However, it's typical indeed that when the weather or water conditions change, so does the color of jig that's going to keep the walleye bite going. Expect orange, chartreuse, yellow and pink to be the most productive colors in stained water. If the water temperature is holding or on the rise, I tip the leadhead jig with a 3-inch twister-type soft-plastic jig body. Besides adding action with its curly-tail, the twister body also adds color to the presentation. Just like with the jighead, I experiment with different colors until I find the winning combination.

By late May or early June, many changes take place on shallow lakes -- emerging weeds being the most noticeable. Fresh weeds offer cover and food for a variety of newly hatched minnow species, along with small perch. In fact, a lake's forage fish can be restricted to spring's earliest weedy growth. Find the forage and schools of walleyes can't be too far behind.

With the exception of northern pike and muskies, walleyes will control the weeds. Use a mid-depth crankbait and rip it through the weedtops. Ripping a crankbait often brings strikes from the larger walleyes. The crankbait should just dig into the weeds and not dive too deep. Fiberglass crankbait rods in 6 1/2-foot lengths -- like the Lamiglas XCF 665 or XCF 705 -- are perfect for ripping lures through the weeds. The fiberglass rod is more forgiving than graphite models, and I'm much less likely to set the hook too quickly.

A variety of weed types can hold walleyes, but cabbage is the most desirable. Not only will it hold larger schools of walleyes, but also it is much easier to fish than other vegetation types. Both live and artificial baits are productive, and both have their place.

When looking for weed-based walleyes, a crankbait is hard to beat. I can run a crankbait both over the weeds and along a weedline. If walleyes are active, they will be feeding over the tops of the weeds. A shallow-running crankbait is perfect for this situation. Cast the crankbait and immediately start a slow, steady retrieve.

Once I locate walleyes with a crankbait, I fish the weedline with either a minnow or leech rigged on a small jighead fished under a slip-bobber. The slip-bobber presentation is deadly on both neutral and inactive walleyes. One tactic I use while guiding is to work the weedline with crankbaits, go fish another spot and return back to the weedline with slip-bobbers. By leaving and returning to the weedline, I give the fish a while to regroup.

CLEAR, DEEP LAKES
Clear deep-water lakes deliver a totally different spring fishing scenario to walleye fishermen. Foremost, these lakes must be fished with a different perspective. These are lakes that produce both good numbers of walleyes, as well as the trophy fish that makes many outings remarkable. If spring "springs" late for the season, many anglers can catch really large fish. Toss in a cold front, however, and catching any walleyes at all can be extremely challenging.

After spawning, small walleyes move deep during the day and hold tight to rock points and humps. Early and late in the day, these same fish will move shallow and cruise the shorelines.

Deep lakes like these usually hold ciscoes as the prime walleye forage. A plain leadhead jig-and-minnow rig is the most reliable presentation. Top jighead colors are red, blue and chartreuse, attached to lines no heavier than 6-pound-test. I keep with the tactic of using the lightest possible jig. I avoid using 4-pound line because I'm dealing with walleyes that are in and over rocks, and I'm really expecting to nail a trophy 'eye! If the bite is really light, I will switch to fluorocarbon line because it is almost invisible under water.

Weeds are usually slow in coming on clear, deep lakes. However, if I find weeds of any kind, I'm confident I'll find active walleyes.

On one of my favorite deep-water lakes, I regularly catch walleyes from a small patch of cabbage that grows on the edge of a small bay. I rig a minnow under a slip-bobber and let it ride just over the top of the weeds. Each year, this small bay is among the first areas of the lake to sprout fresh weed growth.

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I know nothing is cut in stone when fishing, especially when dealing with early-season walleyes.

That's why I don't rely on just one type of lake for spring walleye fishing. The more lakes I have in my plan of attack, the greater my odds for taking both numbers and trophies. It's key that I stay versatile and don't get hung up on one type of presentation. I bring along jigs, slip-bobbers and crankbaits in a variety or colors and sizes to up my odds of putting more fish in my boat.

And so can you!