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The 2024 walleye opener may be a bit different than years past. After our winter that wasn’t, water levels were way down, until the recent rains, and ice went out much earlier than usual. All of that means the warmer water temperatures at a much earlier time will likely cause the fish spawn to take place earlier than usual. Be prepared to alteryournormalspringfishingroutine if your “go to’s” aren’t working like they normally do.
The big females are mostly done spawning and have moved out of the rivers and back into the lakes. The water temps are still cool so you will still find them shallow. Concentrate your efforts in 5 to 10 feet of water over rocky flats, trolling natural colored swim baits like the Berkley Flicker Shad. Also, drift or anchor and give jigging a try with live bait,MimicMinnowsorthenewRapala Crush City plastics. The Crush City plastic have amazing, deadly effective action. Also fish the river mouths or just outside the current of moving water.
Bass, large and small mouth are also going to be shallow. Since this year’s underwater vegetation has not quite grown to any sort of length yet, try to find beds of last year’s growth in ten feet or less of water and hit that weed line. Again, natural water swim baits should be your first choice. It’s still a bit early for top water crank baits to be consistentlyeffective.Ifsmallmouthare your goal, be sure to hit the rock piles in 15 feet or less of water. If the crank baits are not producing, Whacky Rig plastics over the rock piles or just into the weed line.
Northern pike will be everywhere you find walleye, bass or crappie. Anchor at the river mouths or weed lines in shallowbays.Asusual,throwspoonsor flashy crank baits for the pike. Another simple option is just a large sucker minnow under a large bobber and let it sit.
Get your ultralight gear ready and head out to 10 -15 feet of water in last year’s vegetation for some crappie. Use Beetle Spins, Mr. Twister in pink, purple or white or a jig, ( 8th or 16th oz) tipped with a crappie minnow.
Looking for lake trout? Be prepared to move; start in about 15 feet of water but if you’re not hitting them, move out a few feet and keep doing so until they hit. Chances are you are not going to have to go far at all. Look for sunken islands and troll or jig along the humps. Use large flashy spoons or the large Crush City plastics.
Streamtroutaregoingtobehanging out at about 10 feet, and depending on the lake, suspended. Keep it simple and use acrawler under aslipbobber or troll a small Salmo.
