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| Jimmy Bell and Walleye |
Guest Article by Jimmy Bell
So being a professional angler what is the question that I get most asked right now? “So Jimmy with the cold wet spring what should I be planning on for opener this year?” This is a great question because we all know that it certainly has not felt like spring.
Well here are a couple of suggestions to get ready:
First and foremost is making sure your gear is ready. Go through the boat and make sure that all the equipment is ready to go fishing. Check the trailer for sure, hopefully you were smart and brought the boat in to the folks at Rapid Marine either this spring or last fall and are ready to go. If you have time get it out on a small lake and check it all out. And with the new rules about taking your plug out while the boat is on the trailer make sure to put it in at the ramp.
Now for the fishing, concentrate on those shallow warming areas. The Walleyes have certainly spawned out, those big females can only hold their eggs for so long. Concentrating on the shallows should put a lot of males into the boat. Those males will be aggressive and will stay in the shallows for another month or so. A light jig and minnow, or a live bait rig with a Mack’s Smile blade moved very slow should do the trick.
If you are looking for bigger fish, the females will be off of the first break and will most likely be more neutral. They can be caught and can make for a great catch and release photo to share with your friends.
Use those new electronics and look for fish, they will be easy to spot and the old saying is very true, “you can’t catch what isn’t there”.
