Max Wilson recently participated in the Predator Fishing World Championships in the Czech Republic targeting zander and perch on the Slapy Reservoir. He has a simple that doesn’t just work chasing zander in the Czech Republic but will also work to catch more walleye right now back at home.
During the tournament, Wilson relied heavily on swimbaits to catch zander, which is one of his favorite presentations to target walleye back home. A Northland Slurp Jig with a Keitech 4″ Easy Shiner was his go-to presentation on the Slapy Reservoir. You can use this exact presentation to target both walleye and zander, but the difference is in how you fish it. Back home when targeting walleye, it’s usually a straight retrieve or sometimes a snap and fall cadence. In the Czech Republic for zander, it’s a quick, short reel keeping the bait near bottom and letting it dig into the sand or mud in a technique locally called mud-dragging. Wilson will often use a similar technique for walleyes when the bite is very finesse, especially in the spring. For this technique to work, you need a nose shaped jig that will dig into the bottom. The idea is that the nose digs in and creates a plume in the water which attracts fish to the commotion. Zanders easily get spooked by fast action and seem to prefer baits that drags tightly along the bottom, especially when they’ve been pressured. That means it’s also a great presentation on a tough bite with heavily pressured walleyes. Next time you are dealing with a tough bite, give mud-dragging a try and you should catch a lot more fish.
