river walleye question

I would like to pose a question for you river walleye guys.

In late spring (post spawn) the walleyes can really be on the move. It is a real “here today, gone tomorrow” situation. Here is my question, how do you guys approach those days when the walleyes are in a real negative mood?
I have always felt there are two ways to approach this. A guy can either move fast and cover a lot of water with, say, cranks or slow way down and really pound an area.
I tend to struggle with this. In areas that I have a lot of faith in I have no problem pounding a spot until I provoke inactive fish to hit but in other areas I think it might be better to cover a lot of water moving fast. This will get me any active fish in the area and also, hopefully, produce a reaction bite.
The shallow water I fish this time of year renders my locator effectively useless so there is never any guarantee that the fish are even in the spot I am fishing. All I have to keep my faith in a spot is my past success there.

What do you guys think?

In most instances, the water is on the high side in the later part of April. For me, I will bounce around from one eddy to another until active fish are found casting plastics, hairjigs, and blade baits. I am fortunate enough to have enough time on the water in this time frame to know what spots are most productive at the given time of year and current water levels to ease my confidence in the areas I am targeting.

Once May rolls around and the high water falls back in to the river bank it’s hard to beat a crank bait trolled behind the boat or a jig dragged with bait. Once again, my answer is dictated strictly on water levels. If water levels are still high and the bigger fish have not yet began to fall out of the backwater spawn areas then casting cranks to flooded timer is my choice for the big girls.

Water levels dictate the what, when, and where, on the mighty river in my boat during this time frame

Post spawn imo is the toughest bite out there.

Like you said Lenny,these fish are on the move.

Shallower,low flow wingdams and lateral rock have always been key for me in April and the first few weeks of May,especially the first few quality rock piles down river from the spawning areas.
Memory is the best weapon,it seems a guy never forgets a location that gave up some nice eyes,especially post spawn biters.

Usually,I will work these areas slowly with three ways and a longer than normal leader.Bare bait hook with a fat head,mabe a bead but nothing more.Once a fish is in the boat then it’s anchors away!

Let’s say a certain rock pile deep in a side chute produces.I then try to recall other spots very similar in flow and location that have traits like this one.That is the next spot I hit.
So yes,run and gun for me but fish slowly and thouroghly when I get there.

It is funny how different people approach the same situation in different ways. I love to use cranks as a search tool this time of year, high water or not. I realize that I am getting hit by only a small percentage of the fish that are there but I can cover a lot of water in a relatively short time. Once, I see what a like then it is time to slow down and get to business.

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It is funny how different people approach the same situation in different ways. I love to use cranks as a search tool this time of year, high water or not. I realize that I am getting hit by only a small percentage of the fish that are there but I can cover a lot of water in a relatively short time. Once, I see what a like then it is time to slow down and get to business.

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I never leave a rock pile or any area without throwing a crank either.I will usually run the face with live bait then throw the cranks on the way out.The #7 bomber and the fat raps get a work out early in the season