Crappie or Bluegill fishing...

[Madd Matt]

When I make my first trip in the Spring for the walleye fishing, I'll literally be on the water sun up to dusk. Being on my own, I'll be here to fish, sleep, and fish some more. If I find success chasing walleye, and want to mix it up to fill out my days… is there any good pan fishing to be had? Say in the bays or such… assuming I'll be around the reefs for walleye.

I'll be in my 17 Lund, so super long trips are a little tough. Part of this is also in the event wind kicks me off the big lake one or more of the days I can make the trip. Some pan fishing, or even catch and release bass or anything as a backup would be nice.

Good question and insight... It is pretty typical to limit out on Walleye in less than an hour. Many times the boat ride to the reefs and back to the dock is longer than time spent fishing. Of course the limit in the Spring is only 4 fish, and when the jig bite is on that's roughly 20 minutes of fishing... Then fun fishing begins...

A lot of guys cull their fish, which I think is just wrong! Unless the one you are keeping is bigger than the one you are throwing back (just kidding). I mean, unless the fish you are throwing back is healthy and still alive and able to live.

Seriously though. It is good to have a back-up plan for other species unless you just want to catch and release walleye all day or go back to the camper.

-Matt

[cycleguy]

That is all good… all conversation is welcomed. I dream of the day I get on a bite that is so good limiting early is a concern. If that was the case, coming all the way here for the experience, I can play catch and release for a long time before getting tired of a special time. Not culling,releasing healthy fish prior to hitting a limit. Too much respect to do it any other way.

Having the pan fishing back up plan for weather… or whatever is huge for me… TY again.

More questions to follow for sure - for now, still reading every post on here, so keep it up all.

[wakina]

That is all good… all conversation is welcomed. I dream of the day I get on a bite that is so good limiting early is a concern. If that was the case, coming all the way here for the experience, I can play catch and release for a long time before getting tired of a special time. Not culling,releasing healthy fish prior to hitting a limit. Too much respect to do it any other way.

Having the pan fishing back up plan for weather… or whatever is huge for me… TY again.

More questions to follow for sure - for now, still reading every post on here, so keep it up all.

Just a suggestion here but I always put the first 4 nice fish in the cooler and then funfish for awhile before I head in. The reason is that yes I go to catch fish to eat and want to get enough so I can have a few meals the following winter so I box the first 4 nice fish. The jig bite can be fickle and they can shut down so fast that it is almost unbelievable that you cannot buy another hookup, it is like someone turned the stop biting switch on and they are done. From almost as fast as you can catch them to nothing in as little as 15 minutes. So be aware.

I don't cull either if I am going to keep it, it goes in the live well with it's throat cut to bleed out then on the ice. If not keeping it it goes from net to lake as fast as possible!