“Dennis Braun Catches Muskie, Northern Pike, Crappie, Walleyes and Bass on Mepps and Mister Twister”

Part 2: Walleyes and Mepps

Editor’s Note: Dennis Braun of Vermilion, Ohio, fishes for everything that swims. That’s why he uses Mepps and Mister Twister products because Mepps spinners and Mister Twister soft plastics will catch just about every fish that swims. “I haven’t had a chance to try them on whales and minnows, but I’m convinced that if they could see Mepps spinners and Mister Twister soft plastics and could get them in their mouths, they’d eat them.” He fishes quite a bit on Leesville Lake (near New Philadelphia), Clear Fork Reservoir (near Mansfield), Rocky Fork Lake (in Hillsboro) and Pymatuning (in Andover) with Mepps spinners and Mister Twister soft plastics.

Question: What are you using to catch your walleyes?

Braun: I like the Mepps SpinFlex. I shorten my leader to about 2 feet when I’m fishing this lure. I like to fish it on Lake Erie and many of the inland lakes I go to up in Canada. This bait is really good for fishing in weeds. I’ll usually cast the bait or troll using an electric motor. I’ll usually put a night crawler on the hook to trail behind it. If I decide I need to get this bait down a little deeper, I’ll put a split shot on the line and troll it somewhat deeper.

Question: What pound-test line are you using when you’re fishing for walleyes?

Braun: I use 10-pound-test monofilament. I use a 6-1/2 or 7-foot rod and either a Ambassadeur baitcasting reel or a Daiwa spinning reel. I want to be able to feel that lure barely touching the weeds.

Question: How big are the walleyes you’re catching?

Braun: On Lake Erie, the walleyes will weigh from 1-1/2 to 13 pounds, and I have caught a 15-pound walleye. We have really good walleye fishing on Lake Erie. I live about 150 yards from the lake, and I keep up with the movement patterns of the walleyes. So, I usually have a good idea of when and where to find the most-productive walleye fishing. I generally take two or three people fishing with me, and on most days we go, we can get our limit of six walleyes apiece. I’ve seen some years where we’ve gone every day for 3 weeks and gotten a limit of fish every day, but that usually occurs in the spring.

Our walleye season is open all-year long. However, on Lake Erie, we start about the middle of April, depending on how warm the weather gets. We usually have good fishing up until Thanksgiving, and we’ve fished for them successfully as late as December 15th in some years.