Articles by Jeff Simpson

I’ve already temporarily misplaced my year-and-a-half-old Labrador, Chase, too many times. Oh, for a youngster, he minds fairly well—knows his fundamental commands like sit, stay, come, fetch, and...View article

In fall, walleyes make the move upstream. Once they reach a dam or barrier, they fall back into portions of the river immediately downstream where current is reduced. Dams are an obvious barrier, but...View article

My guess is that only a few eccentric walleye fanatics have fallen asleep dreaming about their boat drifting over thousands of walleyes weighing between 6 and 14 pounds. Oh, I suppose a few have conjured...View article

Walleyes are susceptible and can be tempted to eat—even when they are full—when the right bait suspends in front of them. Whether it’s a neutrally buoyant crankbait, livebait...View article

Nobody likes getting his lure wedged in a snag, but getting snagged a time or two is part of the deal if you’re targeting walleyes around rocks. Submerged rocks—whether scattered or in a pile—attract...View article

In the shallows, tactics like pitching and flipping jigs or crankbaits, dipping livebait on a jig, or suspending livebait below a float are consistent producers. The often overlooked key to success,...View article

Boat control, patience, and natural attraction are vital aspects of livebait rigging for walleyes. You must have good boat control skills to proceed at just the right speed over the right spot, giving...View article

Vertical jigging minimizes line length to your lure and water resistance, which maximizes control and allows you to position a lure in precise spots. It’s an ideal way to present jigs, spoons, or...View article

Reservoirs are manmade hybrids of lake and river environments that reflect the landform they impound. Some are shallow with abundant flooded cover; some are deep with little vegetation; others have...View article

Longline trolling crankbaits quickly eliminates unproductive water when walleyes are suspended, spread out on flats, along contour edges and shallow shorelines, or roaming open basins. It’s a good...View article

Daiwa V.I.P. Specialty Muskie Rods series include three bucktail and four jerkbait rods that feature high modulus blanks, tough Fuji New Concept Alconite guides, and Fuji reel seats. The...View article

Time brings me to the end of my fishing day, but I always make one last cast before I head home. I reposition and firm my grip. My eyes reflex-squint and scan for the perfect spot. Ah, there it is....View article

Tip-ups—in their simplest form a spool of line on a stick with a warning flag—remain top tools for presenting baits to catch fish. They work for pike, lake trout, stocked trout, largemouth and smallmouth...View article

Veteran angler and guide Steve Fellegy has been ice fishing Minnesota lakes for over 40 years. “Throughout the year, walleyes can be found deep, shallow, and everywhere in between,” he says. “But...View article

My twin brother John and I were about six years old the winter we tagged along on another ice-fishing adventure with our dad and his fishing partner, Ed Tyc. After a long walk to a known submerged rock-hump,...View article