yesterday client Mark put his PB walleye in my boat. 29.25″ very FAT. Fish hid a glow B-3 blade bait in 21 fow. Her belly was firm. Water temp 42.2 degrees. She was the 6th walleye over 24″ on consecutive trips over the past 9 days. Three of these fish were “keepers’–over 27”. All were released. Allcame from 29-21 fow, successively shallower in this time frame.

Primary target on yesterday’s trip was pike. Clients hooked 5 in just over an hour after first going after walleyes. Fish hit a Northland Tackle magnum spinnerbait, A Z-man chatterbait w/6″ SwimmerZ paddle tail and an RT97 magnum Rat-L-Trap. A few years ago Bill Lewis Lures renamed this lure to RT–97 (Red Head Uncle Ted) quite an honor!

Pike had just moved into a shallow, weedy, dark bottom bay where they will spawn over the next several days. Water temp here yesterday was 44. Forty-five is go-time.

In the process of prospecting for walleyes ‘stairstepping’ shallower the clients caught several SMB up to 19″ on blades and BFishN PulseRs w/ Liquid Willowcat.

The perch bite is CRAZY right now!! Hundreds of egg laden females have been taken up by the dam, on jigging spoons & basic pinch of crawler/split shot rigs. Fish are now in <15 fow.

All conditions indicate walleye spawn will occur around the full moon on 3/25. This is extremely early. Historically, they go 4/15.

TV production–a blade bait shoot with Midwest Outdoors has my schedule locked up the last week in March (don’t worry Trey your 3/25 trip is set in stone).

Once the TV crew gets their ducks lines up there MAY be a couple of days where i would be willing to guide. Regardless, I’ll likely be fishin’. Next open date is 4/3. The SMB should just be going nuts by then!