Author: Chris Hustad

Oh no, another article on jigging raps right? Wrong. I’m not going to talk about how great they are, just how to use them effectively.  At this point, you’re already interested and possibly convinced they work for catching walleyes (and they do)… I kind of fought the jigging rap craze in the beginning. To me, it wasn’t an exciting way to fish.  And it takes a while to get a good technique down (as well as not losing fish).  I get more satisfaction from the thump on a jig. But when you’re jigging and baiting a spot, and someone shows up

One thing I’m guilty of and I see I’m not alone these days is my addiction to custom painted crankbaits. Fishing is all about confidence, no matter the presentation or species you’re targeting. I mean, if you don’t think you’re going to catch anything, are you going about it the right way? And this is where confidence and custom crankbaits come into play. I say this all the time, and I apologize for repeating, but have you shopped the crankbait section of your favorite sporting goods store lately? There are isles and isles of lures. Remember when there was like 3

(Updated 6/24/19) I don’t care where in the world you live, whether you’re fishing a small river or lake to large reservoirs; there’s a place in your arsenal for trolling or casting crankbaits for walleyes.  I personally LOVE trolling crankbaits for big walleyes.  In fact, our river opens up as early as February and March and you can find me trolling plugs all the way up to freeze up in the late fall. If you have the right techniques, you can fish crankbaits in as little as a foot of water all the way into the deep basins.  There are so

They say muskie fishing is about a fish per 10,000 casts right? Well the heck with it, we’re going muskie trolling. Musky trolling is something we’re still learning every time out. Myself, I consider myself a complete amateur. I make the trek to Minnesota about 2-3 times a year to fish for muskies. But for my buddies Ben Simonson and Ben Evenson, it’s a way of life. Considering I’m a walleye nut, it’s nice to mix it up a bit and fish a different species. I love trolling for walleyes, and there’s a lot of things that are similar; yet different

More often than not, I find that most anglers who cast crankbaits just tie the fishing lure straight to the line.  No matter the knot, the problem is it doesn’t allow the crankbait to have that erratic action. Especially when it comes to jerkbaits and crankbaits like it.  You want the lure to get going a bit sideways, and a Rapala Knot (also called a Rapala Loop Knot), is perfect for this. Rapala Loop Knot Diagram The key to the Rapala knot is being able to tie it efficiently.  Sure, it’s easy when you’re staring at a knot diagram…but can you

One of North America’s largest man-made reservoirs, Lake Sakakawea, can be found in the heart of North Dakota. This lake has countless miles of shoreline, it’s an adventurer’s paradise. In fact, it has more shoreline than the state of California.  You can fish the entire lake throughout the year and never fish the same spot twice. Lake Sakakawea is a deep lake, with average depths of well over 100 feet in the basin. This lake has a lot of character. The shoreline is littered with red bluffs, rolling hills, and other hints of the badlands. It’s very uninhabited and vast, so

Wearing sunglasses is important, by now we should all know that. While as a kid growing up, I thought wearing sunglasses was more about fashion than being smart. Nowadays, I don’t go anywhere without them. While I’m writing this about the best polarized sunglasses for fishing, this can also translate to other outdoor sports as well.  Having a solid pair is also nice for driving and just being outside period.  I spend countless hours relaxing while trolling for walleyes, giving me a permanent coon-eye look…whatever, I just roll with it. People are so hung up on brands these days, it’s hard

There are times during the year when walleyes can be found shallow…real shallow. Normally, you expect it during the spawn. That’s a given in the spring. But outside of that, there are times where the big girls like to stay there too. And when walleyes are shallow, they’re often real spooky. So that’s the time to stay away and cast in. And this is where casting crankbaits really shines. When are Walleyes Shallow? Before we talk crankbaits, you have to know when to cast them. If the walleyes aren’t shallow, what’s the point right? I like to troll for walleyes a

Making fishing leaders is easy, and it’s really something I had to do more of because of the types of fishing I do. It saves money and I find it to be enjoyable. There are really 2 ways to make a fishing leader. Leaders with a GOOD knot. Leaders made with crimps. Now if you ask this question around circles, you’ll hear reasons for both. Me personally, I like using crimps. It’s fast, easy, cheap, and they rarely let you down. BUT, there is a science to making them right. And I will explain. How Long Should My Fishing Leader Be?

I caught my first walleye slip bobber fishing when I was a kid.  That was many moons ago, but I can still remember it well. My dad tossed out a slip bobber for me and I stared at that thing for what felt like forever (for a 5-year-old it was probably 10 minutes).  It was tipped with a minnow off a weed break in a small Minnesota lake. I don’t remember the length, but it was around 3.5 lbs.  We brought it to the local bait shop in Detroit Lakes, MN and my picture went on the wall.  That sparked what

A common question I see is… what is the best fishing line for walleye? The reality is there is no one fishing line for every walleye fishing application. Each type of line shines in its own way, depending on how it’s used. For example, what line you use for pitching, vertical jigging, bottom bouncers and rigging, trolling, etc. will ALL vary. So you’ll want to plan ahead for what you’ll need for the way you like to fish walleyes. So I will answer the basic fishing line questions that come up often in circles. What is the Best Fishing Line for