This slip-bobber walleye piece that the late Greg Bohn put together with AnglingBuzz is jam packed with an incredible amount of info and things to consider when choosing the right bait for your slip-bobber setup. No matter if you’re a diehard walleye tourney pro, or beginner, I’m confident you’ll pull some valuable nuggets out of this write-up.

There’s WAY too much (great) info to include it all here – definitely worth checking out the full write-up – but I’m going to plop a few excerpts below specifically talking leeches because Greg said he had “caught more trophy walleyes on leeches than all other live bait combined.”

> “Leeches come in several sizes from medium, large, extra large and jumbo. They all work, and just as you wouldn’t leave the dock with only one kind of bait, always take more than one size of leech along.

> “The size of the average walleye in a body of water dictates the size of the leech to use. You’re in for a long day if you fish with extra-large or jumbo leeches in a lake that has walleyes averaging 17 inches.

> “Many anglers are misled about using jumbo leeches to trigger trophy walleyes. That only works where trophy walleyes live. If the lake is dominated by small fish, it may be one of those bobber-watching days if jumbo leeches are all you brought. You can go from a no-fish day to hauling in fish after fish just by downsizing the bait. I’ve had other boats move closer to me after watching me catching fish. They thought I was on a hot spot. But, the truth was their spot was probably just as good. They were just using the wrong-sized bait.

> “Stick with medium and large leeches where walleyes average 14-20”.... An exception is when you target weeds filled with panfish. Try a bigger leech to discourage them.

> “Another exception comes when you’re fishing for trophy walleyes on deep rocks. That’s when you super-size the bait. Imagine a size #4 bleeding-red hook with a 6 millimeter Northern Lights ruby glass bead tipped with an extra-large or jumbo leech ribboned out and swimming over boulders in 22’. It’s killer! But, forget about catching 14” walleyes. Only big walleyes will touch it. The average size fish on a jumbo leech in trophy locations will measure 25” and weigh more than 5 lbs. Be prepared for less action. I’ve had clients who wanted to catch a 10-lbwalleye and did, but it was the only bite they had all day.

> “Leeches work best on aberdeen style and live bait hooks paired with ruby red glass beads. Heavy jigs limit their ability to swim naturally. Use 1/16-oz. Jig Bugs with size #4 aberdeen hooks.

> “Popular thought says to hook a leech through the suction cup. But, that often ends with a leech that’s cast off or ripped off by pesky panfish. Instead, hook the leech just slightly behind the suction cup. It doesn’t reduce action or life span. The leech also appears to be swimming away from the hook as if trying to escape. When used near wood or rocks, the leech senses the safety of cover nearby and tries to reach it. The result is enticing.

> “Check the leech at the side of the boat before you cast. If one doesn’t swim well, change it.

> “If you get no action after a while, retrieve the rig and examine it for problems. The knot may have slipped or the leech may be gone. Some leeches also seem to give off a walleye-repelling odor. Change the bait and see.

> “Beware of the leech death roll. Leeches will sometimes ball up so tightly you can’t get them off the hook. They can even knot the line. They may have been hooked too far behind the suction cup. They might have been frightened by a walleye into a protective ball. Whatever the cause, a leech will never return to the swimming action you want once it starts the death roll. Get rid of it, and keep fishing in the same area. A walleye might be nearby.

> “Buy as many leeches as you can care for early in the season when their quantity and quality are at their peak. Choices diminish later in the season. By the end of summer, you’re lucky to find any at all.

> “First, sort through the container and look for the bloodsuckers, which are often mixed in. They have teeth surrounding the suction cup, they have a blob-like appearance and they are often spotted with an orange underside. Toss them out. Walleyes don’t like them.

> “Caring for bulk leeches is easy. Put them in a plastic pan with a half-inch of water over them and put them in the refrigerator at 37-42 degrees to mimic winter conditions. They’ll hibernate. If you add too much water or store them at too high a temperature, they’ll fade in color and look worn as they swim themselves to death.

> “Just rinse them off every two days to prevent them from suffocating in their own slime.”

And believe it or not (believe it!) there’s WAY more info in the full write-up. RIP legend 🙏 and thank you for sharing your secrets with the rest of the walleye world.

