Sathre keys on these areas because there are plenty of fish to be caught and most of his customers want a few fish to take home with them.

"Early-season fishing with customers who want to catch numbers means I'm never deeper than 9 feet of water and I like areas with a mixture of structure, weeds, sand, rock or mud," he said.

When customers want a big walleye, he slides out to the big boulders near a shoreline break in deeper water. These areas are the last stop before a big female heads across the lake basin for mid-lake structure

A favorite lake of Fairbairn's served as a perfect case study for this early-season walleye location phenomenon.

"For years and years, the reports were that walleyes wouldn't bite on the mid-lake structure of this lake until June. Then a few people started going out there only to catch some big walleyes," he said.

The numbers aren't in those locations, but quality is and that's why Fairbairn said anglers should consider what kind of fishing experience they want ahead of time.

"You can fish the dink hole and catch all you want, but in the early season, you really need to decide what your goal is before you head out onto the water or you'll be chasing them all over the lake," Fairbairn said.

Presentation Toolbox
What makes a lake a "slip-bobber" lake? Probably because many anglers use that technique and experience success. King said we all know we need to be versatile and try different techniques, but in the end we resort to the tactics and lures we've always used.

Approaching fishing that way isn't all bad, he said, but there is some spectacular fishing to be had with crankbaits on a slip-bobber lake and vice versa. The possibilities don't end there. Just like you can't catch walleyes where you don't fish for them, you can catch walleyes with a lure you don't put in the water. That sounds cliché, but every angler is guilty of it.

"My suggestion is to use the Internet and find information about the traditional methods and use them, but don't be afraid to employ other methods you've used in other locations at different times of the year," he said.