Category: Nick’s Tips and Tails

Fall is the time of year that walleye begin prepping for a long, stressful winter.  Much like a runner “carb loading” the night before a race, walleye feel the need to consume as much energy as possible in preparation for winter.  Energetic demands are even greater in females as they are also budgeting resources for egg production. These […]

There have been a lot of advancements in the fishing tackle industry.  These advancements are making us significantly better anglers, but making tackle shopping much more stressful.  This article is going to detail the most over-looked aspect of fishing presentation.  That is line selection.   The majority of anglers don’t think about their line until something goes wrong at a critical moment.  The goal of this article is […]

Walking into any outdoor store can be an intimidating experience.  Often there is going to be racks of rods, shelves stocked with every size, type and color of lure as well as spools of different lines at every corner.  While this may cause our eyes to light up and make us want to purchase everything there, all the […]

The summer time blues can hit even the most persistent anglers on the Missouri River.  With so much bait in the system, many anglers resort to tubing and other watersports until fishing can get better.  However, walleye dinners can occur on hot summer evenings as well.  For anglers looking to try these “cool” presentations, fish can be found at the end of their […]

The summertime blues can hit even the best anglers. Symptoms include hot weather, recreational boaters and having way too much bait leftover after a day fishing. Today, I’m going to offer a cure to these summertime blues and discuss how to still put fish in the boat in the July and August months. Beat the […]

We wrap up our series on small ponds by talking bass fishing. There are several scenarios I look for when bass fishing and once I identify the scenario, I often utilize the same attack plan regardless where I am fishing. Scenario 1 Location Open water shorelines, points and islands. Minimal weeds or on the outskirts […]

Last week, we broke down what I look for when evaluating small ponds and lakes. Often times, these fisheries get overlooked when they can actually hold some pretty dang good fishing! This week we’re going to discuss how I like to target panfish in these lakes. Slipbobber Success It was in 2012 that my panfishing […]

Many anglers get their start on panfish. No other species provides action and excitement quite like bluegill, crappie or perch. These fish are perfect for both kids and new anglers looking to feel a tug on the line. As anglers get more experience though, panfish begin to get shunned. They’re viewed as “bait”, “childish”, and […]

The beauty of bottom bouncing is that it is a fantastic way to be attractive and appeal to many fish throughout a day.  The mobility helps cover water and the blades, beads and other attractors draw attention to your lines.  This becomes especially critical during the summer months when there is an abundance of forage in the system and […]

Bottom bouncing is an extremely versatile tactic that can work on nearly any body of water that walleye swim.  Consistent success with bottom bouncers requires a great deal of boat control, understanding of walleye behavior and the courage to break the mold of conventional beliefs.  Today I am going to discuss different approaches to selecting speeds to present at and how […]