The ice is almost gone and i am more than ready to start fishing, but I am not sure which lures to start with.  I will be fishing a river from the bank and hope to catch anything I can: walleye, northern, or smallmouth.

Inline Spinners, will catch just about anything.

Inline Spinners, will catch just about anything.

I haven't used them much, any suggestions as to how? Would you cast upstream or downstream? Slow or fast retrieve? Paralell to shore or out in the middle?

Inline Spinners, will catch just about anything.

I haven't used them much, any suggestions as to how? Would you cast upstream or downstream? Slow or fast retrieve? Paralell to shore or out in the middle?

I like to cast them upstream then give them small jerks to get the blade spinning.  So probably a paralell to the shore.

Thanks, I will give it a try.

inlines will catch you small mouth all day long. I like the 3/8 white roostertail for smallies. i also have some mepps and blue fox inlines. Jointed rapalas will catch you alot of walleye

Right after ice out I like Jerk baits... LC Pointer fished ultra slow.

With inline spinners try to match the local forage. If your targets are eating perch use gold, shiners then silver and so on.

Firetiger is good for murky water.

The most productive baits around this time for me are tubes, grubs, suspending jerk baits, hair jigs.