtle pops off the bottom. Another thing you can do is let the bait sit on the bottom for a few seconds between each jig stroke. This is an effective tactic when the walleyes are slightly finicky.
Few more quick hitters
> A 7’ medium, fast-action spinning rod is a great choice for throwing blade baits.
> A 10- to 15-lb braided mainline is recommended to help cut through the water and allows maximum sensitivity. An 8- or 10-lb fluorocarbon leader is also recommended to add some stealth to your presentation.
> A good rule of thumb is to use brighter colors in stained water, and more natural colors in clear water.
> Cold fronts starting in Sept should help trigger the transition for walleyes to move back onto shallow-water structure.
Here’s James talkin’:
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> “...the ThinFisher’s compact shad-shape profile has upgraded cosmetics, upgraded high-quality snap and custom Fusion19 black nickel trebles. The combination of metal body, sonic rattle chamber and hooks makes the ThinFisher one of the noisiest blade baits on the market. The body and 3 original pull points were maintained to provide for a wide range of techniques and actions whether vertical jigging or cast and retrieve.”
Here’s some throwback nuggets from the legend 🙌 Gary Parsons, who sees ’em as a cross between a jig and a crankbait:
> Mother Nature likes to play havoc with the weather this time of year, with hot days and cold nights. Depending on the year, you can also start to see turnover as we transition from summer to fall. This makes the bite tough for even the best walleye anglers. While some view this time as the live well “half-empty”, we like to view it as “half-full”. This is the time of year we can challenge ourselves to entice lazy eyes....
> Rocks in deep water are a great place to target. “Deep” is a relative term. In 80′ it can be a 25′ hump. In 15′ it could be a rockpile that tops out at 10-12′.
> If we’re fishing a hump that tops out at 12′, we’ll cast a 1/4- or 1/2-oz ThinFisher...deeper and we use a 1/2-oz.
> Vertically: Drop the lure to the bottom and aggressively lift it up 6-12”. You’ll be able to feel the vibration of the lure on each stroke. It’s the combination of flash and vibration that makes this lure work.
> Casting: Work [them] just like you would a jig, moving it just enough to make it flutter. Hold your rod at the 11:00 position and let it swim back to you. You can be aggressive as you lift your rod, but it shouldn’t be a giant sweep.
> Once you get the lure back to the boat, don’t be afraid to vertical jig it – sometimes the fish will follow the lure and then hit it when you change the action.
Gary likes to use chrome/blue and chrome/gold in clear water, firetiger when it’s dirty, and says purple tiger works well in both. Rigs ’em with 10-lb braid and a 2′ Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon leader on a M to MH 6-7′ rod with a lot of backbone.
5. Here’s a completely different kind of sound
The Walleye Nation Creations RIP~N~RATTLE is a blade bait that has a crankbait rattle chamber:
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> “We’ve combined the high action and vibration of traditional blade baits with the attraction of a crankbait rattle system. The RIP~N~RATTLE has a strong vibration on the up stroke and resembles a dying baitfish on the fall. A very versatile bait that can be casted and retrieved or vertically snapped and is a great reactionary bait.”
6. Have you seen the Acme V-Rod blade bait?
> The V-Rod features an all steel frame with lead injection molding body to create the ultimate baitfish presentation. Finished off with ABS plastic covering for the ultimate durability + hyper realistic + sharp paint finishes. Cast it, retrieve it, vertical jig it, you name it. The V-Rod will catch you fish, period.
I thought it came in 13 different colors, but I’m seeing 18 of them on FishUSA right now...so I’m thinking that 5 of those are customs. But here’s a few, clockwise from the top left = dead meat, gold nugget, smelt dis, and party boy:
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Here’s how Tom Boley attacks wingdam fish with ‘em. 🎯
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LiveScope secrets you need to know. 🎯
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From Tom Huynh and Nate Wolske in this Larry Smith Outdoors’ video:
> “...demonstrate how to use Garmin LiveScope technology for landing trophy walleye on Lake of the Woods. Watch as they break down setting up and optimizing LiveScope, interpreting sonar data, and perfecting your fishing techniques. With stunning views and expert insights, this episode is a must-watch for anyone looking to up their walleye fishing game.”
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"It’s known by many things in the walleye world: crawler cutter, crawler nail, crawler pincher...it comes out between June and Sept and then when it’s cold again we trim them short!"
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- That’s Drake Herd talking about folks taking this whole jig and crawler thing soooo seriously 😤 that they literally leave a thumb nail longer for pinching off ‘crawler tails lol:
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I mean if you’re gonna commit, then you need to be 110% in:
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> Many teams struggled to catch walleyes on Lake Huron, with a number of anglers unable to sort through the vast amount of salmon and trout in the system. Those that put together a working program in their pre-fishing time were also thrown a curveball, as the Great Lakes wind seemed to disappear on the first two tournament days causing the walleyes to be very selective about eating.
> ...Wayne and Joe had two programs figured out at the quarry and Chigger’s Island. Spending most of their time casting at walleyes with their Lowrance ActiveTarget, they weighed a whopping 22-15 on day 1, an incredible start to their dominating performance holding a 10-lb lead going into day 2. The next day was slightly underwhelming, depending on perspective, as they were only able to get 3 of their very important bites to the boat for 10-08.
> With the wind picking up and boat control getting tough [on day 3] they made the switch to trolling nightcrawlers and landed 3 fish on their first pass, unknowingly sealing the fate of their first ever World Walleye Championship win.
