James and Troy Lindner cover time-saving techniques to tap more post-spawn walleyes.
Early‑Season Walleye on the Move: Dialing in Speed, Location & Lure Choice
Only a few short weeks after ice‑out and spawning, early-season walleye are still relating to the areas where they laid their eggs. On our target body of water, that means the fish are sliding out from a rock‑lined roadbed—prime nighttime spawning habitat when water hovered around 46°F—toward main‑lake flats that top out in 5 ft and tumble to 9 to 11 ft. Finding these broad, shallow shelves is the first major key to intercepting fast‑moving schools.
Why Retrieve Speed Rules the Day
Whether you’re dragging soft plastics or working a jerkbait, the single biggest trigger right now is how fast—or slow—the bait travels. Early in the morning a lethargic, slow‑rolling presentation out‑produced everything else. More than once a walleye struck only after the lure briefly stalled while we dropped the Talon shallow‑water anchor, proving that a momentary pause can be the strike cue. Expect the “right” speed to change as the sun warms the water. 
A Versatile Tackle Line‑Up for Shallow Flats
| Category | Go‑To Lures | Depth / Weight | When & How We Fish Them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Swimbaits | 4″ Big Bite Swimming Jerk Minnow on VMC Moon Eye (⅛ – ⅜ oz) | 5 – 10 ft | Lightest heads this morning; heavier as temps rise to speed the bait. |
| Pre‑Rigged Swimmers | Storm 360 GT Searchbait | 5 – 10 ft | Ultra‑natural wobble excels on super‑slow grinds. |
| Minnow Jerkbaits | Rapala Shadow Shad (slow‑rising) & Shadow Rap (sinking) | 4 – 6 ft & 8 – 10 ft | Slow‑roll punctuated with gentle pauses. |
| Crankbaits | Rapala Shad Rap | 5 – 8 ft | Classic, steady medium retrieve for roaming fish. |
| Rattle Baits | Rippin’ Rap | Variable | Fast rip‑and‑fall to comb water quickly for active biters. |
Reading the Flat: Where the Fish Sit—and When
- Feeding Mode – Actively hunting perch and spot‑tail shiners, walleyes roam right on top of the flat. Cast well ahead of the boat to avoid spooking fish in 5 – 7 ft.
- Neutral/Resting Mode – When mood dips, they slide to the first stair‑step ledge in 7 – 9 ft. Hover just off the drop and pull your lure down the break; many strikes come as it glides off the lip.
Real‑Time Clues from the Water
- Bait Nips & Short Strikes: Multiple fish merely ticked the tail of our swimbaits—a tell‑tale sign we needed to ease the cadence even more.
- Instant Feedback: Dropping a jig to the bottom while setting the anchor produced an immediate hit, reaffirming the power of a brief pause.
- Depth Checks: Holding the boat in 11 ft and casting to 5 ft allowed lures to traverse the prime 9 ft ledge where most bites occurred.
Putting It Together
Early‑season walleye fishing is equal parts precision and experimentation: pinpoint the post‑spawn flats, match your lure’s speed to the fish’s mood, and keep switching weights and retrieves as the day evolves.
Fine‑Tuning Gear for Long, Quiet Casts
Switching to a 6’8″ St. Croix Legend Elite spinning rod paired with a Daiwa Ballistic EX 2000 reel spooled with 15–20 lb braid and an 8 lb fluoro leader lets you launch light jerkbaits or ⅛‑oz Moon Eye–rigged swimbaits far from the boat—even with a stiff wind in your face. Those extra yards are crucial when shallow fish spook at hull‑shadow or trolling‑motor noise.
Why Light Heads Matter
- ⅛‑oz Moon Eye + 3-inch Big Bite Swimming Minnow forces a slower sink and crawl that matched the morning’s neutral mood.
- Upsizing to heavier jigs makes you fish faster than you realize; speed up only when fish demand it.
Speed Still Calls the Shots
There’s a razor‑thin line between “too slow” and “just right.” This morning the walleyes insisted on a measured roll; rip the same bait and smallmouth smashed it instead. Flip the script later in the day and an aggressive cadence may suddenly be the key to triggering walleyes. Stay flexible:
| Presentation | Cadence That Produced Walleyes | Cadence That Produced Smallmouth |
|---|---|---|
| 3″ Swimbait on ⅛‑oz jig | Slow lift‑and‑glide | Fast snap‑jigging |
| Shadow Shad jerkbait | Slow roll with brief pauses | Aggressive rip‑rip‑pause |
Let Mapping & Waypoints Work for You
Even on an uncharted lake, dropping waypoints along the first 3‑ft drop during an exploratory pass lets you run the edge with sniper accuracy on subsequent drifts. Electronics aren’t just for finding fish—they’re for re‑finding the exact spot‑on‑the‑spot where the school reloads every hour.
Tackle Balance Checklist
- Rod: Medium‑light, fast‑action spinning blank with a sensitive tip for long casts and whisper‑light strikes.
- Rhttps://daiwa.us/collections/reelseel: 2000‑size with a buttery drag to protect 8 lb fluoro when a five‑pounder eats at the end of a 40‑yard cast.
- Line: Low‑diameter braid for casting distance; fluoro leader for invisibility and a bit of shock absorption.
Early‑Season Takeaways
- Location first: Post‑spawn walleyes pile onto large, shallow main‑lake flats that cap at 5 ft and break at 9 ft.
- Speed second: Fine‑tune retrieve cadence multiple times a day. Slow and steady often wins the cold‑water morning; sharper snaps may rule once the sun climbs.
- Weight third: Lighter jig heads safeguard that slower cadence; heavier heads let you speed up intentionally.
- Electronics always: Map edges, mark fish or where you caught fish, and repeat efficient passes.
