Rick Olson worked an early season peak for this big
walleye.
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They say the best time to go fishing is anytime you
can, and that statement may be true. But there are peaks
and valleys, peaks when the odds are tipped in your
favor and valleys when they’re stacked against you.
One of those peaks for reservoir walleyes is on deck
right now and includes the period following the spawn,
which happens to be May and June here in the Midwest.
Shortly after the spawn walleyes go on a serious feeding
binge and is when tremendous catches can be made, but
only if you have a handle on the “where”. What you do
is not nearly as important as where you’re doing it
as a variety of methods can work. For the most part
if you find them you can catch them, and location is
the most important factor. Deciding on where to look
will depend on the section of a reservoir you’re looking
at and can vary from one end to the other. If you’re
looking at the lower end and it has deeper creek arms
and bays you’ve found a good starting point. Bays and
arms warm up much faster than the main lake and can
load up with walleyes early in the season. That warm
water can draw in schools of baitfish by the boatload,
and big schools of foraging walleyes will follow it
all in and take advantage of the situation. How far
they move can vary and will require a little investigative
work to find out.
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With a good graph you can find schools of bait and fish holding
close to the bottom. With a great graph like the Raymarine
C120 you can see schools of bait and actually break it out
into individual marks, see big fish amongst the bait, and
see fish glued to the bottom. Good and even great electronics
can help reveal all but the shallowest running walleyes. As
you make your move into a bay or arm keep an eye on the electronics
and look for any sign of life, like fish and schools of bait.
It there’s bait you can bet there’s walleyes close by, and
it would be a good idea to do a thorough investigation before
leaving for greener pastures. If you’re not marking fish don’t
immediately give up as they may by too shallow for electronics
to readily pick up and could be in water four or five feet
deep and shallower. In that case you’re simply going to have
to put a bait in the water to find out if there are any walleyes
in the neighborhood. The upper ends of reservoirs are typically
absent the deeper creek arms and bays that you can find in
the lower end and the main lake will probably have to be explored.
One of the keys to finding main lake walleyes is locating
shallower flats which can warm up faster than surrounding
areas. A flat or shelve can attract major schools of walleyes
and a good map can help you narrow things down and save some
time. Stretches of warm sunny days can spur the hottest flat
action and is something to look for. Cold fronts on the other
hand can push walleyes off the flats and down the breaks but
they can still be caught, you just have to adjust to the present
conditions. If you’re dealing with the after effects of a
cold front you might want to spend a good deal of time working
the areas where shallow flats break into deeper water, particularly
the main channel. Regardless of whether you’re in the upper
or lower end of the reservoir the methods for putting fish
in the boat remains the same, and includes just about anything
you can throw at them. That doesn’t mean you can get away
with being sloppy but it does mean you can use just about
any method you like and still be effective. Productive techniques
include live bait rigging, jigging, trolling spinners or cranks,
all of which can be the hottest thing going at any given time.
Throw out a light jig tipped with a minnow and slowly drift
along a flat or break (if you have the right wind) and you’re
in business.
Minnkota
101
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If you don’t have the wind an electric trolling motor
like the MinnKota Maxxum will allow you to sneak along
in shallow water without spooking fish. Even if you have
the wind the MinnKota will help you fine tune your trolling
run and keep your bait positioned in the most productive
zone. Replace the jig with a light bouncer and plain snell
tipped with a leech, crawler, or minnow and you’re still
in business. A bouncer and spinner combination can also
produce and will allow you to move a little faster and
cover more ground. Trolling crank baits is another excellent
option and the added speed will help you maximize your
ability to cover water. A rule of thumb to keep in mind
is that the stick type minnow imitating lures like the
Normark Husky Jerk are more effective in colder water
while the shad style baits become more productive as things
start to warm up. |
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Shad baits like the Shad Rap or Jointed Shad Rap are
confidence baits and can be counted on to deliver as
long as you’re running them in the right neighborhood.
That confidence gives you the luxury of knowing you
will catch them if there are any there. If you’re not
catching it’s time to move on. Rick Olson
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