I knew it! 😅

Great, quick Instagram reel shared by Fish Hawk Electronics with Lake Erie guide Ross Robertson running thru his nightcrawler program. It’s as simple as Ziplocs, frozen water bottles and a paper towel (to absorb moisture) to help keep nightcrawlers happy and your boat clean:

Wake boats, and jet skis, and pontoons, oh my! Most lakes sure get busy this time of year with recreational traffic, but don’t let that stop you from getting your walleye on! This vid is a great quick-hitter from Jason Mitchell talking how he combats all of that buzzing around:

> “Many recreational lakes get really busy with boating traffic from July 4th until the kids go back to school. From a mental standpoint, tune out the recreational boats. We often find that both bass and walleye seem to get accustomed to the boating traffic where pleasure boats and jet skis probably bother us as anglers more than the fish.

> “On flat sunny days, focus on shade. Especially in clear water lakes come mid summer. Specifically, look for shadows cast by weeds on north facing shorelines or pieces of structure. Sharp break lines that have weeds or really tall weeds in deeper water offer that shade that often holds fish. When trying to determine where the shade is at on a piece of structure, look at the shadows in your boat. Remember as well that this shadow can get really narrow come mid summer when the sun is high overhead. These locations can be specific and tight but this is a high batting average for finding fish come mid summer.”

I can’t believe I hadn’t put the north-facing thing together yet! 🤯 Thinking back to our crazy 5 for 56.6-lb bag last weekend...3 of our 5 biggest fish came midday either just in or just outside of really tall weed walls off north-facing structure.

Here’s Jason talking:

And as strange as it sounds, I've noticed (on multiple lakes) that areas with the most recreational boat traffic flying by also seem to have more and bigger fish frequenting those spots.

More on that later...maybe...not sure I'm ready to give it up yet lol.

Outdoor Canada contributor Mike Hungle explains how to make the most of 6 common windy-day scenarios. Full write-up here, few experts below:

1. Troll the chop

> If there’s one windy situation most anglers know, it’s the so-called walleye chop. This occurs when there’s a moderate wind making the surface of the lake choppy, but not quite so rough that whitecaps form. A walleye chop does two things: it stirs up the water, and it scatters the light passing through the surface, which diminishes underwater visibility. This combination quickly starts a feeding cycle. Small aquatic creatures will prey on plankton and debris moving in the water, minnows will feed on those small aquatic creatures and swarms of ol’ marble eyes will move in to gobble up the minnows.

> Under such moderately windy conditions, your boat will rock a bit, but you should still be able to control your speed and direction. That makes a walleye chop great for pulling spinner rigs or crankbaits over large stretches of the lake to find hungry walleye.

> Prime areas to target include shallow water, underwater structures, shoreline flats and weed beds. Once you find the fish, you can continue trolling back and forth over the productive area, or simply anchor in place and jig vertically.

2. Probe the shallows

> During the summer, shallow water gets too warm for walleye. When a strong wind blows cooler water into the shallows, however, the water temperature will often drop into a range that walleye can tolerate. When that happens, some fish will return to their shallow, early-season haunts, where they can pick off the plentiful minnows and crayfish they left behind when they moved to cooler, more comfortable water.

> In many cases, the bite will light up as soon as the cool water arrives, and last as long as the temperature stays down. This could be quite a short period, or as long as several days, depending on the wind’s strength, direction and duration.

> When looking for a shallow-water bite on windy days, focus on smaller pieces of shallow water, as they will cool down first. Also look for shallow areas adjacent to the steepest ledges and deepest drop-offs, which hold the coldest water in the lake.

3. Drift around structure

> When the wind blows, it creates a current that pushes baitfish towards and past structure. Often, these baitfish get disorientated or injured as they’re pounded into and over top of the structure. Under these conditions, walleye will set up nearby and face into the current, waiting to snap up a quick meal.

> Some walleye will be on the upwind side of the structure, but the majority will be downwind, putting them downstream in the current. Since those downwind fish will be actively searching out food, try drifting over and around the structure, and continue a little downstream of it while dragging jigs, bottom-bouncers or crankbaits. You might need to upsize the weight of your usual jigs and bottom-bouncers to keep them near the bottom and in the strike zone.

