"We were fishing the mud and gravel because the walleyes were very scattered," he continued. "I spinner-rigged a Houdini worm on a two-hook crawler harness because the fish seemed to like the extra action put out by its fat little tail. I like to tie my own rigs, and use 8- to 10-pound fluorocarbon line. Be sure to space the hooks 2 1/2 inches apart. My favorite spinner color in these lakes is gold, and I've had great luck lately with a hammered hatchet blade. I run the spinner so the bottom edge is at the plastic crawler, keeping the hook free for a good hookset. Use a ball-bearing swivel to attach the 4- to 5-foot leader to your line."

JIM MILLER
Anyone who has ever heard of the Minnesota Walleye Trail has heard of Jim Miller. The Sherburne resident and his brother are the owners and operators of the tournament, and are also guides in southern Minnesota.

"I'm from down along the Iowa border where the lakes are all cereal bowls and all the basic walleye fishing techniques still work," Jim said. "People think it's nothing but bullheads and cornfields down here, but there are plenty of walleyes. The walleyes down here are not highly pressured and they don't see many lures, so they haven't gotten sick of the same presentations like the walleyes farther north.

"My tip is for all those anglers who drive north for walleyes is to head the same distance south for some absolutely fantastic walleye fishing. We live in Martin County where there are about 80 lakes, most of which have walleyes, and all of which are hardly fished. I don't need to run up north to have a great day of walleye action."

For more information on Jim Miller, check out www.polebender.com.

BRETT KING
Southern Minnesota is where Brett King calls home, and most of his walleye fishing is on the Mississippi River near Red Wing. His other favorite spot is on Mille Lacs. He spends much of his time crisscrossing the country as a pro on both the PWT and RCL tournament circuit, and is just shy of being in the top 100 of the world walleye ranking.

"When you are Lindy Rigging, a lot of variables make a big difference in your catch," Brett said. "Leader length, hook color and sinker weight all play a big role.

"Something I've found that can make a big difference, that I do not see many anglers do, is give the rig some subtle actions while drifting or back trolling. One way I achieve this is by weighting my rig just right so that my sinker is hovering just above the bottom. I then make a stabbing motion with my rod tip toward the water surface, which does something the walleyes find hard to resist. The first thing is that it creates a stop-and-go motion, enticing a strike from a following walleye.