Spin-n-Glo’s: Invading the Midwest for Walleye 

By Captain Pat Kalmerton 

When fishing the Midwest for walleye there is always a “must have” in every angler’s arsenal.  However, those “must haves” are changing ever so rapidly it is hard to keep up with what is new on the market yet actually works. Sometimes there are those hidden jewels that have been around for years that maybe couldn’t be found in your area, therefore, you would have no idea what they are or if they work.  

I am co-owner of a business, out of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, named Wolf Pack Adventures. We guide salmon fishing charters on Lake Michigan, walleye fishing charters on Lake Winnebago, as well as the Bay of Green Bay, up into the tip of Sturgeon Bay and travel all over the United States chasing the elusive walleye. When your means of survival and putting food on the table for your family depends on putting fish in the boat, we are always looking for the next “must have” lure or technique.  

A few years ago, while I was packing and doing research on Lake Winnebago for a walleye tournament, I was studying the lake maps provided on Lake-Link and reading forums. I ran across a person talking about a lure that had wings that spun at the slowest speeds and did not drop into the rocks, due to its floating body. He was crushing fish on this lure as the bottom walker was dragging through the rocks. He could run these on his extra rods while jigging rock piles.  

This intrigued me to the point that it became an obsession. I was going to find these come, “hell or high water.” The more I talked about them, the more people became intrigued as well. What in the world are these things called? I got on the Lake-Link forum and found out who was talking about them and messaged him. He sent me pictures, told me they were called Spin-n-Glo’s, but I still could not find them. That tournament was over, and then I was doing my research on the Bay of Green Bay for the next upcoming tournament and, again, here is a person talking about these Spin-n-Glo’s.  

BINGO!!! SPIN-N-GLO BY YAKIMA BAIT COMPANY! This is a company from Yakima, Washington that has been around forever. This is a lure people have been crushing fish on out west for years but it just has not come across the plains due to tight lipped secrets. LET THE SECRET BE KNOWN…. THESE THINGS WORK! Spin-n-Glo’s come in bulk bodies and then can be rigged however you wish, or can be purchased pre-rigged with the Bottom Walker or Rufus Special, a blade combo spinner with a tandem hook design, in a variety of colors and sizes. 

I ordered a bunch and started playing. To no surprise, I started catching more money fish, and here is why. When trolling any weeds or rocks, and using bladed meat rigs, you need to be trolling fast enough so that the blade creates enough tension or drag to keep from falling to the bottom and getting gunked up by weeds or hanging up on rocks. With the Spin-n-Glo I can be completely stopped, if I wish, and have no worries. This bait floats, keeping your bait up and off the bottom at all times.  Not only that, but it spins so freely. Let’s say I want to jig an area or rip cast…. this bait can be drug behind also fishing by using a Bottom Walker with desired lead, and your set.  

It runs differently though. When first trying these Spin-n-Glo’s, I used my average lead lengths and it wasn’t as productive as I would have liked. Here is why…. it floats. I shortened my lead to keep my bait in the magic striking area and caught more fish. When running lead core, shorten your lead because your Spin-n-Glo’s will ride up on you.  

 

Do yourself a favor, if you are fishing the Midwest and put some of these in your boat, or better yet, in the water….you will not be disappointed! 

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The Loop Knot

Do you know your knots? Check out the loop knot and catch more fish!

 

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The Opener

By: Holly Hanson

It wasn’t until I moved to the Northwood’s of Wisconsin, in my early 30’s, that I learned about the significance of the “fishing opener.” Having grown up in Fond du Lac, WI I don’t recall having any specific time to start fishing or stop fishing. Well, “Up North” it’s a big deal! I would start the week of, getting rods and tackle cleaned and ready to go. My fishing mentors, who were “locals,” having grown up in the Northwood’s, knew all the ins and outs of the area. I was very fortunate to have been taken under their wings.

The festivities would officially start with a Friday night Fish Fry at Bosacki’s Boat House. Later, we’d spend the next few hours getting our rods and tackle ready for the official start one minute after midnight, with walleye being our target fish. Then, at 11:30 pm we’d head back to Bosacki’s to fish off their pier. After an hour or two, we’d head home for a short snooze. I don’t recall ever catching anything, but I think it mostly was about the ceremony of it all. That and when asked, we could proudly say we fished right from the start.

