Taking some minnows to Brookville

[bnt5]

Going to the creek today to trap some chub minnows for Brookville. I am going to try and catch some larger chubs too, from what I remember someone telling me these are good for walleye on Br. Lake. Now comes the tricky part...how to find and catch them 'eyes. I will be going during the day so I guess I need to fish deeper water? I was thinking about using a jig and dropping it down to the bottom and working some points slowly using the trolling motor. I have never caught a walleye before on purpose (caught one on the Ohio river on accident catfishing, but my wife has eaten some sauger from the river ( a fact that will remain our secret and she loved it, so I thought I would try a "clean" lake this time. Am I going about this the right way? If there are any other things I should consider please let me know, I may have my 8 yr old and 4 yr old with me in the boat tomorrow so not sure how long they will last out there.....kids, gotta love 'em.

Any tips appreciated!
Bill

[Bassky]

In spring, spawning is the main reason walleyes seek specific locations. Their location is greatly influenced by water temperature, seeking water that warms the quickest. Most spawning grounds are shallow (from one to six feet), although spawning can take place in deeper clear water.
Walleyes are drawn to current in major rivers or to smaller tributaries in creek arms. Gravel and rocky sections near incoming rivers and tributary streams, main-lake points, and shorelines attract prespawn walleyes. Some fish may spawn on riprap along the face of the dam. During years of high flow, they may spawn on flooded shoreline terrestrial vegetation.
Walleyes start spawning when the water reaches 40°F to 45°F. Male walleyes generally arrive first at the spawning grounds. Males are aggressive throughout the period as they wait for females to filter in and out of the spawning grounds. Females stage away from spawning sites in slower current, seeking warmer water during the Prespawn Period to help their eggs mature. They generally don’t spend much time at the spawning site (sometimes less than a half day), often just long enough to dump their eggs. Once spawning begins, an entire walleye population usually finish spawning in 14 to 24 days.

Forage Influences

Various types of forage species and their abundance (population) influence walleye location and behavior. Walleyes may key on different forage species as the seasons change and as forage becomes more or less readily available.
Forage species affect walleye location. Shallow cover like weeds, scattered rocks, or flooded wood hold baitfish like minnows, chubs, shiners, perch, and young-of-the-year forage. Walleyes may stay shallow or move shallow to feed if a substantial population of forage is present.
Many reservoirs also have selfsustaining populations of coldwater baitfish—ciscoes, smelt, or alewives—that create deeper feeding opportunities and fishing patterns. These high-protein baitfish increase walleye growth rate, which in turn creates larger average-size walleyes with the potential to grow trophy and record-class fish. As summer approaches, walleyes tend to roam and suspend, often following coldwater baitfish to open water.
Forage abundance affects walleye behavior. When the food supply is high, walleyes can successfully feed without expending much energy—resulting in fair to poor angling success. During spring, in reservoirs with a substantial smelt population, hordes of smelt move into creek arms, tributaries, and along rocky shorelines—some of the same spots walleyes key on for spawning—when water temperatures approach the high 40°F to low 50° F range. The overlap of smelt and walleyes near key shallow spawning locations makes feeding easy for walleyes and often shuts down most angling success.
Another example of angling blues, caused by an overabundance of prey, is when burrowing mayflies hatch in hordes from mud bottoms of lakes and rivers. In spring, as swarms of larva emerge to the surface, one open-mouth swoop through a dense pod of emerging larva quickly fills an average-size walleye stomach.
When primary baitfish populations are low, however, walleyes must supplement their diet with other food. They must also compete more for food. So their behavior seems more aggressive, and they’re willing to expend more energy in pursuing a potential meal.
Perch are a primary food source for walleye in many waters. Perch, although prolific, their populations are cyclic, and their fluctuating population affects walleye population, size, and angler success. When a perch population is high, walleyes compete less for food, creating healthy and well-balanced walleye year classes for the following years. When perch populations decline, walleyes must adapt to the changes, competing more for food as they seek other forage in order to survive, which may include larger walleyes eating young walleyes and other gamefish.

