| The ice just went out on the local lake a few days | | | | fisherman traditionally drift these areas with jigs. |
| ago, it's early spring, and you're chomping at the bit to | | | | Leadcore line and the same small crankbaits become |
| put together a winning pattern on your home lake. | | | | deadly weaponry for these scenarios. |
| Where you are fishing will determine what types of | | | | Work deep 25 to 35 foot flats adjacent to the areas |
| patterns will be productive. | | | | walleyes will use for spawning later in spring. Any long |
| Walleyes in shallow natural lakes will be a pushover | | | | points that stick out from spawning areas will show |
| during the day compared to a reservoir where | | | | you good locations-work the open water flats off the |
| walleyes spawn on rip rapped dam faces. These off | | | | ends of these major projections. Humps, sloped banks, |
| colored shallower lakes warm up quicker and walleyes | | | | or actual points won't produce fish like the flats will at |
| really get active in surprisingly large numbers at ice out. | | | | ice out. If you're used to only fishing structure it's time |
| A deeper colder reservoir will have more options for | | | | to get out of your comfort zone and ply deep open |
| you though. Let's look at these waters and a few | | | | water walleye holding areas. These areas are flat or |
| others to see what the most effective crankbait | | | | at the least very gradual in tapering. |
| patterns will be for this cold water period. I hope you | | | | With the clearer water be sure to run some baits 5 |
| can get out at this time of year, the fishing is | | | | and even 10 feet off the bottom, walleyes that may |
| surprisingly good despite the cold. | | | | snub their nose at a slow bottom bumping presentation |
| Shallow Natural Lakes With Basins No deeper than 12 | | | | will feed up very aggressively when baits swim over |
| feet | | | | their heads in clear water. Be sure and run one crank |
| Lets start on the shorelines of these lakes, as the ice | | | | and one stickbait bumping along bottom, keep the |
| disappears walleyes are pulled in strongly to the | | | | other two up. Use the same speeds and line diameters |
| shallow rocky shorelines in these dirty watered lakes. In | | | | as the previous example and you'll have the jig |
| fact, during late ice, you can catch these fish in 2 or 3 | | | | fisherman wondering what the heck your doing-moving |
| feet of water up next to shore! They have no problem | | | | around so quickly (comparatively) and putting quality |
| being up in 6 inches to 5 feet of water all day long at | | | | fish in the boat. The fish will be spread out so be sure |
| ice out. Good conditions will be warm days with light | | | | and drop icons on pods you come over as well as |
| Southerly Winds. The fish in these lakes don't linger | | | | where you catch a fish. After a few hours you'll be |
| around on deeper flats like they do on deep reservoirs | | | | playing connect the dots with your trolling passes and |
| and natural lakes. They don't have to wait for the | | | | icon reference points. |
| water to warm up-it warms up the minute the sun | | | | The other really good option in reservoirs is to milk a |
| comes out-Literally! | | | | spread of crankbaits along the deeper reaches of the |
| Walleyes will congregate around rocky shorelines | | | | rip rapped dam. There will be a point in time when your |
| receiving the southerly winds. In these lakes they'll also | | | | deeper walleyes start to disappear from the flats. |
| group up around any rocky areas close to the inlet and | | | | When you notice this happening get right up along the |
| outlet. The sweet spots on big rocky shorelines will be | | | | rip rap in 12 to 20 feet of water, keep your baits |
| where a deeper basin contour comes up in the vicinity | | | | walking over the rocks in a slow deliberate manner. |
| of the rocky shoreline. You'll find this zone will be the | | | | Deep Natural Lakes-Shallower bays |
| hot run to make when you begin trolling at ice out. | | | | Shallow bays connected to larger natural lakes will be |
| Work an equal balance of crankbaits and stickbaits | | | | the other area to spend some serious time crank'n ice |
| into your trolling spread. | | | | out eyes-all through the spring period. These bays |
| Use something equivalent to a number 4 Shad Rap. | | | | usually have an inlet and some spawning takes place |
| Chartreuse is usually the best color in these stained | | | | back in these areas. Since they are usually dishpan |
| lakes. Keep your stickbaits small and subtle as well. | | | | slow tapers, you'll find the walleyes are positioned |
| Husky Jerk, HJ 4 is a good choice. You want to use | | | | exactly like they are on the deep flats. They're spread |
| small baits so you get good wobble at very slow | | | | out in the middle of the bay, maybe relating to an 8 |
| speeds. That's only half of the equation though. | | | | foot depression in a bay that's mostly 6 feet deep. |
| Incorporate a thin super braid into your delivery system. | | | | Swim your crankbaits all over the middle of these off |
| I prefer 6-2 Fireline for trolling these small baits. The | | | | colored warmer bays in the spring time for surprisingly |
| thread-like super thin line creates almost no resistance | | | | high numbers of big fish! |