At 4 am we’d rise again, grab our trout gear and off we’d go to the “secret lake.” It was a race to get there to beat any others to the prime shore spots. It was a very exciting time. Still within the dark of morning, we’d quietly unload our rods, tackle, small cooler and thermos. Waders or hip boots were optional. Two other staples I carried in my pockets were Swisher Sweet “woodies” to ward off the gnats and of course a few pieces of Lake Tomahawk beef jerky to ward off my tummy rumbles guaranteed to kick in an hour into the morning.

So, off we’d go through the woods to the lake, speaking and laughing in whispers. Inevitably, our trek to the lake would be halted due to someone’s rod or line getting tangled in the brush. Much of the time it would take the help of others under the light of a head lamp to untangle the mess. Tempers would sometimes flare over this because it would delay getting to the shore, which could mean not getting the good spots, even amongst each other. Once reaching our spots we’d impatiently wait for the legal time to fish.

Dawn would slowly gain on the darkness one shade lighter with each move of the minute hand. The air cool and heavy with mist lay thick across the glassy water surface. Breaking the quiet stillness, were peepers ringing their hypnotic cadence, a distant robin and more loudly, a pair of loons exclaiming their irritation with our intrusion to their nesting place.

“What time is it?” I’d whisper as loud as I could, not wanting to cast too soon for the official 5:27 start of Trout Season. “5:24,” Tami would whisper back. My eyes could now see the opposite shoreline and begin to make out others who clearly beat us there. The smell of their campfire smoke wafted to my nose reminding me of the savory jerky I had in my pocket making my mouth water followed by stomach’s first hunger pain. I knew better than to indulge in a piece, because at any minute I’d need to be making that first cast thus needing both hands to fish.

I could hear the whistling wings of a pair of ducks whiz past somewhere near, but still lost in the fog. My mind drifted back to last fall standing in a cornfield goose hunting and hearing the same sound. Suddenly, the button click of a Zebco 33 Classic snapped me out of my pleasant memory, signaling it was game on! Tami, the only one with the watch would get the jump on the fish. I could hear the splash down of my clear bobber after my cast, but had no idea where it landed due to the fog. I began to slowly turn the handle on my rod keeping my line taught to feel any bite. And there it was! The tap-tap-tap of the first hungry trout. With a quick hookset, the surface of the water erupted with the very thing I had been waiting for all week. FISH ON! Off in the distance I heard my other pal, Tess, cuss at me for being the first to hook up.  

Just then my first catch finally revealed itself with a leap into the air. It was a beautiful brookie, writhing and rolling to get free. If I wasn’t careful, it would! Quickly I suppressed it, remove the hook and measure it against the legal length marks I made on my cooler lid. With a joyful smile, I placed it into the cooler and added another red worm to my hook to cast off again. The sun was now forcing its light through the trees, the fog beginning to lift. The irritated loons took off across the water surface, fighting gravity to become airborne. It would take them 3 laps around the small lake to get enough height to clear the trees. I watched in amazement at their size and grace, a little sad in knowing it was likely our company that ran them off in search of a quieter place to be.

And, so it went for the rest of the early morning, the hushed enthusiasm of my fellow anglers and the sound of splashing trout. This moment in time forever frozen in our minds and hearts.

As the sun rose higher, there became fewer splashes from trout. Our hungry bellies would finally convince us to give up and head to the little café down the road where there was hot coffee and bacon. Over our breakfast we’d share our stories of what took place on our piece of shoreline that morning. We also planned for the afternoon’s fishing. On Sunday we did it all over again.

For years this is how it went for the opener. Some openers it was really cold. Some it would be raining. Others it would snow then rain. Once, I smartly planted a hook into my index finger. I said nothing, ripped it from my stretched out flesh and kept fishing. Another time I fell over backwards in my waders, filling them. I scrambled to shore with the 14” brookie still safely in my net. It now hangs on my wall as a reminder of that time and place. (Editor’s note: See page 52 to read about the best way to preserve your trophy for the taxidermist.) We endured it all, and all for the love of fishing. It’s these memories we hope to be able to recall when we’re no longer able to get to the good spots.

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How to Tie a Loop Knot

If you are looking for a new fast and easy knot to tie for your next fishing adventure, be sure to check out the loop knot!

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Spring-Time Trophies

Spring is right around the corner! 

It’s that time of year. The harbors around Lake Michigan are going to begin to thaw and allow us the opportunity to get in on some of the best brown trout fishing in the country. That’s right the country.

