As bass anglers, we always have fish pecking at our lures. Fish like bluegill, crappie, and other panfish are known for how easily they irritate a bass angler or get him off the game. For walleye anglers, bass serve as a nuisance in their fishing endeavors. Nevertheless, with every downside, there is an upside.
For walleye anglers, it requires skill and stealth to catch walleye. The biggest complaint heard from walleye anglers on bodies of water such as the Great Lakes is that they are catching hundreds of smallmouth and not enough walleye. If a bass angler listens to how these walleye anglers catch such high numbers of bass on baits like Chrome Storm Wiggle Warts, he may learn something new.
Walleye anglers often utilize techniques such as jigging and drop shotting. They are constantly plagued by smallmouth taking their precious leaches, and because of that, smallmouth have retained the name "rough fish" by walleye anglers. While some Northern walleye anglers strive to get away from these so-called nuisance fish, some realize that you cannot stop running into smallmouth while walleye fishing; you can only contain them. These anglers are doing what they always do, but to us bass anglers, what they do is impressive.
Same Areas, Different Habits
The fact that walleye anglers are running into smallmouth should not surprise anglers who know walleye relate to the bottom and smallmouth suspend. One reason these anglers run into smallmouth frequently is that as their baits drift down to the bottom-holding walleye, they must pass through hungry, suspended smallmouth. Because of this, the smallmouths have replaced the walleye when the walleye aren't biting.
Most of the time, that spot you pull up on to catch walleye will also hold some smallmouth. This makes it easy for any angler to pull up on one of their walleye spots and drop-shot an artificial leach or other lure, attempting to catch walleye but catching hundreds of smallmouth by accident.
Since walleye are finicky and selective about what lures they strike, finding the right lure to throw can be difficult. One of the best lures to catch both walleye and smallmouth is a jig with a leech on it.
The Differences And The Similarities
"Walleye baits tend to have more subtle action to them and often seem to mimic live bait better," said Tyler Mohr of Lakeville, Minnesota, who ice fishes in the winter and fishes the rest of the year for both bass and walleye. "Bass and walleye baits are similar often, and I think bass don't differentiate between types of lures. It's just food. From my experience, I haven't found that bass will consistently school with walleye, although once in a while, you will find the two species on the same piece of structure or in the same area."
"I think the biggest difference between baits is the actions and the profiles," noted Mohr. "Often bass lures will have a more aggressive action and will be bulkier in profile than walleye lures. I believe this because of their more subtle action. They can trigger bites from neutral or inactive fish in cold water."
Mohr explained that he can throw a much brighter colored lure for bass than for walleye. Part of what he has found is a color close to the color of the forage the walleye are feeding on to help trigger a feeding response from walleye.
"I think bass are some of the most aggressive fish I've seen with taking lures," explained the Minnesota angler. "Walleye have always struck me as a more finesse take. And I think that speaks to the retrieve as well. I've found that a more aggressive retrieve is better for bass than walleyes."
The Simple Answer
"The simple answer is that walleye and bass are both predatory fish who live in similar areas and eat similar things," explained Jason Karol of Rochester, NY. "Our lures, whether for bass or walleye, represent the forage that the fish eats. Walleye and bass don't know if the lure an angler is throwing is supposed to target one fish or the other. These fish just see the bait as food."
"Now, walleye prefer some baits that bass do not, but in the larger picture, both fish will eat similar baits," explained Karol. "I have personally caught walleye pitching jigs in deep weed beds targeting smallmouth, and likewise have caught smallmouth on grubs while targeting walleye."
Karol also noted that great lures that catch both types of fish include jigs, grubs, and even a Missile Baits Chunky D on a drop shot. He also noted that an angler should have a good pair of polarized shades to see rock piles and weed edges in deeper water.
The Regulars
"#7 Flicker shads and #7 & #9 Shad Raps are 'eye' lures that catch bass regularly. Casting or trolling. They don't cast so great because they are meant to be more of a trolling lure, but they work well on a spinning rod or a Medium light casting rod," Brad Huston of Columbus, NE. A typical bass cranking setup can handle the #9 sizes well if you don't want to drop down to the #7. Those Wally cranks shine in cold water or tough bite conditions.
"I also catch walleyes on bass lures. I've caught several walleyes on drop shots and other finesse-rigged soft plastic setups," Huston noted. "I often catch smallmouth, largemouth, walleyes, pike, drum, rock bass, etc., off the same spots with the same lures. Until I get it to the boat, I don't know what I have most of the time, unless it's a drum or a pike. They like to bend the rod. A jig head with a grub body or a minnow will catch about anything."
