A WALLEYE TRIP OF A LIFETIME Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Jaime Rodriguez recaps an unforgettable trip chasing Columbia Gold with his kids.
with, of course, components from Mack’s Lure. As our session is coming to a close, I ask my son “do you want to tie one more pattern?” He declines, respectively, as we had just finished tying 10 or so patterns, including double-hook and Smile Blade® Super Slow Death setups. As he’s pretty much tired at this point, we push forward and tie just one more pattern. BY JAIME RODRIGUEZ
PRO STAFF
We set out at our usual time. When we fish in the summer, we often try to beat the heat by planning our trips for early morning. I’ve found that all great trips come with a certain level of planning. So, before we get to the trip of a lifetime, let’s rewind just a little bit to try and capture the full scope of what was to come. It’s the July Boardman Walleye Tournament and, just like all tournament anglers, we go through our gear, ensuring we have all the right baits and patterns ready to fish. The night before, we have a tying session where we tie up our all of our “proven patterns”
When we tie new patterns, we normally tie two of the same, just in case it’s a “hot lure,” but in this case, we didn’t. The end product is essentially a Double Whammy® with gold and black Wedding Ring® Tapered Beads, separated by a Wedding Ring® Amber 6mm rhinestone for that extra bit of flash, topped off with the Smile Blade® 1.1 Copper Scale.
the Columbia River ... “ In there’s always the possi-
bility of catching a giant walleye or the fish of a lifetime. JAIME RODRIGUEZ | MACK’S LURE PRO STAFF
Now, fast forward to day two of the Boardman Tournament and we’re running our usual gauntlet, which
consists of running crankbaits, jigs and worm harnesses. We are nearing midday when we decide to make a run to a “secret spot” and when I say “we” I mean my son (tournament partner) and the five small walleye in the livewell. It’s crunchtime. We only have a few hours left in the tournament and just two dozen worms. We have to make this count — and it pays off. We end up landing two 6-pound walleye along with an upgrade of walleye between 19- and 22-inches. We hurry up and get to our weigh-in time, ending up with a respectable bag of around 23-pounds. We also won the “Cool Under Pressure” award, which is basically given to eligible anglers who have a better weigh-in on day two as compared to day one. And in case you’re wondering what the “hot lure” was on day two — I’ll give you one guess. Yep, it was that Copper Scale Double Whammy®. Needless to say, we tie six fresh double hook setups for our next trip, which just so happens to be that trip SHOP MACK’S LURE PRODUCTS
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we alluded to earlier. The Rod Squad and I set out on a mission to hunt big walleye. The forecast is predicting 99-degree weather with clear skies and winds blowing 5- to 12-mph. On the boat today I have three of my kids, Haley, Cain and Mason. They’re all of different skills levels when it comes to fishing, but all share the same passion for the sport. We set out motoring downriver and the wind prediction was slightly off — a little high for my liking, but my confidence level is there because I’m a believer in the often-debated “walleye chop.” Due to the wind, it takes us a few extra minutes to make it to our first spot. We deploy our gear. Three rods with a bottom-bouncer and copper worm harnesses, fitted with a variety of Smile Blade® patterns — Copper Scale, UV Copper Mirror, and Flame Mirror. We then set up a friendly wager where whomever catches the first fish and the biggest fish get to be spoiled by the others.
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The beauty of the Columbia River system, when targeting walleye specifically, is with every drop of your line, there’s always that possibility of catching a giant ‘eye or fish of a lifetime. That felt true on this day as 20 minutes into our first drift, I’m on a nice fish. My son successfully nets the fish, which ends up being a nice 28.75-inch walleye. I’m looking good for our wager on the boat. Unbeknownst to me, however,
J-ROD: COLUMBIA RIVER ‘EYES
Mack’s Lure Marketing Director Britton Ransford joined Jaime Rodriguez on the Columbia River to chase walleye on a windy, but successful day of fish. Smile Blade® Super Slow Death perch patterns did the trick to land a boat load of walleye. Shop Smile Blade® lures at MacksLure.com.
