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This issue we've brought back Greg Horoky who is the only Canadian to win a PWT event thus far. He has been fishing professionally for sixteen years, eight as a charter Capt. and eight as a touring tournament competitor. Gregs home water is the southwest basin of lake Erie. He will be talking about post-spawn walleye tactics and touch on how to adjust your approach as Zebra Mussels change things.

When fishing post-spawn walleye remember the males and the females behave differently. The small males tend to hang out on the flats adjacent to the spawning grounds, usually at depths between 8-12 feet. The females suspend in the deepest adjacent water and put on the feed. The notion that the females recuperate, or the "Post-Spawn Recovery Period" as it’s called is a myth. They eat their way thru recovery!

My attack on males would incorporate a bottom bouncer and a single snell hook tipped with a minnow while drifting across the flats. The females require a different approach. Go out to that deep water and troll worm harnesses and snap weights. Depending on how deep the water is, my guess is the girls are hanging out at about fifteen feet.

Anglers on Quinte are going to have to learn how to deal with Zebra Mussels if they want to keep catching fish! Let me say zebra mussels have changed the way we fish and not for the worse. In fact, we have seen on Erie ,walleye, smallmouth and Muskie sizes and catches go up. If they can see it, they will eat it! Another myth with walleye is "light sensitivity," as the mussels clean the water, light penetration goes up and the walleye goes down. Right? Wrong! Often I think guys are fishing right thru them instead of overtop of them, where their eyes are. They see out to the side and overtop. Anything that is presented to them that are under them they won’t see!

Water clarity does give the fish greater distance to see and they can see and hear our boat coming. This can cause the fish to move out to the side away from the disturbance, which is lousy for catching fish. One approach around this is planer boards, dual or in-line, either will take your bait out to the side where those unsuspecting fish are suspending.

One important point for Quinte anglers as you face a changing ecosystem " Don’t fish memories fish fish!" Go where the fish are, not where you used to catch them.