Lake Sakakawea is kicking out good number of walleyes. Use a jig and a minnow along with a dead stick lindy rig with a minnow. Get yourself in an area with baseball to soccer ball size rock along the bank and work the area hard. You will find some pretty active fish! Good fishing and shoot the puck.

It is getting closer to spawning time. Look for some big females to be hanging around the shallow water sandbar areas. If you can find some reduced current near a creek channel, you should have a great chance at catching a big one. Remember to be quiet and fish light. 

If you are looking for a smoother ride this summer in rough water. I have found a product for you that is simply amazing! Playing pro hockey during the winter and fishing walleye tournaments in the summer, I am trying rest my body. Pounding big waves can be as harsh as taking a big check into the boards. This has led me to find a product called Ultra Ride! This seat system asorbs all the shock of a wave and leaves me free to focus on the task of driving the boat to my next spot. Take a look at them at www.ultraride.com They are awesome!

Hey all you fishing maniacs, if you get a chance to visit my teams web site place a vote for a North Dakota Boy! ( I could use an award to help me out come contract time!)  Actually, if you get a chance to just visit my teams website that would be great! You can find schedules, stats, and even listen to a game if you get a chance! I hope you check it out. See you on the water this summer.

When fishing walleyes on the Missouri River at this time of year. Think slow! If you are vertical jigging, use the bump and hold technique. When you hit bottom with your jig lift it up a couple of inches from the bottom and hold it still for about 5 seconds. Walleyes this time of year will knock the rod out of your hand when you do this!

If you are heading to the Missouri River, look for fish to be somewhat scattered. Concentrate your efforts near the creeks and deep water areas. Fish them slow and remember the 1 over 18 inch rule. 

Now that the Missouri River is open, you are going to experience a slow first couple of weeks. look for fish in some of the deep pockets and near the creek channels! Fish them slow and fish spots long and hard before leaving! Good fishing. 

When respooling your line the next time. Fill up a five gallon pale with water. Drop the spool of line in the water and put pressure on the line with a damp cloth. Begin filling your spool like you would if the line spool was out of the water. The line will go on smooth and have virtually no memory!

When you are vertical fishing jigs, always make sure that your knot is pushed to the bottom of the eye of the jig. When the jig is hanging from the line it should almost be at a 90 degree angle. This will help in presenting your jig better to those walleyes!

Always search for walleyes on the wind swept side first. If they do not seem to be in these areas, check the other side. Or if you can remember which way the wind blew the day before. That is probably where those Walleyes are hanging out!

When organizing your crankbait boxes, organize them by how deep they will run. For example, one box has all your crankbait that run 5' to 10' feet. Box two has all your cranks that will run 10' to 15' feet. Box three will have cranks that will run 15' to 20' feet etc. This will save a lot time the next time on the water! Good fishing!

When re-spooling your reels, always use a damp cloth. Reel the line on while at the same time washing the line with a the damp cloth! This will help you in a good spooling and it gets all the gunk off the line. Hopefully it will help you in keeping your line on the reel longer.

When water is falling on a lake or river. Walleyes will begin to pull out of areas that you were catching them in. A lot times these changes can go unnoticed. Look for walleyes on lakes to move out of the bays but not far from where they were. Many times these walleyes will move on humps or points as you leave the bays! On rivers, walleyes will move out of small back channels and bays. They will look for areas nearby with deep water! If you pay attention to this, it may result in a good days catch! 

We are seeing more fishing line companies introducing line that is easy for the angler to see. I feel this is very important while jig fishing. You must keep your eye on the line at all times. Many bites can go unnoticed! Try some of these new lines, I think they will help you in catching more fish. And if your worried about the walleyes seeing it, you are giving them too much credit!

I realize this is the slow time of year for open water walleyes. But if you want to get ahead of the game, start by getting your tackle boxes organized! A little clean up now can save a lot of time later!

If you have a depth finder that you use while ice fishing. Bring along a bottle of water. Clear a spot on the ice and pour some water on it. Place the transducer in the water on the ice and you will be able to read the depth without drilling a hole! Good Luck!

When fishing crankbaits. Make sure they are running true. Check them to make sure they do not run to one side or the other. If they do this, take a needle nose pliars and bend the wire that holds the split ring. Keep doing this until the bait runs straight.

Quick_Tip

If you are heading out on the ice for the first time. Remember that clear ice is the best ice! White ice is not as safe. Be Careful!

When netting fish, never bring the net to the fish. Always bring the fish to the net. This will keep from spooking the fish and having it make a fast run away from the boat. Let the person who has the fish on dictate when it is time to bring the fish to the net.