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If you’re getting Target Walleye for the first time, a friend probably signed you up!
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Where to find post-spawn walleyes on “fishing opener.”
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One big key is knowing where they spawned, and where they’re headed next. A few excerpts below, but you’ll for sure want to read the full AnglingBuzz write-up here:
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> “Walleyes typically spawn once water temps reach the mid-40s. The exact number will vary from lake to lake, but it’s generally 44-48F.
> “Walleyes tend to go back to their old spawning grounds year after year, so once you figure out where they’re dumping their eggs, you’ll have some valuable info you can rely on for years to come.
> “Depending where you’re fishing, walleyes will either spawn on main-lake shorelines, or in feeder rivers and creeks. This tends to be on some form of shallow rock or gravel in 3-6′.
> “Look for shallow-water structure between those spawning grounds and some of your favorite main-lake summertime spots.”
They didn’t forget about you river rats either:
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Keep reading here for more deets on baits and presentations.
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Lake Erie walleye grow incredibly fast…
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…but it still takes (on average) 13 yrs for a walleye to grow to 28″ long there! Would love to know what that number is in other states/regions for comparison, but no doubt OLD.
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That’s just one interesting tidbit from this Bigwater Podcast with host Ross Robertson talking to OH DNR biologist Travis Hartman:
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Keeping or releasing fish has and always will be a controversial subject – but one thing we can all agree on is wanting more big walleyes in our waters.
Soooo if you think about it 🤔 a battered-up deep-fried walleye isn’t going to be any bigger the next time you don’t catch it…. 🤷♂️
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Few funny bass-fishing things.
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We occasionally like to poke fun at “green carp” because, well…where else are you gonna read it (lol)? In all seriousness tho: It’s all in good fun. It doesn’t matter what you’re fishing for, as long as you’re getting out on the water!
Anywho, here’s a few recent items I came across in the last BassBlaster email that I thought might give you walleye-nuts a chuckle…
First off: Here’s how bass fishermen use their electronics for finding fish:
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And how about some proof that it’s actually hard NOT to catch a bass. 😂 Bassin’ pro Brian Latimer bent his hook in during practice to specifically not hook fish (find where they’re at + what they’re eating = but be able to shake ’em off) and was still catching:
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Oh, and catching a state record largemouth is easier than you’d think. Here’s the exact steps Brandon Wright used to stick the new MT record of 9.575 lbs from shore:
> He arrived at the lake a little after 10am and tipped a #10 Eagle Claw hook with a piece of nightcrawler. Then…he sat back and started watching TikTok videos on his cell phone. Within 15 minutes, the big fish took his bait and he was able to reel it ashore.
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Hahahaha awesome fish, man! And one that absolutely CRUSHED the previous state record of 8.8 lbs.
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Slow crankin’ for post-spawn walleyes.
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Didja know that Troy Lindner isn’t just a bass fisherman? Sometimes he even catches walleye on purpose! Lol he’s actually one heck of a multi-species stick, which I think is a prerequisite to carrying that last name…. Anyhoo, here’s how he slow cranks for post-spawn walleyes:
> Troy: As walleyes wrap up their spawn, they begin moving out to adjacent flats and shallow-water structure. Crankbaits can be an excellent tool for intercepting these wandering walleyes, which can be scattered anywhere in 4-12′.
In this screenshot, green = go time:
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> Troy: Bottom contact is important, but don’t use baits that dive too deep as they won’t run well in shallow water.
> Make sure you’re fishing your cranks slowly this time of year…that’s often the only way to get bit. A couple of retrieves work well in the spring: the “slow and steady,” or “pull and pause.”
Few other notes:
Balsa cranks (OGs!) can be super effective early in the season when water temps are still in the low- to mid-50s. Balsa ‘cuz it has that subtle roll you want in cold water.
Since balsa cranks run light, a lot of guys/gals like throwing ’em on nano-braids ‘cuz they’re ridiculously thin and smooth casting.
With most walleye presentations I recommend adding a fluoro leader to the main line. For me, that’s especially true with cranks as it adds a little shock absorber to help keep fish from tearing out hooks. My go-to “joiner” is the double-uni knot ‘cuz it’s 1) the easiest to tie, and 2) hasn’t failed me yet:
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“The hat ‘Smalls’ wore on The Sandlot.”
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Still trying to figure out how The Sandlot has only scored 63% on Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer? You’re killin’ me, Smalls….
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1. ON: Lake of the Woods walleye numbers in danger?
