Anderson remembers times as a boy catching walleyes in the shallows from shore in relatively murky water. The original livebait rig was a split shot pinched on the line several inches above a hook. But, the water began clearing in the 1980s, and fish moved out to deeper structure of rock or mud. Visibility grew to 18 inches, sometimes reaching 24 inches. By the mid 1990s, clarity had reached 6 to 8 feet and even more.
Scientists have yet to pinpoint the cause for the change.
The accidental introduction of zebra mussels is to blame elsewhere in the walleyes range, which includes Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. But, zebs are not currently found in Mille Lacs. Walleyes became more wary in clearer water. Ron Linder's Lindy rig became the favored way to present food to fish in the most realistic way possible. The bait is allowed to swim naturally, and the fish never feels the weight when it inhales it.