When fishing shallow water, one of the trickiest aspects is keeping the fish pinned. Those targeting greenbacks on Lake Winnipeg know all too well the challenge of using barbless hooks in Manitoba. However, these challenges matter when fishing shallow in general, even with barbed hooks on Devils Lake where a lot of walleye are caught in just 3-4 feet of water.
There are a few key things you can do to help increase your odds of landing fish in shallow:
- One of the biggest things is to upsize hook(s). Most of the lures that you’ll buy have hooks that are just too small, especially when pinching barbs off to use them on Lake Winnipeg. Sometimes, you can even double the size of the hook at the bottom of your spoon.
- You can also help increase your landing average by not pumping your rod after setting the hook. Keep your rod bent the entire time to maintain constant tension and use a steady crank to reel it in. Think of it like a winching action and just keep that tension constant without moving the rod around.
- Finally, tighten your drag up a bit. Make sure it’s not too loose allowing too much slack in your line.
These tips should help you land more big fish in shallow water this winter ,especially when you have to use barbless hooks.