> Since the fish will be holding fairly close to the structure, make short passes over it. When you turn around to go back to make another pass, be careful not to motor over the fish and spook them. Instead, make a wide loop around the structure, then float back over the feeding fish.

4. Troll windy shorelines

> I enjoy trolling bottom-bouncers and spinner rigs in the dog days of summer, and when the wind blows at an angle along a shoreline, it creates a great opportunity for this. Not all windswept shorelines will hold fish...concentrate on shorelines that have structure such as dips and humps, or bottoms that transition from mud to gravel. ...seagulls or pelicans feeding...can reveal the location of baitfish.

> While fishing windswept shorelines, my best success comes when I have the wind quartering over the stern of my boat. As long as the breeze is moderate, this lets me keep the boat speed in my preferred range of one to 2.5 mph, using just my bow-mount trolling motor. If the wind becomes too strong, however, you may need a drift sock to maintain a slower speed.

5. Brave the undertow

> After waves break onto a shoreline, gravity causes the water to rush back down into the lake, where it’s pulled into the next breaking wave. This powerful sucking action is known as a reverse current or, more commonly, an undertow. The area of water affected by the undertow is roughly double the height of the waves. For example, 3’ waves will churn up the top 6’ of the water column.

> Walleye will avoid getting caught in the undertow, so there’s no sense fishing right in it. But these opportunistic predators will work the outer edges below the undertow, feeding on creatures banged up by the rough water. ...try trolling crankbaits that run 1-2' below the churning water. You can also try other presentations that will stay close to bottom, such as bottom-bouncers with spinners, or big jigs.

> Last summer, I had guests at my cabin who really wanted to go fishing. The lake was rough, with f4’ rollers, but since my friends only had 1 day to fish, we decided to give it a try.

> Our only choice was a bay close to the launch that was somewhat sheltered, but still had big rollers coming in. So I kept the boat tracking along over 10’, just outside the undertow, while we pulled bottom-bouncers and spinners tipped with leeches. The walleye bite was absolutely insane. We had multiple hook-ups, making it one of my best outings of the year.

6. Work the murk

> When winds become very high or last for extended periods of time, the water can get so dirty that even the walleye can’t see well. When this happens, the fish stop feeding in their usual spots and move to parts of the lake that are less murky.

> ...your best fishing strategy in this situation is to move deeper or to adjacent areas not as affected by the waves. A buddy once told me that when he can’t see the prop on his big motor, there’s no sense fishing for walleye because they won’t see your baits.

> Since then, I’ve used that little trick to find suitable fishing areas when my preferred parts of the lake have gotten too churned up. From a few hours to sometimes a day or two after the wind has stopped, the murky water will gradually clear.

> When this happens, walleye will often move back, since the still slightly stained water will give them more of an advantage over their prey than the clearer water would. Even if the lake is now pancake flat, don’t hesitate to pitch jigs into the shallow water or close to shore and slowly drag them back to your boat.

I’ve always sort of wished that I had picked up golfing...but the problem is: A good day to golf is a great day to fish LOL. Somehow, someway, Gibson Tilly appears to be reeeeally good at both. And I’d argue that this insanely cool video has to be the FASTEST possible way to un-spool a fishing reel?!?!

Nicely done, dude! 👊 Seriously impressive.

1. Tour Level Gold just dropped a new episode. 🔥

AWESOME behind-the-scenes look at the highs and lows professional anglers deal with on the National Walleye Tour. This episode kicks off the Green Bay NWT event:

And also big thx to the Tour Level Gold fam for letting me make a little cameo 👊 so cool to be a part of the magic.

2. MN: Mille Lacs ‘keeper’ szn starts Aug 16.

The upcoming bag limit will allow folks to finally keep a dang walleye 😅although that 1 walleye would need to be between 21” to 23”.

BUT the “year-to-date harvest has been low and that the agency is discussing potential changes,” so folks are hoping they loosen things up a bit. If I had to guess, best case scenario is they tweak it to 1 walleye between 20-23”, but there is a pile of those 20”-range fish in the lake, so it would give folks a much better opportunity to keep A fish.

