In many midwestern waters, the sultry days of July and August, which some refer to as the “dog days,” is a tough time to catch walleyes. The weeds are up, baitfish are prolific and tough to compete with, and catching walleyes consistently is downright tough. There is a body of water that absolutely shines in these conditions, however, and that is Lake of the Woods. There are numerous ways to catch walleyes at this time of year over deep mud and, it is a blast doing so. 

Big Traverse Bay and Little Traverse Bay

Big Traverse Bay is the large, open water on the south end of the lake. Little Traverse Bay is the smaller, but still sizeable, open water up at the Northwest Angle.

At this time of year, “no man’s land” is a prolific aquarium full of life. As the water warms, many of the walleyes slide to the deepest depths of these two basins (30 to 35 feet of water) in search of cooler water and lower light penetration. Most importantly, there is a smorgasbord of bait in this part of the lake. Roaming schools of emerald shiners, tullibees, perch and trout perch minnows (a minnow that lives in the deeper depths) are in abundance. 

There is also a variety of critters that walleyes eat which call the mud their home. Bloodworms, a variety of invertebrates, and nymphs of aquatic insects (before they reach the surface to shed their skin, reaching adult stage) are just a few. 

So, here’s the scenario: Tens of thousands of walleyes, all living in a big expanse of open water. In most cases, there are few “spot on a spot” areas that will group walleyes tightly. Hence, several techniques shine at this time of the year.

Sharpshooting

Whether you are a fan or not, sharpshooting walleyes with forward facing sonar on Lake of the Woods absolutely works and catches lots of fish—and big fish. 

It is amazing what we have learned since this technology has been around. Who would have known that so many big walleyes are swimming in the top third of the water column during summer? In fact, in some cases, just a few feet under the surface of the water! Crazy, but exciting, and another opportunity for anglers. 

A slot limit on Lake of the Woods helps to create a lot of big walleyes. All walleyes 19.5 inches to 28 inches must be released. This, combined with a gene pool of big walleyes, and forage such as tullibees that helps to make walleyes grow big, all help to make this lake a sharpshooter’s dream.

To give an example, last summer, there were four walleye tournaments in which the average walleye for the winning bag of fish averaged 10 pounds per fish. That is right, 10 pounds per walleye for all 5 fish. 

If you aren’t part of the dirty 30 club (an angler who has caught a walleye 30 inches or over), you should consider fishing this body of water.

Trolling crankbaits

With technology and ever-developing products, getting a crankbait down to where most of the walleyes are living, in close proximity to the bottom of the lake, is easier than ever. Crankbaits simply work. They cover a lot of water, trigger walleye strikes from walleyes naturally looking to inhale a seemingly injured baitfish, and are versatile in speed, action, color and size.

Downriggers

It isn’t realistic that most anglers will have downriggers on their boats. Up at Lake of the Woods, many do, however. Getting cranks down to the bottom foot or two of the lake in 30 to 35 feet of water, where the majority of the walleyes are living in summer, is key. Downriggers are extremely effective for consistently positioning lures in the strike zone, even when the boat surges in waves. 

Leadcore line

In today’s world, you can pick up a trolling rod and line counter reel filled with leadcore line for around $100. What a great option at a moderate price point to be able to play at these deeper depths! Leadcore line is exactly that: Line with lead as its core which causes it to sink. The more line you let out, the deeper your crankbait will reach. 

In a nutshell, leadcore line has a different color every 10 yards. For every color of leadcore let out, your lure will go down an additional 5 feet. I really encourage anglers who may be intimidated by formulas and dive charts to keep it simple. Estimate how deep your crankbait dives. Figure out how much deeper you want your lure to run and let out what you believe is the amount of leadcore to get you there. Then, troll and watch your rod tip. 

If your rod tip starts to bounce, the crankbait is hitting the mud; reel line in 10-foot increments until it stops. If your rod tip does not bounce, let out more line until it does; you’ve found bottom. Again, reel up line in 10-foot increments until you are not hitting bottom. This will position your bait in that bottom two feet of the water column, right where you need to be. 

Braided line with a deep-billed crankbait

When looking to reach depths exceeding of 30 feet, some deeper-diving crankbaits teamed with a thin-diameter braided or superline will get down deep. If the fish are hitting bigger-billed cranks, you are in business. If, by chance, you need/want to use smaller baits, they’re gets tough to get down; thus, you can be limited on lure choice, which can be a disadvantage. But when larger-billed crankbaits are going well, this method is effective.

Bouncers and snap weights

I recently had a conversation at a sports show with an angler who spends a fair amount of time trolling the deep mud on Lake of the Woods with success. He laughed as he said, “Everyone has this fancy equipment, Heck, we still use a 4-ounce bouncer with a 6- to 8-foot lead and a shallow-diving crank, and we catch all the walleyes we want.” There are a number of ways to get your lures down there, and it doesn’t have to be rocket science. Tip: Lower your bouncer slowly to avoid tangling.

The best crankbaits

There could be an entire article written on this topic, so let’s really condense this. I have heard anglers brag up every shape, color, wobble and brand. So much for condensed. Here is my advice: The water is stained, meaning it is clean water but stained a light brown color. As a rule, gold or bright colors dominate. Gold is a staple color on Lake of the Woods.

Drifting spinners

Charter captains make a living with “6 pack trips” this time of year, drifting through large, spread-out schools of walleyes and sauger over deep mud. It is amazing to watch your graph once you’ve found an area of fish. There can be fish for miles, and at times. The graph looks like it might be on simulation mode, showing schools of suspended baitfish, hatches coming out of the mud on the bottom of the lake, and walleye after walleye after walleye.

Using a 2- to 3-ounce weight or bottom bouncer, combined with a snelled spinner and a ‘crawler, is a very consistent presentation at this time of year. Make sure to keep your weight just above the bottom, with your spinner spinning, and you will catch fish.

The combination of flash and vibration combined with the action and smell of a ‘crawler is very difficult for a walleye to turn down. This presentation fills coolers with walleyes and sauger all summer long. 

It is so enjoyable to drift for long distances under the summer sun, enjoying the day, just waiting for that extra weight that almost feels like a wet cloth at the end of your line. As there are no weeds over “no man’s land,” that extra weight is usually a walleye hanging on to your ‘crawler harness. Set the hook!

No boat or equipment? No worries

There is a great option for those who don’t have a boat or equipment: Jump on a charter boat or in the boat with a guide. The resorts on Lake of the Woods have a large fleet of charter boats and guide boats with very professiona,l licensed charter captains. They provide absolutely everything needed for a great day of productive summer fishing. 

Even people who do have the equipment will utilize the services of a guide and resort as it is effective and makes a vacation simply. Rather than focus on weather, navigation and where the fish are, sit back, relax and catch walleyes! 

There are really only two decisions that guests have to make in a day: “What should I wear and what should I eat.” The rest is taken care of. Resorts combine groups, making it possible to accommodate a single person up to groups of 6 per boat. 

Deep summer in many areas is a time to put down your fishing pole and wait for the fall bite. But in these waters, it’s a time that many anglers look forward to the entire year. July and August in these parts is a time to make walleye memories!