this first giant would set the tone for our entire trip. Throughout the rest of the morning, we proceed to catch and release beautiful walleye one after another. Cain lands a 27.5-incher, then Mason boats multiple 20-inchers and Haley pulled in a 24.5- and 25-inch walleye. All very respectable fish. We continue on as the morning is shaping up nicely. I’m now getting the kids’ rods untangled from a walleye crossing over lines, so I hand my Minn Kota trolling motor remote over to Cain and tell him to just keep us straight, but also keep an eye on my rod, which is the only one fishing at this point. So there I am, getting these lines untangled when Cain shouts, “FISH!” I say, “pick it up out of the rod holder.” He does, and within seconds, he replies, “oh no, dad, it’s just a sang.” I quickly tell him to just “pop it out” and continue getting the lines untangled when, out of the corner of my eye, I see him give the “snagged rod” a couple of nice, hard jerks, each of which are warranted at this point. Then, on his fourth jerk or so, he yells “oh no, this is a fish, dad!” Like any father, I didn’t initially believe him, telling him to quit messing around. He then hands me the rod so I can verify whether it’s snagged on the bottom or if it was,
indeed, that elusive giant we dream about. Within seconds, I feel the first massive headshake. Yes — we’re hooked up with something humongous! Thrashing headshakes with multiple 30-foot runs on the line counter followed. We continue to battle when we get a glimpse of its color a couple net lengths out of reach. Our tone immediately goes from excited to “oh sh—!” It seems like everything is moving in slow motion with extra blurry tunnel vision. I’m pretty sure I held my breath for a few seconds. Cain drops the net and successfully lands a beautiful 32-inch Columbia River walleye or, more commonly referred to as “Columbia Gold.” We get a quick measurement and then successfully release her back into the depths, but not before I give her a huge kiss to send her back home. We all rejoice on the days’ accomplishments of catching and releasing giant walleye after walleye. There’s truly never a dull moment when I have my kiddos on the boat. Thankful for this — and for Mack’s Lure. Special thanks to J-Rod for this contribution to the Mack Attack Magazine. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
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SONIC BAITFISH™ (SBF) the hook point that require attention
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
TECH GUIDE
ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR CATCHING MORE FISH BY PETE ROSKO
SBF TECH GUIDE
The present Chinook salmon season off Port Angeles has been both excellent and terrible! It has been a great season for large numbers of Chinook salmon, but a nightmare for daily strong winds — the worst in my 41 years of fishing here. I though my article (below), from two years ago, is worth repeating for several similarities. This update features the three objects (“weapons”) shown in the photo (right). Almost all of my fishing (jigging) this season has been in 2to 4-foot seas. Line control is/was a problem with missed strikes and lost fish. However, that problem was greatly diminished with my fore-mentioned trio of “weapons”: 1) Mack’s Lure UV Bait Scents is the closest thing to using live bait when attached to the Sonic BaitFish™ (SBF)! The adhesion of the scent to the SBF is excellent; 2) The addition of a second siwashstyle hook has almost entirely reduced missed strikes and lost fish. Note how the hooks are attached to the split ring in the photo. Any other way is not the best way; 3) Items 1 and 2 are wated if No. 3 is ignored! The file is not a saw! The file is lightly moved in one direction — toward the hook point. There are are three sides to
to be effective at securely -hooking fish — left side, top side, right side. With a light touch, you will be able to feel the slightest bur that a functional file can easily remove. Once no bur roughness is experienced, during the hook sharpening process, test the hook point sharpness by sliding it over the surface of your fingernail. if the hook does not snag on the nail, it is not sharp enough and must be filed again. A functional finetooth file is like a surgeon’s best instrument. It performs smoothly and effectively. The file becomes almost useless when its carbon steel surface develops rust. Without proper care of freshwater rinsing, and lubricating, the file will rapidly degrade into a useless piece of rusted metal. Keep a can of WD-40, or protective shield when not in use. I have used the same file for years. In contrast, I have had files ruined within a few weeks because of my neglect. Notes: The double hook concept can be used on a variety of lures whether casting, jigging or trolling as long as it meets legal requirements, such as WA state.
SMALL LURES CATCH BIG FISH Whether you are a troller, moocher, jigger or caster, this technique should be in your sport fishing arsenal if you area serious angler. Because, when the opportunity presents itself, this technique will be the most effective and enjoyable you will ever use! For half of my 82 years, metal jig fishing in many different locations, including Chinook (king) salmon fishing in Alaska and off the north coast of Washington state, has taught me that small lures catch big fish. My last trip was another example of going small. The salmon were few and scattered. My buddy and I were jigging deep with larger metal jigs. After an hour without a strike, and not seeing any action from the several dozen boats around us, I went to fancasting in search of Chinook salmon. Before my second cast, my fishing partner pointed towards a surface boil in open water. A cast in that direction produced an immediate explosive hook-up resulting in a 19lb. king. For the next three hours, my fishing buddy persisted in vertical jigging and I continued casting a 1/4 oz. original Sonic BaitFish™ in bright silver finish. That finish matched the silvery flash of 1 1/2” Pacific herring schooling in the top 20- to 25-feet of water. My day ended in hooking nine kings between 18- and 23-lbs. My partner never hooked a deep —
PODCAST: ALASKA SALMON PRIMER On Ep. 32 of the WAO Podcast pres. by Harrod Outdoors and Mack’s Lure, Bobby, Richy and Britton preview Bobby’s upcoming trip to Sitka, AK to chase silvers, kings, halibut, lingcod and more. The gang talks about past trips, tips and tricks and much more. Go get it!. Subscribe & Listen.
