> Scott: “Caught on April 7, 1997 during the spring spawning run…. It was in a deep pool in the inlet of Standley Lake where we used to catch many big walleye.

> “Here are a couple more that I caught in the years before…the bottom one is actually larger, but I didn’t know what the record was at that time.”

> Pursuing trophy shore walleyes…you can access areas where fishing from a boat is difficult or impossible. Fishing these less accessible locations can pay huge dividends for shore anglers.

> With current, turbid water and a deep scour hole below most spillways, walleyes may feed throughout the day. For lure selection, think big and snag-resistant…plenty of debris collects below spillways. Large-profile lures that emit plenty of vibration….

> Prime picks include large, soft-bodied swimbaits like the Berkley Power Swimmer…dark colors allow the bait’s silhouette to be seen from a distance. Rig on a 1/2- to 1-oz bullet-head jig tied to 15- to 30-lb braided mainline.

> …make long casts to the face of the spillway. The heavy jighead allows for greater feel and control as the lure is drawn out of the turbid water and swept along the current seam.

> Swim the bait in mid-water column through the scour pool for actively feeding fish — resist the urge to make constant bottom contact because a swimbait that’s retrieved to mimic large fleeing baitfish is often what draws walleyes to strike.

> One of the most consistent trophy walleye bites occurs each spring as fish move upstream…seeking prime spawning grounds that contain a mix of sand and gravel or other cover that creates current breaks in 2-6′.

> Timing also becomes important — hit these spots too early and they’re dominated by 15-19″ males. When water temps approach 45 degrees, there’s no better time to be wading for trophies. The best bite for big fish occurs a few hours after dark and continues sporadically throughout the night.

> Primary baits are mid-sized stickbaits and shad baits that run from 3-8′. Productive lures change from day to day and year to year, but effective ones include Rapala J-11’s, Husky 13s, and Smithwick Rogues…to name a few.

> Shallow is key, because spring runoff muddies the river. Shallower water will be a little clearer — though not nearly as clear as lakes this time of year. And that’s why a Rapala Shad Rap will often outproduce the classic jig-and-minnow set-up [vibration!].

> Al Lindner: “For a really big bite, find a feeder creek dumping into a main-river area with riprap rock, and pitch a Shad Rap up shallow. Little feeder creeks that are dumping into the river will attract a lot of fish.”

> James Lindner: “A lot of times in early-spring river conditions, you’re fishing darker water…. You need that vibration for the fish to find the bait…. You sort of reel it down there and you pulse it and go brrrrrtttt! You want to be able to keep the bait vibrating.”

> James likes a 7′ M spinning rod and 10-lb Sufix 832 braid with a 3-4′ fluorocarbon leader. Using braid helps you feel how the bait is moving in the water and increases your casting distance.

> “Because I’m constantly hitting the bottom and there’s also a lot of zebra mussels, I like to beef up my fluoro leader [to 10-lb] from what I’d use when I’m fishing in lakes. You’re going to have to check your knots a lot because you start ripping across that type of bottom and it scars that leader pretty quickly.”