BY BOB AND GINNY RIEGE

Nothing on earth that’ll get me humin’ like a heat wave comin’; Yes sir, Clint Black is right when he sings his song Summer’s Comin’. A lot of us started out singing that song in April. However, in many parts of the North we were still singing Summer’s Comin’ into September.

Due to the cool spring and summer, we as anglers have to realize that the fish are going to be in a different pattern than they were last year at this time.

Walleyes are found around structure. In any lake, river or reservoir, most walleyes hang around certain significant bottom shapes. Deep-water reefs (sunken islands) are a classic example, as are points that extend into water deep enough to suit walleyes.

The key to consistent success is finding the fish, not using a magic lure or bait. During the summer and especially during the heat of the day, deep water humps or sunken islands are the most important structure for locating walleyes.

Most structure that attracts walleyes will have a significant drop off, giving the fish an easy way to move up and down in the water while staying close to the bottom. Light penetration and water temperature usually determine how deep they will be. Walleyes like water temperatures in the 60s. Therefore, I would expect to find walleyes along steeply dropping structure over a hard bottom, deep enough to escape bright light and deep enough to be in water in the mid to high 60s.

Using your electronics to locate prime structure and deep water fish is a good idea, as is using several markers to define the structure outlining each break. Markers should be dropped at least 10 feet away from any fish you’ve marked. If a good location can be pinpointed by using landmarks or a fish icon on you locator screen, I will not use markers making my new found hotspot less obvious to fishing pressure.

A fisherman’s underwater eyes are his electronics, and the correct interpretation of their readings is what finding those walleyes is all about. Knowing the habits of various species is also vital. Shad, for example, generally appear as a large mass, and walleyes usually appear, as a group of individual makes related to the structure. If you have a “structure scan” feature on a Lowrance HDS 8 you can actually see them in 3-D

Knowing which bottom types hold fish, and how to find them, is also extremely important. If a second echo appears on your sonar screen, for example, a hard bottom is directly below the boat. If the double echo disappears completely, the bottom is most likely soft. Walleyes usually prefer harder bottoms.

I’ve discovered that walleyes on deep water humps or submerged reefs are usually easier to find and catch then shallow water fish. I’ve caught some large walleyes fishing these submerged humps in 35 feet of water. By in large, hot weather patterns include brushpiles or weeds on humps in 15 to 20 feet of water, and creek channels lying at the same depth. Inside turns on these humps or boulder edges are also prime locations.

The best way to fish these underwater structures is with a live bait presentation. Live bait rigs, the most famous and typical of which is the Roach Rig, usually involve a snelled hook on a light monofilament leader. Using a Rock Runner Slip Bouncer weight attached to your line and tying on the leader end of the Roach Rig to your line will give you a natural presentation that will keep your offering out of the rocks and enticing to the walleyes.

Live bait rigs can be varied in many ways. Light sinkers are used for shallow water; heavier sinkers are needed in deeper water. Sometimes spinners, like the Rock’n Rainbow Spinner Rig, are added just above the hook for added attraction. To get the bait up off the bottom a little more some trollers have gone to Gum-Drop floating jig heads with bottom bouncers.

While live bait rigging is an efficient way of locating a school of walleyes, most anglers would rather jig for them. It’s just more fun, and tends to produce more large fish. Jig fishing is relatively inefficient unless you know where the fish are; if you’ve got a school located, however, jigging is deadly. Jigging works better than live bait rigging for walleyes in shallow water, for walleyes holding tight to structure, and for walleyes in weedy cover.

Most of the time, the best jig is one tipped with live bait, such as a minnow. Leeches and crawlers are also used, though less often. The jig that I prefer is the soft bodied Northland Slurpies Swim’n Grub. The reason, I prefer it is that it adds bulk and slows down the rate of fall through the fishing column. Many times the fish will hit it on the fall and the slower the presentation the chances of a good strike are improved.

Many lakes and rivers across the country are crowded during the heat wave that is a coming, and fishing deep hump structure is one way to avoid the pressure. You’ll also catch more walleyes if you can remember… “Nothing on earth that’ll get me humin’ like a heat wave comin’ I’ll come runin’ with a makin’ that tan in the broad daylight every night is Saturday night, and everything right with the summer comin’… I’m the first one standing in line.”