ANGLING POSTSPAWNERS
It has long been thought that a walleye's desire to eat is switched off for many weeks during the spawn. Although fishing success may flicker during the peak of the spawning period, walleyes expend lots of energy spawning, and they need food to replenish this depleted energy.

In rivers, current speed and water depth dictate walleye location during postspawn. Structural elements that provide a current break are potential spots -- points, logjams, beaver dams, flooded wood, causeways, boulders, and deep holes. Large slow eddies, tips or sides of wing dams, and bridges all attract fish. Current seams on the surface likely indicate a current break on a vertical plane to the bottom, where walleyes line up along the edge, waiting for a passing meal.

During high flow, walleyes seek low-velocity current breaks in backwater chutes and in flooded trees amidst the flood plain. Each tree provides a current break for postspawn walleyes to rest, recuperate, and feed. Oak, cottonwoods, and willows tend to grow in gravel areas, and walleyes seem to favor these bottoms.

"Good river anglers study how the current is flowing across the surface, past trees, and over rocks or other obstructions that create current breaks," says Tommy Skarlis, expert river angler and In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail pro. "Trees swept by the right amount of current over the right kind of bottom -- say rock, sand, or gravel -- are the best backwater walleye spots."

PITCHIN', FLIPPIN', DIPPIN'
Positioning the boat as close as possible to cover without spooking fish allows you to make a controlled cast, flip, pitch, or dip to key spots. Position the jig ahead of the current break and use the force of the current to work your jig down in front of walleyes facing into the current.

Match the right jig weight to the current strength to slowly work it downstream. Lighter jigs, 1/16 to 1/8 ounce, less likely snag and are easier for a walleye to inhale, but they can be difficult to use in strong wind and current. If you lose contact (sense of feel) with your jighead, consider using a heavier jig. They sink faster, however, and snags become more frequent.

Use your bowmount electric trolling motor or grab tree branches to pull the boat along as you move slowly and quietly through the trees. Pitch, flip, or dip a jig around each tree for walleyes using the current break on the downcurrent side of the tree.

Weedless jigs like the Northland Weed-Weasel or Bait Rig Slow Poke slide over obstructions like wood, weeds, and rocks better than a roundhead jig. They also fall slower, which makes staying in contact with the jig in deeper water or stronger current more difficult.

"When I'm working wood, I used a 7 1/2- to 8-foot casting rod to dip a jig in the trees, similar to dipping for bass, crappies, and catfish," Skarlis suggests. "Every tree in the slack water creates a current break and is a potential walleye home. I like to think of each tree as being a little walleye apartment with maybe one, two, or even three residents. Moving as quickly and quietly as possible, simply put the rod tip right next to a tree and vertically dip the jig two or three times in and around each tree before moving to the next one. Walleyes are typically ready to ambush any food that ventures into the current-break area they're using.

"I use 17-pound-test Berkley XT mono, which allows me to quickly jerk the fish out of the wood before it wraps around a tree," Skarlis explains. "I also use a light-wire hook, which allows me to simply straighten the hook to free it from the wood, reshape the hook, and get right back to fishing."

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