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king and no kings were seen caught by the trollers.
AWTV: POTHOLES WALLEYE
Conditions conducive for success in casting small metal jigs are as follows: 1. Near-surface baitfish concentrations; 2. Working surface water conditions (tide movement forming eddies and rips. Cast to cleaner sections to avoid foul-hooking debris); 3. Predator fish present in area (jumping or boiling on surface); My Chinook salmon equipment: 1. 6-ft. G. Loomis IMX SJR 724 heavy/fast action spinning rod; 2. Shimano Stradic 3000 Ci4 spinning reel; 3. Suffix 20-lb. braided main line; 4. 2 1/2-ft. 20-25 fluorocarbon leader with wide bend snap attached to the terminal end; 5. Metal jig attached to the nose. Use the absolute smallest size jig to effectively reach your target. The smaller the size, the slower the fall for longer retention in the critical strike zone near the surface; 6. A fine tooth Luhr Jensen file. It’s the best of any file that I have used. Your hook must be frequently checked for burs on the hook tip that might cause the loss of the fish of a life time. Lightly stroke your file, in the direction of the tip, over three sides of the hook point where you will easily feel, and remove, the rough burs. Note: A rusty file is useless! To preserve its life for many years, lubricate it with WD 40 after each outing and keep it in a protective sleeve. My file is about 7 years old and like new. I keep it in a homemade sleeve of dense foam completely, and tightly, wrapped in duct tape with only the entry exposed. The entire file portion is embedded
Learn how to adjust to a beautiful, calm summer day for some great walleye fishing on Potholes Reservoir with guide, Shelby Ross. Fish out of Mardon Resort with Shelby & Bob Schmidt of Mack’s Lure. Night Crawlers trolled with Smile Blades and Super Slow Death hooks produce.
in foam with only its yellow handle exposed. Slide your hook point over your fingernail, not your skin, to check your sharpening efficiency. It’s functionally-sharp if it digs into your fingernail. If it slides over your nail, it will not effectively dig into the hard jaw of a fish like a chinook salmon. My technique: 1. Cast to any surface water that will create drag against your line and lure. This slows the fall rate of your lure and increases it fish-attracting flutter, darting and sonic vibrations. Examples are cross-currents and down-currents and rips near eddies. Effectiveness is increased when combined with ambush points like kelp edges, weed lines, rock piles and deep water points coming off of land points. Whether for saltwater or freshwater (rivers, base of waterfalls, warm water discharge plants), these are just a few examples for the use of this deadly technique; 2. Once your cast lure hits water, twitch or short-stroke your rod tip from a 10 to 11 o’clock position to further increase its erratic action on the fall. Do
not work the rod sideways and do not over-work (hard-jig) your rod. All of my metal jigs are finesse-type jigs, designed with strike-triggering action. They mimic an injured baitfish, an action that predator fish key on. They need no extra help through forced jigging; 3. Cast to fish “boiling” on surface or to working birds. Variables: 1. Casting with a taut line, vs. a bend or loose line, increases your lure action and hook sets. Casting directly with the wind maximizes line control. Guard against large wind-blown bends in your line! However, the beauty of fishing with small lures is that even when you may be fishing out of control, because of the weather, fish do not feel its light weight and will hook itself before you feel the weight of the fish on your line; 2. Moving your rod tip one inch will move your lure 4-6 inches; 3. Metallic finishes emit more flash, with better flutter, than painted finishes with heavier layers of material. Continued on next page 5
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Mistakes made by novices and professionals alike: 1. Not using a fine tooth file to maintain hook sharpness. 2. Not attaching the supplied wide bend snap to the nose of the lure. A direct tie of leader to the lure reduces the action of the lure. 3. Jigging out of control results in spooking fish. This includes violent rod jerks. A properlybalanced lure requires very little rod movement to be successful. 4. Jigging with rods too long...5 to 6-ft. rods are best. The longer the rod, the less the control and feel in its presentation. 5. Jigging with rods without good backbone for good hook-sets. In closing, thank you for subscribing to the Mack Attack Magazine. It is our hope that our monthly articles increase your success, and enjoyment, on the water. — Pete
GUEST COMMENTARY
MIRALLES: BEAT THE HEAT Summertime in NorCal can be brutal with temperatures often reaching the 100-degree mark. In these warmer temperatures, it’s nice to beat the heat by heading to the mountains to go fishing. Fortunately, there are many high mountain lakes within an hour of the Redding, Calif., area. One such lake is Iron Canyon, a 500-acre timberlined mountain lake sitting at about 3,000 feet of elevation. The lake sits
NWO: WALLOWA KOKANEE
The Mack’s Lure team and Harrod Outdoors have fished for large Kokanee all over the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, but nothing compares to that first trip to Wallowa Lake. Now, we return to Wallowa Lake to remember the past and build new memories. Subscribe to NWO.
