Watch the water temperature
Walleye move into their spring patterns shortly after ice out. Monitor water temperatures and when surface temperatures approach 42 degrees, walleyes should be moving into their shallow rocky spawning areas.
Look for warmer water
If the water in the main lake is 40 degrees, look for warmer water in bays and tributaries. Walleyes will seek warmer 42 to 45 degree water looking for bait fish and to increase their body temperature. Shallow water is more quickly warmed by the sun. Check out bays and tributaries with hard bottom where walleyes can spawn and feed.
Use minnows for bait
When water temperatures are below 50 degrees, minnows are the most effective live bait choice. Leeches will just curl up and go dormant in such cold water and nightcrawlers are usually not available yet. Use big minnows, 3 to 4 inches are best. This time of year, minnows have not yet spawned, and almost all minnows and bait fish will be this size or larger. Using large minnows simulates what a walleye may find naturally.
Fish shallow
During the spawn, walleyes can be caught in water as shallow as 1 foot. Target water shallower than 7 feet. They are actively feeding and spawning and will aggressively strike almost anything that looks like a meal.
Jig it up
The most versatile lure you can use this time of year is a jig. With or without a plastic grub, a jig and minnow will out produce most other lures in the spring. Paired with a lively 3 inch minnow, a jig is the top presentation this time of year.
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