"My first choice in these areas would be casting jigs into the bulrush areas and working them around the stalks of the bulrushes," Tuma said.

Tuma also recommended using a softer tipped rod with high-sensitivity line so you can feel the jig moving through the bulrushes and tell if a fish is on.

One of Fairbairn's favorite methods in the bulrushes is using a suspending jerkbait or crankbait in a longer minnow-shaped style. The profile is perfect for walleyes and can be worked through the stalks of the bulrushes much like a jig by using a slow but steady pop-twitch, pop-twitch, pause and retrieve.

As the water warms, walleyes are more aggressive, and Fairbairn usually shifts to lipless rattling baits or crankbaits that require more steady action. Perch patterns can be very effective but it is absolutely critical to experiment with color. These techniques will work on all the waters profiled in this article, though some work better than others depending on the lake.

LEECH LAKE
Leech Lake is one of the best spots for catching walleyes in the bulrushes, noted both Leer and Fairbairn. The action usually picks up a few weeks after fishing opener and stays hot into late June. One of the biggest mistakes Leer sees anglers make when fishing bulrushes is being too loud.

"You can't go barreling in there with your motor and expect to find fish," he said. "You have to approach the area slowly with your trolling motor and use a precise casting approach to comb through the rushes."

There are fields of bulrushes on Leech Lake with walleyes, but the best spots need to be carefully searched out. These pockets that hold fish include divots along a straight edge of bulrushes, small clumps off the main bulrush area, and also deeper holes inside a main bulrush bed.

"The key is to cover the water before you get to an area, and don't stop looking if you don't find them," said Leer. "The best areas change from year to year."

Both anglers said their favorite spots were large bays like Steamboat and Boy, with an average depth less than 10 feet. These areas are especially effective in June but should be fished throughout the summertime.

For more information, call 1-800-833-1118 or go to www.leech-lake.com.

CASS LAKE
When fishing the bulrush beds on Cass for walleyes, Leer uses a search-and-adjust method. He'll begin by casting a jig like the Mimic Minnow or Mimic Minnow Spin tipped with plastic or a minnow into the reeds. Slowly retrieving the lure gives the walleyes time to come up and make a reaction strike, though it tends to target aggressive fish.

Once the action slows, Leer switches to a jig shaped to glide through the weeds that also has a plastic weedguard. Tipped with a minnow or piece of crawler, Leer casts deep into the bulrushes for neutral walleyes. If the fish are in a negative mood, he'll use a float system along the outer edge of the reeds.

The best bulrush beds on Cass are found alongside each of the islands as well as several points around the lake. Allen's Bay is a good spot to begin, especially if the big lake is windswept.

For more information, call 1-800-356-8615 or go to www.casslake.com.

LAKE WINNIBIGOSHISH
Winnibigoshish might not have a lot of bulrushes, but the walleyes tend to stay in them throughout the summer, said Chris Kavanaugh, DNR fisheries supervisor for the Grand Rapids area. Even in midsummer, scores of walleyes are caught along the shoreline.

Walleyes move into the bulrushes in late May attracted by abundant numbers of spawning minnows. Kavanaugh said this continues until the lake reaches the low 60s and the minnows move deeper. Many walleyes stay, however, because by then the young-of-the-year perch are moving shallower. These perch, which average less than 1 1/2 inches, are an excellent forage base.