Tips and Pointers – Fishing the Fowage in all Seasons
Spring walleye
When fishing walleyes in May, you will want to have a 6- to 7-foot rod, good reel and 6-8-pound line. Add two kinds of baits: 1/16- to 1/8-ounce jigs in black, yellow, green, pink and orange, and No. 13 or 4- to 6-inch body baits like Manns, Rapalas or Storms in blue and silver, peach or orange. Also, deep-diving baits work well.
Early summer walleye
In May and June, walleyes are on the move in the Chippewa Flowage. A couple of tricks I use are: follow the river channels marked on a map and fish any point that’s close to the channel; fish close to shallow bays that are just off the river beds where walleyes like to spawn. Please remember if you catch fish one day, they may not be there the next unless the feed is plentiful.
Mid-summer walleyes
As the season moves on into July and August, you will have to change locations to catch walleyes. Move onto bars and deeper sunken bogs. These will be located on a good map. Baits are 1/16-1/8 ounce jigs tipped with a minnow, leech or crawler. Work slowly until fish are found. Sometimes, going back to the standby plan ” hook and sinker ” is the way to go. Fish like it easy at this time of year and this way the bait stays in front of them longer. This is also very very effective to take walleyes and crappies together.
Fall walleyes
Fishing the fall can be the most gratifying fishing trip of the year. Bring a camera for sure. The fall colors of the Flowage are second to none. You will want to move to deeper holes in the lake, a good map or maybe a guide can help put fish on the other end of your line. Use jigs and minnows; crawlers may still work. Most of your fish will be taken deep, but every once in a while the weeds will produce very well in the fall. So check them if the deep-water action is slow. Fishing later in the morning and into early afternoon produces well, more so than early morning or later in the evening.
Clothing
While fishing the Big Chip for walleyes or crappies, the one particular thing I see people do is not being dressed for the weather, thus making for a bad trip on the water. I recommend in spring to bring both heavy clothing and some lightweight clothing – but have both. Boots, waterproof of course, and pair of tennis shoes for moving around in the boat. A good set of rainwear is a must. Purchase a suit that is two times larger than your size, that way it can be put on over heavy clothing in cooler weather. By buying a lightweight suit, it can be used spring, summer and fall. Summer clothing can be shorts, but also bring a pair of jeans or sweatpants. Remember, running to spots to fish can be cooler on the water than on land. Also, there are times we do have a few bugs. Fall clothing should be heavier, but don’t forget about the warm fall days. A short-sleeve T-shirt under your sweatshirt can be welcome in the sun. Remember that you can always take a layer of clothing off, but you can’t put it on if you don’t have it with you.
