What about baits and lures?

"I designed the ultimate lure for catching walleyes when they're in summer school," Roach said. "It's my Roach (live-bait) Rig. You can adjust the distance between the weight and the bait on the Roach Rig and get the bait right in the face of those walleyes. I have harness setups for night crawlers and colored and glow hooks for leeches. The Roach Rig is the go-to lure setup for walleyes when they're in this peak phase."

Crankbaits are also a great option during this peak-bite period, according to Roach.

"This time of year you want a crankbait with a color pattern that matches the forage base. If the walleyes are feeding heavily on perch, you better be using a perch pattern," he said. "This is why those Fire-tiger crankbaits are so effective this time of year in most of the lakes in Minnesota."

Roach said it doesn't matter if you're fishing a classic walleye lake like Mille Lacs, Leech or Otter Tail, or dragging bait in a southern pothole like Lake Sarah, when the fish are in summer school, anglers get to join in on the lesson. Let's look at some lakes where class is in session.

LAKE RENO
Pope County
Without any mid-lake structure, if you want to find the walleyes on Lake Reno, you have to cover some water and search for the subtle bottom changes that might hold a school of fish. For that you have two options, according to Roach.

"One is the crankbait, but then you don't want to rule out a spinner rig, especially in a lake like Reno," he said.

Big, shiny blades are the spinner of choice if that's your option. Separate the weight and the bait with 30 inches of fluorocarbon leader and use a No. 4 hook for a leech or a harness setup with night crawlers.

One of the drawbacks to the spinner rig on Reno is the population of deep panfish in the lake, although some of those sunfish are large, so they can be fun to catch. However, if walleyes are the species of choice and the bluegills are dominating the action, a perch-colored crankbait is a great choice.

"When running your crankbait," Roach said, "you have to have it in the zone. Your sonar will tell you right where the walleyes are sitting. Is it one foot off the bottom? Five feet? Wherever those fish are is where that bait needs to be. If you are 2 feet above or 2 feet below those walleyes, you decrease your chances of a bite by a lot."

Lake Reno is located almost directly between Alexandria and Glenwood. For more information, contact Fish On Bait and Sport at (320) 634-3667.