Fish Hook has a strong walleye population, with high numbers in the 16- to 20-inch range, and has great potential for a 30-inch or larger walleye.

The south shore features large, shallow flats with plenty of bulrushes near the boat access, and is a good place to start, said Greg May, owner of Northern Bait in Park Rapids. The mouth of the Potato River along the north shore offers current, a defined point and deep water nearby, giving it great potential for walleyes all season. Light jigs tipped with a minnow or leech yield the most results. Because the lake has good bulrush beds on several shorelines, start with the side that has received the most recent wave action.

For more information, call Northern Bait at (218) 732-5113 or go to www.parkrapidscvb.com.

LAKE JESSIE
Lake Jessie in Itasca County features fast-dropping shorelines riddled with points and bays. Tim Onraet of Jessie View Resort said one of his favorite spots is where the creek flows in by the public landing on the southern end, although this entire shore can produce walleyes. "From opener until June, you can pitch a jig in there and pull out some nice walleyes," he said.

Lake Jessie's bulrushes can receive high pressure during the day but are vastly underfished during the evening. Onraet said shiners are effective until mid-June when leeches and nightcrawlers become the bait of choice for jig-throwing walleye anglers.

"Depending on the water conditions, the reeds end abruptly in 6 feet of water, and the walleyes hang there well into the summer," said Onraet. A 1999 DNR survey revealed a whopping 22 walleyes per net averaging around 1 pound. Onraet said the numbers are down a bit right now, but are still very respectable.

Additional information can be found by calling the Grand Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-355-3740 or going to www.visitgrandrapids.com.

LAKE OSAKIS

A lot of anglers fish the bulrushes of Todd County's Lake Osakis, though the presence of anglers in other portions of the lake proves that not everybody goes after them in the shallows. Norm Clyde of the Fisherman's Corner in Osakis said walleyes sit in the bulrushes throughout the summertime.

Weedless jigs tipped with fatheads or leeches are the first choice, followed by plastic worms, grubs and tubes on a weedless rig. Crankbaits trolled along the weed edges are also productive at dusk and dawn. Clyde said the outlet of Curtis Creek on the western end between Miller Point and Three Mile Bar is good, not to mention the bulrushes off Moon Bar on the northern end near Battle Point.

Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Osakis Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-422-0785 or at www.lakeosakis.com.

MILLE LACS
John House is normally a walleye angler, but when he caught a mess of walleyes in the bulrushes of Isle Bay, he knew he was onto something.

"It was mid-June and we were fishing in the bay for crappies because the main lake was too choppy," said House. "We were pitching plastics in the bulrushes around Malone Island and the walleyes were smashing our lures like bass." Wide-gapped 1/8- and 1/16-ounce mushroom-headed jigs tipped with a plastic rib worm and pitched to the edge was the most effective technique he found.

Kit Nelson, fisheries manger for the DNR's Aitkin area office, said walleyes are opportunistic feeders that take advantage of the minnows and perch pushed into the bulrushes by the wind and waves. The best bulrush beds on Mille Lacs are usually near creek mouths or current areas. These non-traditional areas on Mille Lacs are most productive when there is a good chop on the main lake and a moderate chop in the bays.

For more information, call the Mille Lacs Area Tourism Council at 1-888-350-2692 or go to www.millelacs.com.

So when you can't find the walleyes on the flats, humps or bars, rush to the bulrushes!