"The St. Marys River is the most diverse place that we fish on the walleye circuit," stated walleye pro Bill St. Peter. "There are so many isolated rockpiles, current breaks, weeds, little bays -- just tons of places that walleyes could be. But that's part of the problem, too. There aren't huge numbers of fish on any one spot, but there are lots of places with a few fish." The catch is to find them on any given day.

Because the St. Marys River drains Lake Superior, it runs clear and cold during much of the year. Early in the season, walleyes gravitate to the lower reaches of the system where it spreads out, warms up and becomes more hospitable to walleyes.

"The bays are warm, and the river is cold, so it's a natural place to look for walleyes," advised St. Peter.

Most anglers pull crawler harnesses behind bottom-bouncers or with additional weight. Jigs tipped with crawlers or scent-enhanced plastics work, too. Locate fish by trolling, and then back off to cast to them. Good locations in Munuscong Bay are near Roach, Maple, Birch, Rocky and Barbeau points. Raber Bay doesn't feature as many points as Munuscong, but there are plenty of little bays that collect warm water and walleyes early in the season. Trolling crankbaits is a good way to cover water, too. This is big water that can whip up in a hurry, so use caution.

St. Peter found some quality walleyes during the most recent Professional Walleye Tour event in Lake George on the St. Marys system. The 'eyes were concentrated where a distinct weedline in 12 to 14 feet of water shelved off into 30 or 40 feet. St. Peter found them receptive to a spinner/bottom-bouncer presentation, but other anglers pulled crawler harnesses behind in-line boards and used bullet weights and Berkley Gulp crawlers to allow the rigs to pull through the weeds. Some of the best fishing can be found during the heat of the summer. At one time or another, you can catch walleyes on the St. Marys just about any way you want.

For information on guides, bait shops and accommodations in the area, contact the Sault Convention & Visitors Bureau at (906) 632-3301 or online at www.saultstemarie.com.

BIG & LITTLE BAYS DE NOC
Little and Big Bays de Noc are two of Michigan's premier walleye waters. Anglers from around the Great Lakes region come to the bays to sample the great walleye fishing. They usually aren't disappointed.

"The walleyes are usually relating to the river mouths when the season opens on May 15," suggested Capt. Marty Papke.

Schools of post-spawn walleyes collect off shallow river mouths like the Whitefish, Days, Tacoosh and Rapid rivers on the north end of Little Bay de Noc. Walleyes that have spawned on the rocks and sand flats in the bay itself can still be found hanging around those areas when the season opens. Other walleyes that have already recuperated can be found staging near newly emerging weedbeds in the same area. A good spring location is off Stonington, where a 6- to 18-foot contour attracts spring walleyes. Not all the walleyes hang around the river mouths, though. Some of the bigger fish that move way up the rivers have been known to travel up to 20 miles in a few days, according to Papke.