Milwaukee, which is our home port, is regarded as the best place to fish browns. Why? Milwaukee has one of the biggest continuous harbors on the western shore. This giant harbor holds tons of baitfish all winter long. In addition to the baitfish, we also have a number of warm water discharges that empty into our harbor as well. These two things alone line things up to hold a ton of browns in a fairly small area. Power plants all over the lake will give you similar opportunities as well. You will have to pinpoint certain areas that hold more fish than others. Once you have pinpointed it, stay there until they stop biting, then move on to a different area. That is step one. Finding active fish.

Step two is changing your salmon thinking over to trout thinking. We are typically fishing in shallow water so line choice can be important. We scale back our salmon mono from 25 lb. test to 12 lb. test. There are two reasons for this. The first is that we are typically running a spread of crank baits so heavier line will dampen the action of that bait. The lighter line you go with, the more action you will get out of your baits. Be careful not to go too light, there are some bruiser brown around and you don’t want to break them off. The second reason is that there are times we are fishing in water less than 12 feet in depth. The fish can detect the heavier line leading to fewer strikes. Flourocarbon line is a must for all of our leaders.

Step three is picking your weapons as far as baits and where we are going to run them in our water column. Brown trout will feed all over the column so having enough rigs to set out is important. Remember we can be fishing fairly shallow water so downrigger rods might not get set into the spread due to the spook factor. My typical set for browns is 2 dipsy divers set with spoons. One, two, and three color lead cores get the nod on a daily basis. Your lead cores will probably be your most productive rods day in and day out. Last but not least, and only if I’m fishing in over 16 feet of water, I will set two downriggers in the lowest part of the water column. You will then have to pick your baits.

Choosing the right baits is key to brown trout success. I start each day with a mix of small spoons and crank baits. Of course I have my favorites. Stinger spoons in the colors of NBK, and mixed veggies to name a few. On the crank bait side I like Smithwick Rattling Rogues in clown and sour grape colors. You will have to play with colors quite a bit till you get every rod into the action. Brown trout will change what they want more frequently than salmon. What might get bit on a 1 color lead core might not get bit in a 3 color lead core. This is where you will have to start making mental notes about where your baits are running and what color they are liking that specific day.

Brown trout fishing in early spring can really get you into the right frame of mind for the upcoming salmon season, with quite a few trout weighing in over the 20 lb. mark. If you get your gear right and put yourself in the right spot you can really pump up the number of fish you put in the boat. It’s a great way to spend a day on the water as ice fishing slowly comes to a close. Good luck and see you on the water!

For more check out Badger Sportsman Magazine!

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Crank Out Spring Walleye

Crank Out A New Spring Walleye Tradition

By Gary Parsons and Keith Kavajecz

There is a lot of tradition in fishing. Whether it be an annual fishing trip with a group of friends, stopping for breakfast at the family-owned restaurant on the edge of town, or wearing your lucky hat, tradition isn’t something many people stray from.

Once you get on the water, you will most likely head to your favorite honey hole. On smaller lakes in the springtime, chances are once you get to your spot, you will start out jigging. This is because it is what you have always done or because you read it in a magazine. This is a big mistake. Fish don’t care and they don’t read magazines! They live in their own environment.

There are many opportunities for casting cranks on lakes beginning in early April as the water starts to warm up. The key is to fish shallow structure near shore.

Lake Winnebago is an excellent example of a place to try this technique. The west shore has several shoreline points, humps, and reefs. The entire length of the east shore contains shoreline rocks and both natural and man-made reefs.

Any lake with features like this can hold spawning walleyes, even if the lake is connected to a river system.  On the Lake Winnebago system, many people make the mistake of thinking that all of the walleyes head up the Wolf or Fox Rivers. Yet many of the walleyes actually stay in the lake to spawn.

The best areas top out at 2 to 5 feet, like a hump that is shoreline connected or a hump that is within real close vicinity of the shore.  Another thing to look for is any shoreline spawning area with a 2 to 5 foot drop onto a shelf. Unfortunately, because the water is really cold, most people automatically think that they have to jig these areas slowly.

This was the case years ago when Gary was pitching jigs on a lake while pre-fishing for a tournament. When fishing pro-co tournaments, there are times that the co-angler doesn’t have technical jigging skills. However, because it is a “boat weight” tournament, it is important to get the co-angler catching fish.

