All walleye anglers strive to be consistent in finding and catching fish. That goes double if you happen to be a touring tournament professional and your reputation is on the line every weekend.
On the pro walleye tours, one angler has earned the nickname Mr. Consistency. In fact, in 1990 the directors of the Pro Walleye Tour (PWT) honored Mike Theyerl of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, with the Mr. Consistency award for cashing a check at each PWT event up to that time.
In the five years that have passed since receiving the Mr. Consistency award, Theyerl's on the water performance hasn't waned much. To date Theyerl has cashed a check in 17 of 29 events and earned a total of six top 10 finishes.
A touring professional since 1983, Theyerl has qualified for all five PWT Championships and 10 consecutive MWC World Walleye Championships. In 1990 and 1991 Theyerl and his brother Dennis were awarded the coveted MWC Team-of-the-Year honors for producing the highest point total both years. In 1985, 1986 and 1988 the Theyerl brothers placed second in Team-of-the-Year honors.
Mike Theyerl is one of a handful of men who have qualified for every PWT Championship. Placing Theyerl in the ranks of walleye fishing heroes including Mark Martin, Gary Parsons, Keith Kavajecz, Steve Bissett, Perry Good, and Dave Hanson.
The ability to find and pattern fish on a wide variety of waters separates Theyerl from other anglers. Theyerl's success boils down to his mastery of a wide variety of fishing presentations and having the savvy to use them effectively on rivers, natural lakes, and reservoirs.
Rivers
"Rivers are constantly changing, making them the most challenging waters to find and catch walleye," says Theyerl. "High water, low water, water clarity, and the time of year all play and important part in the location of river walleye."
Regardless of the season or conditions, walleye are most likely to be found using natural current breaks. "A current break is anything that deflects the flow of water, creating a slack area where walleye can slip in and feed without fighting the strong current," explains Theyerl. "A current break could be a point that protrudes from shore, a downed log, deep holes, rocks or timber scattered on bottom, channel edges, or wide spots (flats) in the river where the current slows noticeably."
Identifying current breaks is a major step towards successful river fishing. "Water levels and clarity largely determine which current breaks will be holding fish." adds Theyerl. "I expect walleye to be shallow (less than 10 feet) in most fishing situations. The primary exception is when water levels are very low or clear. In these conditions walleye often move into deeper water along main river channels, holes, and wash outs below dams."
When water is at normal levels, focus on shoreline structure and related current breaks. The higher the water rises, the more walleye tuck in tight to the bank to escape the increasing current. At times river walleye can be taken from water barely deep enough to float a boat!
"Casting jigs or crankbaits is my favorite river fishing presentation," says Theyerl. "In shallow water, casting is far more productive than vertical jigging or other presentations."
Crankbaits are an excellent method of covering water quickly, suggests Theyerl. The best cranks tend to be shad-shaped lures like No. 5 or 7 Rapala Shad Raps that float at rest and dive when retrieved.
"When casting jigs in rivers, I like to use a slightly heavier jig than the 1/8-ounce models most anglers favor," claims Theyerl. "A heavier 1/4- or 3/8-ounce jig can be fished faster when I'm trying to cover water quickly. Once I've found fish, I'll switch to a lighter jig and slow down my presentation."
Soft plastic baits are an important part of successful river fishing. Jigs can be easily bulked up with a plastic twister tail or shad body to make the lure more visible and to add action. The Berkley Power Shad and Power Grub are among Theyerl's favorite soft-body lures.
Minnows, leeches, or crawlers improve most river jigging. "Minnows tend to be best early in the spring and again in the fall, with crawlers and leeches picking up the slack during the warm-water period," says Theyerl. "Crawlers are perhaps the most overlooked live bait for river walleye. I use a half a crawler threaded onto a Slow Poke jig as early in the spring as I can get my hands on them. I've also found that crawlers work well late into the fall when most anglers have switched over to minnows."
Natural Lakes
"The most overlooked walleye in any natural lake are those living in water six feet deep or less," states Theyerl. "Most anglers pass up the shallows because they don't realize walleye are at home in knee-deep water. Also finding shallow water fish takes time."
In water less than eight feet deep, sonar is useless for locating fish. For all practical purposes, the only way to find walleyes in shallow water is the old-fashioned way, with hook and line.
Most natural lakes plenty of shallow water to explore. Unfortunately, a great deal of the water near shore doesn't attract walleye. Keying in on shoreline structure or cover is the best way to pinpoint areas walleye are most likely to be using.
A good fishing map is a tremendous aid in locating shallow-water structure, weeds, and other cover. In addition to showing depth contours and other lake features, these maps also indicate productive spots, offer suggestions on angling techniques, provide information on the type and availability of forage species, and list valuable stocking data.
