Walleye Vacation

[LukeLuke]

I'd like to setup a little vaca, chasing big Walleye.

If you could go anywhere to fish for big walters, where would you go. Looking for ideas.

Was thinking Great Lakes, but idk

 

[MSA]

Its just as easy to catch a big walleye here as it is a thousand miles away. The benefit of trying to catch one locally is you have the time to figure out the pattern of big fish for way less money as opposed to taking a weekend shot in the dark for a few grand.

If you're going to drop a couple grand on a "fishing vacation" go catch something cool like Tarpon or sailfish...shit, if you just wanna catch a big walleye, give me 2 grand and I'll let you sleep in a tent in my back yard and take you out for a weekend or two till you catch one and even mount it for you.

but, if a big walleye is your goal this summer, my top 3 choices would be, the Red river, Lake Darling, or Devils lake.

 

[shorthairsrus]

Lake erie would be fun same with the big c.

 

[Kurtr]

Erie is a blast

 

[KDM]

If only catching a 10 lbe walleye were my goal, I would head to Erie as well. I have several friends in my reserve unit in Ohio that take Erie charters every year. According to them, they catch a double digit fish an just about every charter they take and multiple big fish trips are commonplace. I have seen probably over a hundred pics of pig walleyes up to 15 lbs from guys that book charters on Erie. You may even be able to take a salmon and trout charter if you "Tag Out" on your big walleye early. There are MONSTER yellow perch in Lake Erie as well. Good Luck!!!

 

[Kurtr]

Don't forget the 5 plus pound smallies there to. Saw a 7 pounder get thrown back as it was.spring and out of season. That guy looked like he got kicked.square in the nuts putting it back in

 

[westwolfone]

If it was just about catching the biggest walleyes, I would go to Columbia River. Probably have a shot at a 15 there.

 

[Joe]

honestly, I think that whole guide industry is a scam. After my third in a row $800 boat ride, I sort of crossed that adventure off my to do list. I've been on few where everyone is catching all day long, but the number of skunked trips started adding up. I'm guessing they don't want to give up their honey holes. The last charter I was on, the very first, bold text rule was no personal gps. Which is fine, but if I'm not catching, because you are being coy, zero chance I'm calling your company up in the future, or leaving a tip.

 

[tman]

If you want to do it through the ice head north of the border to lake Winnipeg and you will have a real good chance.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Erie is your Huckleberry. Or you could talk to my wife and live with us for a week this fall.

 

[shorthairsrus]

The Best is West

 

[Flatrock]

Without a doubt, Erie in the spring. Check out these 2 threads.
thttp://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=535615
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=535413

I am a ND native but live in Michigan right now and fished on Erie quite a bit in April and did very well. It is a very, very doable trip on your own. My 2nd time out, I put 5 in that boat that were 7 pounds plus. Even doubled on an 8 and 9 pounder. A day like that isn't even special out here. If anybody was ever interested in doing a trip here, I would be more than happy to help them out. I'll be moving to Bismarck in July so I wouldn't ever have any up to date information but I know that a guy could come out here each spring and catch fish.

A closer option would be Green Bay in the spring or fall. I've got a friend who lives out there and catches many that are 8 pounds plus each year.

 

[SDMF]

If looking for a "summertime" fishing trip pulling my own boat and doing my own thing I'd have to make it 3-5 days on the S shore of LOW mid-July to mid-Aug and fish the numerous rockpiles/reefs.

 

[Holmsvc]

I'd go to Erie

 

[huffranger]

I did Rainy River this spring it was awesome, with bonus strurgon thrown in. This fall I'm headed Ft. Peck for a week then to Selkirk to fish the mouth of the red.

All these trips are fairly cheap for lodging and fuel IMHO

 

[5575]

It just depends on what size of fish your looking for, its allot like hunting!

If you want something in that 8-12 lb range its hard to beat Erie.
10-13.5 lbs Winnipeg, its probably at its peek right now.
11-16 lbs Tobin in the fall. "not as good as it once was and you'll never be able to take a trophy fish home because of the slot length its just to long at at 33.85 inches. Those fish up there are fat.
13-17+ lbs the Columbia " again its nothing like it was 10 years ago but you always have that chance of popping a fish 14+ like the 20.34 lber pictured above caught last spring out of the same pool we were fishing that week. Its a long trip and if one guy in our group takes home a trophy we are heading home happy.
I asked a local fishing legend out there who was from ND originally how his day was one evening at the ramp. He said they'd only caught a couple dinks. I asked him what a "dink" was to him and he and his buddy calmly looked at each other and said. "oh I suppose anything under 11 pounds" right then I knew I was in the right place!
And as far as prices of trips I'd say the average trip costs a person about 550-750.
I've been lucky, since I'm a photographer allot of my trips have been about free because I sell my photos to Infisherman.

 

[Sub_Elect]

I was at Winnipeg this January. There are nice fish in it for sure! I think I would head to Erie to fish out of a boat in the summer, and LOW or Ft Peck in the fall.

All give you a legit chance at a 10+ lb eye. Lodging and gas isn't too bad either!

 

[NodakBuckeye]

Erie will give you best chance at numbers and several fish in the 8-12lb range. Best chance for anything over 12 is starting this fall through next March/April. Right after ice out (if there is any) and before and during the early part of spawn. We usually went up in mid april and sometimes June. If we stayed a week we could usually count on seeing at least 5 29-31".

The very first time I trolled with planer boards, line counters, etc... was on Erie. My buddy and I caught our limit (6 fish) trolling west of Kelly's and every single fish was 26-27". I forgot how to jig after that day.