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If you ever have the good fortune to talk to Kurt Sonderman about fishing for walleye I have a suggestion. My suggestion is simply this: Sit down, shut up and listen.Follow that advice and in short order you’ll walk away with head full of stuff that will help in your own search for the elusive walleye. I know what I’m talking about.I say that with conviction because I recently had the good fortune to visit with Kurt myself. One of the things I wanted to find out was how Kurt, a full time fishing guide from Kennewick, WA has established such an enviable reputation among knowledgeable walleye anglers. Here’s just one example. Among other things, Sonderman has been part of the two-man team that has won the Washington State Walleye Circuit “Angler of the Year” award two years in succession. Kurt and his fishing partner, Kevin Olsen, of Umatilla, OR, fished in all six of this year’s Washington State Walleye Circuit tournaments. Besides the plaques and the cash awards they picked up, the two also earned the right to take part in the prestigious Cabella’s Walleye Team Championship next year. There are, of course, numerous reasons Sonderman has been able to develop his walleye catching skills. For starters, he’s worked his tail off to refine and polish the required techniques. He has been guiding full time since 1995. No one comes up with the kind of record he has established without spending a whole lot of time on the water. But Kurt is quick to share some of the other secrets that have also contributed to his success. Visit with him, and I urge you to do so if you have opportunity, and it won’t be long before he’ll tell you about Mack’s Lure Smile Blades. He credits these easy-turning Mylar blades for a good bit of the success he and his clients have enjoyed. “I’ve been using Smile Blades ever since they came out,” Kurt says. “I use them for everything from salmon and steelhead to shad and walleye.”
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| Kurt Sonderman will tell you Mack's Lure Smile Blades are an important part of his award-winning walleye fishing technique |
One of the things I enjoyed most in listening to Sonderman was the thinking that went along with his use of Mack’s Lure Smile Blades. “For one thing,” he says, “I change the size of my Smile Blades to match the size of the baitfish the walleyes are after. For example, on the Columbia River in late summer the primary forage for walleye are shad smolt. These tiny baitfish are only about 1 ¼-inch in length. During this period I use the smallest of the Smile Blades along with my bottom walker weights.”
The 33 year-old guide’s approach changes when he’s fishing the Columbia in the spring. “In the spring,” Kurt says, “the water is often murky and the baitfish are larger. Then I go to the larger Smile Blades because they give me more flash and permit a slower presentation.”
“Mack’s Lure has introduced some great products,” Sonderman says. “Their Smile Blades are one of them. There simply is no comparison between Smile Blades and metal spinners. Smile Blades can be used at any speed but are Number One when it comes to a slow bait presentation. That’s extremely important because you’ll find that a slow presentation is often a critical factor in successful walleye fishing.”
Sonderman has another reason for being so enthusiastic about Smile Blades. Like other walleye pros I’ve talked to, he likes the way they make trolling so much easier. “The Smile Blades have virtually no drag on your line,” he says. “Metal blades are so much heavier and have a lot more drag.”
Sonderman’s favorite walleye water is the
Columbia River between McNary Dam and the John Day Dam. It’s easy to understand why. He and his clients have taken 40 walleye of more than 14-pounds out of that area of the river. Last spring that same stretch of the Columbia also produced the largest walleye Sonderman has caught so far. It was a whopping 18.25-pounds.
Every darn one of those big fish went back into the
Columbia. Some of them may have been weighed and photographed, but they went back into the river to help sustain the big river’s walleye fishery.
As I mentioned, Sonderman doesn’t restrict his use of Smile Blades to just catching walleye. He says they work great for salmon fishing. When he’s after salmon he also utilizes another Mack’s Lure product called Hot Wings. “I often use the Hot Wings 18-inches above my herring. I’ve also used them ahead of some of the plugs I troll.”
Before winding up my interview of this prize-winning expert I asked him what he considered the most common mistake he sees less experienced anglers make when they are after walleye. “”The most common mistake,” he says, “is fishing too fast and not maintaining contact with the bottom.”
Sonderman says it’s essential that you be able to determine how fast your bait is moving to maintain bottom contact. “Sometimes, depending on conditions,” he says, “that can be very difficult. Things like current speed, not being able to see the bank, fog, etc. make it impossible to be certain how fast your bait is moving.”
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| Kevin Olsen, pictured here, is the other half of the Sonderman/Olsen award-winning walleye team. The two walleye experts have won the Washington State Walleye Circuit "Angler of the Year" award two years in succession. |
Sonderman says the best way around that problem is to purchase a hand held GPS unit. He uses one made by Garmin that retails for about $100. “It has done wonders for me,” he says.
Finally, this recognized expert has another bit of advice for the beginning walleye angler. “If you have computer access,” he says, “get in the habit of reading the information presented at www.northwestwalleye.com. It’s a darn good way to learn more about walleye fishing. The guy who runs that web site does a real good job with it.”
Like I said in the beginning, listen up if you get a chance to visit with Kurt Sonderman. Even better is to schedule a guided trip with him. The phone number of his R & R Outdoors Guide Service is (509) 948-0763. As you might guess, Kurt is a popular guide. Give him ample lead-time if you plan to book a trip with him.
I’d like to do the same thing myself.
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