about 25 miles north of 299 East just outside the small community of Big Bend. This quaint PG&E reservoir is loaded with a good population of catchable rainbows, brooks and brown trout. It has two campgrounds suitable for tent and small RV camping and one decent boat launch at the Hawkins Landing campground. You can catch trout from shore in the summer months by soaking nightcrawlers, but trolling is the best way to fill your ice chest. Fish the main body of the lake from the boat launch to the dam at about 50-ft. deep. My favorite setup has always been a Cripplure™, Hum Dinger® or Pee Wee™ Wiggle Hoochie™ set 3-feet behind a Sling Blade™. The Sling Blade™ UV or Precious Metal in orange, gold or copper is your best bet. For the Cripplure™, I’ve had the best luck with Red Brass, Crushed Fire, Nickel Silver or Fire Tiger Glow. When trolling a Hum Dinger®, I’ve used Red Brass, Orange Gold, Nickel Silver or Silver Glow. The Pee Wee™ Wiggle Hoochie™ is best in Pink, Orange or purple UV.
Crushed Fire. Rig your release 3-ft. above your weight and run your lure 10-feet back. With this technique, you do not need to use a Sling Blade™. Remember to always pay close attention to your equipment because you can and will get hung up. Call PG&E for lake information and the Pitt Stop store for current fishing reports at 530-337-6254.
I have landed browns up to 4-lbs. using downriggers and bouncing bar weights over tree stumps on the bottom with a Cripplure™ Brass
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QUESTION
OF THE MONTH
Have a questions you want answered? Send your inquiry to us and yours may be featured! Simply send an email to media@mackslure.com or reach out to us on social media.
Q: I’ve heard the term “pop gear” from a lot of people recently. What are they talking about? A: Pop gear is another name for a gang troll, which can be used in an assortment of ways when trolling. They generally consist of a wire leader that can have anywhere from 2- to 6-blades that spin to create extra flash and attraction to a line. Mack’s Lure carries a variety of gang trolls called Flash Lite® Trolls, Hot Wings® or Troll Lite™ Flasher. The Flash Lite® is our gang troll that offers both versatility and added attraction, allowing you to catch more fish by drawing them in. The blades themselves are similar to our Smile Blade®, made of mylar plastic, reducing the drag on your rod by up to 85%. The Hot Wings® are smaller in size when an angler wants a lower profile in the water column. The blades also counter-rotate to increase flash and attraction.
HOT DEAL: USE CODE STINK25
INFUSED WITH HIGH UV DYE
25% OFF MACK’S LURE UV BAIT SCENTS
PHOTO OF THE MONTH Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Marc Christophel shows off a kokanee caught on the Koke-ANut Glo® Series paired with a Sling Blade™ UV 6” in Northern California/Truckee.
VIDEO OF THE MONTH Mack’s Lure Pro Staffer Blake Marshall and the Pisces Outdoors crew head into the high mountains of California to target golden trout with Cripplures & Hum Dingers.
Gang trolls can be used in-line with normally a 2- to 3-foot leader when using an in-line spinner such as a Wedding Ring® or just above a Double D™ Dodger, which adds side-to-side action of the dodger. Follow Mack’s Lure on Facebook and Instagram and tag us with #MacksLure. Facebook.com/MacksLure @macks_lure To submit your catch, send us an email at media@mackslure.com or tag us on social media using #MacksLure.
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