Snags are the bane of shore anglers, and depending on the area being fished, they may range from infrequent to abundant. That's the price you pay when you lack the mobility to move out over the top of a snag and try to jerk it free from the bottom. If snags are bad, do the math; lost three-way riggings are cheaper than lost lures. If your losses aren't excessive, chalk up the occasional lost lure to the price of doing business.

At night, river walleyes may move into the extreme shallows, often right up against shore. Casting a minnow-imitating crankbait or shad bait can produce big time on bigger fish. Key on prime spots -- obvious eddies, an inflowing creek, a wing dam. You don't have to work deep; 3 to 5 feet should be adequate.

Need a break from the midwinter blues or from the ice patrol? Short of heading to the Southlands, big rivers with big dams are the best game in town. The pocket of open water may be relatively small; the less area you need to check. When you don't have to run around and check many miles of river, you can spend more time playing with presentation changes and adjustments. Fun to do on a moderately warm day, basking in the open-water opportunity while the surrounding countryside is locked in snow and ice.

SOME DAM GOOD WEBSITES
Larger rivers with a sequence or major dams fall under the management of authorities that regulate water flow (and ensuing water levels). It's possible to log on to their websites to check characteristics for individual lakes and dams, to gain some indication of current and river conditions to help plan your trip.

NOAA's Riverwatch, an extremely helpful and easy-to-navigate website with current and projected water levels for the Upper Mississippi, Ohio, Allegheny, Monongohela, and portions of the Arkansas, lower Missouri, and other rivers.

The US Army Corps of Engineers website for the Upper Missouri River Region Water Management Information offers river and reservoir levels, outflow projections, lake levels, boat launch and ice conditions, and other helpful stuff.

The Tennessee Valley Authority website offers information on many southeastern reservoirs, including water levels, outflow rates, predicted power generation periods, plus flow rate of regional streams.

The US Geological Survey Real-Time Water Data website offers water levels and stream flow rates throughout the US.