"A lot of Ontario browns are harvested in April and May," he went on. "This is a big, rough lake, and if it's blowing gale-force winds, you can't get out there. I advise visitors to factor that in and plan for longer trips, so that they'll have at least one or two days with decent conditions."

In spring, sometimes as early as March, Brown trout may be found close to shore.

"There are areas of wide-open shoreline where casting can work," Eckert said. "But it's hard to cast straight out from shore. The creek mouths are attractive, especially if we get a couple of sunny days in a row.

"The water temperature is from two to five degrees warmer than the lake, which is ice-cold. The fish tend to congregate toward any kind of warm pocket. Also, the lake gets very clear, while streams become turbid and silted. Fishermen here talk about trying to find some 'colored water' -- water that's not as clear, where fish won't be as spooky.

"We do have situations where people cast from shore," Eckert said. "And if you hit the right spot, you can catch a lot of fish in a hurry. Try to find a pier or a place to get out deeper, or a creek mouth that may have warmer, colored water. Sodus Bay has piers, and Fairhaven has piers on both sides that are readily available to shoreline anglers.

"In spring, any tributaries -- even if there aren't big piers -- can be good spots to fish from shore. Be careful about trespassing. Be sure to get the landowner's permission.

"Most brown-trout fishermen troll," he continued. "That way, they can cover a lot more water. If you have a little 14-foot boat, sitting near a creek bed may be more effective. But if you have a big boat with an outrigger and temperature gear, you should be able to find pockets of warm water.

"If you have a surface-temperature device, pay attention. If it goes up a couple of degrees, especially if you get a hit, remember that spot and quietly turn around and head back through it."

Most anglers use an outrigger because the fish are spooky, and an outrigger lets your line shear off quite a ways, keeping the lures well off to the side of the boat, and that's typically most effective. You'll also be trolling away from your lure, and you can run the lure in closer to shore than you might want to take your boat.