> Winning the 2024 World Walleye Championship, Butz and Sommers have forever engraved their name in the history books of the walleye fishing world. They received the 1st-place prize of $15K in cash as well as: a Lowrance Ghost Trolling Motor valued at $3,799, the $1,000 Lowrance Bonus, the Okuma Bonus $200 value, package from local sponsor Salmo Java, and perhaps the most coveted, Custom World Walleye Champion rings and trophies, for a total of nearly $21K in cash and prizes.
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Way to get it done, fellas! 🙌 Amazing bag.
My buddy Christian Hoffman and I ended up in 6th place with 14.16 lbs. Had some B-E-A-Utiful 2.5-lb ‘unders’ but just could not get a BIG bite and had to settle for a 4-lber...though I was happy to have it! The ‘overs’ were tough to come by out there.
3. MN: 2024 fishing HOF class gets inducted
Big congrats [!!!] to Scott Bonnema, Tom Zenanko, Matt Straw, Nancy Koep, Fishing for Life, Ice Team, and Wayzata Bait & Tackle.
4. Here's those JT Customs’ PWCs...
...that Erie Outfitters is selling – they’re dishing out $500 for the biggest walleye caught on this specific Bill Lewis Precise Walleye Crank during the fall Walleye Slam (Oct 18 - Dec 1) on OH waters of Lake Erie.
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Nice looking color!
Btw did you know that Mr. Cranky himself (Precision Trolling Data’s Mark Romanack) designed the Bill Lewis Precise Walleye Crank?
> Made with precision-trolling in mind, the PWC was designed and tested with walleye-trolling expert, Mark Romanack, and has been 2 yrs in the making. There is arguably no-one more knowledgeable on precision trolling than Romanack.
> He designed the PWC to get down into the strike zone quicker with a steeper diving angle. On 10 lb mono, the lure will get down to 33’ with 200’ of line out, or with 100’ of line out it will get down to 25’.
> Equipped with 2 large Mustad Triple Grips...prefers this hook setup much better than the smaller 3 hooks on many traditional walleye lures. The larger hooks hold the fish better and don’t tangle in nets nearly as badly as the 3 smaller ones.
And Mark has been putting ‘em to good use. 👊
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5. GSM bought K&E Tackle
> K&E’s brands include Stopper Lures, Carlisle Floats, Bear Creek, Best Tackle, and Arnold Tackle, among other popular and historically-trusted brands.
> “We are incredibly excited to acquire and steward the historic brands under the K&E Tackle umbrella,” says Crispin Powley, GSM Senior VP of Fishing. “We recognize the importance of these brands and products and their history of helping anglers be successful. Their emphasis on cold water, northern, midwestern, and multispecies fishing is a void in our current portfolio, and a demographic that we believe is extremely important to the industry. We look forward to continuing the traditions of value and success that the K&E brands have cultivated with anglers over decades.”
6. WY: AIS check stations reduce hours, close for season
> However, it is required that any watercraft transported into WY from Mar 1 - Nov 30 undergo a mandatory inspection by an authorized inspector prior to launching.
So it sounds like you’ll have to call and set up an appointment to have your boat checked before you hit the water.... Tough!
7. UT approved some fishing reg changes
Sounds like some waterbodies (Causey Reservoir, Porcupine Reservoir, Pelican Lake) will now allow up to 6 lines per person while ice fishing, “but requiring the angler to check their own lines and attach their name to each line, pole or tip-up if more than two poles are being used at a time.”
8. MN: Zeebz confirmed in Cedar lake (Morrison County)
9. WY: Wired2fish Coffee commits funding to church build
10. New Z-Man Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO available
Just checked and FishUSA now has some of them in stock. You already know how elite the OG JackHammers are, and these are supposed to be even more better-er?! Sign me up.
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11. Garmin unveils new Fusion Apollo Marine Speakers/Subwoofers
Premium sound. Customizable LED lights. Interchangeable grilles. Engineered to withstand harsh marine conditions:
> “We’re excited to expand our award-winning Apollo series with new speakers and subwoofers that allow boaters to hear their music louder and clearer than ever before. Blending style and substance, the Apollo series has been redesigned to offer an exceptional audio experience with an attractive new look and feel that’s easy to customize and install.”
12. The Walleye Cup: Round 3 – "The Power Hour"
Here’s the final video from our new series called “The Walleye Cup” 🏆 where Nick Lindner, TJ Erickson and myself battle it out: 3 rounds, no live bait, and the biggest 5 walleyes from each round go towards the total length. Whoever has the most inches at the end of the day wins The Walleye Cup.
It all comes down to this!!!
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“I've nearly done the same thing at Thanksgiving dinner before.”
- Funny comment under this FishUSA post of a walleye whose eyes were WAY bigger than its stomach:
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Marie-Pier Michaud proving that not all sunset fishing pics have to be cliche (when ya don’t catch ’em lol) with this gorgeous, blueish walleye she caught using some “last cast luck.”
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Doesn't get much better than that – thanks for reading!
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FRIENDS OF TARGET WALLEYE
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Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jay Kumar, Chris Philen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
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Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye He was discovered in Brainerd, MN after years of wondering how in the heck people break into the fishing biz. He's in it now, but still can't answer that question.... Brett is one of those guys who majored in marketing, only because there was no such thing as a "fishing degree" at the time.... Get him at brett@targetwalleye.com
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