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Looking for an early-spring destination with open water, open seasons, and good walleye fishing in the coming weeks? 🙋‍♂️ Us too! Here’s some killer early-season spots that kick out solid fish every spring and how the locals like to catch ’em....

> Every spring, zillions of walleyes make the annual run from Lake of the Woods into the Rainy River to spawn. This can be some of the best fishing all year...both high-number days and a seriously good shot at sticking giants.

> Look for flats adjacent to the river channel and shoreline pockets. Fish will be spread out across the entire river, but if you find one chances are there’s more.

> Jigs and plastics dominate here – usually brighter-color ringworms (Berkley PowerBait Curly Bones and Bonefish, AuthentX Ringworm and Moxi, etc) and paddletails (Rapala CrushCity The Mayor, Northland Eye-Candy Paddle Shad, Berkley PowerBait Power Swimmers, etc) work best...but don’t be afraid to try a dark profile.

> Experiment with jig weight...try to get away with as light as possible while still maintaining bottom contact...gives the plastic a more-natural look in the current.

> Fishing on the Rainy is heavily dependent on water conditions – generally the cleaner the water, the better the bite. When conditions worsen and water clarity drops to less than 1′ = the “cheater rig” can be a legit trip-saver (on ANY river, really...spring or fall). And don’t be afraid to bring a couple of whoopin’ sticks as another backup plan...the Rainy River has some incredible sturgeon fishing and it can be easier than you’d think.

> One word of caution: The Rainy can be insanely busy in the spring before the rest of the MN’s walleye season opens. Be prepared for long lines at the ramp, though there’s plenty of places to hide on the river...especially as the ice pack makes its way towards the mouth at Lake of the Woods. Either way, no doubt it’s worth it!

Speaking of “worth it” 👀 get a WIDE load of this...

A few springs back, Will Pappenfus and Bryan Hennager had themselves the trip of a lifetime on the Rainy River, cracking 6 fish over the magical 30” mark IN A SINGLE DAY! 🤯

INSANE! 💯

Will was saying they had “plenty of cookie cutter 20-28″ fish to boot.” Okay man, most people’s cookie-cutters aren’t THIS big lol:

Caught ’em pitching 1/4-oz jigs with giant rainbows and a mixture of paddletails including Berkley PowerBait Power Swimmers.

They were fishing a sand flat in front of an “underwater forest.” Would pitch out and bump their baits along the current to get right in front of the trees. Said they could see the fish on Side Imaging sitting in the trees and would try to put the baits right in front of their face when they came out to feed. Pulled 5 of their 6 dirty 30s out of that spot and the other came just 50 yards away.

🙌 Way to get it done, fellas!

Don’t think I’d EVER leave if I had a day like that. Reminds of that scene in “Billy Madison” where he says, “Stay here! Stay as long as you can!!! CHERISH IT.”

> The 7-mile stretch of river below the De Pere dam is one of the best areas in the Midwest to stick a legit double-digit walleye.

> Early in the “run” when the water is at its cleanest, walleyes will tend to stay deeper. As snow melts and (the runoff) dirties up the water, fish will move shallower...especially with sunny conditions.

> The Fox also has a number of shoreline accessible spots for those looking to do some fishing from the bank. Voyageur Park in De Pere is a popular spot all spring.

> Jigs and plastics work well here, as well as rattlebaits like Rapala Rippin’ Raps. Play around with retrieves...as the water warms, more aggressive snap-jigging can work extremely well.

> Brighter colors usually work best in stained water conditions – orange and chartreuse are river standards.

> Trolling is another option, especially at night. Can fish 3 lines per person in WI, so stickbaits like Berkley Hit Sticks, Rapala Husky Jerks and Smithwick Rogues – pulled behind Off Shore Tackle Planer Boards – can cover a lot of water fast.

There’s a reason big-fish junkie Doug Wegner spends many of his spring trips patrolling the area.... #GIANTS

Last spring he caught a 32.25-incher that was spawned out and still weighed 11.76 lbs (short vid). 😳

And here’s a pre-spawn 29-inher that went 12.02 lbs and inhaled a #6 Rippin’ Rap:

Another one for the fishing bucket-list! 📝

> The mighty Mississippi is another killer option for early-season ‘eyeballs. Although fishing varies by pool, many of the same techniques are used across the board.

> The “Big Muddy” is impacted more by high-water conditions than any other early-season system, so keep an eye on river levels and boat launch closings.

> Fishing close to the major lock and dams can produce big number days, but expect company...these areas are the busiest spots on the river.

> Finding flats and current breaks down from dams can produce just as many fish and usually a heck of a lot less busy.

