Part 1

I heard once about a guy who had been bringing home beautiful stringers of walleye.  It wasn’t long before envious anglers in the area began trying to find out just where he was having his success.

Their curiosity didn’t get them very far.  Whenever someone asked “Where did you hook those beauties?” this successful angler’s response was always the same.  He’d simply say “I hooked every darn one of ‘em right in the mouth.”

I’ve used that line a time or two myself over the years when I’ve found a hot spot that nobody else seemed to know about and that I wasn’t particularly interested in sharing.  Something tells me a Minnesota angler I ran into earlier this year might also be able to make good use of it.

The fisherman I’m talking about is Scott Lysford, of Detroit Lakes.  I’ve seen pictorial evidence of the catches Scott and some of his friends have made on the walleye water Scott has found.  Just where is he doing his fishing?  Ask him that question and his response is short and sweet.  “Up north” is all you’re gonna get as far as finding out is concerned.

Here's all the pictorial proof anybody needs with regard to Scott Lysford's fishing skills.  He'll tell you how he catches beauties like this but he's not about to reveal exactly where.

Scott will tell you that he did some scouting around before pinning down the water where he’s had so much success.  He owns property in the area.  “I’m being honest with you,” he says, “when I tell you no one else is fishing within miles of where we now fish.  We are gentlemen fishermen.  We usually leave the cabin around 8 a.m. and are back for a late breakfast around 11 a.m.  By then we have usually caught four to six quality walleye.  When Lysford mentions quality he’s often talking about fish in the 7 to 10-pound bracket.

Before you tell me that’s too good to be true, let me say again I’ve seen pictorial evidence that backs up what he has to say.  So have some of the friends he’s invited to share in what he refers to as his personal “Walleye Goldmine.”

Wilson, Scott Lysford's 12-year old son, also gets into the action at his dad's mystery walleye lake.

As I’ve mentioned, Scott owns property in the area where his mystery lake is located.  He says he had fished in the same general area for five years and only boated a half dozen walleyes.  That was before he ran into another property owner who pointed him to the spot that’s now paying off big time.

This hard fishing Minnesota angler keeps a record of the walleye he catches.  Since he found the new area he has caught 14 fish of 9-pounds or more.  Seven of those fish topped 10-pounds and the largest one of the bunch weighed 11-pounds, 4-ounces.  How does that compare with your own walleye fishing?

And Lysford thinks he’s going to do even better.  “I am convinced,” he told me, “that this year I’ll get one of at least 14-pounds.”

Scott will tell you there’s another big reason why he’s knocked the scales off so many of those trophy-sized walleyes.  It’s the lure he’s been taking them on and the fashion in which he’s been fishing it.

All I’m going to tell you right now is that the lure is a Mack’s Lure Cha Cha.  If that doesn’t peak your interest you really aren’t big on walleye fishing or you don’t read so good.

I’ll give you the rest of the story in my next column.  Watch for it beginning May 15.

-To Be Continued-