Parade of pigs, Run spots for post-spawners, Boomerang walleye 😳

> The catching can be tough at this time of year.... It's not necessarily because the fish aren't eating...it's more due to their location after the spawn is over. Or, should I say, due to the many locations they could be during this transition season.

> At this time of year, I cover as much water as possible to get a jig in front of the yaps of as many walleyes as I can muster. You'll see me crankin' up the main Mercury outboard on my Lund, running spot-to-spot, more than any other season.

> In general, males are the smaller-size fish of this species. They can often be found very near, if not still on, the very structure on which they were spawning: large rock piles to gravel-strewn reefs and flats, to weed beds.

> ...run to as many likely spawning locations as possible...deploy [the] trolling motor and cast jigs and crankbaits in depths of 3-12', keying in on areas adjacent to deep water.

> Large rocky and weedy flats that butt up to main-lake basins are my first choices to find them. In clear water, I'll scan the flats while looking through a pair of high-quality polarized sunglasses. Then I'll cast to the outer edges of weedbeds, as well right up onto rockpiles and gravel. In stained water, I use Lowrance's HDS-LIVE to find structure, and perhaps even see the fish themselves, as well my bait.

> Another key area lies along steep drop-offs that butt right up to deep-water flats. Here, I'll keep my boat out over deeper water, then cast up onto the flat and work the jig down the break.

> ...best retrieve I've found is a short, 1-2' lift of my rod tip...reeling in the slack as the jig slowly falls...allows the jig to swing back towards the boat while falling. Just before the jig hits bottom, I'll repeat the lift and pendulum fall it all the way back to the boat.

> ...set the hook on anything that doesn't feel like all the other lifts and falls. Walleyes are notorious for striking extremely light. A hit may feel like nothing more than a slight "tick" telegraphed through the rod tip, or even just a twitch of the line.

> Rule #1 when jigging is to use as light a jighead as possible. Overall, a 1/8-oz head is my go-to...may need a 1/4-oz if the wind is up, grabbing my line and creating slack. If the fish are in extremely shallow water...I'll go as light as 1/16-oz.

> I want my line to be as light as I can get away with...6-lb Berkley FireLine is my choice for jigging...super-thin and its nearly no-stretch properties make it extremely sensitive.

Keep reading here.

Just a stone's throw from where LeRoy Chiovitte caught the 17-lb 8-oz record on the Seagull River (where it flows into Saganaga Lake) back on May 13, 1979.

Museum organizers have scheduled a celebration event (free and open to the public) on May 29 from 4-6pm.

2. NE: G&P stocked more than 26 mil walleye fry...

...in the North Platte River above the reservoir and upper portion of Lake McConaughy:

> To help increase survival, most fry were stocked from a boat to distribute them into areas with adequate food resources and fewer predators.

> Beginning in mid-June, an additional 1.5 mil walleye fingerlings with an average length between 1.25-1.50" will be stocked. A portion of those walleye fingerlings will be raised and stocked at a larger 2" size.

3. NY: Walleye acoustic telemetry study happenin' on...

...the St. Lawrence River and the eastern basin of Lake Ontario.

> The study is designed to assess walleye movements, relative use of important spawning sites, and determine how different spawning populations mix within the system. This info is important to inform mgmt and habitat restoration decisions needed to protect and enhance this important fishery.

> Walleye collected from the Black River, Chaumont River, Oswegatchie River, Brandy Brook, and Little Sucker Brook were implanted with an internal tag that will be detected by acoustic receivers deployed throughout the system along with a visible Floy tag on their underside....

> If you catch a tagged fish, you're not required to release it, but we strongly encourage it. Releasing it will allow the fish to continue to be part of the ongoing research project as the tags have a 10-yr battery life. ...please report the tag # and capture location to the USFWS at (607)753-9334.

4. Did you know: There's a "southern strain" of walleye?

Pretty common to hear folks talking about northern- vs FL-strain largemouth bass, but guess it's also a thing in the walleye world according to this interesting write-up in the Northern Kentucky Tribune.

> "In 1995 KDFWR fishery personnel discovered a surviving population of the original native walleye strain in the Rockcastle River, a 54.8-mile whitewater tributary to the Cumberland River. Brood fish taken from the Rockcastle River were used to start a program to restore the native walleye throughout its former range in KY. Stocking began in 2002."

They don't look a whole lot different, but those river fish sure are built:

> "Today, the target production for native walleye at the Minor Clark Fish Hatchery is 90K fingerlings (2.5" fish). They are stocked in June into 4 rivers and 2 lakes."

5. ON: Sioux Lookout is dealing with severely high water levels.

I've seen some crazy photos of flooded resort cabins, accesses completely underwater, you name it. Hope mother nature rights herself for you folks up there.

6. Great insight on what makes NFT's Deep-Vee Jig different.

Talking details on its special, hydrodynamic keel design:

Also love that big, pronounced eye that looks like it's ready to be sucker punched by a waldo. 🥊 Believe FishUSA has ALL sizes and colors in stock here.

7. Jack Dice joins GSM Outdoors team.

As the associate brand manager for GSM's fishing division. Jack is a bigtime bass-head and tourney angler who recently graduated from Liberty University with a degree in digital marketing.

8. MN: Nisswa Chamber served breakfast ~~in bed~~ on water.

They were handing out coffee + donuts on Gull Lake during the fishing opener, something they've been doing for more than 60 years.

New-growth weeds hold post-spawn walleyes.

Quick-hitter from Brian "Bro" Brosdahl:

> On the natural lakes of the upper Midwest, walleyes typically spawn in depths of 1-4′ over gravel bars, mixed gravel and sand flats, then when they're done, they drop off to the edges.

> But "where they go next isn't necessarily deep. Male walleyes will linger near the spawning sites, and females will slip out into 4-12′. Some will slide farther down the break, but they'll still move up mornings and evening to feed."

> Bro says his favorite post-spawn spots combine slight contour changes and vegetation. "By far, the best spots will be those with new-growth cabbage, coontail, sand grass, etc."

> He prefers cabbage weeds, which draw a buffet of bait – perch, shiners, crayfish, darters and more. "May through July I'm watching my Side Imaging for scattered areas of emerging cabbage weeds, which may be nothing more than foot-wide isolated clumps of inch-tall stuff, but hold food.

> "Also look for larger weed flats along upper and lower food shelves, and soft-bottom areas – that's where most of the weeds usually grow. Your 2D sonar will show weeds too, but looking right and left of the boat with Side Imaging gives me a more comprehensive idea of the layout, and I spook fewer fish by maintaining my distance.

> "I'll find pockets, outside points, funnels and areas where vegetation extends past the pronounced weedline. Then it's just a matter of dropping waypoints."

Thx for the insight, Bro! 👊

Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye He was discovered in Brainerd, MN after years of wondering how in the heck people break into the fishing biz. He's in it now, but still can't answer that question.... Brett is one of those guys who majored in marketing, only because there was no such thing as a "fishing degree" at the time.... Get him at brett@targetwalleye.com

To send us walleye pics, ice shots or whatever, just respond to this email or click here to email us. Or post it on the Target Walleye Facebook page.

Target Walleye LLC

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Baxter, MN 56425

(218) 824 5026

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