Enjoy the good walleye fishing in West Michigan

There are many good locations for walleye anglers to enjoy, and a few simple methods to use for a successful catch.

Start with the Kalamazoo River.

The pier heads are always good this time of the year, as is the area just upstream from Saugatuck. The section between the two bridge over passes are hot.  Don’t forget to work each support pillar for a hungry lurking walleye.

Another good location is the area near New Richmond. Fish upstream to the Rabbit River and downstream to Old Allegan Road.
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The Grand River is productive at Indian Channel, the old gravel pits and Sixth Street Dam in downtown Grand Rapids. A sleeper spot is above the dam almost to Lowell. This area is vastly under fished and makes for a great float trip.

Fremont Lake is another good pick for this time of the year. It will stay good through Memorial Day and the best locations are anyplace where you can find green cabbage weeds. The lake also has a minimum of ten small underwater islands. A good map and graph will point these spots out.

Any of the piers along Lake Michigan provide good action. The best fishing takes place after dark. The action is best when the smelt are running or when the baitfish are near the piers.

Muskegon and White Lake are both good locations to hit, but the action depends on the water temperature. If the water gets to warm and the shad move in, chase another species because the walleye action will be tough.
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Pike season has also opened and each of the listed areas are good with Muskegon, White and Fremont being the best.

Pike anglers do real well casting Rapala Husky Jerks or Smithwick Rogues. These suspending body baits are a real killer and work great at night off of the pier. My favorite is a frozen smelt on a quick strike rig.
Walleye anglers do well with a jig and minnow combo.

Remember to drag is to snag. Hit the bottom and lift up. Repeat until a walleye hits. Use a jig head that is heavy enough to hit the bottom and stay as vertical as possible.

My favorite walleye setup is a three-way rig or the old fashioned wolf river rig.
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Tie on a three-way swivel. Add a dropper line to your sinker and this can vary between one to two feet as a rule. On the other swivel tie on a leader in the four- to six-foot range. Add a Northland Floater and a minnow, leech or a crawler and you are in business.

Another version of this is the drop shot rig made popular with the tournament bass anglers. Tie your hook directly to your line and place you sinker at the end of the line one or two feet below the hook. You can substitute the hook for a floater. This is a great rig to use when traveling slowly or when working a school of hungry fish.

Windy days are a challenge when trying to match the current of the river. With some practice you will be able to learn this. Both the 3-way rig or the drop shot rig are easier to work with in the wind.

​Not much is better tasting than a golden walleye fillet. Well maybe a few morels and a fresh turkey breast to go with it would be nice. Enjoy the good walleye fishing that is close at hand.

Published in the Holland Sentinel 5/14/2008.