By Bob & Ginny Riege

As my Ranger 619 came into Railroad Bay on Eagle Lake I knew that it was the place to be for early spring walleye fishing. My first cast with a 1/8 oz. Fuzz-E-Grub jig tipped with a minnow told me that the depthfinder wasn’t lying. The tug at the other end told me that the walleye have picked up my offering and I set the hook. POW! The race was on as the heavy walleye sounded toward the bottom and my Trilene line strained against the head thumping action and erratic movements. The drag on my reel started to fight against the fish, but I knew that this was a big fish and I better slip the reel into back reel mode.

The fight lasted about five minutes and in that time that powerful walleye had actually pulled my Ranger boat off the spot. My wife Ginny dipped the net into the water and allowed the bag to fill with the weight of the fish and lifted the net towards the clear blue summer sky. The fish measured well over 28 inches and was over 9lbs.

Warming water temperatures in Railroad Bay sent monster walleyes on a devouring fever. Whether the lure is a minnow, an imitation crankbait, leech or red tail chub on a jig, live bait rules in the early spring and summer. This is a time that sportsmen should not overlook because walleyes turn on right as water and prey conditions dictate and in some situations it can become a feeding frenzy.

Reef areas around the islands are excellent picks for early walleyes. The key to some of the most productive fishing is mobility; keeping on the move will let you cover water and find biting fish.

If the walleyes slow down in the middle of the day you might want to switch to smallmouth bass. Eagle Lake provides some of the best smallmouth waters in North America. Many times you can use the same method for catching smallmouths as we did for catching walleyes. For example, making long casts to rocky, sandy locations will produce trophy walleyes and bass. My favorite lure for location of these fish is the No. 10 Husky Jerk in Firetiger, perch, silver or gold and when I am around rocks or boulders orange crawfish colors are dynamite. This year we also experimented with the Glass Shad Rap and found it to catch a good number of smallmouth by making long casts and cranking them down until we ticked bottom and then allowed them to rise slowly before proceeding with our retrieve.

Time of day can play an important part in solving where the fish are. Some spots turn on at different times of the day. You can fish over a huge school of inactive walleyes and never get a hit, then come back two hours later and find that they’re going nuts. Always double-check a good-looking area. If you keep checking these locations eventually you will find active walleyes on one of them.

Many anglers think of rocks, sand, drop-offs, and deep water when walleye fishing. But walleye chasers are missing some good fishing if they aren’t poking around in emerging weeds when they’re after walleyes, especially the during the summer months. Walleyes will make extensive use of weed clumps if they’re available, and often the fish that are in the weeds are looking for a meal, making them susceptible to any type of offering.

One of the first methods that I try in the summer is to use bulky baits or large profile baits. When I think of size, I will always remember, “big baits catch big fish”. With these words of wisdom I have selected my favorite crankbaits in my tackle box according to size, color, and running depth. Usually I like to start fishing with a No. 7 Shad Rap to see what the fish are hitting on. If they continue to bite on that size I move up to a No. 9 Shad Rap. The bigger fish do respond to the larger baits and so do the smaller fish. I have caught fish smaller than my baits on many occasions but most of the time the fish increase in size. If the fish don’t respond to the larger size I then move back down the scale of size to a #5 Shad Rap and work between that size and a #7. In post spawning conditions I like to use a larger bait because in nature a larger minnow contains more protein than smaller ones. This is what the walleyes are looking for; they need more protein to sustain themselves.

Walleyes are the one fish species that the right rod and line makes the difference. Being able to feel that subtle bite can only happen with quality rod. I prefer a 6’6″ or 7′ G-Loomis rod, medium action with a fast tip. I use six pound test Berkley Vanish line with 1/8 oz. jig tipped with a fathead minnow.

New emerging weeds are usually the best area to find these fish but also rock and wood shorelines are outstanding locations. Keep in mind that wood cluttered bottoms are on of the best summer walleye producers, but you might have to carry a large supply of jigs.

The walleyes at Andy Myers Lodge were magnificent, but the accommodations were even better. The owner Julian Kalka caters to the fisherman, as well as the entire family, from great meals, to lodging, to exchanging information about where and when to fish. Better yet, why don’t you contact the new owners of Andy Myers Lodge, Julian Kalka & Nicky Pollard? Julian offers guests tips and help in locating active walleyes, smallmouth, northern pike and muskies. Contact Julian at JulianKalka@netscape.net or at info@andymyerslodge.com. He can also be reached at 1888-727-5865. For additional information about Ontario fishing contact Ontario Tourism http://www.ontariotravel.net/GoFish.