Early 'Eyes
By Ron Anlauf
Even early on in the walleye season patterns emerge that can
produce incredible action, if only they are discovered. There
are times when it seems like the deck is stacked against you but
the pattern is there, if only you can find it. Unlocking the
secrets to early ‘eyes requires keeping a pulse on the current
conditions, understanding their needs, and reacting
accordingly.
The most important and predominate force during the earliest
part of the open water season is the spawning cycle which
dictates where walleyes will be found, and just how active
they’ll be. A basic understanding of the process can get you
started in the right direction, and help you begin putting
together a solid early season pattern. Shortly after ice-out
walleyes start heading for suitable spawning areas like rock
rubble shorelines, bars and reefs, as was well as incoming
creeks and rivers. Incoming streams attract the earliest runs
of spawning fish which may occur a couple of weeks ahead (or
more) of the lake run variety. Walleyes will react to the
increased flow and increase in water temps and can come in so
heavy that you’d swear you could walk across the river on
them. The process starts with a few eager beavers showing up
first, followed by heavier and heavier runs, and then quickly
thinning out and finally coming to end a week or so after the
whole thing got started.
The
next group of walleyes to complete the cycle is the shoreline
variety, whereby the females drop their eggs on fist size rock
and rubble that is exposed to current or wave action. Females
will move up, drop their eggs, and head back to deeper water
while the males move up, release their milt, and stay in the
general vicinity. Maybe they stay put in case more females show
up late, or maybe it’s something else. It doesn’t really matter
as long as you know the situation..
Pro Fisherman Richie Boggs read
the conditions to nail this early season walleye
Bringing up the rear is the latest of the spawners which do so
on off shore bars and reefs. Reefs that top out in the four to
eight foot range get the most use, but walleyes will spawn in
deeper water, depending on what’s available. On Lake Erie for
example, walleyes have been to known to spawn on reefs that are
eighteen to twenty feet deep! That certainly isn’t the norm but
it does happen. When you add it all up you can see that even
though they are all walleyes, there are separate and distinct
groups that do what they do at different times, and in different
areas. It’s important because knowing where walleyes are in
relation to the spawn will allow you to key on the group with
the best chance of producing, and it also gives you an idea of
where to start looking.
Understanding how males and females interact will help you put
together a pattern that keys on a specific size. For example;
if your intent is to catch a lot of fish and size doesn’t
matter, or if you’re looking for walleyes that will fit into a
specific slot, a good portion of your efforts should certainly
be dedicated to probing shallow spawning areas.
If
you’re looking for a larger model you may want to start with the
same shallow spawning areas and head a little deeper. The only
drawback is the fact that when females finish dropping their
eggs they seem to lose their appetite and may not get it back
for a week or so. If you’re dead set on chasing down a big hawg
you may want to concentrate on the night run as at least a few
big walleyes could still be active once the sun goes down.
When targeting early season ‘eyes it would be a good idea to
keep their metabolism in mind, which probably isn’t on high.
Dead slow presentations are the rule, and include slow trolling
crankbaits, jigging, and live bait rigging.
Tolling crankbaits, dragging jigs like an 1/16 oz Northland
Fireball tipped with a minnow or leech, or dragging a live bait
rig with a chub or shiner can all be effective and will take a
little experimentation to know for sure. Trolling a crankbait
will allow you to cover some water and may be the big ticket if
your faced with acres and acres of potential fish holding areas.
A
trigger to a good crankbait bite would be heavy wind and waves
pounding into a rocky reef, bar, or shoreline. Calmer
conditions may call for something completely diferent like long
lining jigs or live bait rigs, especially if you’re dealing with
clear water and spooky fish.
Team Cresliner member Richie Boggs of Nisswa, MN spends a lot of
time working clear and heavily pressured lakes and uses a long
lining technique to catch tempermental walleyes; "I'll long
line a simple split shot and leech when walleyes are shallow and
things get tough. If there's enough wind and wave action I can
move in as shallow as a few feet and still catch fish." Another
technique Richie uses is to look for areas where creeks or
streams dump in; "Walleyes that run the creeks to spawn will
stack up on the closest rock bars, sand flats, and even weed
beds in the main lake."
The key to early season success is to forget what you think you
know and keep an open mind. Even on waters your quite familiar
with it’s easy to miss something, and what you miss could be the
best thing going.
Ron Anlauf
