Hey Jabsis,

Thanks for joining the forum and taking the time to read and post on the board. The question about the best time of the year to catch fish is one I get asked often often. I wish there was an easy answer, but there just isn't. The biggest factor in determining a "hot-bite" will always be reasonably stable weather patterns. Unfortunately, that's impossible to predict of course, but there are different times of the year that the fishing is often considering better than others for different reasons. Fishing can be dynamite at any time during the season when there is stable weather for 3-4 days in a row and more. Severe changes in weather from cold fronts bringing high winds (with multiple changes in direction), as well as temperature and air pressure changes are the only things that can really slow down the bite in a big way.

Some like the early parts of the season so that walleyes will typically be along shorelines, points and sandbars. This can be a good time to fish because there can be less snags when fishing sand, gravel, etc.

Mid/late summer walleyes (early/mid July through into mid August) are normally using rock structure. This can sometimes be harder for beginners and "non-fisherperson" types because jigs and spinners can get hung up more often in the rocks. This can be a frustrating situation for someone until they get the feel for the bottom and how to avoid hang-ups when possible to do so.

It's hard to beat Lake of the Woods walleye fishing when they are using mid-lake rocks (reefs, humps, etc) because you can pick virtually any spot on the map that shows a reef or hump and expect to find some fish there. In the last many years, walleyes have been found in different parts of these structures so you have to work an area to find the "sweet spot." When I was a kid, I remember my Grandpa tri-angulating a high tree, bald rock over yonder and an eagle's nest to try and find the shallow spot of a reef. Once we found it and marked it, we'd just work around the shallow spot and start to pick up fish. It seems more likely now, that the fish will be off the sides using the slopes and breaklines anywhere between the top of the reef (shallow) and the deeper water around it.

The most important thing for someone new to the area is to spend a day or two with an expereienced walleye angler or guide and learn both how to work an area and how to to get feel for the bottom. Constant contact with bottom is essential to having great walleye fishing when jigging or dragging spinners.