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Spring eyes

Eye Spy

Junior Member
153
86
Willard, OH
The spring jig bite in on. I fished on a buddy's boat yesterday and had our 4 man limit in a little over an hour. All fish were caught on hair jigs in 12 fow. Hoping to put my boat in the water this weekend.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Good stuff, man! One of my buddies was out this past weekend, too, and he said they did pretty good on Locust Reef... 11 fow. My dad was out there, too... but he was fishing a bit deeper, a bit farther out, in a bit cleaner water... He didn't catch a single walleye. Sounds to me like they are holding tight in the warmer, murkier water right now.
 

5Cent

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
12,291
212
North Central Ohio
Nice work Ryan! Lots of talk at work today, males on reef and big ol females in the shallower water. This weather is nuts.

Here's our test lab supervisor's largest from Saturday:smiley_clap:
 

Eye Spy

Junior Member
153
86
Willard, OH
I honestly dont think color matters on most days during the jig bite because it is a reaction bite. It is more in the presentation than the color. It is funny though watching guys change colors all day. A lot of times if I Have caught 3-4 fish, I will ask one of my customers if they want to use my jig and I will take theirs. They Don't believe me that it isn't the color until I start catching fish on their jig. I had a guy a few years back that didn't catch a fish for two straight days while everybody else caught their limit both days. Keep the jig bouncing off the bottom and limit the slack line on the drop and you will catch fish
 

Carpn

*Supporting Member*
2,234
87
Wooster
Any other tips ? Lay it out if u don't mind. I have never made it up for the jig bite bit now that I am living closer to the lake I wanna try. Think I might go walleye fishing Saturday day and bowfish Saturday nite.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I'm partial to purple hair jigs for spring walleyes, but Eye Spy is right... it's really all about the presentation and your feel. Color is more of a confidence thing, I think.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I'd love to get up there and try this sometime! I went out on Ryan's boat last fall for perch and had a blast. Sooner or later I'll get back for the warreye...
 

Carpn

*Supporting Member*
2,234
87
Wooster
So what ya do? Anchor up on the reef? Drift? Do ya tip the jig? What kind of retrieve? Do ya cast or vertical jig? What kinda rod and line do u like??
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Yep, just drift slow across the reefs or along the edges... with a drift sock if there's a breeze. Just drop your jig under the boat bounce it off the bottom, tipped with a minnow or two. You'll figure out pretty quick what the fish like and what they don't like. In my experience, most of the fish I've caught have hit the jig on the fall... in which case, the fish is almost hooked before you even know it, like Longdraw said. I like a medium heavy IM6 or better spinning rod... something with good backbone and a really sensitive tip. For line, I usually use 8 or 10 lb flourocarbon on my walleye rod.
 

epe

Senior Member
6,113
93
Lancaster
I would love to get up and try the spring jig. It's been several years since we have even been up to fish for them in summer.
 

Eye Spy

Junior Member
153
86
Willard, OH
The slower the drift the better. I always use a 3/4 oz jig. I either use a "killer jig" or on "ole petes" jig but any hair jig will work. Keep your rod tip up at about a 45 degree angle and vary up the jigging action. Find what presentation they want and keep fishing that pattern until they want something different. Most of the jig bite occurs in the shallow waters around the reefs. Looks like my boat is going in the water this weekend with trips starting next weekend so I will have updated reports from here on out.

Ryan
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
The slower the drift the better. I always use a 3/4 oz jig. I either use a "killer jig" or on "ole petes" jig but any hair jig will work. Keep your rod tip up at about a 45 degree angle and vary up the jigging action. Find what presentation they want and keep fishing that pattern until they want something different. Most of the jig bite occurs in the shallow waters around the reefs. Looks like my boat is going in the water this weekend with trips starting next weekend so I will have updated reports from here on out.

Ryan

Sounds great, man... Looking forward to those reports. TOO could certainly use some more Lake Erie threads. Do you own a charter?
 

Longdraw

Junior Member
496
102
Central,Ohio
Got everything ready to leave tomm. after work,,hopefully the fish play dumb and bite my jig,,,how busy has wild wings been in the mornings right now anyone know