| to your baits-so they really come to life at slow | | | | Night Time Casting |
| speeds, it makes all the difference in the world! Guys | | | | Once actual spawning fires off night fishing really takes |
| trolling with traditional 10-4 Fireline or thicker mono will | | | | off in the many smaller reservoirs that dot the |
| not see the results you'll see with 1 or 2 pound | | | | Midwest and Southern Regions of the US. The rip |
| diameter line. Don't worry, set your drag right and | | | | rapped faces of dams in reservoirs is a favorite |
| should you hook a big fish, slow the boat down to .5 or | | | | location where these waters are located. Cast big |
| .8 MPH as you fight the fish. You always want to keep | | | | stickbaits parallel to shore along these rocky |
| the boat moving a bit when fish are hooked trolling | | | | areas-most of your walleyes will come within 10 feet |
| crankbaits. | | | | of shore. Slow steady retrieves will produce better |
| Get on a good shoreline and deploy 4 rods with two | | | | than quick jerky stop and go motions. Concentrate |
| people in the boat if you legally can. Use a planer | | | | around the corners of the dam, any rip rapped points |
| board for your shallow bait. First, stick the bait down in | | | | that stick out from the dam, and especially the outflow |
| the water next to the boat so you can see it wiggling | | | | spillway. It's a pattern that happens on every single |
| and diving. Get the boat moving along just fast enough | | | | walleye-stocked reservoir where fish don't make an |
| to make the bait barely dive and wobble and look at | | | | upstream migration. |
| your GPS speed. Remember it and maintain it to the | | | | Early Spring River Patterns |
| Nth degree! Feed out 8 feet of line to the bait and clip | | | | Spring rains and high muddy water make river fishing |
| on the planer board, send this bait right up next to the | | | | difficult early in the spring period. The best baits under |
| rocks in 2 feet of water. | | | | these conditions by far are either the Number 7 |
| The next bait out will be the deep planer board, run | | | | Jointed Shad Rap in Chartreuse or running stickbaits in |
| you're other crankbait on this line for whatever you | | | | tandem with each other. Hand lining or the use of a |
| have for depth 20 feet from the boat on the deep | | | | three way weighting system is the most effective |
| side. You want your baits tickling the bottom | | | | way to fish these river conditions. |
| occasionally in the cold murky water. Send your | | | | Walleyes will run shallow in large rivers as the |
| stickbaits out the back of the boat in the 4 to 5 foot | | | | spawning time draws near. Rocky shorelines in areas |
| depths, again, adjust them so they knock rocks | | | | of reduced current and around the mouths to major |
| occasionally. | | | | slough entrances are great areas to probe with three |
| You're all set to crawl these little walleye killers all along | | | | ways under tough conditions. |
| where fish are grouping up for the spawn. For this time | | | | The real secret is stalling the boat out over marked |
| of year you will definitely find the fish getting more | | | | fish or an interesting hump as you slowly crawl your |
| active as the warmth from the sun does it's work in a | | | | way upstream. Get the boat just creeping up stream |
| day. The period from noon until evening is an excellent | | | | at a snails pace in an area with the right current, depth |
| time to incorporate this method. | | | | and rock. 8 feet, give or take, will be good. Periodically |
| If you continually whack fish every pass in one certain | | | | stall the boat so you aren't moving upstream anymore. |
| small area, it would be advisable to anchor nearby and | | | | You come over something interesting on the |
| fan cast these little baits in the hot zone. Be sure to | | | | electronics, hover over it for a bit and even let the |
| work them back to the boat in the same slow bottom | | | | boat slip backwards ever so slowly-slipping those baits |
| bumping manner, almost like you're milking a jig along. | | | | backwards into the waiting jaws of old Marble eyes. |
| Deeper Environments | | | | This is a rarely used tactic that produces big time! |
| In deeper, clearer reservoirs and natural lakes you can | | | | You'll find walleyes will eagerly gobble a crankbait right |
| find the walleyes quite deep during the daytime at ice | | | | as the ice comes off your lake or river. Part of the |
| out. Some walleye will move shallow immediately, and | | | | trick is fishing shallow off colored lakes or shallow |
| other fragmented populations will use the upper | | | | dingy bays connected to big deep lakes during the |
| shallower ends of reservoirs. Your best bet is locating | | | | daytime for success. If no shallow options exist on |
| the largest most prominent spawning habitat and | | | | your lake or reservoir with the exception of a night |
| working deep flats out from these areas. | | | | bite, then running leadcore on deep flats adjacent to |
| This will be where a big group of fish is found. They | | | | spawning areas will be the number 1 producer-until the |
| tend not to be grouped up to heavily and many | | | | water warms sufficiently to get fish moving shallow. |