The transition from post-spawn to summer walleye patterns can be difficult and frustrating. It can also be filled with furious action and big fish.

Water temperatures, spring weather patterns, baitfish migrations, insect hatches, and fishing pressure all add to the early season walleye location puzzle. As the water temperatures begin to rise, the warm, stable weather begins to accelerate all growth and activity in the water column.

As the water warms, groups of walleyes may abandon some locations and concentrate in others. This results in feast or famine fishing, so to stay on fish you must be alert and ready to move. The best thing about early season is that catching fish isn't always that difficult once you've located them.

Keeping up with the changing locations and not "living on yesterday's memories" can be difficult. Walleyes may literally abandon an area in a day. I remember fishing a walleye tournament a few years ago, when my partner and I had fish marked on shallow rock humps during practice. We had four humps that would produce fish almost any time we checked the area in practice.

At tournament time, conditions changed and only a few quality fish existed on the rock humps. We switched gears and fished a couple nearby weed areas that had produced only limited fish in practice; the result was a quick limit allowing us to take home a check.

The key to find finding active fish in the early season is checking as many potential locations as possible. Below are a few areas I like to search.

Wood

If you're fishing stained and darker waters, check for cedar trees rimming the shoreline. If groups or clusters of fallen cedar trees exist, where the treetops are in about seven feet of water or more, get ready. Sometimes an isolated tree near this deeper water can hold large numbers of fish. This wood pattern is usually most effective directly after the spawn, but seems to fade after prolonged warm and stable weather. I have also seen this wood pattern occur in clear waters where an abundance of fallen wood occurs along the shorelines.

Fish weedless jigs in the 1/16- to 1/8-ounce size tipped with a minnow. Begin working the outside edges of the trees to catch any walleyes that may be deeper, then work directly into the branches. Do not spend too much time in the wood. Typically, if a tree has fish you'll catch one in the first few casts.

Weeds

Late spring and early summer mean emergent vegetation. This new weed growth typically holds perch and other minnows. As the water warms there will first be isolated patches or clumps of weeds, followed by thicker weed or grass beds with a defined edge. Because of the presence of baitfish, these weeds almost always hold walleyes. In fact, there are very few waters that fail to produce some weed-walleyes at this time.

I prefer to fish the weeds with lighter 1/16- to 1/8-ounce jigs tipped with a chub or leech. Work the clumps of weeds first and then, as the weed beds grow, the edge. Keep your rod high and jiggle the bait from the weed clump if it becomes tangled. Commonly the strike will occur as the jig pulls free from the weed and falls vertically. The high rod ensures a vertical fall. I use a sensitive rod and six-pound line to better feel and see strikes around the weed cover.

Patches of grass are another place to search. This grass may only grow one to three feet from the bottom and my not necessarily be associated with other weeds. I have seen this grass as deep as 18 feet in some clear lakes, and even in darker lakes it can be difficult to locate. Look for five- to 10-foot flats and cruise the area watching your electronics. Mine can easily pick up the grass that is growing only a foot from bottom. Searching for the grass is a little extra work, but can pay off big.

Rocks

Shallow rocks, deep rocks, points, humps, and shorelines all can hold walleyes. I check points and shorelines when the wind is blowing into them to reduce light penetration, but I have caught fish shallow in very clear water on calm days. To play the percentages I fish the shallow points and shorelines with 1/32- to 1/16-ounce jigs tipped with a minnow or leech. I use a slow, straight-line retrieve in the shallow water. The light jig and minnow or leech swims naturally and attracts strikes from walleyes.

In contrast to shallow shorelines, I prefer to fish shallower and deeper humps under warmer conditions with a slight chop or even under calm conditions. In stained or clear waters, light penetration seems to work well in triggering big walleyes at this time. I prefer to Lindy rig for the walleyes on the deeper humps, or on the break of the shallow humps, but I usually make a few casts with a jig on top of the shallow humps.

Weather and wind conditions seem to make certain humps "turn-on" at different times. Pay close attention--some rock humps predictably produce fish.

Rock humps can be like wood--when there is a group of fish strikes occur quickly. However, do not be surprised if a rock hump only produces a few fish. Leave the area and come back later as more fish will move to the hump. Shoreline rocks can be difficult to fish, so I usually point hop until a point or group of points produce. Then I return and fish the adjacent shoreline.

Mud Basins

Mud basins are still probably the most overlooked area for early summer walleyes, but they consistently produce fish in both quantity and size.

Take any lake map and locate the basins nearest potential spawning areas. The basin could be 20-40 feet deep and hold lots of big fish. Many of the larger females move to the basins almost immediately after spawning and feed on insects and baitfish in these areas. Don't be fooled into thinking that because these fish are lying in the mud they can't be caught--they can. Lots of big walleye are caught in the Great Lakes each spring and summer by anglers fishing these basins. And, it is the basins that produce the biggest fish. I have experimented on some smaller inland lakes and have seen similar results.

Troll the mud basin with spinners rigged with crawler harnesses pulled behind bottom bouncers. I prefer size 3 and five blades and troll at speeds around 0.6 to 1 mph. Experiment with speed and try to use enough weight to keep the bait riding on and just above bottom, by maintaining a 45 degree angle between your line and rod tip as your line enters the water.

Take advantage of your electronics when a group of fish is located in the basin. Using a Global Positioning System and plotter screen on my Impulse 4040 I was able to catch a 10-1/2 pound walleye, and return to the exact same spot on the next pass and catch a 11-1/2 and 10-pounder.

The fish are commonly tight to bottom after the spawn, but begin to suspend as the water warms. Trolling crankbaits just above bottom will produce plenty of fish. Don't be afraid to run some baits higher as some walleyes also suspend early.

Open Water

Open water is a pattern commonly associated with mud basins, although open water near hard-bottom breaklines also can produce fish. As stated earlier, some fish always suspend and as the water warms more of the larger fish suspend, particularly if there is any suspended forage in the lake. One of the keys is to locate schools of baitfish or to spot walleyes with your electronics. Once located it is a matter of determining how deep and at what speed to run the lures.

Trolling crankbaits such as Storm Thundersticks, Rebel Fastracks, or Lindy Baitfish all work. To get the lures deeper, use either segmented lead core or the new snap-weight systems. Either way, you can run shallow-running crankbaits at greater depths with precision.

Trolling these lures behind planer boards is a must. These open-water suspended walleyes can be spooky and the planer board spreads your lines. allowing you to cover more water and run multiple lines with ease.

As the water warms do not be afraid to run your crankbaits very shallow. I have caught lots of big fish running baits four to seven feet down over 30-50 feet of water. The big fish will come up for the baits, especially on bright, calm days.

You can also troll spinner rigs with crawler harnesses for fish suspended above bottom. The same rig that is used to catch basin fish on bottom works for suspended walleyes. The key is to use a lighter snap weight to run the spinner at a specific depth. For example, let out 50 feet of line with the spinner; attach a 1/2-ounce snap weight and let out 50 more feet of line; then attach a planer board. This system works great for suspended walleyes.

Early season is one of my favorite times of the year to fish for walleyes. There are lots of potential locations that hold fish and you must systematically try them all to find the best fish. Keep experimenting.