Brian Brosdahl recommends pitching paddle tail plastics to trigger summertime walleye strikes.

I enjoy the summer walleye bite for many reasons. At the top of my list, there is less racing from bait shop to bait shop to score what’s left of the shiner or chunky minnow supply. I don’t have to worry about minnows in summer. The live bait I carry in my boat in summer—just leeches and ‘crawlers—fits easily into the cooler.

During summer in northern Minnesota, plastics are real players, as well as other artificial baits. When the water temperature gets near or exceeds 70 degrees, reaction-style fishing kicks into full gear. A little flash and active paddle tail going by a walleye triggers a strike from a fish that passed up a meaty leech and fat ‘crawler.

There have been countless trips where clients limit-out and catch-and-release walleyes without any bait at all! Just a simple pre-rigged plastic bait with a paddle tail. No matter how fast or slow you pull that little tail, it gets a reaction.

Match the hatch

Color makes a big difference from lake to lake. There is not a “one color fits all” situation for any bait. I carry a variety of colors from bright to perch patterns and switch lures until we get a strike. Some days, you can’t beat pink. Other days, it’s wonder bread or bubblegum tiger. I start clients with what worked the day before and put something rogue on my line. And sometimes, I realize that we have a hot new color!

To determine jigging cadence, pitch the plastic bait out. At the end of the cast, count how long it takes to get to the bottom. If it took a four-count, start reeling in at a three-count for every cast after that.

Fish paddle tails similar to a crankbait. Just pitch and reel in at a speed that doesn’t cause them to rise in the water column, sometimes pitching out and sweeping the jig when it hits the bottom. Reel in the slack line created by the sweep and then sweep again, 3 to 4 feet. This causes the paddle bait to dart through the top of the weeds and helicopter down into a pocket. At times, it will hook weeds going through, but sheds them again on the next aggressive sweep. The sweep also sets the hook when a walleye engulfs the bait.

Location

On Minnesota waters, look for healthy weed beds. Finding good weed beds will yield more walleyes than barren structure. Walleyes do love rocks, but if the water is too clear and the rocks are too shallow, there isn’t enough concealment for their comfort.

Look for rock piles slightly deeper— say 10 to 15 feet—mixed in a weed bed near a steep break that faces the basin. Some lakes have several spots like this. Other lakes may only have one. The size of the spot can determine the number of fish that are present at any given time.

Walleyes will move in and out, seeking comfort from the cool, shadowed weed edges. These areas are full of minnows, crayfish and insect life that bellows up and out of the lake’s muddy basin. These are popular spots for trolling or dragging ‘crawler harnesses, or for night trolling with crankbaits. I prefer pitching plastics in these areas. Why get a fish every pass when I can get a fish every cast? This has been my method for decades.

Find more summer fishing insight from the pros who know in the summer issues of MidWest Outdoors, available by subscribing on our website.