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In-Line Attractors
by Dennis Foster for The Mack Attack, May 31, 2016
With all of the uncertainties of early spring (unpredictable weather, spawning, baitfish runs, etc.) behind us, we can now concentrate on putting some firm and relatively reliable late spring and early summer patterns together as walleyes will become much more responsive and begin to feed in earnest.
This being said, it is no longer necessary to employ the dainty little tactics that are so common early in the open water season. If there is one misconception that the majority of walleye anglers will cling to like their mother‘s breast, it’s that walleyes are shy, timid creatures, responding only to small offering examined in great detail. Absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. walleyes are a top of the line predator in all of the waters they inhabit. Just make a few very simple observations and you can easily discern this. They have enormous eyes capable of giving them a distinct advantage over prey in any light conditions-particularly low light. Add a streamlined body built for speed, with a relatively large mouth containing plenty of sharp teeth, and you cannot tell me that an animal such as this will not run down and attack anything it perceives to be a substantial meal.
This is key knowledge if we are looking to consistently catch mature (big) walleyes. More often than not, anglers go completely backwards in selecting baits; feeling that if a standard sized bait is being ignored, they need to downsize. It’s probably being ignored because there is not enough reward in the form of calories for the effort expended. No sense settling for a snack when a meals awaits. These fish have survived several seasons and grown large because of their efficient nature so take note of this.
The use of large crank baits or spinners beefed up with oversized blades and beads is a step in the right direction. But we can go even further and use a system that will enhance the overall profile and appeal of any bait – the inline attractor. Think of flashers or dodgers used by salmon and trout trollers, only on a bit smaller scale. We are looking to create the appearance of either a school of bait and or bait being chased by our lure. Either way, this trips some irresistible biological feeding cues that even inactive fish will react to.
One such system is the Hot Wings manufactured by Mack’s Lure® www.mackslure.com. It consists of 2 thin, counter rotating mylar blades producing 360 degrees of flash in a 4 inch package. We all know just how proven spinning flash can be to all fish and this just intensifies it.
With this system, just snap your lure or spinner into the back of the attractor and fish it in your normal manner. Please note that it is not speed dependent, nor will it great¬ly affect running depth. If you are looking to add a unique technique to your bag of tricks this season, employing tactics such as these will put you well on your way.
