Saturday 3/31/12, I returned to the Menominee River and jumped in with Pete Yake (Leatherman). I was seeking redemption for blowing a photo of my friend Mark’s 30.5" Monster on Thursday…There was a record number of boats present, with a trailer parking overrun for blocks around… The walleye bite was slow throughout the morning with falling temps and very little flow. Pete was vertical up front with two rods and I held down the stern. It didn’t take long for the first dandy to smack Pete’s paddletail…A spawned out 26" female showing stress from the spawn.
Pete soon 2-3 more nice 16-18" fish when I had something whack my Catalpa/Chrt tail Ringie after a nice skirmish we put a 24" PreSpawn female in a picture too. 99% of the boats around us were jigging minnows with limited success. I have been a plastic addict ever since I fished with James Holst on P-4 a decade ago…On this day plastics were preferred by the Walleye.
After some color and plastic type changes… Pete set the hook into something that didn’t move much…just shook her head for a long minute…after quite a battle on 6# line I slid the net under a Super Fat prespawn walleye…28.4" and just under 11 lbs…Pete’s new PB Walleye…This time a Firecracker/Chart Paddletail
The upper river was becoming so jammed with boats that I suggested we head downriver to the mouth where I had some favorite spots that have produced well for me over the past 36 years. I really impressed with the target separation of Pete’s new HDS7…we marked three big hooks on a mid river hump and I circled back…Pete drops his catalpa/chart paddletail down and after three shakes "BAM!"
This one measures a tad over 29" (spawned out). ANOTHER PB!
Well, I can’t bring Mark’s 30.5 picture back but, what a day!
We caught several other nice fish, all on BFT plastics. The std Paddletails had something the fish really wanted today…perhaps the shape and drop speed were "just right". We also caught a few on Trigger X minnows and Ringworms. The water temps have dropped dramatically the pasy 10 days and the early rush to spawn has definitely slowed down to normal with a mix of post and pre spawn females caught. There are still a couple weeks of the spawning run to enjoy…what we desperately need is rain…and LOTS of it!
Tackle used…
St Croix LTWS 63MXF
Limit Creek 66MF
Pflueger Arbor 4730s with Hi Viz Pline CX 6#
Best presentation was a BFT Paddletail in Catalpa or Firecracker w chartruese tail, 3/16 or 1/4oz jig…snap jigging in 18-26 fow.
More pics…lotsa guys ask what we are using? I say plastic worms and show them my jig and they just shake their head in amazement!
and a few more…cant wait to get out again!
Nice job Tom! So, how was the bite between 9 and 11?
After we talked, I was curious to know how that mid morning was going to work out 
Great report Tom !!!
Love the pix as well !!!
You were right on Randy! Caught the big girls at 9, 9:30, and a couple at 11-12…
You da MOON MAN RW! 
Very nice job Tom and great pics.
Nice fish
Nice fish Tom, going back again?
VEry nice Tom, and boy were those jigs deep,
That’s the way you want to see them bite….
Where abouts is the Menominee River, U.P. ?
Jack