Hearing conflicting reports of this depending on which side of the border you’re on…. But Ontario’s MNRF is saying “the Lake of the Woods walleye population is in danger and that its current fisheries are not sustainable….”
> The revelation follows a province-wide risk assessment done by the MNRF between 2015-2017, showing that Lake of the Woods is the most at-risk inland fishery in ON, both in terms of “likelihood of collapse” and the resulting social and economic impacts that will follow. Out of over 40 lakes surveyed across the province, Lake of the Woods was the only one to clearly fall into the danger zone of the MNRF’s risk assessment.
They say the current walleye population is “approximately half of what is needed to sustainably support current levels of harvest.”
> “From our netting surveys, we’re seeing the walleye population within the ON waters is consistently showing that it’s in poor shape. The population is over-exploited and the economic value of our fishery is in jeopardy if we continue harvesting at the current rates.”
Keep reading here. ???
2. MN: Lake Vermilion walleye stock is booming. 🚀
DNR survey shows highest walleye count in 37 years!
> The walleye captured in the survey ranged from 0 to 23 yrs old. Across Vermilion, the catch rates of walleye from the 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016 and 2015 year-classes were all above historical averages. The catch rate of 2-yr-old fish was the highest ever recorded for that age grouping.
> At the same time, the catch rate of walleye 8 yrs and older was also high, exceeding the 75th percentile for the 2nd consecutive year and for the 10th time in the past 11 yrs. The number of large walleye on the lake has increased dramatically since the introduction of a protective slot limit in 2006.
3. Small-town SD bracing for an economic boost.
When the NWT comes to Chamberlain (pop. 2,500) and Oacoma (pop. 400) to fish the Missouri River Apr 29-30.
4. IA: Storm Lake’s haul of walleye eggs = strong.
> The walleye netting and egg stripping in Storm Lake yielded 1,028 female walleyes and a little more than 360 quarts of eggs.
> In the coming weeks, an estimated 14 mil walleye fry will be stocked at Storm Lake…with plans for an additional 15,000-30,000 advanced fingerlings (4-6″) next fall.
Also thought it was interesting that (thx to zebra mussels) they’ve had to change the way they fertilize the eggs:
> For decades…lake water was used during the fertilization process. A switch was made after the discovery of zebra mussels, leading the DNR to alter its methods to prevent the invasive species from spreading.
> For half of the eggs collected this spring, Wallace said a “dry fertilization” technique was used in which eggs and sperm are mixed together before being activated by the addition of water. The other half was fertilized using a traditional “wet method,” when eggs and sperm are stripped into water together. In the latter’s case, Storm Lake’s tap water was used instead of the lake water.
> …the predicted hatch rate of the dry-method eggs is around 50%, while the wet-method is projecting at 81%. “That’s a pretty significant difference there. It’s still early, but right now I’d say we’re leaning toward that (wet fertilization) direction in the future.”
5. MN: Gull Lake Spring Walleye Classic, May 22.
Hosted by the Walleye Alliance. Lots of fall derbies happen on Gull, so pumped to see a big ol’ spring bash. Limited to the first 75 boats that sign up. Entry is $400 if registered before 5/5 and $450 after that. 1st place = $7,500 based on a full field. More info here.
How’d you like to be the first one to bring home this SICK traveling trophy?!
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6. Little background on ND’s year-round walleye season.
They used to have a “fishing opener” too until they made the switch in 1993.
7. MN: Governor’s fishing opener isn’t about politics.
From Deputy Otter Tail County administrator Nick Leonard:
> “It’s not about the governor. It’s not a free vacation for the governor. It is a tourism and promotion event. It is a way to utilize the media. Whether you like him or her or not, the media follows the governor, so this is a way to shine a light on Otter Tail County.”
They have some incredible fisheries over that way. Gotta be something special about the shallow, fertile waters that grows fish fast.
8. Heads up: FishUSA has Acme Hyper Rattles in stock.
If you paid attention last summer, you already know they were like trying to find toilet paper when covid first hit…so would try to snag a few HR6s and HR5s before that bite heats up. Here’s a few colors I added to my cart this morning:
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Make sure you’re snapping ’em on a slack line to get the best action out of it = less glidey and more erratic.
9. ON: Folks 🤬 about the Crown land camping prohibition.
Dude is not happy and willing to say it:
> The government of ON has announced a covid-19 prohibition order on Crown land camping…did the same thing a year ago and I don’t think that once it was lifted…there has been one covid-19 case traced back to anyone camping on Crown land.
