Cold water temperatures keep February walleyes from entering their pre-spawn feeding craze, but even the most sluggish fish are starting to bite a bit more readily now. Photo by Mike Gnatkowski.

February is always a slap in the face for walleye anglers. Seemingly brand new back in May and June, the fishing season is now nearing its end. When the calendar flips over to March, it will be time for the vast majority of Minnesota walleye fans to hang it up until the May 15 opener.

If you are the kind of angler who craves walleye action, February is your last real chance. February is "do-or-die."

Cold water temperatures have prevented walleyes from entering their pre-spawn feeding frenzy, but the inevitability of the springtime ritual will often tempt even the most sluggish of 'eyes to obtain a few additional calories. The feedbags are still in storage, but anglers who are able to find where the walleyes are located can have a successful outing, thanks to those first hunger pangs.

"A jigging spoon with a minnow head is pretty standard walleye tackle, and if that doesn't work, most anglers go down to a smaller jig or spoon and use wax worms," Bryan Sathre of Fathead Guide Service said. "If that downsize approach doesn't work, try dead-sticking a large minnow below a slip-bobber. Better yet, use this method as your second line while you work to find the right tactic with your main line."

LEECH LAKE
Terry Tuma speaks with thousands of ice-anglers each year through his angling seminars, and he's excited about the reports he's hearing from Leech Lake regarding both the open-water and ice-fishing seasons. "The lake is definitely one of the hottest around the state for walleye fishing," Tuma said. "The great thing is there are multiple year-classes showing up, meaning anglers can catch some fish for the pan, as well as a few big ones to photograph and release."

Sathre does a healthy amount of guiding on Leech Lake but has also found himself wandering that way even when he doesn't have clients. Living 45 to 60 minutes away in Bemidji means driving by a lot of tremendous walleye waters, but Sathre said it's worth it: "I drive right by Cass and Pike Bay (lakes), which are two of my favorite lakes to ice-fish, not to mention Lake Bemidji right in town."

Sathre's favorite aspect of Leech is that although there are plenty of traditional walleye holes, there is a lot of ice that anglers simply aren't targeting. "If you can effectively employ the run-and-gun (strategy) on Leech, you are going to find a lot of walleyes that nobody is targeting and have a good time catching them."

Walker Bay is a great place to fish over humps and bumps, and the rock humps in Sucker Bay are also productive on the main lake, though pressure ridges can make this area difficult to access, according to Sathre. The areas around Onigum Road and Federal Dam are also great, but be wary of the ice around the river.

Sathre fishes that 18- to 25-foot range throughout the wintertime, and in February he likes to put down a deadstick line with a minnow and a jigging line. "On my deadstick with a bobber, I'll use an eye dropper and tip it with the biggest golden shiner I can find, drop it down and watch it on the Marcum.

"On my jigging line, I'll put down either a Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon with a minnow head for an aggressive bite, or a Hexi-Fly with a wax worm or two for a negative bite," he said.

For more information, go to www.leech-lake.com, or call the Leech Lake Chamber at (800) 833-1118.