Quinte Fishing

Trolling seems to be the go to method that is producing results. It appears to be the Plan A for most people posting pictures etc. It is a proven method with many variables and no doubt is putting up a number of nice walleye.

However what is the Plan B when trolling is producing little results due to whatever conditions. How do you catch those walleye in 30 plus foot depths in relatively clear water without trolling? I have heard that in Minnesota some serious Walleye Anglers use a split shot #3 along with livebait to deliver the offering into 30 plus feet clear water ...kind of like serving breakfast in bed when the big girls are too lazy to chase.(Finesse Walleye Fishing) They anchor or drift over spots showing the marks and with the #3 it can be used in 30 feet as it is heavy enough to get down to the big girls. This is kinda a boring old fashion Plan B, but it might be worth a try on the BOQ -even as a break from the trolling

There were times in the fall in years gone by when jigging off of Thompson's and Sherman's Points produced good catches. Neil kicked serious ass a few times, and although I had occasional success there, I never had a superb day, just the odd fish.

On one such time a couple-three years ago, the points didn't produce when we jigged, so we headed out past the ferry to troll. Trolling didn't work either, so we held the boat in place using the electric trolling motor and dropped the lures on the heads of the "marks" on our fishfinder. Didn't work. Not a nibble. Don't know why.

I've never had success trying this. I have only ever jigged walleyes off the bottom, never off of open water. I would love to read of someone doing this successfully, as it is a brilliant notion.

It's also worth mentioning that despite us seeing suspended fish on our fishfinders, we also mark plenty of fish on the bottom in very deep water. Anyone ever had any success in jigging those guys? The key would be boat control - precision trolling with a front-mounted motor pointing the boat into the wind to ensure the lines drop straight down, and using 3/8 or at worst 1/2 oz. jigs.

But would they bite?

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Self-unemployed and available for fishin' mid-week most days.

It might be worth a try. If trolling is producing nothing, showing the big gals something they may not have seen in a while may tempt an intelligent heavy lazy double digit to bite. As the season goes on some of them will probably have seen a number of minnow imitations zing by them and go to school on this. Trolling with minnows is definately effective as witnessed by the nice pictures posted by many followers of this website. But when that does not work , a jigging plan B might help or a slower finesse presentation.In the Professional Bass tournament circuit in the States some of the guys that have finished near the top are showing the fish something they have not seen in a while . Those artificial long bodied minnows - smithwick, reef runners etc are good producers but the plastics/livebait might be an alternative Plan B. Those realistic looking Storm Plastic swimbaits-perch- which are heavy and can get down there properly jigged off the bottom or trolled or jigged erratically for suspending fish might tempt a big girl who is tired of those minnow imitations zipping by her or simply is too big(from feeding on baitfish) to go chasing a minnow imitation. Put the breakfast down on her table and she might take a good bite out of it . This time of year the trolling presentation shines but when it is off Walleye Finesse fishing may give an angler new confidence, a break from trolling and with some luck a lazy heavy gal who wants her supper brought to her instead of running down her supper. At some point those big girls have to go some place to digest all those baitfish they have taken in and may have room for another meal course as long as it is put in front of her. This may be a harder type of fishing but may produce the big trophy that is so difficult to land 90+ % of the time. If all else fails it is at least good practice on another approach \that may pay dividends another day in different conditions.