Walt Matan shares some techniques that will help you beat the other fishermen to some fine walleyes this summer.

Spring walleye fishing is action packed. When I’m fishing a river, I’ll start at the dam and work my way downstream. When sizing up the dam and surrounding area, if no one is around, I’ll drive around, side scanning the bottom, looking for fish, drop-offs, bait and current. Sometimes, walleyes are present, but buried so tight to the bottom, and it’s a tough read. With side-scan and Panoptix, you can view fish a lot better than with a basic locator.

Walleyes can be caught in a variety of ways. You can work an area over by trolling upstream, drifting or slipping downstream, anchoring and fancasting or pitching shallow. It all depends on current and crowds.

Sometimes when I approach a dam, there are already anglers fishing in boats here and there. I must figure out what everyone is doing before making my move. I don’t want to anchor on a guy’s drift pattern; I don’t want to troll upstream when guys are drifting downstream; and I don’t want to jig between guys anchored up casting to a spot. Easy to say, but when you combine current, boats, googans (local anglers), wind and more googans into one small area, as well as shore anglers and waders, anything can happen. It’s called combat fishing for a reason.

When I approach, I already have at least four rods rigged and ready to go. I don’t want to be messin’ about. A Dubuque rig is a staple on the Mississippi; tie on a three-way swivel, add a 12-inch length of 8-pound fluorocarbon and tie on a 3/8-ounce B-Fish-N H2O jig with a 4-inch Oystershell AuthentX Moxi plastic. To the other end of the three-way, add 24 inches of fluoro, a 3/32-ounce H2O jig and an AuthentX 4-inch Ringworm in Cotton Candy. If nothing happens, I’ll change colors, I’ll change colors a few more times, and then I’ll change colors. Sometimes, I’ll add minnows; sometimes I’ll add crawlers; sometimes I’ll switch out the trailer to a hook and minnow, looking for inspiration.

Another rod will have a B-Fish-N 1/8-ounce Draggin’ Jig with 4-inch AuthentX Ringworm in Stewart’s Pro Blue color, to pitch into rocks, trees and the toughest areas. It can also be used to drag behind the boat without snagging.

Another rod will have a 3/16-ounce H2O jig with a 3.25-inch AuthentX Ribb-Finn in chartreuse with a white core, used for pitchin’, dragging and jiggin’ shallow. This is the big-fish, go-to bait.

Another rod will have a plain 1/4-ounce H2O jig. Add a minnow or a half-‘crawler.

Four different jig rigs, in different colors and different weights. You’ll have to keep experimenting to get the right weight, style and color combo that works. Once you find that, it’s game on!

I usually start with the Dubuque rig and slip my way downstream. Repetitive lift and drops get the plastic to move and walleyes to strike. Use just heavy enough weight to tick bottom. Too much and you’ll snag up, and you want to keep the boat moving, either by drifting or using your trolling motor. When possible, I’ll spot-lock and pitch this rig around, giving it a lot of lift and fall action on the retrieve. I’ll hang another rod in a holder with a jig and minnow, deadstick style, with a tiny stinger hook for light bites.

Often, the biggest fish are caught shallow. I like the action of a Ribb-Finn bouncing off the rocks and gravel. I’ll pitch a 1/8-ounce H2O jig with an Oystershell Ribb-Finn right up to the bank and let the current swing it back. The Ribb-Finn will attract any walleyes in the area.

If the bottom is full of debris, I’ll switch to the rod rigged with a Draggin’ Jig and Ringworm and pitch it in tight to cover. Walleyes often rest close to shore in high water, or be in there feeding, especially at low light and at night.

Once you fish a rod and reel you like, buy three more, so you can have the same feel when you switch presentations. I like a longer, medium-light-action graphite rod with an extra-fast tip, like a 6’8” St. Croix Eyecon Snap Jig rod. I use 10-pound-test bright yellow braided line, which is the same diameter as 2-pound mono. I’ll tie an 8-pound fluorocarbon leader between the three-way and my jig, unless the water is clear. With this super-sensitive combination, I can feel everything down below.

So, next time you go walleye fishing, give some of these jigging techniques a try. You may be rewarded with a trophy as well as some fine eaters!

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