The walleye…

For years it had gone unnoticed, or more accurately, unspoken…that mysterious walleye phenomenon now known as post-spawn. Gone are the days of feasting on shallow spawning walleyes with any lure you felt like throwing. Gone as fast as they showed up for that once a year affair. Gone for sure and for certain, but to where? Legend has it that the walleyes teeth fall out after the spawn so they don’t feed; a legend stranger than fiction if you ask me. That was then and this is now, and now we know that post-spawn walleyes do exactly what nearly every other species of game fish do after they spawn; not much! Travel a little, eat a lot and slowly but surely move towards deeper flats.

The Big Flat Spot…

Flats mean a lot of different things to walleyes. One thing is definitely food, as baitfish stack on structural elements adjacent to flats. Mud flats are famous for holding post-spawn walleyes that move in to take advantage of Mayfly hatches that mark the coming of the summer period. The movement to flats begins in earnest at about 50 degrees. Big females move first, laying their eggs and hitting the road. Males follow, but only after the mating ritual is completed. However, flats are not the final destination. These areas accumulate walleyes on their way to their summer haunts and the best flats will be near the deeper areas, where the walleyes will spend the rest of the warm water period.

Flats represent a target rich environment for walleyes. Hard cover is significant and can be in the form of rock, shoals or wood. In fact, on some bodies of water, the resident population of walleyes is known as “wood walleyes”. Wood or rock cover combined with food makes a flat as good as they come and creates the environment for some fine angling.

The Myth…

Herein lies the problem for many would-be ‘walleye slayers.’ Traditional presentations made up of live bait work okay, but not great. The presence of hard cover makes trolling hard work, and in reality, it’s not the most efficient method. The solution for this ever-present predicament is casting shallow-diving crankbaits. More like bass fishing than walleye fishing, many walleye anglers struggle with this transitional period following the spawn.

Myth-busting…

To bust the post-spawn walleye myth, research the lake, reservoir or river, and identify the high percentage flats. These will be near known spawning areas and in route to summer feeding locations. The proximity of deep water in the form of ledges or creek channels is a plus. These features tend to hold the walleyes for a longer period of time. In some cases, the right flat will hold walleyes throughout the summer.

Once a good-looking flat is identified, key on special features. This means looking for hard bottom areas, shoals, rock piles and wood. Begin by presenting crankbaits that run in the 3-6 foot range. The Lucky Craft BDS 3 & 4 are tremendous search and catch lures for these depths. Fan cast these lures close to break lines and make contact with cover whenever possible. Don’t be scared! The BDS series of crankbaits features square-bill designs that are extremely resistant to snagging. As these lures deflect off of cover, they shine at generating reaction strikes from even the most finicky walleyes. Proven color patterns are the new crawfish colors such as spring, summer and fall craws. Also, aurora perch and northern yellow perch represent the walleyes favorite food source and are rarely resisted. When this bite begins, many big females will be caught with these tactics. However, soon you will notice smaller males beginning to dominate your catch. To the savvy walleye angler, this means beginning to explore the slightly deeper waters close to the same flat. The big, mature females will be the first to move slightly deeper. Switch over to the Lucky Craft Flat CB MR or DR to take full advantage of this predictable movement. The MR will efficiently cover the 4-6 foot range, while the DR will strain the 7-9 foot depths – where the big ones hang out.

The End…

Next time you are confronted with the mysterious post spawn walleye period, go myth- busting. The earth is round, walleyes don’t loose their teeth, the sun will rise again and walleyes can be caught following the post-spawn.