Big John-- While i haven't fished the Potholes in about six years, since moving to the wet side, I have no problems believing that I could go to the Potholes and do well after a day's re-orientation. The only time it gets frustrating is just after ice-out, but even then if you know where to go, it's still a pretty good chance that you can catch something.

Part of the reason I say that is that I'll fish for anything-- from perch to trout to bass to walleyes. If you go with the idea that you're going to catch walleyes, say, then you better be equipped to fish for something else as well. Something is always going on in the lake, but not always is the primary species you're after biting.

I know one of the reasons I did so well is that my buddy Skip Davis, formerly a guide on the reservoir, helped me a lot by showing me the wheres and whens and the hows. We fished together a lot in the early days of his guiding career, and the knowledge he gave me helped tremendously.

One of the big things, of course, is timing. If on your last trip you were chasing walleyes, then it would be tougher than in May as walleyes are getting close to spawning and that means that the larger females aren't biting, the males are ganged up, and most of the activity happens at night. Late March through April is tough for walleyes in the Potholes and elsewhere. But the trout should be going gangbusters as well as the perch. It's a bit early for the crappies and bluegills (although you can find some if you know where to look), and the bass will be few and far between. Having said that, I will say that it's a whole lot easier to catch fish in the Potholes now than it is at Banks, at least in my experience.

I don't know how familiar you are with the lake, but at this time of the year, a lot of the activity will be back in the Dunes. You need to learn the access channels and the side channels to get back in and out again, but with a full reservoir, it's fairly easy. The Dunes is a great place to go in the wind as is the face of the dam. The dam is pretty much a go-to at any time of the year. I've seldom done well in Lind Coulee as much of it has filled in with silt. When I was a kid, it was a great place to fish, however. There are still some fish that spawn in there, and certainly it holds fish year round, but it is probably one of the least productive areas in the lake.

I guess I could go on, but I want to keep some secrets for myself (JK)... If you have specific questions, shoot me an e-mail. I'd rather not advertise on the web.

Keith