When I use Northland short shank jigs and minnows fishing in 30-40 foot of stained water lakes in Northern Wisconsin I win Spring Walleye Tournaments. Fishing in these deep water conditions and winning a tournament is rare. Walleye’s stay close to spawning area’s especially the males sometimes well into June. The shoreline timber and drop off underwater timber is great for spring Walleye. This is because the Walleye doesn’t want to chase dinner any farther than they have to. The best thing about timber is that you don’t have to search far for food, because their food source is always around timber for protection and cover, just like the Walleye’s are. They hang around timber because their food is close and prey is easy. The Walleye also need timber and weeds for their protection from other predators such as Northerns, Musky, and bigger Walleye. Just remember, everybody needs food and all fish are food.
Fishing in timber takes a lot of patience and stealth, you need to be quiet, have a rod with good back bone and a fast tip. I recommend a 6’3” St. Croix Walleye Tournament Legend, Medium with a good reel, like the Shiman Stradic 1500. Also a must is either Power Pro braided stretch 8lb. test line (red or green) or Fireline Crystal. Great jigs to use are the Northland Weed Weasel or the Lindy Timber jig which helps you from snagging. I do not use weedless hooks because I’m so used to timber fishing. I set up right over the timber and use my polarized sunglasses to look into the trees or brush and drop the line down between the limbs and twigs. As soon as the Walleye takes your jig you need to set the hook and get him out of there ASAP. This is when a good rod reel and no stretch line come into play. If you’re fishing a large tree or timber area there could be a lot of Walleye down there. I’ve caught as many as 10 Walleyes and a few Northern from 1 big tree. Don’t think because you see 1 little tree there wont be anybody home, just like an iceberg there’s a lot more tree underwater than you see above. When fishing open water timber you can vertical jig, cast and retrieve, or even drag jig. If you are casting and dragging you should use a weedless jig that way you can jump your jig over the snag. Always remember if you use a weedless, always trim the weedless part of the jig to only the length you need, just to cover the hook. You will get a better hook percentage and less chance of spooking the skittish fish.
If you are in the Northwood’s…Northern Wisconsin, the U P, or Minnesota look for fallen Cedar trees or Birch which provide a lot of cover and limbs. If you are not in the Northwood’s where trees are everywhere, then any timber or tree would do.
Fishing timber is something I do all year long not just in the Spring. It can definitely be a challenge though, getting snagged can be good thing. It means that you are where the fish are, so be patient. Minnows, leeches, or night crawlers work best depending on time of year. I’ve also hammered a lot of aggressive Summer and Fall Walleye with Berkley Power grubs and Northland Slurpies Swim'n Grubs.
Check out these Northland Slurpies Swim'n Grubs
Timber fishing can be very productive and rewarding if you put your time in and use the right equipment. So just remember to stay quiet, still and be patient and you’ll end up with a great day on the water.
