Fish Pymatuning Like a Pro

Fish Pymatuning Lake Like A Pro

By Keith Eshbaugh

My first thoughts on Pymatuning Lake used to be of 14-inch fish with everyone drifting live bait aimlessly across the lake. Every time you go there you’ll see anglers coming from the boat launches out to where they see other boats fishing and they’ll stop in the “pack” and start fishing. If you fish smarter and use the following information in this article I’ll guarantee you’ll catch more and bigger walleye on Pymatuning.

First of all you need to get rid of the mentality that you have to drift to catch fish. There are many techniques that work on Pymatuning, with the best methods being trolling crawler harnesses or crankbaits, jigging, and live bait fishing. There is a time and place for trolling, jigging or live bait; you just have to determine what to use when.

From April through fall I strictly troll Pymatuning with crawler harnesses or crankbaits. For harnesses you should use Fireline to your 1 1/2- to two ounce bottom bouncer and an 18 inch- to 36 inch crawler harness with enough worm to attach to both hooks on the harness. Crankbait trolling is strictly on lead core line with a 5- to 10 foot leader, depending on water clarity. My crankbait selection would be Reef Runner Little Rippers, 1/4 ounce. Hot-N-Tots, #5 Wally Divers, or #9 Floating Rapalas.

Pymatuning walleye are like any other walleye. They like structure, edges, weeds, etc. You can find fish in the weeds with panfish on the deeper channel edges toward the center of the lake, on sand and gravel bars, or in the stump beds. Finding the fish isn’t difficult either. Break the water column down into three depths. Shallow, medium or deep; the majority of the walleye will be in one of those three depths.

My last trip to Pymatuning in mid-May yielded limits of 15- to 22 inch fish for two days; while I watched the drifters pick up smaller fish. Here is how I accomplished catching these fish. After talking with Lenny at the Duck and Drake in Ohio he recommended the south end, but I had to check out the north end of the lake first and after two hours of not catching fish I went south and started fishing the deeper channel in 18- to 22 feet. We trolled the deeper water with little success then moved shallower and hit 17 feet for our first 19-inch walleye. After that fish we continued in 15- to 17 feet and kept on catching fish all day. Our secret was to pinpoint the depth the fish were using and stay in that depth with the right presentation.

Day one was rough water with lots of wind, but the walleye love these conditions. Our presentation was Wally Divers, Hot-n-Tots and Reef Runner Deep Little Rippers on lead core line. I run three colors of lead core, which are colored every 30 feet with a six-foot leader of 10-pound test Ashima fluorocarbon. I then adjust the trolling speed to find out how fast the fish want the lures. It ended up being 1/2- to two mph. To get your trolling depth correct you let out enough line and lead core till your bait ticks the bottom, then you reel in a few feet till it doesn’t touch anymore. You have to keep the boat in approximately the same depth or you’ll have to adjust the amount of line you have out. If you put forth a little effort when trolling you will get rewarded with more fish on your line!

Day two consisted of the same trolling technique, only the fish didn’t want Hot-n-Tots or Wally Divers so we ended up running all Deep Little Rippers. The only difference this day was it was flat calm and the fish were in 18- to 20 feet. Every day is a new day and you have to find where the fish are on that particular day. We trolled around all the people drifting and live bait fishing and pulled in fish after fish. We even had two other boats troll up to us to ask what we were using.

Another technique I like on Pymatuning is trolling a 1 1/2 – two ounce bottom bouncer with Bait Rigs Astrobrite crawler harness with a size two or three blade. Make the harness leader around 18– to 36 inch long and let out enough line so the bottom bouncer rides on the bottom. Walleyes love harnesses in late spring and summer and this technique should not be overlooked.

Your next trip to Pymatuning or any body of water should consist of finding where the fish are holding; use a lure that you know the fish will like, and find the ideal trolling speed. My favorite colors on Pymatuning in Hot-n-Tots are Black/silver, perch, and purple. Little Ripper colors are Black/silver, Mud minnow, Eriedescent, and wonderbread.

You can catch fish long lining crankbaits on monofilament, but it’s not as effective as lead core. Lead core line enables you to control the depth of the bait, contour troll around points, and present your baits in exact location. Try trolling on your next trip, but don’t give up if you’re not successful the first time.

Stop by the Duck and Drake and talk to Lenny, He’ll tell you what you need and where the fish are. The folks there are very informative and want you to catch fish or try to catch one of my seminars at the sport shows in spring and learn about fishing Pennsylvania lakes.