Walleye Fishing

Walleyes are golden in color with dark green backs, white bellies and distinctive white tips at the lower portion of their tails. A walleye's greatest asset as a predator is its eyesight, several times more light-sensitive than their prey. Another asset is its highly developed lateral line capable of finding baitfish even in muddy water.

There are several key, but simple, factors to keep in mind when it comes to choosing the right tactic to catch walleyes.

Walleye Fishing Tips

First, remember this - your mission is to show your bait to as many walleyes as you can in as short a time as possible. That means the way fish are relating to structure on any given day generally dictates the choice of technique. If tightly schooled, then it makes sense to jig which puts the bait in the middle of them all the time. If you were to troll under those conditions, you would be spending more time turning the boat around to make another quick pass through the school than you would catching fish. But, when fish are spread out over huge flats or suspended over wide areas, then trolling is the way to pass bait in front of the most fish.

Second, think of most methods for catching walleye as live bait delivery systems. Every one with the exception of trolling crankbaits, is designed to present a nightcrawler, leech or minnow in the most natural way possible. Some add attractors like spinner blades or beads.

The most common and simple walleye tactic is jigging. Jigs can be used with a minnow, worm or leech or hundreds of plastic baits with or without live bait. They can be fished vertically when fish hold tight to dropoffs, humps or points. They can also be cast.

Fish jigs on or near the bottom. Use a jig heavy enough to maintain bottom contact whether in current, strong winds or deep water. The shallower the fish or the slower the wind or current, the lighter the jig can be.

Early season reservations equal great early season fishing! Check out our page and Lake Trout page for some more fishing action.