Outdoor enthusiasts in northwestern Ontario are gearing up for an exciting May long weekend, which is also the opening of the walleye fishing season.
With the temperature still dipping below zero in the morning, the walleye are still spawning, or just finishing up, according to CBC Thunder Bay's outdoor columnist, Gord Ellis.
"On a normal long weekend, they are all done [spawning] and they are back in the lakes and starting to spread out a little bit [but] I expect this year ... that they may be a little closer to the river, closer to the river mouth, in the rapids, [and] may not be quite as spread out in the lake [but] you never know until you get there," he said.
Here are three walleye fishing tools you can use this long weekend:
1. Jigs
It's nothing but a hook and a weight.
"Probably this weekend, 80 to 90 per cent of the anglers out there will be using a jig," Ellis said, a "plain little jig that's hard to beat."
Generally used with a minnow, Ellis said it can also be used with a live worm as well.
But for anglers who prefer staying away from live baits, Ellis said there are many alternatives and options like scent-infused plastic minnows.
"A lot of people use these now and they do really work," Ellis continued, "and this is something you can keep around [because] one of the problems with live-bait is that you have to try to keep it alive ... and live-bait is getting pretty expensive."
2. Spinner Rigs
Commonly called "little joe," the spinner rig is a couple of hooks, a spinner and a few beads and it works great for trolling.
"The spinner actually spins [and] makes a little bit of a flash," Ellis explained, "and most people troll them and that way you cover a lot of water."
He said it's a great way to find fish if you are having trouble finding the walleye this weekend.
3. Crank bait
If you are looking for a more active technique that involves casting, Ellis recommends using a crank bait or a minnow bait.
"It's just a hard, plastic bait. Some of them rattle and some of them don't ... [and] you can just cast these toward shore and work them back."