> “Winnebago is the most unpredictable body of water on earth. They just move so much because of the baitfish — they’re constantly moving.

> “Anything you want to do, you’ll be able to do. There will be guys jigging in the river, handlining, pulling streamer flies [!] and trolling shallow rock on the main lake. The only pattern that won’t be in play is trolling the mud [how the lake’s usually won in summer].”

> “Some are in the rivers right now spawning. If the river remains high, they’ll stay right in the river. But if it drops, they’ll dump out of there and go to the lake. Not all of the walleyes spawn in the rivers. If you found pre-spawn lake fish, you could very possibly win the tournament.

> “I think somewhere around 30 lbs will win, just because it’s so hard to duplicate a successful day on Winnebago. The winner might have 20 lbs one day, and then 10 the next.”

> “Its tapered body, unique lip design and lightweight balsa wood construction allows the bait to dive deeper quicker than other deep-running baits on the market today.”

> Winnipeg-based Probe Research is doing the study that covers everything from spending on tackle, beer and boats to views on how good — or not-so-good — the fishing has been lately on the Red and Lake Winnipeg.

Early-season walleyes follow the shiner spawn.

> Early season walleye patterns on northern MN fisheries often occur in less than 12′. While classic deep-structure patterns will emerge as the summer progresses, many anglers miss opportunities by looking too deep, too early.

> Fisheries such as Lake Winnibigoshish and Leech Lake hold tremendous walleye populations. Both share a common popularity, and have a shallow-weedline bites that often occur in less than 10′.

> The shiner spawn — which often coincides with blooming lilacs — is a major trigger that creates shallow-walleye bites. Sand or fine gravel is usually preferred, but there’s also usually weed growth (pencil reeds, cabbage, etc) in these areas on natural lakes.

> Many of these fisheries offer extremely good water visibility. Wind can trigger aggressive fish to move up into shallow water and feed aggressively, where a lack of wind can shut down some of these shallow bites.

> If the wind lays down, be prepared to slide out over the next break. Cold fronts and major weather systems can also push fish slightly deeper, but as a rule of thumb: you can expect some very aggressive fish up in less than 10′ during s weather when there’s wind.

> Sharp breaks adjacent to shallow flats and weedlines will often concentrate fish when they do slide out into 12′ to 20′. Use your electronics to look for fish and anticipate shadows by where the angle of the sun is. Sharp breaklines that cast deep dark shadows will often hold fish.