Just because a spot doesn't hold fish now, doesn't mean it won't in 10 mins, just something to remeber when fishing shallow walleyes. They are up there to feed, but they do not feed all day.

You catch on quick.

I just read my post, and I basically said what TO said 2 days ago....too much 4th of July party last night....

Thanks for pointing that out

And when he started this post

Man I'm a fast learner...

You should learn your way to a new avatar too.

Hook me up with that big net picture, I can never find someone to "guide" me to a new Avatar...

Or, there is that picture of a double...

OK - I have a theory question for all you shallow walleye experts. I noticed that you tend to hang on to a spot, waiting for it to turn on. Do you think the fish are always there and that you are waiting for them to become active again - or that maybe another group of active fish just come into that spot.

I remember reading WAY back when, Doug Stange talking about shallow water walleyes in southern MN lakes mostly being pelagic - following clouds of bullheads, or, in the case of lakes like Madison - Shad. I'm wondering if you are not just waiting for that area to recharge with a new influx of fish following bait across the lake.

Just wondering what you think...

I've tried TO's shallow stuff over and over, I just cant get a 'pattern bite'
MY 2 cents is, they do move with the bait fish, but "when" will they bite. And if i were to stick with it, I am sure id do better. I unfortunately don't have patience to wait for it. I do my best in 6 to 10 feet. When I do try and stay patient in the shallows its either a musky or a darn bass biting my line...but when the little sunnys or perch start playing with my leech, I know the eyes are around and by then my patience is gone and I move deeper.

I just need to go fish with Jamison in his boat so I have no control to learn it. I smell a guiding trip coming up...

I know what you mean. My 14 yr old has been bugging me about having Jamison teach us how to fish the shallow bite.

Oh my pride - my pride...

Amen. Im ready to swallow mine...Did I just admit that?...ugggggg

MinnesotaMongo

I'm no expert, but I'll voice my opinion.

I have 2 differnt approaches when fishing a shallow bite, they involve, how well I know the lake, and if I know there is an established shallow water pattern. I feel your second assumption of waiting for new fish to move in is the most likely senario we face while fishing shallow walleyes. But it depends on the location, if fishing weeds, I am more confident that the fish are always there, just a matter of getting one to bite. However if I am on a large shallow sand or gravel flat, it is a matter of finding or waiting out active fish.

Which brings me to my techniques, I only wait out spots like you mentioned if I have very high confidence in them. This comes from prior sucess or it just being a dang good looking spot. When I am searching for a shallow bite on a lake I know well, or fishing on a lake I am less comfortable on, I have down the trolling motor and move along fairly quickly, slowing down to fish transition areas or pockets in weeds.

If I catch a fish, I think, "Why was this fish here" and then try to duplicate that pattern. I never leave an area I caught a fish in quickly, usually making at least 3-5 more casts before moving, and then it is very slowly.

The whole "Spot on the spot" concept can be huge in the shallow water walleye game, keep on searching, and you will be rewarded.

We can do better than either of those photos. Perhaps you can hold out until the November run on ML.

An expert I am not but I have put my time in working on a pattern that most people, to this day, will not and are not working on. In most cases, the fish are visting and not always there. There may be pods or areas of bait fish that you'll cast to for 3 - 5 hours and not catch a single fish and then when you're making your final casts before moving on, you'll catch a half-dozen or more in less than thirty minutes. This is where timing partners with patience, which are the two things, above all that makes a difference in whether or not your successful. In order to better understand how those two work together, it is then most important to establish a "milk run" of spots to target on any particular day and stick with the game plan. DO NOT deviate. (Example: If you have 10 hours to fish, select 5 spots and fish each of those spots for 2 hours TOTAL but not necessarily all at once) Often times, when things come together, you'll find that you can get into a rotation of your spots and know when to return or stay away from a spot, much like I described in this original report. And finally, presentation plays a role in this too but bar none, crank baits rule the roost. Remember, a fish that's in 1 - 3' of water is there to eat and if something comes in front of them, they're probably going to have a time tough laying off. Certainly, there are days when orange-bellied baits outfish white-bellied baits but this is more driven by sunlight and wave action, of which plays into the observations you need to make as a fisherman or woman for the specific day you're on the water.

I'm going to keep trying for a new one, maybe even in a few hours...

I will add that while cranks are my go to bait, in some areas that I fish you can position the boat in 7-8 FOW and cast into just inches. As we have talked about with fish moving in and out, they are actively feeding when in shallow, but some will still bite when out of the shallows. A shallow crank will often only run 3 ft down, and by the time I near the boat it is out of the strike zone. If I'm not getting bit in a situation like this, I will switch it up to jig. I like anything that still puts out alot of thump, Mimic Minnows have caught a few fish lately, but my go to is usually a 3" Sassy Shad on a 3/8 oz jig. Although I know someone who is partial to Thumper Jigs and GULP! Alive....