Okay, down to the business at hand. Having fun. In my last article I mentioned that I know a way to make catching walleyes during the winter simply a blast. This method is so simple and it will work under any circumstances when you are fishing for any fish that are high in numbers and low in size.

Simply stated, during this late winter, early spring time period, when your out fishing and the walleyes are running from 12-18 inches or so you can double.. your fun with one simple little change. "What's that one simple change?", you ask. Go Ultralight.

Throughout the remainder of the winter and through the spring spawn, walleye fishing on the rivers is as good as it's going to get, especially with the smaller fish.

In fact there are many, many times during the last stranglehold ---If winter that all that's seemingly available are the smaller fish. Great hoards of them.

Well instead of grumbling, scale down and meet them at their own level. By simply putting down the medium action 6' graphite rod spooled with 8 lb. test and picking up the 5 1/2' to 6' ultralight spooled with 2 or 4 lb. test, you make that 14 inch walleye feel like it's 24 inches. Double your fun, double the fight, 1/2 the tackle.

There are some special complications with this type of fishing, however. First is the cold. Be smart and be safe. Winter is no time to take chances. Second, especially when uppriver backwater ice is breaking up. Little chunks of ice are a nuisance but the bigger ice flows --an do some serious damage if allowed to collide with the boat. Ice in the guides of the rod is also a pain in the behind too. And with the lighter line it could be a major factor in breaking off on a fish. These are most of the environmental concerns.

But for the most part, the special concerns I mention are more mechanical in nature. With the light line and the light rod, you'll be using a much lighter jighead and still be able to get the offering down to the fish. In some instances, You may not be as able to feel light biting fish due to the limpness of the rod. Yet another consideration is when you do get an exceptionally wild fish or a big one on, you'll have to be extremely careful not to "horse" the fish in, or let the wild one get under the boat.

The solutions? Again, it's simple. In the case of the light biters, the rod will bow slightly or you'll feel a little extra weight. Recently I had one tenacious little bugger (that means 14 1/2 inch walleye) hang on to my Slo-Poke for three sweeps Of the rod while vertical jigging. It was only when I picked the rod up as to lift the jig off the bottom that I noticed the tip staying right where it was and the rod bowing. I never actually felt the fish until I set the hook!

Speaking of setting the hook, don't rip like you're trying to pull the fish out of the water on the hookset. With light line and a limber rod, all you need to do is a quick snap on the rod with the wrists and keep pressure on the fish. The rod and the tension you put on it will work the hook in.

Anyway, back to the issue at hand. When you get a big fish on the end of the light line and light rod, you'll have to to be fairly careful and patient. You will be able to land a fish that may even be your biggest if you take the time to do it right. My biggest fish on ultralight tackle is a 9 lb. channel catfish. Last spring this channel cat thought it was a walleye and hit my jig and Orbit Tail.

If you get a wild fish, same thing, take your time. I would also recommend that You try to keep all fish from getting near the boat or motor or any other item you may have hanging from your boat. Your best bet if a fish gets to close to an object is to move it. Tilt up motors, pull -anchors etc.

If a fish does get under the boat, move it. I actually turn and maneuver my boat to best suit me fighting the fish. Don't do anything that will be an aid to the fish. But for the most part, this is a tactic to further enjoy the act of catching fish and to make catching smaller fish more fun. And there are other ways to have fun with it as well.

Case in point. I made two final last flings a few years back to the Fox River in Green Bay. Actually, it was only be one final fling but after the success of the first trip a couple of weeks later my buddy, Mark and I did it again. Anyway, you should of seen Mark's face when I told him my plan was to use what most people use for bluegill.

However, after seeing my rod double almost in half over .1 fairly decent fish and then another and another, he was hooked! On our second trip, Mark had his ultralight in tow. Half of the fun is converting people by showing them something new.

Another way to have fun is with onlookers. When you use an ultralight it is very deceptive to anyone watching you from a slight distance. Add to the fact that if I know someone is watching me catch fish after fish, I'll either turn the boat or lead teh fish to the other side of the boat, and net it in a manner so that the onlooker can't see what or how big the fish was. Drives 'em nuts. I love it.

I did this on the first trip of the final fling duo this year to nationally known walleye pro Mike Theyrl. We were both fishing within several yards of each other, Mark and I in my boat, Mike and two friends in his. Both boats were into smaller fish. One of Mike's friends had been watching me fighting fish with my rod almost bent in half and it took him a while to figure out that I was using an ultralight. So as you can see with just some slight modifications, you can turn what some people ---all pesky "little" fish into a whale sized good time.

Lastly, one of the most frequently asked questions I get with this presentation concerns jigs. Specifically their size in relation to the equipment. With this downsizing, it is extremely easy to overload the rod with 'too much jig weight. Remember, these are ultralight rods you are using and anything heavier than 1/4 oz. will probably be to much. Way to much.

There will be some instances where no matter what, you won't be able to get a good hookset, due again to the limpness of the rod. This is especially true when you are dealing with light biters. A stinger hook is not always the way to correct this problem. A stinger hook tends to snag more readily than not and coupled with the sometimes limited sensitivity of the ultralight, you may do more snagging bottom than catching fish.

Again, don't get me wrong with downsized equipment. When the fish are on the bite, you'll catch them as easily as falling a log. When they aren't on the bite, you can still catch fish but you'll have more fun doing it. I've even gone as far as moderately downsizing in all fishing presentations when I'm fishing strictly for fun. As the old saying goes, "Try it, you'll like it!"