Walleye Opener

[1fish2fish]

I'm getting a little bit burned out on trout fishing and am considering getting back to where I started. Walleye fishing. The opener is approaching. I know, your saying it JUST closed but I'm trying to think ahead. Once the steelhead are done I'm considering spending this season concentrating on fishing for walleye in the lakes near me.

I posted in this forum because I would like to hear from anyone else who hunts walleye in INLAND lakes. I know the tactics on the Detroit River and Lake Erie are going to be quite different to trying to catch walleye on a 200-500 acrce lake.

So, if your faced with exploring a new inland lake that you know has walleye and your going to fish early spring, where do you start and what techniques?

I figured North to Northeast shore and look for a rocky or gravel bottom and fish slow using either a lindy rig (drifting or slow trolling) or jigging. Minnows as the choice of bait.

Anyone else want to add specifics on how they do it. Depth, technique, certain areas to look for, etc.

Thanks,

1fish

[STEINFISHSKI]

Dave, get with me before the opener. Lake Erie, Detroit River, Sag Bay, and Lake Michigan harbors will give up many walleye before the opener.

Small stick baits trolled slowly is preferred by me, but we can try everything if we have to. I have an open spot for you anytime in my boat. I'm no walleye expert by any means, but I'll go almost anytime.

[eyebuster]

1fish,

I don't do a lot of inland lake fishing, but I do some from time to time. I'm thinking that if I were going to fish a small inland lake I would first do some slippin, with a crawler or leech over some weeds or along the weed edges. My favorite way to fish a new lake is with a 3 way rig, using my bow mount or some other method of power, with a #5 or #7 floating Rapala, black and silver in color or a crawler harness with small blades with just enough movement to turn the blades. If the wind is right and not to strong, you just can't beat drifting a leech rig and ticking it along the tops of some weeds. After all of this, I just want to go fishing.

[hootbob]

You may think this is BS but my father inlaw fishes Mosquito Res. in N E Ohio 100 plus days a year. He finds stumps in 18 to 22 fow
6lb line med.light rod. he puts on a 1/32 chartru. jig with a nightcrawler lets it down to bottom,raises up 2 or 3 inches and puts rod in holder ,when it twitches he hammers it. This man limits out EVERY DAY ( plus) a couple . we go down about 4 times a year and I fish every time and limit out with him. Plus I go down with 5 friends in May and camp at st.pk. we do great that way and drifting. then we bass fish and gill and crappie.
I always take a cooler down on family trips and fill it with those 7 inch frozen fillets. He dose not keep any thing over 24 inches. I have done well here in Mich. using this method, as long as you find stumps you might lose a few jigs but SO.

He is know as OLD WALLEYE

HOOTBOB:)

[robin]

The easiest thing to do is troll shallow with small stick baits or hot'n tots. Go around the whole lake. If they're active, you will catch them. Spring is the only time I will fish an inland lake for walleye- in my opinion it is the best and easiest time to catch fish.