Many anglers categorize spring walleye fishing as some of the best fishing of the season. There is a lot of truth to this statement, spring puts walleye in predictable locations and within a cast’s reach of shore anglers as well.
The Missouri River in South Dakota draws national attention all through spring. Often one of the first fisheries to open up, boats begin heading to fisheries such as Lake Francis Case, Lake Sharpe and the Fort Randall Tailrace as early as late-February or early-March.
As the ice recedes, lakes across the Glacial Lakes region of South Dakota such as 81 Ponds, Lake Poinsett, Lake Thompson, Lake Sinai, Dry Lake #2, Indian Springs, Waubay Lake and Bitter Lake begin to fire up as well, often producing excellent trophy walleye fishing. Speaking of trophy walleye fishing, Lake McConaughy in western Nebraska during April and May is one of the greatest trophy walleye factories in the nation.
Whether you’re looking to enjoy the excellent spring walleye fishing in South Dakota, Nebraska or even opening walleye weekend in Minnesota and Iowa we have you covered with everything you need to know to make this your best spring yet!
Spring Fishing in South Dakota
It’s no secret that spring means fishing in South Dakota. As the weather begins to cooperate in March and April, Interstate-90 becomes a literal boat parade as anglers head towards the river, the rocky shorelines begin to be lined with camouflage coats, and the forgotten holes in duck hunting waders are rediscovered. It may not seem like there are any secret spots in South Dakota in the springtime, but in reality many of some of the best fishing opportunities remain under the radar for many anglers.
Chamberlain, South Dakota in the springtime is a destination for walleye anglers across the country. Find out some of the top locations to focus and baits to utilize to find success on Lake Francis Case in the springtime!
It’s no secret that walleye is king in South Dakota, but many other fishing opportunities present themselves for anglers, especially in the spring. In fact, the excellent walleye fisheries are the reason many other terrific bites fly under the radar of many anglers.
Spring can produce some of the best fishing of the season, especially on the Missouri River. This doesn’t mean that you need to have a fancy presentation to catch fish-in fact, some of the best success comes when you stick to your basics. Find out everything you need to know in Springtime Missouri River Walleye Basics.
Throughout the spring season, the most successful anglers are the ones who can consistently dial the fish in. This includes everything from your electronics to the rods and reels you select. Find out more in Dialing in Springtime Walleye.
Many times we hear that 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water. In the spring, this is particularly true. In fact, you could even say 95% of the fish are in 5% of the water. We detail everything you need to know to find spring walleyes in Searching for Spring Walleye.
The Missouri River becomes the epicenter of walleye fishing in the Midwest in the spring. The river not only features numerous areas to fish, but also numerous ways to fish. Nick Harrington and Mason Propst take a look at various presentations that can work this time of year in Early Season Buffet on the Missouri River.
Nick Harrington discusses two different styles of casting jigs for early spring walleye. The first focuses on targeting trophy fish with bigger baits, while the second focuses on covering water and catching numbers of fish in One-Two Plastic Punch for Spring Walleye.
Nick Harrington details his secret to catching trophy pre-spawn walleye in the early spring. He utilizes over-sized plastics and under-sized jigs to target the biggest fish in the area in Upsizing Plastics for Goliath Spring Walleye.
Nick Harrington discusses the benefits of using suspending jerkbaits when the water is cold for targeting early spring walleye in Suspending Jerkbaits for Cold Water Walleye.
A popular technique in the fall, hard baits are a valuable option to deploy in the spring as well. Particularly suspending jerkbaits, hard baits are a top presentation in the spring time. Find out everything you need to know in Know Your Hard Baits.
Jigs are a staple of spring walleye fishing, but bottom bouncers can be successful all season long. You don’t have to pick between one presentation or other, Nick Harrington outlines how to pull the benefits of both in Jigs and Bouncers: The Perfect Marriage.
Trolling Crankbaits for Walleye
Whether you are walking through the local tackle store, ordering baits online, or even scrolling your social media feed you’ll encounter hundreds, if not thousands, of baits you can utilize for trolling crankbaits for walleyes. So many baits yet you can only tie on one to each rod at a time, how do you decide? The most efficient anglers select baits based on three criteria: profile, size and color. Take a deep dive into how these components factor into your bait selection and you’ll spend less time tying new baits and more time catching fish!
While many anglers may get wrapped up in hot colors, secret spots, magic baits, and the time of the moon rise the best anglers are going to be focused on a much less glamorous, but more important aspect of their presentation-boat control. Whether you are bottom bouncing, dragging jigs, casting crankbaits, or trolling crankbaits mastering boat control is critical to success.
Trolling crankbaits is a popular way to target walleye throughout all of the open water months. Regardless what time of year you’re trolling crankbaits, an important component of your trolling program is a planar board. Planar boards serve a variety of purposes and when deployed properly, will help you crank more fish into the boat.
Trolling crankbaits is an extremely popular technique for targeting walleye across all waterbodies and fisheries. This is for good reason, trolling crankbaits allows anglers to cover the most water, contact active fish, and is an extremely simple presentation as a whole. Despite it’s popularity, many anglers still do not take advantage of one of the greatest aspects that makes trolling crankbaits effective.
