WALLEYES

With lots of water, diverse structural elements and several incoming & outflowing major rivers, Nagagami is a walleye factory. And, because several lodges and camps operate on the big lake, a river mouth sanctuary policy is in effect on the Foch and Obakamiga ("Buck") Rivers until mid-June. Walleyes are found throughout the lake: in current flows at river sites, along weedlines and in the larger weedbeds, off islands and pointes over gravel bottoms, and on mid-lake structures including several classic shoals, humps, sunken islands, drop-offs and bars.

As suggested earlier, the spring walleye fishery focuses on post-spawn (male) fish, near river outflows. It is not unusual to see a pack of boats in a small area with all anglers catching limits of walleyes and releasing many fish. Springtime is minnow time and Nagagami is a "minnow lake" all season long. To protect the lake, minnows are carefully collected and sorted before being flown into the camps for fishing. Rigged on small snelled hooks, live-bait rigs or tiny jigs, minnows are fished at the mouths of rivers where deeper areas have been created by the current or along current breaks/eddies. Other productive springtime/early summer walleye locations include the island group out from Pody Creek, an area designated "The Flats" and the upper portion of the out-flowing Nagagami River (as far downstream as Moose Lake).

Summer walleyes are widely scattered and predictable, low-light feeders. Three approaches are commonly used by Nagagami & Timberwolf Lodge guests: stillfishing minnows, backtrolling with live-bait rigs, and jigging. Standard, forward trolling with wobbling plugs or body baits is almost unheard of here.

For both experienced anglers and vacationing families with kids at Nagagami Lodge, stillfishing minnows was a popular and effective technique. Whether anglers positioned themselves out from a weedline or weedbed, along a dropoff that fell to 20 or 30 foot depths or atop the sunken islands and shoals, limits of great-eating walleyes in the 1 to 3 pound range were the rule-day after day. Best times included the early morning hours, but the twilight times were tops. Daytime fishing was given over to pike. Dave and I took a lot of kidding about our fishing off the dock at night with floats/bobbers. That's OK. Each night without fail (about 10:30) we'd slip down to the camp dock and catch 3 or 4 good walleye for breakfast. By 1:00 or so we'd caught our fish and were enjoying no-less-than-spectacular displays of shimmering Northern Lights. Those evenings may have been the most enjoyable I spent all summer; they certainly were unforgettable! Get a second opinion - ask Dave!

Both Mike Bauer and Ron Dunn, managers of the two lodges, effective fished walleyes the same way: back-trolling across mid-lake shoals with live-bait rigs dressed with minnows. For this approach a depthfinder/flasher/graph is a must for locating the

structure and then systematically working the bait rig up and down it until fish are contacted. Favourite spots included a large, marked shoal northeast of the Twin Islands, the "Banana Shoal" beyond that, and isolated humps in the main-lake basin including one off Chuck's Point and another in the midst of the lake's eastern basin. The latter spot is tough to locate. Mike put us onto it in a driving rain one morning. Sure that he was "testing our resolve and mettle", we dutifully backtrolled this spot in the middle of nowhere. Bingo-several larger walleyes! Touché, Mike, but couldn't it have waited?

Although live-bait fishing is the norm at Nagagami, jigging accounts for excellent catches of "yellows". Location is the key to successful jigging: over shoals/humps/sunken islands or along weedlines and dropoffs. Any significant change in depth, bottom content or cover will attract and hold walleyes, especially during feeding periods. For Nagagami Lake walleyes, pink, white and yellow jigs in the 1/8 to 1/4 ounce sizes are recommended with pink getting the nod most times. Tipped with a small piece of worm or a lively minnow, jigs should be cast and worked down ledges and humps, jigged in short hops off deeper bottoms or cast and retrieved steadily over shallow (6 to 10 feet) bars. On our sidetrip to Hiawatha Lake, drifting a jig & worm combo proved the undoing of scores of walleyes. Our best catches (biggest fish) came off the head of the Banana Shoal where we carefully located and marked a "bite" out of an otherwise regular edge. Everytime we drifted to that spot we picked up fish, including the three largest fish of our stay and the largest caught at camp that week. A tiny "something special" spot.

Don't overlook weedbeds and weedlines as good spots for walleyes. One party at camp ceremoniously located, marked and fished a weedline at The Meadows