Hey everyone, I will be heading up to Crooked lake for the last week of June and I am looking for some walleye fishing advice. I have never been to the boundary waters later than memorial weekend so I am not quite sure what to expect fishing wise. We are planning fishing a little deeper than usual and to start looking for midlake structure. We will mostly be jigging and trolling rapalas. I've heard leeches are better than minnows during this time frame. Any helpful hints will be appreciated.

Bring leeches. If you hit a mayfly hatch and are targeting walleyes you'll be glad you have them.

Leeches and fish current areas. Let the big ones go :)

Here is some stuff from Walleye Hunter......

quote walleye_hunter: "
quote QueticoMike: "So when it comes to walleye up north does it seem like the numbers are better earlier in the year and the bigger fish are caught later in the year most of the time? Or is it the opposite?"

Early in the year they tend to be shallower and more concentrated. Probably why many anglers feel walleye fishing is better in late may/early June. By July the fish on bigger deeper lakes tend to be more scattered and categorize themselves. This is why I prefer July and August. My big fish spots will produce big fish, when fish are on them. Plus, every once in a while in July and August a guy will get a day when it seems like you can do no wrong and every rock pile will have actively feeding fish."



Do you mostly target rock piles, reefs, humps, whatever you want to call them during July and August? How do you typically find these locations, electronics, maps, trolling deep diving plugs? Do you use a GPS to mark locations? Just interested to see how some fisherman attack the walleye hunt for big fish."


Big rocks are one of the things that I look for, the bigger the better. Doesn't matter if its a reef, the point of an island, random spots along shorelines, etc.

So target big rocks, reefs, sunken islands, rock piles with leeches you should do fine.
It probably helps to have electronics and contour maps.

Late June is usually when I head to the BW. I've had the most success with Walleye's using leeches on a jig head (gold worked best last year) and drifting or trolling around islands in the 9 to 12 foot depth. If I find were they're hanging out I will anchor & use a simple red hook and a leech with a slip bobber set up. Setting depth just a few inches off the bottom or wherever fish are suspended.

quote offroadjeeper: "Late June is usually when I head to the BW. I've had the most success with Walleye's using leeches on a jig head (gold worked best last year) and drifting or trolling around islands in the 9 to 12 foot depth. If I find were they're hanging out I will anchor & use a simple red hook and a leech with a slip bobber set up. Setting depth just a few inches off the bottom or wherever fish are suspended."

I have fished leeches on a red hook with just a split shot about 18 inches up the line in the Boundary Waters and out fished the other 5 people fishing the same area with slip bobbers.

quote QueticoMike: "

quote offroadjeeper: "Late June is usually when I head to the BW. I've had the most success with Walleye's using leeches on a jig head (gold worked best last year) and drifting or trolling around islands in the 9 to 12 foot depth. If I find were they're hanging out I will anchor & use a simple red hook and a leech with a slip bobber set up. Setting depth just a few inches off the bottom or wherever fish are suspended."

I have fished leeches on a red hook with just a split shot about 18 inches up the line in the Boundary Waters and out fished the other 5 people fishing the same area with slip bobbers."

I will definitely try that out this year. I used that set up at Lake of the Woods and was killing they walleye in a sea of other boats who were barely catching any.

quote offroadjeeper: "

quote QueticoMike: "

quote offroadjeeper: "Late June is usually when I head to the BW. I've had the most success with Walleye's using leeches on a jig head (gold worked best last year) and drifting or trolling around islands in the 9 to 12 foot depth. If I find were they're hanging out I will anchor & use a simple red hook and a leech with a slip bobber set up. Setting depth just a few inches off the bottom or wherever fish are suspended."

I have fished leeches on a red hook with just a split shot about 18 inches up the line in the Boundary Waters and out fished the other 5 people fishing the same area with slip bobbers."

I will definitely try that out this year. I used that set up at Lake of the Woods and was killing they walleye in a sea of other boats who were barely catching any. "

Aren't those the exam same thing, except one of them has a bobber on it?

I would have to say yes, one has a bobber the other does not. I fished live leeches without. Just wait until you feel the "donk" at the end of the line, give it a second and set the hook.