Jeremy Smith and Pete Przepiora explore the Kashabowie River system, showcasing cutting-edge plastics and jig innovations for walleyes.
By Jeremy Smith | Angling Edge
Crushing Walleyes on Plastics in Superior Country
There are trips where everything lines up—and then there are trips where you learn something. This one in Sunset Country did both.
We rolled into the Chibandawan system at Cachabowee River Reserve with a loose plan, a deck full of rods, and a mindset that said, let the fish tell us what they want. Within minutes, they did. Big walleyes. Shallow confidence. Deep precision. And a whole lot of plastic doing the heavy lifting.
First Spot, Big Statement
Literally the first stop of the trip delivered a jaw-dropper—Pete’s first walleye of the adventure, and an absolute magnum. A true Superior Country fish, caught the way we love catching them: paddle-tail plastic on a swimbait head, tight to bottom, snapped just enough to trigger reaction bites.
What stood out immediately was how glued these fish were to the sand. Not rock. Not classic “Canadian walleye structure.” Clean sand flats in that 23–28 foot range, with subtle irregularities. The kind of stuff you drive right past if you’re not paying attention.
Plastics > Everything Else
We rotated through a pile of presentations—jigging raps, livebait, classic jig-and-minnow—but plastics were the clear winners. Paddle tails, slim jerk profiles, compact tungsten heads. Fast drop. Quick dart. Then pause.
A lot of these bites weren’t felt. You’d snap the jig, let it crash, go to lift—and suddenly the rod loads up. That slack-line bite is classic deep-water walleye behavior, and plastics excel at it because they hunt just enough without overdoing it.
The real sweet spot? Half-ounce tungsten heads paired with slim plastic bodies. Compact. Fast. Precise. Enough weight to get down immediately, but subtle enough to stay natural.
Mapping Still Matters Most
We ran forward-facing sonar, no question. But what really unlocked this bite was building our own map. Using AutoChart Live to zig-zag these flats let us see subtle depth changes that don’t exist on standard maps. Once we found a pod of fish, we’d mark it, map it, then fish it intentionally instead of chasing individual targets on the screen.
Ironically, we caught more fish when we stopped staring at the sonar.
Gear That Does Everything
If I had to recommend one rod for a trip like this, it’s a 7’1” medium-power, fast-action spinning rod. Something versatile enough to throw jigs, snap plastics, fish jigging raps, or even pitch shallow when the opportunity presents itself. The rod I leaned on all trip was from St. Croix Rods, and it handled everything without compromise.
On the reel side, smooth drag matters when every other fish is a legit heavyweight. The consistency from Daiwa spinning reels made fighting these fish stress-free—even when they decided to dig.
Bonus Browns & Why Canada Is Special
When the walleye bite slowed, we slid shallow and started reading the shoreline. Broken rock. Clear water. Classic Canadian visuals. A few casts later, we were into big, colorful smallmouth that reminded us why exploring beats grinding every single time.
This trip wasn’t about locking into one technique—it was about staying open, adapting fast, and letting plastics shine where they’re often overlooked.
Big walleyes. Clean sand. Simple snaps. Sometimes the best lessons come fast—and hit hard.
