Unfortunately for walleye fishing, boat pressure has become a common problem that’s not going away. Across the country walleye fishing is good. More boating pressure and an increase in fish harvest go hand-in-hand with the growing participation in walleye fishing.

It’s not unusual to see a number of boats in a pack working a tightly grouped school of walleyes. What is unusual is that each angler will say that he was there first. Forget about who was there first. You have two very clear choices - stay and contend with the crowded conditions or leave and find your own fish! Either way, be a gentleman and use some common sense and patience in dealing with other anglers. We have all witnessed some ugly situations that could have been avoided with a little courtesy and common sense.

Should you choose to stay and elbow your way through the boat pressure, pay close attention to the exact spot where fish are caught by you or others. The fish may be in such a tight school that, if missed by even a few feet, you’re out of luck. Check the direction of their bait presentation or the way others are jigging their bait. Sometimes the smallest observations can make all the difference.

Perhaps you wish to stay, but don’t feel like playing an aggressive game of bumper boats. Here are some options that have produced fish for me. Generally these tightly schooled fish are fairly deep and not aggressively seeking food. They’re in a comfort zone (an area chosen because of it’s depth, light, water temperature or structure). When these fish decide it’s time to eat, they’ll leave the comfort zone and move to the food. Many times this movement is to shallow water. Check it out. With heavy boat pressure, never pass up the opportunity to slip between the boats and the shore to fish the shallow water. This could be where the real action is located.

Another option is considering suspended fish. If the boat pressure becomes too much, the fish may move off the structure while holding close to the comfort zone. They maintain their depth and move out over deeper water, sometimes as far as 100 feet off the structure and are prime candidates for trolling crankbaits. Simply choose a lure that hits the same depth as the fish were on the structure and troll around the outside of the boat pack over that deeper water. The results may be surprising, and your success will have the other anglers scratching their heads!

If frustration has set in and you choose to leave, make certain to learn all about the area you’re leaving. My old fishing partner Bob Propst was a master at this. He always made his way into the pack to make sure everyone was okay meanwhile he was observing and picking everyone’s pockets. You can learn by taking mental notes on the exact depth of the active fish, along with the successful techniques and colors used. Pay attention to wind direction and water clarity, as well as the overall structure, shape, and make of the bottom. All this information can be gathered from the surrounding boats. Now it’s only a matter of taking this information and applying it to another part of the lake where you will be alone...until you net that first fish!