Ideas for early June walleye patterns

[Carp-fisher]

Hello everyone, I don't post all that much but I do read the forum (usually the Metro and Ice fishing sections) quite frequently. I'm always interested in learning new fishing techniques and sharing tactics, so I very much enjoy the information that is put forward here.

Heres alittle background for the advice I'm seeking: My brother, father and I fish a small group of lakes in the Park Rapids area for the first couple of weeks of June. In the past we have generally fished for bass, pike, and crappies with a satisfactory degree of success. Then a couple of years ago we stumbled across a pattern that has produced quite a few walleyes for us--we have found that walleyes will make feeding runs in very shallow water in hard bottomed wind swept areas for about the 1st hour around dark. So we will fish for bass during the day, and then about 8:30 p.m. we will wade fish shallow areas for walleyes casting rapalas and live bait rigs. The fish seem to shut off about ten, so we quit then.

This year I'm interested in targeting walleyes in the daytime. Does anyone have any advice for early June daytime walleye patterns?

[Jim Hudson]

try various tactics that you think would work for your lake in deeper water adjacent to the areas you catch them right before dark... see what the fish are interested in and then fine tune your presentation... depending on the lake, you might not pick a lot of 'eyes up during the daylight period, so dont get discouraged if you only catch a few...

and remember.. if your out there on a windy day that pushes the waves hard into these shallow areas, the 'eyes could be right up in there chasing bait around... on situations like this I have found them in sometimes 3FOW... especially on very rocky wind blown structure... usually I will then pitch jigs or twitch a husky jerk...

[james_walleye]

The first thing i always check out is the weeds/weedline. Any lake that has walleyes has a population of them that is there year round, and they are usually active during the day from what i've found. Early June is a fine time too be fishing walleyes in the weeds too.

[BDR]

I totally agree with James Walleye. Mostly I fish dirtier water lakes. First place I would check would be right in the weeds. Put on a little weedless heavier jig and a plastic. If the lake has a transition from Milfoil/pondweed to coontail/cabbage thats what I tend to look for. Then I like to drop to the nearest drop and throw cranks. After the water heats up into late June early July I will drop out a little further and troll cranks and live bait rigs to cover a little more water.

[Carp-fisher]

Hey fellas thanks for the input,

Is it generally correct to assume that walleyes in early June will be relating to more shallow water structure than later in the summer? Another factor is the two lakes in the area I fish regularly have large inflow streams with deep water near the inlets. I'm thinking of concentrating my efforts on the breaklines near the inlet areas. What do you think?

[BDR]

For the water you describe that is exactly where I would start. In "general" thats my approach. Clear rocky lakes I may look to other places.

[james_walleye]

You might wanna try casting these inflow streams at night too. Thats how i catch my biggest fish every year is casting current areas at night the first couple weeks of season. It doesnt have too be deep either. I've caught plenty of 25-28" eyes in 2' of water. They will come up too this current even when the water gets fairly warm too. Up where your at the water will be plenty cool in early June and if it doesnt get weeded up too heavy probably would hold fish all year.

[Carp-fisher]

Hey James,

How far up the inflow streams do you fish?

[james_walleye]

I dont fish in the streams, just at the mouth of the source of the current. I'd wade off too the side and cast into the current. I guarantee at some point in a night some big eyes move into the current too feed.

[Ole1855]

Carp,

What lakes in the PR area do you fish? I used to fish up there quite a bit and I may be able to help you depending on which lakes you fish.

Ole

[Carp-fisher]

Hey Ole,

I fish 2nd, 3rd, 4th Crow Wings and occasionally Long Lake.

[Ole1855]

Carp, sorry those are lakes that I haven't fished. It's too bad the lakes weren't, Toad, Straight, Blueberry, Bass or Two Inlets, I'd be able to help you out with those. I'm sure someone will be able to help you out here.

Ole

[Farley]

Watch out for when those outlets turn into inlets when we get a lot of rain in a short period of time and the rivers or backwaters get too much water sometimes they will actually flow back into the lake.... then it's hoggin time! I had a biggun up to the boat in 4 feet of water in one of these situations. Stupid anchor line messed that one up for me though. It had to be pushin 10 lbs.