High And Low Water

In most reservoirs, water levels stabilize for extended periods. During low water, terrestrial vegetation—cottonwood saplings, willows, tumble-weeds, clover—flourish along shorelines. Dropping water levels or drought conditions also tend to concentrate walleyes on deep structure and possibly to suspend in open water.
When water levels rise, shoreline vegetation floods, creating good cover for warmwater baitfish and young-of-the-year forage. Flooded shoreline vegetation also serves as good spawning cover for most species. The nutrient-rich flooded cover, however, will eventually disappear until the low and high water cycle repeats. So recognize the pattern and take advantage of flooded cover during its early stages.
During stable water levels, wave action often displaces soil and exposes rocks, which create a lipped drop-off. The longer the water level remains constant, the more pronounced the exposed lip. The process, which occurs during both high-water and low-water years, creates several distinct shelves with exposed hard bottom spots that attract baitfish and walleyes.
Wave Action Reaction

In reservoirs, wind causes water movement that creates current, which often triggers walleyes to move shallow to feed. Wind sends waves crashing into shorelines, points, and bays, mixing sediment into the water, which creates a cloud of murky water (mudline). In spring, stained water absorbs heat from the sun, warming the water several degrees, which is often all that’s necessary to draw prespawn walleyes or baitfish shallow.
Depending on the expanse of the mudline, walleyes typically can be found at key depths between 3 to 15 feet. Work the mudline path by pitching jigs or crankbaits shallow. Pitch your jig right to shore, hopping it across bottom back to the boat, using a lift-drop retrieve. Pitch diving crankbaits shallow, bouncing them back on a straight retrieve over rocks and the bottom.
During calm clear conditions, reservoir walleyes commonly drop down to classic structure about 25 to 40 feet deep, depending on forage availability and water temperature. In deep water, walleyes generally are easier to graph, and the exact depth at which they’re holding can be pinpointed. They’re generally harder to catch, however, compared to walleyes that moved shallow.


The key is to position over exact spots on the structure where you graph fish. Irregularities along the edge of the drop-off, like tips of primary points, clusters of deep rocks, stands of flooded timber, or twists and turns along a point, are places to find walleyes staging deep.
Vertically jigging jigs tipped with minnows, or jigging spoons or bladebaits, are productive tactics. Jigheads from 1/4 to 3/8 ounce work for most vertical presentations. Small plastic bodies with marabou dressing or a plain head tipped with a 21⁄2- to 31⁄2-inch minnow increase the profile of your jig, which may make it easier for a walleye to spot in deep water.
Walleyes suspended off the tips of points can be triggered by slowly working bladebaits through the depth where you spotted suspended fish. In reservoirs with baitfish like smelt or shad, walleyes are accustomed to seeing the reflective flash of the silvery-sided baitfish. Bladebaits feature the most vibration and action on the rise. Spoons offer the most flash, flutter, and action on the drop. Both lure styles work best with aggressive lift-drops of perhaps 12 to 18 inches. Walleyes generally strike the lure as it falls or rests on the bottom. Pay close attention to detect light strikes or fish that may have hit your jig on the fall.
Crankbait trolling produces along the edges of structure and over open water where walleyes suspend near baitfish. Deep-diving crankbaits, like a Reef Runner Deep Diver, Rapala Deep Down Husky, or Smithwick Deep Suspending Rattlin’ Rogue, are favorites in waters where smelt and shiners are abundant. Deep-diving shad baits, like the Rapala ShadRap or Cotton Cordell C.C. Shad, also are effective. Metallic colors offer lots of flash in deeper water, which attracts walleyes. Crankbaits that rattle seem to attract walleyes, too, especially in deeper or dark water.
Superlines allow for trolling crankbaits down 20 to 25 feet on unweighed lines. Add snap weights or use leadcore to get them even deeper. The key is to troll through the depth where you marked fish, or slightly higher. Walleyes will rise up to feed if they can spot your crankbait. Trolling at slower speeds just above the walleyes gives them time to spot, chase, and catch you’re lure.

I stole this post from Indiana Fishin website. There are a ton of Brookville walleye posts on there.
Bassky