Author: Mike Hungle

During hot summer periods, walleye will leave their traditional shallow water spring structure feeding areas and move to other areas of the lake in search of food and optimal water temperatures. While some walleye will move into deeper water areas and spread out chasing bait fish along the thermocline, others will head straight to the weeds. Yes, I said weeds. I stumbled onto this weed pattern many years ago while on a mid-summer fishing trip. Sadly, the wind was horrible and kept us off the water. Finally, on the last day of the trip, the wind died down just enough…

Flat Is Where It’s At! I grew up hunting waterfowl in dry field hunting locations. I remember my earliest hunts where my buddies and I would miss school to lay on our sides covered by a blanket of burlap and wait for the ducks and geese to come to us. Sure, we shot some birds, but often by the time we would roll over and sit up many of the birds would be out of range. In addition, we often came home cold, wet and sore from laying on the ground. During those hunts it was apparent that there was definitely…

There are number of walleye fishing presentations, such as jigging, bottom bouncing, live bait rigging and pulling crank baits that anglers use to catch fish. While it is possible to fish all these presentations with just one fishing rod, many walleye anglers including myself will utilize specific rods for each style of presentation. Doing so gives us more feel and lure control as changes to rod length, power and action help us with our fishing presentation. If you walk into your local sporting goods store or tackle shop, you will find fishing rods ranging in price from less than $15…

Jigs are a very versatile lure for walleye fishing. They can be fished horizontally and vertically from a boat. As well, they can be fished from shore. Jigs are inexpensive and are available in numerous shapes and countless colors. They can be tipped with live or artificial baits. Horizontal Jig Fishing Slowly trolling along and dragging a jig behind the boat over a feeding flat is a great way to locate and catch walleye. When fishing jigs horizontally, I like to troll or drift at speeds between .2 and .5 miles per hour. Once I get the boat to trolling…

Over almost 50 years of hunting, fishing and camping, I have used a number of coolers for my outdoor adventures. These coolers have stored food, beverages and fishing bait to keep those items protected from the elements. During that time, many of those coolers have failed to work or met a sad demise by cracking, having lids blow off, hinges break and even a couple got punctured by deer antlers. These past few years, I have been switching out all of my coolers for Yeti coolers as I’m finding them extremely functional and extremely durable. Below is a summary of…

For the most part, duck and goose decoys are sold by the dozen. Over 40 plus years of waterfowl hunting, I’ve acquired many, many dozens of decoys. During that time frame, I’ve made plenty of mistakes and errors while out hunting that have spoiled my hunts. To help save you from some future disappointments, I’ve complied what I call the Dirty Dozen of Waterfowling. The best part about these 12 mistakes is that you have total control over them and I’ll explain how you can avoid making these mistakes, to help make your next waterfowling trip more successful and rewarding.…

I grew up waterfowl hunting and my first exposure to hunting ducks was over a spread of decoys while hiding in a rock pile in the middle of a barley stubble field. That morning watching the sunrise and having flock after flock of ducks work the decoys was super exciting. The memories of that hunt are permanently ingrained in my memory bank. Since that morning so many years ago, I have been on countless stubble field duck hunts, yet I still get excited for my next hunt. Why? Because there is nothing more exhilarating and rewarding than scouting, setting up…

There are numerous ways to fish for walleye during the open-water season. One of the most productive methods is to anchor, or to move at a snail’s pace, and fish vertically. This style of fishing works well because it allows you to put an offering directly in front of the fish and keep it there until the fish gives in and bites. There are several vertical presentations that can be effective for catching walleye during the open-water season. This article explains some methods to help make your next walleye adventure more successful. Boat Control Before discussing the fishing presentations, it’s…

For many anglers, the early season timeframe when water temperatures are below 60°F can prove frustrating. The main reason is that they are likely to be focusing their fishing attention on the wrong places, such as mid-summer feeding areas. Or they may be using presentations that are just too big or too quick to entice the early-season walleye to bite. In March and April, long before the ice has come off lakes and rivers, walleye start to move toward sand bars, rip-rap areas, and high-current locations where they will spawn. Spawning will occur once the ice is gone and the…

My earliest memories of ice fishing for walleye go back to my childhood. During that timeframe, we chased walleye with much different equipment and presentations than we use today. I remember sitting on a five-gallon pail with a 24-inch wooden dowel in hand and a yellow-hair jig tipped with a minnow. The dowel was just a means to hold the line. When a fish did bite, we’d set the hook, drop the dowel, and start the hand-over-hand line retrieve to get the golden prize through the hole in the ice, all in one motion. Back then, the plan for each…