Episode Show Notes
In this episode, Jeff Liskay, your “Great Lakes Dude”, dives deep into the skunked angler’s survival guide. From steelhead slumps to blown-out lake days, Jeff shares how he adjusts on the fly, learns from tough conditions, and finds success even when the odds are stacked against him. This episode was inspired by real conversations at the boat ramp with anglers wondering what to do after getting skunked. Jeff’s answer? Start solving the puzzle.
Whether you’re struggling with fly selection, pressure, or just can’t seem to find fish, this episode is packed with tactical tips and hard-earned wisdom from 250 days a year on the water.
Show Notes with Jeff Liskay on The Skunked Angler’s Survival Guide
Solving the Daily Puzzle
Jeff says being a good angler isn’t just about casting or reeling—it’s about solving the puzzle. Every day on the water is different. A guide’s job is to watch what works, what doesn’t, and then make changes. Even small things like how an angler strips a fly or how deep their swing is can change everything. Jeff studies it all. Sometimes a client does something that works, and Jeff adds it to his mental notebook for later.
When things aren’t clicking, Jeff runs through a checklist:
- Did the cast land in the right spot?
- Was the fly deep enough?
- Was the swing too fast or too slow?
- Should I change the fly or the leader?
His method? Execute. Evaluate. Adjust. It’s a simple plan that helps him make sense of even the toughest days.
Wind, Casting, and Line Control: How to Handle Tough Conditions
Wind is one of the biggest challenges in fly fishing, especially on the Great Lakes. Jeff breaks down how to adjust your casting, line control, and mindset when things get tricky. He says one of the most important casts to learn is the Belgian cast (also called the oval cast)—a smooth, continuous cast that keeps tension on the line and works well with heavy flies and windy days.
He also recommends:
- Practicing off-shoulder casting and using your non-dominant hand
- Learning a few basic spey casts (like double spey or snap T) for tight spots
- Improving your line management so you’re ready to strip or stop your fly right away
- Slowing down your cast and avoiding overpowering the rod in wind
- Focusing on loop size and rod path to keep your cast efficient and tight
Lastly, Jeff reminds us that practice beats new gear. Most casting issues stem from time spent on the water, not the rod in your hand. Tight loops, better timing, and small adjustments can turn a windy day into a winning one.
Fly Changes That Make a Difference
When the fishing’s slow, Jeff doesn’t just hope things turn around—he experiments. He always runs one angler with a “control fly” and turns the second angler into a “crash test dummy”. That means trying different patterns until something starts working.
His order of priority when tweaking flies:
- Size comes first
- Color comes second
- Weighted or unweighted comes third
Sometimes, even changing the eye color—like orange in stained water—makes a huge difference. Jeff also likes flies with contrast, like a matte flash body with a rubbery tail. He’ll even trim a dragon tail into a beaver shape to add more movement.
His tip: Fish with confidence, but don’t be afraid to switch it up if the fish aren’t responding. A small change can be the difference between getting skunked or landing one fish—and on a tough day, that one fish means everything.
Fly Changes That Make a Difference
When the fishing’s slow, Jeff doesn’t just hope things turn around—he experiments. He always runs one angler with a “control fly” and turns the second angler into a “crash test dummy”. That means trying different patterns until something starts working.
His order of priority when tweaking flies:
- Size comes first
- Color comes second
- Weighted or unweighted comes third
Sometimes, even changing the eye color like orange in stained water, makes a huge difference. Jeff also likes flies with contrast, like a matte flash body with a rubbery tail. He’ll even trim a dragon tail into a beaver shape to add more movement.
His tip: Fish with confidence, but don’t be afraid to switch it up if the fish aren’t responding. A small change can be the difference between getting skunked or landing one fish and on a tough day, that one fish means everything.
Leader Tips, Swing Speed, and Cold Water Adjustments
Jeff dives deep into what makes fish finally bite on those slow, cold, gritty days. One big focus: leader length and swing speed.
Here’s what he recommends:
- Short leaders for cold, stained water (to keep control and stay in the zone).
- Longer leaders for clear, warm water (to stay stealthy and trigger strikes).
- In still, slow runs, go lighter—unweighted flies and lighter sink tips help maintain the right depth and allow movement.
- In gritty or cold conditions, if your fly is jumping around too much, fish won’t chase. Keep things steady and close.
- Try floating flies (like a Dahlberg diver) behind a sinking line. When you pause, the fly dances—this can be a game-changer.
Jeff also shares how his mindset changed after swinging flies too slow for summer-run steelhead. The fish wanted speed. Now he always thinks about how fast to swing based on water temp and clarity. His rule: move the fly as fast as you can without pulling it away from the fish.
In deep, cold water, Jeff becomes a line watcher, carefully managing his mend and swing to match what fish can actually chase. The speed of the current and the fly’s swing must match the fish’s ability to respond. Sometimes, the perfect swing speed is what barely keeps the fly in reach.
When in doubt: adjust speed, adjust leader, and fish smarter—not just deeper.
Cold Fronts, Stripping Tactics & Finding Fish That Bite
Jeff wraps up the episode with a sharp focus on cold water tactics and the mental game of locating active fish. When temps drop below 70 or a cold front rolls in, fish slow down. His advice? Go slow and steady. Let them catch up.
One big key is the pause between strips. Jeff calls it:
“The pause is the cause.”
Here’s how he breaks it down:
- Mix up the length of your pulls (short ticks to long, slow strips)
- Play with the length of your pauses
- Never fall into a robotic strip-strip-strip—change it up until something works
When he knows fish are there but they won’t bite, Jeff uses gear anglers as a reference, like a fishing buddy with a spinning rod, to see if the fish are active and adjust from there. Electronics and drop cams help too. If nothing’s working, Jeff says: Move. Get aggressive. Try a new bank or run. Then come back later.
You can find Jeff Liskay on Instagram @greatlakesdude.
Visit his website at GreatLakesFlyFishing.com.