> Slow trolling upstream and long-lining jig/plastic combos behind the boat is a great way to get your bait close to the bottom and fool pressured fish into biting.

> Another great technique is fishing 3-way rigs with small stickbaits like Rapala Original Floaters.

> Of course jigs tipped with minnows and plastics can produce all spring...but make sure you have extra because the Mississippi is notoriously snaggy and you’re bound to lose a few:

The good news: Sometime those “snags” start fighting back...like this ridiculous egg-filled walleye caught by Brian Larsen while fishing with Muddy Waters Guide Service. She went 29” long x WOW” girth – looks ready to pop!

Released so she could go drop the kids off at daycare. 👊♻️

Btw Muddy Waters Guide Service’s pre-spawn walleye trips completely book up months in advance, despite him strictly running catch-and-release trips. 😏 Yup, folks will still play golf even tho they can’t eat the golf balls...and these golf balls are huuuuge lol.

They’ve got quantity and quality over der in NoDak! I’ve got to kick this off with a mondo 30-incher (10.6 lbs) I saw posted yesterday by Woodland Resort – props to ‘the Kraft group’ on the fish of a lifetime!

> You don’t always need a boat to catch walleyes.... Many consider Devils Lake, ND to be the walleye shore-fishing capital of the world, and guess what? The season never closes. #Jackpot

> DL is one of the few walleye factories (that’s not a river) where the walleye season is open during pre-spawn and spawn. Male walleyes are the first to show up shallow when the water begins to climb into the low- to mid-40s.

> Anywhere there’s current in 1-8′ is a good place to start: bridges and channels, inflows/outflows in the backs of bays near spawning areas, even riprap along road edges.

> Look for south-facing structures along northern shorelines as it warms the quickest. Packing a set of waders can help you to sneak away from the crowds and cast where others can’t reach.

> Being able to fish with 2 lines per person gives you a huge advantage in dialing in the bite. Try pitching plastics or tossing shallow-diving cranks with your “active rod” to catch aggressive fish. A slip-bobber or slip-sinker rig with live bait on your second rod will fool the fussy biters.

There’s something seriously special about getting it done from the bank! And this Jason Mitchell YouTube video from a couple springs back still gets me SO pumped to get after it. Fellas lit it up with Northland Mimic Minnow (pre-rigged swimbaits). Jason said he typically likes the 1/4- and 3/8-oz sizes on 8- or 10-lb braided mainline with a 10-lb fluoroleader:

> Each spring piles of fat gravel lizards migrate from Lake Erie into the Maumee River in search of spawning grounds. Smaller male walleyes show up first (jacks) followed by their larger female counterparts.

Maumee Tackle Fishing Outfitters does an incredible job posting up-to-date reports (daily!) on their website and is one of the go-to bait and tackle shops in the area.

> The Maumee has ample shore fishing locations available – one of the most popular areas is Side Cut Metropark. Shoulder-to-shoulder fishing is common, with thousands of anglers from all over coming each spring.

> Pack light if you’re fishing from the bank: A handful of jigheads from 1/4- to 3/4-oz and bright plastics (ringworms and paddle-tails) will get the job done.

> Casting jigs upstream and “swinging” them as the current sweeps ’em back down is the most popular technique...especially since you probably won’t have much room on either side. But the fish tacos will never taste better!

Little throwback of Noah Koscho’s dinner plans courtesy of the river. 🐟🌮

Best jig + plastics for spring RIVER walleyes (🎯 bonus locations)

Lots of GREAT options out there! 💯 But here’s a breakdown showing a few of my go-to jigs and plastics for spring river walleyes. Older video, but still has the information and details. Specifically talking about the Rainy River in northern MN, though these same baits/techniques should work on any spring ‘eye factory:

Per usual, I left links to all of the gear I was talking about in the video’s description over on YouTube.

Early-spring is the time for pigs! It’s almost sickening how many BIG walleyes you’ll start to see while scrolling thru the social mediaz...especially sickening while you’re stuck at work!

Hope you’re able to get a trip on the books!

Of course there’s still plenty of ice-fishing opportunities to be had if you’re willing to go for a drive north – or walk out depending on your ice conditions.

I’d give my left kidney to be up on Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba right now for some March madness! Catching a ‘teener’ greenback is a real possibility, and this 31.75-incher recently caught by Jaden Loustel has got to be right there judging by its massive girth. Congrats on the new PB, man!

Another dynamite 🧨 early-spring option is Lake Erie. I will hopefully have a lot more first-hand info on that coming early April. 🤫

Thanks SO much for reading!

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026