> By all accounts the principal cause of virus spread has been traced to irresponsible group party activities in city environments – common sense outdoors folks are not part of that crowd.
> The walleye opener is coming up in a month and many families have plans for remote Crown land expeditions where nothing could be safer. It’s the one respite they’ve been looking forward to as an escape from months of lockdowns, many being city folks whose kids have suffered irreparable isolation stress so families are more than anxious to get away for some quality time.
> Take your trailer or tent out and park it in the middle of nowhere and you get fined…. Day-use fishing and hunting is okay but sleeping overnight isn’t. Think about that, it’s a new definition of illogical.
10. KS collected nearly 100 mil walleye eggs this spring.
They’ve been big-time ramping up their walleye stocking efforts ever since the “KS Walleye Initiative” launched in 2015.
Btw the KS state-record walleye went 13.16 lbs (29″) and was caught outta Wilson Reservoir on 4/17/96 by Dustin Ritter.
11. WI’s fishing opener is this weekend.
Folks are predicting the bite to be different, but better once you find ’em. Typically early-ice-out years mean more-active walleyes.
12. NY: Oneida Lake Association annual meeting is tonight.
Will be going live on YT (believe it’s 7pm EST) and have a lot of information about the current walleye population. Should be able to click here to hop on – great chance to ask any Qs you might have as they’ll be monitoring the live chat.
13. NY: Lake Erie and Oneida aren’t your only walleye options….
Did you know NY has more than 140 lakes/rivers with fishable walleye populations?
14. How to navigate the Precision Trolling Data app.
Quick (but informative) walk-through video from Jake Romanack on how to make sure your cranks are running at a specific depth using the PTD app. Cool to see how braid vs mono vs leadcore vs snap weights change the dive curve of baits:
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Planer boards aren’t just for multiple-line waters.
If you’re not running Off Shore Tackle Planer Boards in places you’re allowed to run multiple lines, you’re not catching as many fish as you could/should be.
That being said, there’s lots of other reasons to use ’em in places you’re only allowed 1 rod. More info in the full Jon Thelen write-up, few excerpts below:
> Shallow: Typical MN lakes have a weedline which forms in 9-12′. Early in the season running small crankbaits along and over this emerging weed growth can be deadly. I can get my bait to run above the weeds – out to the side of my boat – without spooking the baitfish…or walleye.
> When fishing weedy areas…the Tattle Flag Upgrade Kit is a must…no better way to tell if you have a fish on than being able to watch a flag go down. I can tell if my lures have picked up any debris…when fouled, the flag will slightly pull down or pull down and pop back up.
> Deep: With water clarities being what they are, schools of roaming walleye suspend as if they were transplanted from the Great Lakes. There’s a simple rule of thumb here: The clearer the water, the more a walleye is apt to rise up and use the whole water column to feed.
> Suspended fish can be both the most aggressive and yet the most spooky at the same time. Aggressive, in the sense that they will explode in chase of a fast swimming crankbait from long distances away…spooky enough that the shadow of a boat or noise of an outboard can send them on an equally explosive retreat.
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“The guys better remember Mother’s Day is the weekend before (fishing opener). They better make sure they do flowers or whatever, otherwise they may have trouble on opener.”
– Quick reminder from Sherree of of S&W Bait that MN’s “fishing opener” is NOT on Mother’s Day weekend this year thx to there being 5 weekends in May:
> May 15 is the latest possible opener under MN statute, which says the walleye and northern pike opener is the Sat 2 weeks prior to the Sat of Memorial Day weekend.
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If you’re wondering why most of the “firetiger” color Berkley Hit Sticks went missing from this box:
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It’s because Bill Shimota stole ’em all after this happened, again and again:
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Awesome fish and pics!
Dangit I can NOT wait to get out and chase some waldos but we still have 2.5 weeks to go before the season opens here in MN. If your season is already open or opening, catch a few for me! 😏 Pics or it didn’t happen….
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Sign up another fish-head!
If you’re forwarding Target Walleye to a friend who loves to walleye-fish or want your fishing buddies to get these emails, just send us their email addresses and we’ll take care of it! (We won’t sell the addresses, use them for spam, etc.)
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Friends of Target Walleye
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Who is Target Walleye
Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Jay Kumar, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
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Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye He was discovered in Brainerd, MN after years of wondering how in the heck people break into the fishing biz. He’s in it now, but still can’t answer that question…. Brett is one of those guys who majored in marketing, only because there was no such thing as a “fishing degree” at the time…. Get him at brett@targetwalleye.com
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