The bottom line for the past few years has been that there are far fewer walleyes, but larger ones. Fish in the 20- to 26-inch range were caught with fair regularity, with some in the 30-inch trophy category. During an April tournament held by the Western Reserve Walleye Association, the top team brought a five-fish bag to the scales that weighed 18 pounds.

Last summer, high water temperatures did kill some adult walleyes in Pymatuning. During the peak of the hot weather, a tour around the lake by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission personnel revealed slightly over a dozen dead walleyes. Unfortunately, they were all legal-sized fish, the largest measuring 28 inches.

On the positive side, anglers last summer reported many more short walleyes than they had in recent years. Reports from other anglers told the same story. Apparently, a fairly strong year-class of fish in the 13-inch range last summer swims the lake. These fish will be legal-sized this spring.

Shallow, windswept Pymatuning is bisected by a causeway that connects Andover to Espyville, Pa. The northern portion of the lake averages about 12 feet deep. The southern portion is deeper on the average, but plenty of shallow water is present.

The upper portion of the lake serves as a nursery water that's closed to fishing. The nursery water feeds the main lake via a spillway located near Linesville, Pa.

Submergent weeds are common, mostly milfoil and curly pondweed. Gizzard shad, alewives, young carp and panfish keep the walleyes well fed. Small yellow perch have been particularly plentiful.

During the early season, Pymatuning's rocky points and humps are the first sites to get the attention of both boat anglers and waders in search of 'eyes. The spillway is a popular early-season spot, because the ice comes off the lake there first. Space is limited, and if you seek solitude and seclusion as part of your angling experience, it'd be better to go elsewhere.

Early-season walleye patterns at Pymatuning are numerous. Many fish are taken in shallow water, and that's where the majority of anglers spend their time. Fish, often larger ones, may be taken from the depths as well, so it pays to use different tactics.

The most popular shallow-water technique is to target fish moving up on spawning areas, including rock-gravel humps and points. Some of these areas are longstanding wading grounds, and you'll witness an influx of anglers making their way out to them during the evening hours. Most waders arrive an hour or two before dark and stay until midnight or so.

A pink 1/8-ounce leadhead jig tipped with a chartreuse twistertail is perhaps the most popular presentation. Other anglers tip their jigs with fathead minnows. A small floating Rapala is another good choice.

There are many humps that attract walleyes that can't be reached by wading. Local protocol suggests that boaters who would like to share a spot with waders should ask permission before moving in.

Another good early-season tactic is long-line trolling with small diving minnow plugs. The best bite is from twilight into the first few hours of darkness. Keep your baits a couple of feet under the surface while working areas in the 3- to 5-foot zone.

Not every walleye is doing the same thing at the same time. While most anglers were concentrating on shallow fish last spring, other anglers worked the deeper zones on leadcore line. These trips yielded many walleyes in the 18- to 26-inch range.