Fri, Jun 9th, 2023 - 8:53am
May 16, 2022 - 9:00am | By James McCarty
The Flag Outdoors Expert Steve Carney has your weekly Outdoors Angle right here!
As we slide into the month of May, the fishing will only get better! The late ice-out means that mid to late May will be the start of the best fishing of the open water season.
Crankbaits are my go-to bait as we get into the month. Crankbaits are a term that is generally a generic term which covers minnow imitation style baits that we both troll and cast. Crankbaits come in dozens of styles and brands and they are very versatile as they can be trolled from depths of 4 feet to 25 feet. It's all about the "lip" on the front of the baits that gives them the ability to dive to different depths. The larger the lip, the deeper the bait will go.
Early season walleyes and pike tend to be shallow critters during May which means you want to cast and troll crankbaits with the smallest lip you can find. These smaller lipped baits dive to about 6 feet max which is ideal for early season. Too many anglers use the deeper baits and tend to get hung up on rocks as they dive and make contact. It's no fun losing a ten dollar crankbait to rocks.
Crankbait colors tend to be overrated. I stick to two basic colors which are perch and silver. These two colors represent the baitfish that inhabit our lakes and are really all you need. Don't get hung up on color and buy more than you need. The color selections are there to catch the fisherperson not the fish!
Steve Carney is The Flag WZFG Outdoors expert. He can be heard every Thursday morning at 8:05 on AM 1100 and 92.3 FM WZFG. Check out his weekly podcast on am1100theflag.com and hear his Outdoors Angle reports every Friday on AM 1100 and 92.3 FM WZFG. You can also visit stevecarneyoutdoors.com for more information.
