"Tightly schooled walleyes can be caught with a soft-plastic-tipped jig," continued Mark. "Boat control is critical, especially when jigging, so keep on top of them even if they move. If walleyes are scattered, control drift or back troll a Roach Rig tipped with live bait along the edge of the breakline. If walleyes are suspended, lengthen the leader of your Roach Rig by 8 to 12 feet and use a juicy air-injected crawler. Don't be afraid to experiment with all the variables to get the bait directly in front of the walleyes. It is worth it because these suspended fish are oftentimes the biggest ones!"

Additional information about Mark Christianson can be found online at www.leechlakeguides.com.

JON THELEN
Jon has only been fishing the national walleye tournaments for a few years, but he is ranked among the top 200 and closing in on the top 100. June is his favorite open-water month, and Mille Lacs is the lake of choice for his tip.

"June is a time of transition, and the potential for limits of 'eaters' as well as trophy walleyes is at a peak," Jon said. "An enormous number of fish begin showing up on the midlake mud flats in early June, but they usually rest for a few days before actively feeding. I like to target the flats closest to the shoreline and then move farther out as the month progresses.

"My preferred rig -- a medium-sized leech on a No. 8 hook with an 8- to 10-foot snell -- is no secret. I would guess that 80 percent of Mille Lacs mud flat anglers are using this or something very similar. The trick is to work this rig with the subtleties that will trigger the most bites. I find the most important aspect of my presentation to be variation of speed.

"If I am fishing the soft bottom on top of the flats, I keep my rig a foot off bottom, occasionally accelerating it by moving my rod tip forward," continued the Crystal resident. "If I'm working the hard-bottomed edges just off the flats, I constantly start and stop my bait by setting the sinker on the bottom and then lifting it up a foot. Don't do that on top, because you'll create a huge cloud of silt."

JOHN HOUSE
John is a lot like most Minnesota walleye anglers in that he has too many other commitments to attempt a career as a professional angler. As the owner of an engineering company, the tournament trail lifestyle is not possible. Nevertheless, the Elk River resident is an excellent walleye angler and a promotional angler for Yum soft-plastic baits.

"Last summer, I had some great luck on Winnibigoshish and Mille Lacs by plastic worm rigging for walleyes on midlake structure," John said. "I was out there with a few guys who insisted on using live bait, and I outfished them two to one. What made it even better is the fish they were catching were subtle biters, while mine crushed the bait like a smallmouth.