Savvy anglers throughout the Walleye Belt can learn the rhythm of these movements and adjust their presentations throughout the pre-spawn/spawn/post-spawn cycle to enjoy success all spring, and into early summer.

The post-spawn period can be particularly rewarding. While walleyes may exhibit significant dispersive movements away from their spawning grounds, they also become increasingly catchable as warming waters increase their metabolic rates. During this period, anglers should focus on covering water with mobile presentations, often focusing on hard baits.

In states and provinces that have closed walleye seasons to protect vulnerable, spawning fish, the opening of the new season will generally find walleyes in this post-spawn phase. During the day, an excellent way to find and catch these walleyes is with shallow-running jerkbaits fished along shorelines and associated shallow flats. A presentation that works well until water temperatures creeping into the 60’s, shallow jerkbaits can be responsible for excellent catches during “banker’s hours”, especially on lakes or reservoirs with a touch of stain or color in their waters.

Shallow-running LIVETARGET Rainbow Smelt Jerkbaits are an excellent choice for post-spawn walleyes. These are extraordinarily detailed lures with three-dimensional anatomical features like fins, eyes, gill plates and scales, in addition to patterns, colors, transitions, and highlights that reflect Nature’s handiwork. Their tight shimmering action on the retrieve recalls the movements of a living baitfish, widely dispersing visual flash to attract predators over long distances.

Cast these jerkbaits very close to shore and work them back to the boat with a slow-and-steady or a stop-and-go retrieve. As darkness falls, these same lures can be long-line trolled along shorelines and across flats with great success, a pattern that will hold until extensive shallow weed growth hampers its effectiveness.

Rig for jerkbait fishing using a braided mainline, with 20 lb test Seaguar Smackdown being an excellent choice for spinning reels. On the stained waters where shallow daytime jerkbaiting is most effective, a leader is generally not required; simply tie on a cross-lock snap with a Palomar knot, clip in a jerkbait, and go fishing. On waters where extreme water clarity can make daytime walleyes skittish, a 3-foot leader of 15 lb test Seaguar AbrazX 100% fluorocarbon leader will help put more walleyes in the net.

Picking the right rod for presenting jerkbaits can dramatically enhance your spring walleye success. The Legend Tournament Walleye “Shallow Cranker” (LWS70MM) from St. Croix Rod is an outstanding choice for any shallow hard bait application, including jerkbaits. The 7-foot rod casts crankbaits a country mile, while its moderate action acts as a shock absorber against boatside headshakes, ensuring that fish stay buttoned up tight and end up in the net.

As Great Lakes walleyes disperse out of tributaries after the completion of their spawning runs, they frequently strap on the feedbag along near-shore sand flats. These areas warm rapidly in the springtime sun, and with the appropriate wind and current, also collect schools of baitfish and pods of omnipresent gobies. Post-spawn walleyes take advantage of these conditions to boost their calorie counts while recuperating from reproductive rituals.

Lipless rattlebaits, like the LIVETARGET Golden Shiner Rattlebait, are outstanding choices for targeting post-spawn walleyes in the Great Lakes. These baits excel at provoking aggressive reaction strikes from walleyes, especially when presented with an active rip-jigging motion. After a long cast, allow the rattlebait to settle to the bottom. Then, starting with the rod tip at the 9:00 position, rip the bait up rapidly until the rod is at the 11:00 position. Then, you can either follow the bait to the bottom on a semi-tight line, or let it fall on a slack line, an alternative that provides the bait with addition freedom to wobble as it swims toward the bottom.