3. OH: Miller/Fisher sweep 3 Lake Erie derbies.

> “We were trolling Bill Lewis Precise Walleye Crankbaits using Dipsy Diver diving planers, as well as lead core line to take large willow leaf spinners and nightcrawlers to the best depths.”

4. MT: Clay/Brem Phipps win Fort Peck derby with 98+lbs.

5. ND: Record walleye production will boost fisheries.

> Walleye fingerling stocking wrapped up with Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery setting a record with just short of 12 million fingerlings produced.

> Distribution trucks traveled more than 12,000 miles over a 2-week period to stock the fish.... When combined with fingerling production from Valley City National Fish Hatchery, 177 waters were stocked....

> “Stocking conditions in 2024 were optimal given the wet spring and early summer, and cooler than normal temps. The receiving waters were rich in invertebrates, critical food for the survival of the newly stocked walleye. Conditions are favorable for good survival and growth of young walleyes, which will continue to provide good fishing opportunities across the state for years to come.”

6. IA: Midwest Walleye Challenge recap.

7. MN: Kelly Straka = new DNR Fish and Wildlife director.

> ...[Dave Olfelt] is retiring after 5 years on the job, making way for the promotion of wildlife veterinarian Kelly Straka as the new chief.

> ...Straka is a native Minnesotan who began her conservation career in DNR's Shallow Lakes Program before journeying to various wildlife jobs in Hawaii, Michigan and Missouri. She was rehired by DNR in 2021 as the agency's wildlife section manager.

> ...in charge of a $276 mil budget in a division with 561 employees.

> "Kelly has a passion for public lands, mentoring people in the outdoors, supporting natural resource managers and building cross-disciplinary partnerships," Strommen said. "These passions, combined with her commitment to the health of our fish and wildlife resources, make her a terrific fit."

8. Worldwide Rapala sales up 3% year over year in 1st half.

> The largest sales increase reportedly came from the successful launch of CrushCity soft-plastic lures, which also supported the sales of hooks.

> Hard bait sales saw a temporary drop following a shift in some new fishing techniques, mainly in the North American market.

> The acquisition of DQC International (13 Fishing USA) in 2023 reportedly increased rod and reel sales in the US, although the impact was said to be "not significant" as the market remained challenging, and the focus was on integrating the operations.

9. Brunswick Q2 way down.

Here's the short version:

• 15% revenue decrease vs Q2 2023
• Engines (Merc) down 21%
• Navico (Lowrance, etc) down 8%
• Boats (Lund, etc) down 23%
• "...we now expect full year retail unit sales to be down approximately 10% vs our original forecast of flat."

​​

10. Brunswick to cut back on Mercury outboard production.

> After last month reducing the workforce at its Fond du Lac, WI facility by nearly 300, Mercury Marine announced that it is implementing changes to the production schedule....

> “Due to continued softening of consumer demand in some of our markets, mainly as a result of continued high interest rates and near-term reductions in boat production by Mercury’s boatbuilder partners, Mercury has made the decision to adjust production schedules from now through the end of the year on most of our lines to match demand from our channel partners. This will impact around 1,700 hourly employees at our Fond du Lac facility.”

11. OH: Walleye tourney cheater's boat sold in auction.

> The forfeited boat, a 22-foot Ranger, was sold in an online auction that closed on Tues, July 23. The winning bid for the boat was $82,000 with a final price of $96,288.50 including fees and taxes.

12. CO: Zebra mussel DNA found in CO River.

> On July 1, the state’s Aquatic Nuisance Species team collected a plankton sample from the Government Highline Canal near Clifton. The sample was evaluated at a lab in Denver, where a suspected single zebra mussel veliger was found....

> A veliger is the free-floating larval stage of a mussel. At this stage in the life cycle, a zebra mussel can only be confirmed through a microscope. The mussels eat plankton, which takes away from fish that rely on it for food.

13. MN: Zeebz confirmed in 5 more lakes.

Union Lake (Polk County), First Silver Lake (Otter Tail), Heilberger Lake in (Otter Tail)...Grove Lake (Pope), and Charlotte Lake (Todd).

