Al Lindner and guide Tom Neustrom employ “bread and butter” walleye techniques for consistent action on Minnesota’s Lake Winnibigoshish, a first-class multi-species destination.
Mastering Walleye Tactics on Lake Winnie: A Day on Big Winnie with Guide Tom Neustrom
Welcome to Lake Winnibigoshish, affectionately known as “Big Winnie,” one of the true gems of northern Minnesota. For anglers chasing the beloved walleye, this lake is a classroom, and today’s lesson is “Walleye Presentations 101.” This trip offers a deep dive into techniques, lake structure, and a masterclass in multi-method fishing from seasoned guide Tom Neustrom.
The moment you feel that telltale tug on the line and see the rod bow, there’s no mistaking the prize—it’s a walleye. And as one angler noted while pulling in a nice fish, “That’s a good one.” Winnie has no shortage of these moments. From the first catch of the day to refining presentations on the fly, every pass over the weed beds or along the drop-offs teaches something new.
Setting the Stage with an Old Friend
This particular adventure is shared between old friends, reuniting on familiar waters. Tom Neustrom, a longtime professional fishing guide, leads the day on one of his favorite lakes. He guides across many lakes in the region, but Winnie holds a special place in his heart—and with good reason.
With its rich biodiversity and scenic wilderness flanking the shoreline, Lake Winnibigoshish is the quintessential northern Minnesota fishery. Today, the focus is on walleyes, though the lake supports a variety of species including muskies, northern pike, perch, crappies, and even underrated bass. It’s a complete angler’s paradise.
Starting with Trolling – Chasing the Big Bite
The morning began with trolling, hoping to draw out some of the lake’s larger walleyes. It didn’t take long before Tom put a solid 20-incher in the boat. Soon after, a few “eaters” joined the tally. Though one big one was lost at the boat, the early action showed promise.
After a couple of hours trolling, the plan shifted. “Let’s go try something a little bit different,” Tom suggested. The crew moved into the weed beds to jig and pull spinners. It wasn’t long before the rods were bending again.
Spinner Rigs and Weed Bed Exploration
Spinners proved effective almost immediately. As Tom explained, spinners are a great delivery system for covering water and probing weed beds. While the number of beads on the rig may not matter much, the spinner blade and hook setup certainly does.
Gold spinners were the blade of choice on this day—ideal for stained or colored water. The rigs featured long-shank VMC hooks, allowing anglers to rig minnows cleanly and effectively. The technique? Insert the hook through the minnow’s mouth, out the gill, and then bring it through the body for a straight-running presentation. A slightly exposed barb helps ensure solid hooksets.
Although some might call it “old school,” the effectiveness of this rig speaks for itself.
Classic Winnibigoshish Tactics: Tried and True
Walleye presentations on Winnie boil down to three essentials: jigs, live bait rigs, and spinners. These methods are proven across all seasons and conditions. Whether you’re working shallow flats, weed edges, or deeper rock structures, these core approaches consistently produce results.
The lake supports a wide range of sizes and quantities of walleyes. Whether you’re looking for sheer numbers or that one trophy fish, these tactics will serve you well. Occasionally, corking with leeches on rocks or pulling plugs can add to the mix, but the staples remain jigs, rigs, and spinners.
Gear and Boat Setup Insights from a Pro
One fascinating aspect of this trip is watching Tom use his main engine—a 200 horsepower Mercury four-stroke—to back troll. Many might expect a kicker motor for such precise control, but Tom prefers the efficiency and technology built into his primary motor. With smart gauges, he dials in exact speeds—critical when pulling spinners where consistency is key.
For finesse spinner rigs in the weeds, the setup is refreshingly simple: a 1/8-ounce bullet sinker, a bead, a barrel swivel, and a 14-inch VMC Revolution Hex Spinner Rig. The innovative clevis system allows for quick blade changes, which can be a game-changer depending on water clarity and light conditions.
Back trolling at around 1.4 mph, Tom keeps the spinner rig moving just above the weeds—an ideal zone to tempt active fish while avoiding snags.
Lake Winnibigoshish Diverse Fishery
Lake Winnie is much more than just a walleye lake. Perch are another staple, attracting both anglers and fish alike. And while they may fly under the radar, the lake also harbors some true trophies.
The state record musky came out of these waters over 50 years ago—a record still unbroken. Giant crappies show up especially in the fall, bluegills are here if you know where to look, and there’s even a healthy bass population that remains a well-kept secret.
With thirteen resorts dotting the shoreline around Winnie and the adjacent Cut Foot Sioux Lake, the area offers a mix of hospitality and unspoiled wilderness. Resorts provide comfortable access points, while the surrounding forests lend a serene, back-to-nature charm that keeps anglers coming back.
The Magic of Presentation—and a Bit of Luck
One of the charming anecdotes from the trip involved a woman who out-fished her husband and guide by simply doing something slightly different. A minor variation in spinner color was all it took to turn the day in her favor. “Fish on, fish off,” but mostly fish on for her.
It’s moments like these that make fishing such a humbling pursuit. Just when you think you have it figured out, the fish—and sometimes the anglers—teach you something new.
A Day to Remember on Lake Winnibigoshish
As the day unfolded, it became clear just how special it was for Al Lindner to return to his guiding roots. “I’m kind of getting back to my roots,” he said with a grin, watching his guest, Tom Neustrom, pull in yet another walleye. With each fish landed, Tom was, as Al put it, “beating me like a Salvation Army drum.”
But the laughs were paired with real admiration for the fishery. Lake Winnibigoshish—or “Winnie”—is a powerhouse when it comes to walleye production. A major part of that success is due to a robust stocking program and healthy natural reproduction.
One of the standout details shared by Tom was that about 50% of all the walleyes stocked in Minnesota come from the Cutfoot Sioux Hatchery, a facility nestled right near the lake. “That’s a big number when you think about it,” Al remarked, amazed at the scale of operation.
Tom went on to explain that hatcheries across the state operate with a rule of thumb—return 10-percent of what’s netted back into the lake. But Cutfoot doesn’t stop there. Between fry stocking and natural reproduction, 10 to 12 million walleyes are added annually to the system. It’s no wonder the lake continues to produce incredible fish year after year.
Understanding Winnie’s Structure and Strategy
Lake Winnie is a maze of underwater points, weed beds, sunken islands, and rock piles—prime habitat for walleyes. But as Al and Tom discovered during their trip, not all structure is equal. They began the day targeting shallow rocks without much success. It wasn’t until they shifted to sparse weed beds on the main lake—especially those interspersed with hard bottom areas—that the action began.
“Walleyes really like cabbage weeds if they’re available,” Al noted. Side imaging and 2D sonar played a critical role in identifying productive zones, and once fish were found, they stuck to a simple but effective game plan: repetitive passes over the same weed edges using spinners.
These weren’t just random drifts—Tom’s Humminbird Helix units allowed him to precisely track their boat’s path, monitor customer rods, and double up on sonar coverage. “There ain’t nothing like it,” he said, referring to staying locked in on a productive trail and watching the rods bend over again and again.
Gear That Gets It Done
Later in the day, the conversation turned toward gear. Both anglers favored spinning rods for the finesse bite. “We’re both using Daiwa Fuegos,” Al shared—reels known for quality at a great value. Paired with St. Croix rods and 10 lb. Tasmano line, their spinner rigs were deadly effective.
Al emphasized that while many anglers might opt for baitcasting setups, spinning gear offers better feel and control for this style of slow trolling, particularly with light-line presentations. And let’s not forget the fun factor—that pulsating rod tip when a walleye hits is something special.
