Episode 34
A Lesson in Walleye Fishing
Show Date: August 22, 2026
Location: Portage Lake, Houghton County Michigan
This week we're heading to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to spend some time with a good friend and pro bass angler, Ron Johnson. Ron moved to the U.P. about five years ago, and he's taken full advantage of his new backyard ever since. Whenever he gets a free moment, you can usually find him exploring a new lake, learning new water, or returning to a favorite spot to see what his time on the water has taught him.
For this trip, Ron takes us to the well-known waters of Portage Lake, where he says the walleye fishing can be excellent throughout the day. In fact, there's no need to set the alarm for the crack of dawn—according to Ron, some of his best fishing happens around midday, when the sun is shining.
The fish are definitely there, but catching them turns out to be a different story.
The walleyes are biting incredibly lightly, making it difficult to even recognize when a fish has picked up the bait. That's where Ron's experience really starts to show. He has developed the kind of subtle touch that allows him to detect bites the rest of us are simply missing, and he ends up catching the majority of the fish by a wide margin.
For us, it becomes almost a spectator sport, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Watching Ron work his way through the bite gives us a great appreciation for just how much goes into consistently catching fish. More importantly, we're able to see an impressive variety of walleye sizes and a tremendous number of fish throughout the day—an encouraging sign of a healthy and productive fishery.
Ron called it a "slow" day, and told us that the average size is typically better. From where we were sitting, however, it looked like a pretty fantastic day of walleye fishing.
Sometimes a good day on the water isn't about catching the biggest fish or filling the boat. Sometimes it's about learning from someone who has put in the time, seeing what's possible, and getting a glimpse of just how good a fishery can be.
