By Tim Lesmeister

There are a bunch of great walleye lakes in Minnesota.

Lake of the Woods is always productive, even when the bite stops on our other big lakes. The other top walleye producers are Vermilion, Kabetogama, Mille Lacs, Cass, Winnibigoshish and Gull. All of these - and there are plenty more - are considered walleye factories and they live up to their reputations.

On weekends these big bodies of water are packed with boats filled with anglers backtrolling the edges of productive structure with live-bait rigs and leeches hoping to run into a school of walleyes. On some days they do, and on some days, well, fishing can't be great every day. But on a lake with high potential the ability to get into a school of biting walleyes always exists, and that is why anglers are waiting in lines to launch their boats. That's why anglers will drive a few hours to get there. They know the odds are good that if the walleyes are biting, they can find some.

There are a bunch of other lakes in Minnesota that can measure up to the "big boys," so why don't walleye anglers pay more attention to them? It could be that most anglers don't like moving into another venue when they already know what to expect at their "old faithful" lake. Once you spend a few years dissecting maps and straining structure it's hard to move to a lake where you have to start from scratch. But then again, it might be worth it.

It might be worth chasing some fish that aren't getting heavily pressured. Gary Roach, Minnesota's "Mr. Walleye," often jokes that a gully has been worn in the 19-foot depth range at Gull Lake from dragging live-bait rigs. It was these heavily pressured walleyes that convinced him to develop his own live-bait rig that allows him to fish a lot of distance between the weight and the bait, a presentation that he has proven works wonders when targeting well-conditioned walleyes.

Photo by Ted Peck

It's not hard to imagine with all the lakes in Minnesota that there must be plenty of other bodies of water that have high potential and could provide the same quality fishing that the touted walleye lakes are capable of. It's just a matter of making a decision to take half the time you spend on one of the walleye factories chasing fish and devote it to one of the smaller lakes that is high in potential.

What you will find are parking spaces open right where you launch your boat. Instead of a dozen boats climbing over the top of you when you pull out the net, you will likely have a piece of structure all to yourself. The walleyes you see on your sonar will be less pressured and more willing to take a bait that is less than perfectly presented. And, the size of many of these high-potential lakes means you can master them in a couple of long days on the water.

While you should never rule out a hot bite on one of the walleye factories, consider a few of these good bets this year in your search for walleyes.

When first venturing out on Big Sand for walleyes, consider the sand and gravel points early in the season, and as the walleyes move out to the midlake structure during the summer months, spend some time on the sunken islands right in the center of the lake.

On the south side there is a big gravel bar that tapers slowly into deep water. This is an outstanding location for those early-season walleyes that fall easily for a jig-and-minnow cast long and dragged back over the rubble.

On the west side of that same bar is a long, tapering point that extends out to a steep dropoff. It's a popular spot for anglers because it holds walleyes early and late in the season.

The productive sunken islands on Big Sand are those that top out at 12 to 20 feet, which most do, and are gravel-topped surrounded by sand and rock. This is the perfect place to drag around a live-bait rig and leech.

The lake is deep and the dropoffs are sharp. Stick to the structure and you will find some nice schools of walleyes.

For more information, call Delany's Sports at (218) 732-4281.

Carlos is not a prime candidate for the live-bait rig. There are loads of 12- to 14-inch largemouth bass that are everywhere, not to mention sunfish that will hop on any leech or night crawler that you set in front of them.

For the shallower water consider casting or trolling a perch or fire-tiger crankbait. Perch are a prime forage in these lakes, and walleyes will fall for a lure that matches the hatch.

In the deeper water, where it's tough to get a crankbait down that far, you can't beat a 1/2-ounce jig with a small sucker minnow or a large fathead. With the jig you are using a vertical presentation over walleyes you have found on the sonar. These fish can be tight to bottom or suspended up a few feet. You will likely have to work for the walleyes that are holding close to the structure. Those suspended a few feet off the bottom will be more than willing to bite. In some cases those fish that are suspending deep will be largemouth bass. If that's the case, keep searching.

For more information, call Christopherson's Bait at (320) 763-3255.

If you set up a trolling run, you are going to catch a lot of fish. They'll be northern pike. The lake has a bunch of hammerhandles in the cabbage and along the weedline.

If you set up a live-bait rig and drag a leech over the rubble and sand, prepare for a bunch of bites, mostly rock bass. There are a bunch of "rockys" in Farm Island, and I must admit, they are fun to catch.

If you want to catch some walleyes, get out on the sunken islands in the middle of the lake and use a bottom-bouncer with a spinnered snell with a big fathead minnow. Use a No. 4 or No. 5 blade, and stack about a half-dozen beads between the clevis and a No. 2 hook.

You want to keep this rig in about 15 to 22 feet of water. Move the boat just fast enough to get the blade spinning and keep the 3/4- to 1-ounce bottom-bouncer about a foot off the bottom. With this rig you still might catch a few pike and rock bass, but you will also catch plenty of walleyes, too.

For more information, call Aitkin Bait and Tackle at (218) 927-1933.