"Weeds and wood hold more fish than rock and hard-bottom structure in most natural lakes," explains Theyerl. "Remember that structure is good and cover is good, but areas that offer both are best. A gravel point with weeds growing on the top or a rocky shoreline with a few fallen trees are excellent examples of shallow water-structure and cover combinations that attract natural lake walleye."
Casting jigs tipped with live bait or crankbaits are good presentations for starters. Both of these presentations can be used to cover water quickly, or slowed down to fish more thoroughly once walleye are contacted.
Reservoirs
Walleye impoundments fall mostly into two categories, the sprawling western variety and small lowland-type reservoirs.
"The major western reservoirs, like Fort Peck in eastern Montana or Lake Oahe in South Dakota, are walleye factories worth traveling to fish," suggests Theyerl. "Despite the huge numbers of fish available, these fisheries are complicated and can easily become overwhelming for the average angler.
"In some cases these waters have more shoreline than the Great Lakes, yet resident walleye react as though they are living in a river system. Fish tend to migrate towards the head of the pool beginning in late winter, spawn near the dam site and creek arms in early spring, and disperse throughout the reservoir during the summer and fall."
Theyerl's love for shallow-water walleye fishing finds a suitable home in the western reservoirs. The larger adult fish are likely to be found feeding in the shallows during spring, summer, and fall.
Walleye frequently force shad and other forage species into areas where the bank makes a sharp drop near shorelines and points. The lip formed provides a wall that feeding walleye use to corner baitfish.
"Water clarity is the key to finding shallow-water walleye in the western reservoirs, "confesses Theyerl. "Waves pounding the shore churn up a mud line that invites walleye to slip in shallow and feed on disorientated shad. Walleye follow these mud lines like highways when searching for baitfish."
Points and rocky shorelines are the primary structures that hold walleye in western reservoirs. A typical reservoir such as Lake Oahe in South Dakota offers anglers literally hundreds of these sites to explore. Points are especially numerous and one point looks like another to the untrained eye.
Picking out the most productive points and shorelines takes a little experience. "I look for points that show some rock along the bank," says Theyerl. "Rocks, especially those large enough to provide cover for baitfish are a limited commodity in many western soils."
Outcroppings of rock are usually separated by miles of clay and sand shores. Where you find a few rocks marking a shoreline point, chances are they extend into the water and attract baitfish and walleye.
Even good looking points or shorelines may not hold any fish. The best way to sort through points is to make a few quick casts to key areas on the point to determine if fish are present.
"The sides of points and the inside turn where the point joins the shoreline are the primary places I look for walleye," explains Theyerl. "The deep water tip of a point rarely holds many fish and the top of a point usually yields only a few scattered fish."
With this in mind, a few casts with a jig or crankbait in key spots will quickly tell if fish are home or if it's time to check out another point. Not being afraid to move and move again is the run-and-gun attitude it takes to survive in the sprawling western reservoirs.
Patience is also a virtue of reservoir fishing. "Out West you have to learn to bide your time," cautions Theyerl. "Even the best points and shorelines may appear fishless until the wind blows and a mud line forms from the crashing waves. When the wind picks up, head to rock-strewn shorelines or points and cast jigs tipped with live bait or crankbaits into the silt colored waters near shore."
The smaller lowland reservoirs of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and other Midwestern states hold fewer walleye, but are easier to fish. These bodies of water are typically narrow and very long in shape.
Like any reservoir, early in the season walleye are most likely to be found at the upper end of the pool. After spawning the fish follow the river channel while dispersing throughout the reservoir.
"In lowland reservoirs walleye typically relate to the original river channel or creek arms," says Theyerl. "When these impoundments are made standing timber is often cut down and hauled away. Flooded stumps along the river channel are a combination of structure and cover that holds walleye all summer long."
A slip bobber rig baited with a leech is one of the best ways to fish lowland reservoir walleye. A weedless jig can also be fished among the stumps with few hang-ups.
"Slip bobbers offer a pinpoint presentation without the risk of snags and lost fishing time," adds Theyerl. "When fishing floats use the wind to your advantage. Toss the rig upwind of the structure or cover and let the wind drift the bait into productive areas. If two lines per angler are allowed, slip floats are an easy way to double up on the number of lines in the water."
Versatility in his fishing style is no doubt the key to Mike Theyerl's tournament fishing success. A master of casting with jigs, pulling live bait rigs, drifting spinners, and trolling crankbaits, Theyerl fishes walleye even when he's not participating in a tournament, on-the-water seminar, or promotion.
His desire to be the first one at the dock in the morning and the last to call it a day, keeps this angler seated at a higher plateau--a level no professional walleye angler has topped.
Copyright (c) 1996 Mark Romanack. All rights reserved.
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