In the spring, when the water is cold and temperatures are still far below that magic 52 degree mark that triggers walleye to become more active and aggressive, getting a bite is often something to beg for. Slow presentations are always the best approach, but when the words "slow presentation" means almost immobile, you need something to create as much interest as possible. I found just the thing while fishing Lake Mille Lacs the week of May 13, just after the opener.

Water temps were in the mid to low 40's, but climbing slowly. Problem was, I didn't have time to wait for a tropical heat wave. As with most travelling anglers, I had only a few days to find the fish and catch them. Across this vast lake, there were 250 teams of anglers in the same boat, and unfortunately for many, this was their first time on this lake. Cabela's National Team Championship had brought them to this famous fishery, from all over the nation. Even Florida and Arizona were represented among the 25 state associations that qualified anglers.

Larry Curthoys and Randy Lingenfelter, New York's State Champions for 2001, are two such qualifiers who made the 1100-mile drive from their home waters. Curthoys is an outdoor columnist from Cobleskill, NY and Lingenfelter lives in Lewiston, NY. They made their mark last year while fishing the St. Lawrence River, back-trolling near the 1000 islands with leeches. Rock humps and slip-bobbers proved to be the winning technique that day, as they bested the championship field. Actually, they didn't simply best the field, they beat them like a drum. Conditions were tough, and they skunked the entire field, catching fish when no one else could. At the end of the day, they swept the awards by taking all the money for first, second and third place as well as the big fish pot.

Curthoys was the boat control specialist that day, while Lingenfelter put the fish in the boat. "The wind was terrible, and boat control was the key, but the bite was hot. Once you could get it past the perch, boom, they'd hit," Randy explained.

While they are very familiar with all types of live bait presentations, Lindy rigging was their choice for Mille Lacs, and when I talked with them they were catching fish at a pretty good pace using a new innovation that adds a little spice to slow work. For them, Mack's Smile Blades were making the difference between getting an occasional bite and turning a lot of fish. "The non-symmetrical design creates an erratic wobble and vibration which gets their attention, and the blade spins rapidly with only marginal movement. Here, watch this," he said as he dropped his line into the waters of Shah-Bush-Kung Bay.

The boat was barely moving, in an unusually mild wind for Minnesota, yet when the bait hit the water, the Smile Blade immediately began to whir and gyrate rhythmically. Behind the blade and beads, attached to a small Aberdeen hook, the leech moved like a cobra dancing to a charmer's flute. How could a cold, hungry walleye pass this up I thought?

"Say, could you spare a couple of those?" I asked.

"Sure, we've got plenty," he said. "Give them a try, and I know you'll catch fish," Randy said.

This team still had plenty of serious pre-fishing water left to be investigated, so I begged off of an offer to accompany them and headed back to my own tackle with a big grin and a multi-colored sampling of Smile Blades. I was very anxious to re-rig my rod and see just how these blades would work when I could feel them for myself. I got the chance a few hours later and when a group of the tournament's sponsors and staff were hitting the lake for a four-hour outing.

First, for comparison, I fished for about an hour with a standard Colorado blade and only had one bite. After re-rigging with a blue Smile Blade and blue beads, because the boat's guide said that was the hot color this spring, I laid out some line and patiently waited. Over the course of the next three hours, I caught the most fish and the only keeper of the day and missed another half dozen due to impatience. Bob Schmidt, Vice President of Mack's Lures, was also on the trip and after the Smile Blades started to produce, he was kept busy re-rigging for the newfound converts, much to my chagrin.

As he worked, we chatted about the blade's design. They are designed to function at speeds of 1-MPH or less, and the action becomes even more eratic at higher speeds. Made from tough plastic, the blades have a slot and pre-drilled hole for rigging. The slot marks the spot where the blade is bent, and it can be adjusted by simply increasing or decreasing the bend for either more or less angle, which creates the desired effect. The blades come in three different sizes and a wide variety of colors to meet the demands of various conditions dictated by weather, wind and water clarity. Colors include Chartreuse Tiger, Cerise Tiger, Orange Tiger, Silver Sparkle, Gold Sparkle, Green Sparkle, Chartreuse Sparkle, Cerise Sparkle.

Rigging is the same as any other blade. Just thread it on with at least one bead for it to ride on. You can even use a bobber stop if you want to adjust the distance from the bait.

While I wouldn't call my sampling techniques scientific, based on the number of rigs that were in the water and the number of fish that were caught, Smile Blades were definitely producing smiles on angler's faces, while traditional blades were producing frowns and prune faces. The combination of eye-catching sparkle, spin, wobble and vibration is a real winner. This is one piece of tackle that any walleye angler can afford, and with the results I experienced, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to give them a try.

Click here to learn more about or buy Mack's Lures Smile Blades.

Frank Ross grew up on a lake in Florida, where fishing and hunting were second nature. He has pursued his passion from the jungles of South America to the northern reaches of the Arctic Circle and most points in between. With a background in newspapers, the wire services and magazines that began in 1970, Frank brings a unique perspective to his work with Cabela's. He is an award-winning photographer with a flair for getting to the bottom line of every story.

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