Watching Walleyes Strike On Sonar

Bohn uses Shimano Symetre series 1500 and 2500 spinning reels. “Symetres have a drag lever,” he says. “They’re user-friendly. Set the lever far left for a really loose drag, which is the best setting for rod-holder duty. Set the lever dead center and it’s perfect for fighting fish.” Bohn spools up with 8- to 10-pound Stren Magnathin when employing 6- to 8-pound snells.

Rod holders secure the rods much of the time on Bohn’s boat, but he likes to have a rod in hand for jiggling and twitching the spinner rig. “It’s amazing how many walleyes are triggered by twitching the rig or changing the speed of the rig, and that’s another reason why it can be important to watch walleyes react to the rig. Pull to increase speed and push the rod tip toward the float to decrease speed. This can be done with the boat, too, when rods are in holders. Hits happen fast so you have to be ready to pull that rod.”

Bohn has mastered the use of snells and specialized spinner rigs under a slipfloat, using Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle Mr. Slip Bobber rigs that he designed. “Bladed rigs provoke 50 percent more strikes when drifting,” he says. “But they provoke 50 percent fewer strikes when you’re anchored in calm weather. That’s when you want to use less attraction and more natural livebait appeal.” The Tru-Turn version, offering a Tru-Turn hook, comes pre-rigged with a bead and petite blade above the hook, a 24-inch 10-pound leader, and a swivel. “Oversized hooks on these rigs provide better hookups under a float,” he adds. “And you can use the components to simply tie the rigs to lighter snells when walleyes get fussy.”

The Bobber Bug rig is similar but sports the vertical jig Bohn designed and made famous for slipbobber techniques. Determining which way to go—plain hook or leadhead—becomes an interesting process. “The petite Indiana blades on these rigs can produce dramatic results. These blades spin with the slightest movement,” he says. “When livebait scrambles to avoid an oncoming predator, the blade flashes even more. I constantly change bead size, blade color, jig size, and hook size, until the cream rises to the top. It doesn’t take long to spot the hot rig when you’re watching fish react. Observing walleye response is the key to tuning your snell rig. Mr. Slip Bobber Rigs can be changed out in seconds, so when you get a hit on a specific combination you can quickly match it on every rod in the boat.

“When walleyes follow a rig but lose interest, it’s time to switch rigs. That’s a primary advantage when using sonar to watch strikes.” He primarily uses 1/32- to 1/8-ounce Bobber Bugs, when using jigs. As a general rule, use hooks in calmer weather and jigs in windier weather. The windier it is, the heavier the better. But that’s just a general rule. He might try almost anything in any conditions, when he’s able to watch walleyes react. Sometimes the added movement of a rig lightly weighted at the bottom triggers more strikes in waves.

Bohn weights the rigs with Water Gremlin Rubbercor sinkers. Lay the line in the slot, twist the rubber knobs on each end in opposite directions, and it becomes a removable sinker. Bohn uses 1/16- to 1/4-ounce sizes, depending on wind and wave action. Weights match the size of the Thill Pro Series slipfloat already on the line, combining smaller weights with smaller floats. He attaches the weight directly to the snell, about half way between hook and swivel. “Thill slipfloats come in 5 sizes, making it easy to match the float to the conditions,” he says.