The Multispecies Approach: Bassin’ for Eyes in the Shield
As the ice melts and the first signs of spring emerge, anglers eagerly wait for the classic walleye opener in shield country. It’s a fun time of year to tinker with tackle and get the boat ready. Spring is arguably one of the best times to fish for a variety of species in the north. Walleyes, Bass, and Crappies bolt to the shallows in preparation of the spawn. As water temperatures rise, fish become more active and start feeding. Find the warmest water and you’ll find the fish. Simple as that. We all look forward to the open water season. Nothing like sun shirts, flip flops and ripping around the lake on a nice sunny day.
ATTN: Walleye Anglers
Springtime is “bass’n time” for walleyes. Not saying that conventional live bait techniques don’t have a time and place, but plastic is king in the spring. Pitching plastics is a fun way to catch eyes all season long but especially early season once the surface temps hit 50-55°C. My two favorite presentations are the NED rig and a small swimbait. Both techniques are staples in the bass world, but they catch everything in the lake including incidental musky.
NED RIGGING
The small profile of a NED rig is a great way to trick finicky walleyes. Slowly drag it along the bottom with pauses to allow the presentation to stand up. There is no wrong way to fish it, hop it, shake it. Experiment with different cadences and see what works for you. Walleyes love the chase of horizontal motion.
A couple summers ago, we were up at Kendall Point Lodge on the Winnipeg River celebrating the 15th anniversary of Hooked Magazine. Gussy, Keevin, and myself were fishing a current break off a point adjacent to a bay. Gussy found the spot the previous day filming a TV show with Wes David. We pitched Zman TRD’s and Hula sticks on a mushroom jig along the current seam. The walleyes and bass were stacked up “like cordwood” in the slack water. Zman popularized the NED rig with their proprietary elaztech floating plastics back in 2016. A 3/16 oz mushroom style jig head is ideal for most situations, but you can go lighter or heavier to 1/4oz.
Swimbaits are a good spring choice
Another fun way to catch shallow eyes in the spring is pitching swimbaits on a light jig head. Small 2.8-inch paddle tails work well on a 1/8oz jig. The Kalin’s Tickle Shad and the Keitech style baits work well. Generally, smaller swimbaits work better in the spring since the forage is smaller. We’ve had good success with the same setup for pre-spawn crappies on the mud flats.
A popular method for pitching jigs is to lift the rod from the 2 to 12 clock position. Let the jig “pendulum” back to the bottom and repeat. Walleyes always clobber it on the drop. As the water warms up, you want to increase the drop rate of the presentation. Go up a jig size to 1/4oz. It’s important to use Hi-Vis braided line. Detecting the bottom can be challenging with light jigs. You need to be a line watcher! Watch the line as the jig falls. Look for slack in the line between rod lifts to ensure your bait is on the bottom. Be patient; this is key.
A 6’6” to 7’ Medium Light action rod that loads up nicely fits the bill for pitching NED’s and small swimbaits. A rod with a soft tip is perfect for casting these small light wire hooks. A 10lb braided mainline with a 10 lb fluorocarbon leader is a must.
Key Spring Patterns
During the spring, we are often fishing shoreline depths in the 6–10 foot range. We catch walleyes mixed in with bass on the shallow rocks. Underwater points with a flat on top are also good places to pitch plastics as the season progresses. Shallow mud bottom areas where the summer weed line comes in is another option for eyes. On a lot of shield lakes, the walleyes seem to be up shallow before the bass even move up. We like to spot lock the boat with the trolling motor and fan cast the area. Take your time to thoroughly work each spot before moving on.
It is important to fish areas that warm up the quickest. Back bay areas, creeks, and wind protected shorelines are best. There is no need to start fishing at the crack of dawn this time of year (May). It’s always better to let the sun warm things up. We always find the afternoon to be the most productive. Here’s the Pro Tip: Start your day off with coffee and pancakes; go from there. Theres no rush!
Pitching plastics is fun way to fish all season long. The Ned rig is the sleeper bait that most walleye anglers never throw. Whether you’re working shorelines, shallow rockpiles, or points this method can be an excellent tool. Try going bass’n for walleyes this open water season. Have fun and stay safe on the water.
