While many anglers start the season by trolling, Papke prefers a more hands-on approach for Little Bay de Noc's 'eyes. He prefers a combination of rigging, jigging and casting, or dragging floating jigheads. The rigs get an assortment of live bait in addition to scent-enhanced lures.

"The Gulp products are really good when using jigs because they keep your bait in the water," claimed Papke. "They're tough and do a good job of imitating gobies, which are a ready food source for walleyes."

The hot spring fishing on Bay de Noc peaks in late May and early June, before the fish start filtering southward toward deeper water.

"The alewives move in toward the end of June and July," stated Papke, "and then the fishing gets tough for a little while." But he stressed that July and August can produce some good fishing for those pulling crawler harnesses or body baits at night. Prime locations are off Portage Point, along the ore docks near the mouth of the Escanaba River and on the 18- to 30-foot reefs out from Stonington.

"Some of the biggest fish of the year on Bay de Noc are taken during the fall," claimed Papke, adding that the fishery is 90 percent trolling then, with body baits pulled behind lead-core line, snap-weights or flatlines. As the waters of the bay cool into the 40s, hawg 'eyes move in to pig out. The walleyes can be found relating to bottom in the 30-foot depths. The fishing remains good until the bay freezes or it gets too cold to fish. Walleyes topping 10 pounds are common then.

While Little Bay de Noc receives the bulk of the fishing pressure because of its easy access and its more manageable size, Big Bay de Noc has a lot of potential.

"Big Bay de Noc is an untapped fishery," claimed Papke. "The size of it intimidates most anglers, and it's sometimes tough to contend with the wind there, but it has some tremendous walleye and smallmouth fishing."

To sample some of the Bays de Nocs' great walleye fishing, contact Capt. Marty Papke at 1-800-708-2347 or online at www.littlebaydenoc.com. For information on lodging and bait shops in the area, call the Delta County Tourism & Convention Bureau at (906) 786-2192, or go online to www.deltami.org.

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Michigan's Great Lakes offer some great walleye fishing. Get out and try it this year to find out for yourself!