I'M NEW TO THIS TYPE OF FISHING SO I NEED SOME HELP. WHEN I SEE WALLEYE FISHING ON TV OR IN A MAGAZINE, IT ALWAYS SEEMS THAT THE BOTTOM STRUCTURE IS FAIRLY ROCKY OR CLEAR OF WEEDS. I'LL BE FISHING IN A TROUT/WALLEYE TOURNAMENT IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS.THE LAKE HAS SOME VERY LARGE WALLEYE IN IT THAT HASN'T SEEN WHAT A LURE LOOKS LIKE.(THE STATE CATCHES THE WALLEYE WHEN THEY GO TO THE STREAM TO SPAWN FOR THEIR STOCK. THE BIGGEST WAS AROUND 11+ POUNDS). THE LAKE HAS AN AVERAGE DEPTH OF 32 FT. BIG WEED PROBLEM WHEN IT GETS GOING. THE LAKE IS IN N.J. AND FROM PEOPLE I TALK TO, NOBODY REALLY TRIES TO CATCH THEM. THE ONLY TIME THEIR CAUGH IS WHEN THEIR DRIFTING HERRING FOR TROUT. NOBODY WILL BE FISHING FOR WALLEYE SO I HAVE AN ADVANTAGE.THE LAKE DOES HAVE A ROCKY SHORELINE, A COUPLE OF ISLANDS AND THE WATER IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCALE BETWEEN CLEAR AND DINGY. ALSO HAS A LARGE POPULATION OF HERRING. SO YOU SEE WHAT I'M UP AGAINST. PLEASE HELP!

Greg, If I were going to your lake during the third week of May I would get a topo map and try to determine potential spawning areas. You could be there at spawn or post spawn . This time of year can be very productive. Look on your map for small adjacent lakes with rocky /sandy bottoms or rivers or streams that have some nice Rocky/sandy potholes in them. I would fish these areas first and also work main lake structure close to where these smaller lakes and streams dump into main water body. I would use jigs just heavy enough to get to bottom and dress them with minnows. Fish slow and try to work different depths of water fishing from deep to shallow. Back troll if possible and fish slow with jig in touch with bottom. keep lifting and dropping jig to feel bottom and always avoid SLACK in your line and FISH SLOW.....Release big females so your grandson can come back and fish when he gets his boat....Good Luck