We're heading out to Banks Lake on Thursday, and planning to keep at it until Sunday. The guy who we're going with loves fishing for walleye and they'll be our main target, but from what I'm hearing it's hard to scrape up a good size group of walleye. I grew up in Alabama fishing for whatever I could get to bite ("fishing seasons" are quite the culture shock, btw) so I am hoping if we can't get the walleye to bite that we can switch and chase something else. Anyone got any advice on how to load the boat with walleyes, or if we can't do that what else we should chase and how we should do it?

Thanks,

Jason

The Devil's Punch Hole (next to the State Park) has traditionally been a good place for walleyes. If you have a map of the lake bed (available in many sporting goods stores) you can find another excellent shelf on the south side of Steamboat rock. I've had some success there in years past. It is a bit of a run to get there - about 4 miles I believe. Smallmouth bass would be another target in the rocky areas of the shoreline. I'm no bass expert so I can't offer much help to you.

Good luck!

Thanks, Mike! We stayed at the state park at Steamboat last year, when we caught a grand total of 3 walleyes for 6 people in three days. This year the state park was all booked up so we're staying at Sunbanks instead. I grew up in the South, so it won't take that much to make me stop chasing walleyes and go after bass like I've been doing for most of my life.

I can't offer up any information on locations but small mouth love hanging out along rocky structure. I've done well with small spinners, crayfish crankbaits or darker colored plastics (purple, black, motor oil). Man made rock dams, breakwaters or road berms should all be productive.

I'd stop off at Big Wally's in Coulee City on the way to the state park and ask them a few questions.