Jim K: Potholes - 5/30-31

I fished last Saturday and Sunday at Potholes.  Only really spent the first few hours of each day fishing before turning to family activities.  On Saturday I fished with my daughter and she reeled in four walleye between 17” and 22” on a worm harness in 12’ of water.  Sunday AM I returned to the same areas and decided to try swim baits.  I landed six walleye between 18” and 25”.

After about two-three hours of unsuccessful fishing from 5-8AM on Saturday, I moved in a bit shallower by flooded willows that I had been fishing.  I eventually changed colors to orange smile blade & beads on a full worm harness… slow death wasn’t doing anything.  Fish wanted a bit bigger presentation.  We caught our fish in about 45 minutes before calling it a day.  I returned to the same place on Sunday at 5AM and instead started throwing a small 4” swim bait in perch pattern, and another with chartreuse & orange… both caught fish.  I caught a 24” on my 3rd cast and a 25” a few casts after that.  I was slow reeling it right along the bottom in about 10’-12’ of water.  I repeated the pattern in another location after stopping for just a few casts at a few other locations that also had willows next to drops.  I thought drops to be too shallow and too many weeds to match my initial location.  What a fun way to catch walleye!  Visually targeting shallow targets with swim baits is a blast.

Greg KochComment