Spring walleye fishing is a great time to get out and take part in some of the finest fishing opportunities we have in western New York.

Once ice is gone and the water begins to warm, two of the most interesting fish in our part of the world — walleye and muskie — begin their journey to shallow water on their annual journey odyssey to spawn.

While muskie are fun to catch, it’s the walleye that gets most anglers attention during the early spring. May 1 is the new official walleye opener, which is when most of the walleye are done with their spawning runs. But this doesn’t mean they aren’t done with their shallow water trips, because that is where the bait fish are hanging out and finishing their spawning.

Deeper structure may be the order of the day once the season has turned to early summer, but it’s really no big secret where to find the “glassy-eyed” monster early in the season — in between 4 and 7 feet of water. Depth will depend on which body of water one is fishing, but walleye prefer water temperature around 44-48 degrees Fahrenheit.

Knowing where and when to start looking is always the biggest key to your success this season and every season. Anytime that we target aggressive fish with teeth, the mindset should be to use braided line. It is stronger, supple, and can really take the abuse. The issue here is fooling fish in relatively clear water. Monofilament disappears in the water column much better than braid and, while it stretches, it often softens the use of a jig or other offering. For casting, an angler may not pick up on the feel of the line as well, but you can tell if you are ticking the bottom, which means to speed up just a bit for a jig and minnow combination, keeping the bait in the strike zone just off of the bottom. Many walleye fishermen go as low as 6-pound test for casting with 10-pound test in today’s fishing world the top side of line size. Fishing slow at this time of the year almost goes without saying. Normally, aggressive fish are just starting to wake up from the winter’s sleep, even walleye that begin their renewal so early in the year. Intermittent bumps off of the bottom or other structure while keeping your bait in a steadily moving motion is what often triggers early season walleye. Forecasting the activity levels of the fish before you hit the water means checking weather conditions. If it’s been steady and seasonable, there’s a good chance you’re going to run into some active fish. In this case, it’s best to remind yourself to slow down. Again, depending on which body of water you are fishing, the majority of walleye in our parts spawn around the early part of April. Since walleyes in our part of walleye country generally run up a stream, it’s best to target them after they have returned to the lake, plus the season isn’t open when they generally spawn.

Look for post-spawn fish near shallow water structure between spawning areas and some of your favorite main lake summertime areas. These spots may contain rock or emerging vegetation that will hold fish now ready to feed.

Start with a 1/8-ounce jig early, then going to ™- and 3/8-ounce jig as water temperatures increase. Some anglers have better luck with 3-4-inch paddle tail baits and some prefer an old school bucktail or caribou dressing. A jig and minnow combination is always deadly for those areas that allow live bait fishing, many times with a pointed head jig that moves through the water column nicely.

An old-school trick that still works today is to reel a suspended style bait so slow that it barely moves at times, and when the walleye strike the only way to tell is when he tightens your line and the rod simply begins to bend. You should be running your bait off of the bottom, with slow pulls and long pauses letting fish.

Crankbaits have been catching cold water walleyes for a lot of years and are the go-to bait for many anglers. If you are bumping the bottom, it’s OK since the slow retrieve causes a rise in the bait that will continue to keep it in the strike zone near the bottom. This is a great time to break out the braided line. Crankbaits work great with braid.

Oftentimes, one can choose to drift fish, cast, or troll in the early season, but getting the bait away from the boat can be important this time of year. This is often when the fishery’s water clarity is at its peak and walleye are boat shy. Since your boat can spook walleyes when you’re fishing up in shallow water, casting may be your best bet.

When looking to do some trolling, early season success depends just as much on the speed as it does your offering. Keeping your boat going into the wind — if possible — is generally the best way to control your speed, remembering that colder water temperatures mean slow down your presentation. We have always watched the rod tips to gauge boat speed. Anglers want the rod tip to just be moving a little bit. When done properly, anglers can actually see the rod tip end moving, not pulsing so fast you can’t see the tip. Trolling a worm harness is always the best way to start the season when trolling. Blade style, blade color and length depend on water conditions and time when you are fishing. When fishing in the evening we have found that Colorado style blade will give off just the right water movement to draw walleyes to the “active bait fish.” Blade will also depend on time of day. When it’s a clear night and the moon is full, or close to it, we have found that the moonlight will reflect off and give the illusion of bait-fish breaking the water surface. Then draw walleye into the feeding, you are presenting.

When going after big fish in shallow water conditions when the water is clear enough to see the bottom, can be quite difficult with no cloud cover or wind. Herein also lies the importance of small diameter line to keep your offering from alarming the fish and keeping them interested. Open-water walleye fishing offers spring anglers their first chances of the year to target big fish. While the water may still be cold and the bite slow, patience will win out over those who want to grip and rip a rod with an aggressive lure as if the conditions will allow it. Early season walleye fishing is a great time to take a beginning angler and youth out to enjoy. Generally, there is good action, and if your baits aren’t producing “eyes,” there is always a good panfish bite going on.

Remember, one of the keys to early season walleye fishing is to slow down until the water temperature begins to climb.