EXCERPT FROM NEBRASKALAND MAGAZINE
Strictly bank anglers, Bruce Condello, his father, Frank, and cousin, Craig, have found that from late-April to early-June is the only period they consistently catch open-water species.
"Fish are hungry in the spring," said Bruce Condello. "Mid-May is the best time to catch white bass and walleyes in the shallows. For wipers, it's late-May to early-June."
The three Lincoln men spend many days fishing the Salt Valley lakes for walleyes, white bass and wipers. They don chest waders and head for a dam, wind-blown point or
Wading close to deep water, Craig Condello fishes for white bass at Pawnee Lake near Emerald.
other areas where they have found fish. They cast jigs into the teeth of the wind using light spinning tackle and light line.
Unlike many anglers, the Condellos prefer wind. It's the first thing they check in the weather forecast, and, when the wind doesn't blow, they're disappointed. "Give us any 15- or 20-mph wind, northwest, south, anything," Bruce Condello said.
Many anglers curse the wind because it makes fishing difficult. Whether in a boat or casting from the bank, wind puts slack in their lines, making bites difficult to detect. It's easier for anglers to cast with the wind to their backs, but there probably aren't as many fish around to take the bait. But wind-driven waves also concentrate zooplankton and other microorganisms that baitfish feed on in shallow water. Where there's zooplankton, there are shad, and where there are shad, there are game fish.
Bruce Condello said he sometimes uses a lipless crankbait at night or when water conditions indicate a need for a large-profile lure or noise to help attract fish. But most of the time, the Condellos fish with jigs. A Roadrunner or a hand-tied bucktail jig is about as fancy as they get. "I like to keep it nice, clean and simple," he said. "It's a lot more satisfying."
The Condellos make their own jigs, using heavy-duty hooks on jigs for wipers, which can straighten most commercially made wire hooks. "Use the lightest jig you can fish in the conditions," Bruce Condello said. Typically, that's 1/8- or 1/16-ounce jig, but on windy days they also use a 3/16-ounce jig - a size not available at most stores.
Their favorite body is a Fuzz-E-Grub (page 112). They use the largest size to get a long feather tail, and, if necessary, trim the body to fit their jig. Chartreuse is their favorite color for walleyes, white-and-pink for wipers and white or white-and-red for white bass.
Bank erosion has created shallow flats around most lakes. The Condellos reach deep water by wading. "If you want your jig to be in 6 feet of water you have to be throwing from 3 feet," said Craig Condello. "You can catch fish from shore, but your entire cast is in productive water when you're wading. From shore, it's only productive for the first quarter of your cast."
To find fish, the Condellos vary the speed and depth of their retrieves. Wipers and white bass look for baitfish silhouettes above them. Bruce Condello believes that aggressive fish are close to the surface, and he fishes there first. He allows little time for a jig to sink before beginning his retrieve. If he doesn't catch a fish, he'll let the jig sink another second or two, gradually increasing the time until he's fishing on the bottom. If he has covered an area casting in a fan-shaped pattern and doesn't catch fish, he moves down the shore until he does.
"Locating fish is easier with two or three people," he said. "If one gets a fish the others can move in. These are schooling fish."
The Condellos' luck from the bank diminishes when the water temperature reaches about 70 degrees and the fish move to deep water.