Gary was thinking about how it would be difficult to pitch jigs on that spot if it was windy. Looking for an alternative presentation to put fish in the box, cranks became the answer. The key was to fish them slow.

Since then, time and time again, we discovered that if we were catching fish on jigs, we could also go through the area and catch those casting cranks.

The #6 Berkley Flicker Shad is a lure we designed for casting. It was important to make it neutrally buoyant and heavy enough to cast. While any shad styled bait will get bites, it is best to steer away from #7’s and #9’s early in the season, as they have a wider action. Baits with a subtle action are best for casting in the spring.

The #5 Berkley Flicker Minnow is also a good choice for casting, as it dives quickly and has more of a minnow type profile as compared to a shad style bait. The #5 refers to the length of the bait, so at 5 cm, this bait is a great size for early season walleyes that are relating to the newly hatched bait. By alternating between the shad style and minnow style bait you should be able to dial in the cranking presentation.

When it comes to the retrieve, slow and steady, but still being able to feel the vibration is the rule. Berkley Nanofil in 10# test is a great no stretch line. Not only does it allow you to feel the bait, but it also has the additional advantage of being a Uni-filament line. Uni-filament means there is no braiding or fusing, making the line super slick, which can add significant casting distance for these lightweight lures.

Steady retrieve is the norm, but occasionally the lure should also tick the bottom, which will cause it to jerk off to the side. Also be aware that the no-stretch lines will telegraph fish swiping at your bait. If that happens, stop and pause for a second, then restart the retrieve. This will often trigger bites.

On any given day, casting cranks will work better than jigs. It is mind blowing to see how aggressively the fish will hit the bait!

Then there is the early spring crank bite on the Great Lakes. Fishing cranks on the Great Lakes (and in particular Lake Erie) in spring is a whole different animal, as the big females will head out to deeper water right after spawning to chase big minnows. After you find the bait they want, it is a numbers game as you troll over a school of roaming fish. Only a certain percentage of the walleyes in the school will “take the bait.”

Boat speed and water temperature are key. When the water temperatures are still in the 30’s and 40’s the fish tend to prefer cranks that are 9 cm-13 cm long over nightcrawler harnesses. Once again, slow and subtle is key. You aren’t going to be trolling at 2.5 mph! We typically like to troll anywhere between 1 and 1.5mph. Historically, minnow shaped baits with a more subtle action have been best.

Once water temperatures reach about 50 degrees, a mix of harnesses and cranks are often used. When the water crosses 55 degrees, a lot of anglers like to stick with harnesses, but cranks are always a player.

This is why we spent three years perfecting the big Berkley Flicker Minnows. The #9 and #11 sizes were made for trolling in both cold and warm water. The action of the lure changes slightly with the speed of your boat. When trolling at slower speeds it has more of a roll. At higher speeds it has a little bit of a “kick.” These changes in action make this a very versatile lure!

A big part of this early season Great Lakes bites getting your lure in the right zone. The fish can be tight to the bottom, but more often than not, the feeding fish are suspended. In this case, you need to fish your baits at or above the marks you are seeing on your fish finder.

For example, if you are seeing marks at 20 feet down over 30 feet of water, the deepest you would want to run the crankbait is 20 feet down. In dirty or stained water, you might want to also run lures at 17 or 19 feet down. In clear water where the walleyes visibility is increased, the range would more than likely be 12 to 16 feet down. The easiest way to get a crankbait right where you want it is with the Precision Trolling Data (PTD) app.

The PTD app is available on the Apple App Store and on Google Play. Once you have downloaded it to your phone or tablet, you don’t need an internet connection for it to work out on the water.

Let’s say you were going to run one of the new #11 Flicker Minnows and wanted it to go 18 feet deep using 10# Berkley XT line, which is the most commonly used trolling line. On the app you would simply bring up the #11 Berkley Flicker Minnow, dial the first wheel (Feet Down wheel) to 18, and the app would tell you to let out 95 feet of line. Then let out that length of line and you can be confident your bait is running 18 feet down, just above those big arches 20 feet down on the graph.

So as you are dusting off your rods and loading your storage compartments with tackle trays for the maiden voyage of the year, be sure to pack the cranks! Remember, you can never assume that one technique will always be better than another! Then put on your lucky hat, stop at the restaurant for eggs and bacon with your buddies, and start a new tradition with cranks to get your Next Bite!

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Weekly Morning Trail Mix

Trail Mix Time!

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