14. WI: DNR investigating fish mortality events in south-central WI.

> The first is in the Buffalo Lake Watershed in Marquette, Green Lake and Columbia counties. The second is on the Yahara River in Stoughton. Due to recent heavy precipitation, additional reports of fish mortalities are likely....

> Dissolved oxygen levels can result from a combination of natural processes and environmental conditions, including heavy, repeated rainfall that carries organic materials from wetlands, agricultural fields and other types of land use to the watershed. When a waterbody has widespread low dissolved oxygen levels and no deeper, cooler water for fish to move to, it can result in fish mortality.

15. WI: DNR investigating manure-spill fish kill.

Occurred in eastern Outagamie County and western Brown County, which resulted in a fish kill in Dutchman Creek.

16. ND is inspecting boats for nuisance species.

17. Gridiron Capital agrees to sell GSM Outdoors.

> Gridiron Capital LLC – an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs and mgmt teams – is pleased to announce the signing of a definitive agreement to sell its controlling interest in Good Sportsman Marketing Outdoors [GSM] to Platinum Equity.

> Platinum Equity said it previously owned Fishing Holdings LLC, the Flippin, the Arkansas-based manufacturer of the Ranger Boats, Stratos and Triton fishing boat brands, which the firm sold to Bass Pro Group.

18. MI: Nearly 100 parcels of DNR land to be auctioned off.

19. MI: DNR needs volunteers to mentor youth...

...in outdoor recreation activities at the UP State Fair in Escanaba:

> “Mentors are needed to help staff the DNR's Pocket Park during the Aug 12-18 Upper Peninsula State Fair. Activities volunteers assist with include helping kids catch and release bluegills in the U.P.-shaped pond, shoot pellet guns or bow and arrow, staffing the fire tower or greeting visitors.”

20. Where to find walleyes on the Mississippi River.

Quick vid explaining the spring/summer/fall fish migration on the Mississippi River – from Red Wing, to Lake Pepin, to Wabasha Dam:

21. MN: “Chili Bowl” walleye derby happening Oct 11-12.

Registration just opened to the public for the 14th annual tourney hosted by Border View Lodge on the Rainy River.

22. NY has a new state-record largemouth.

Jim Britenbaugh caught the 12-lb 6-oz giant while practicing for a tournament on Cayuga Lake. Said he was throwing a wacky-rigged Yamamoto Senko, working grass in 8-10’. DEC certified the record on July 22.

23. Bass Fishing Hall of Fame provides financial assistance...

...for fisheries students.

New sonar gadget is like a futuristic death ray for MN's muskies.

Holy fear mongering. 🙄

Mono vs braid: Rapala Jigging Rap walleyes.

Most folks hopped on the braided-line bandwagon and never left 👀 but there’s a time and place for everything.... Here’s my take on mono vs braid when slinging Rapala Jigging Raps (or any glide bait) for walleyes:

“A walleye has probably never seen a nightcrawler a day in its life.”

- LOL! That’s NWT pro Korey Sprengel talking in this video on The Next Bite’s YouTube channel. So why do they catch the snot outta walleyes? Well, like Korey says: “It’s very fluid thru the water and it has scent.”

I’m not sure there’s anyone who pays more attention to fishy details than Korey. It’s one of the reasons why when he talks = I listen word for word. So when he is excited about a new bait – that he personally helped develop for several years – you can bet I’m excited about it too.

That bait is the newer Berkley Gulp! SR Crawler, which was “purpose built for walleye spinner rigs” (SR hint hint). Korey does a great job of explaining why they made it the way it is in this video. Thing is filthy!

Sheesh 🥵 Lake of the Woods has been showing out! And so has the 5/8-oz Kalin's Google Eye Tungsten Search Bait (paired with a nightcrawler on the slow-death hook) being slow-rolled over the tops of giant suspendos.

Aaron Templin stuffed this one (and a bunch of her portly friends) while throwing it on an Elliott Rods 71M-XF. 💪 Mo powa, babeh!

Hope everyone has a great + safe weekend! Back at ya next week with some new walleye baits/gear from ICAST.... 👊

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026