Walleye Fishing Tips & Tricks

First, You Have to Find Them

Locating walleyes is the key to catching them. To locate them, consider their seasonal movements. Walleyes spawn in shallow, rocky areas--moving water is a key element, though not always available--and remain in those areas until the temperature of the water is just below 55 degrees. As the water warms, walleyes move progressively deeper, ultimately spending much of the year on drop-offs, weed edges and reefs. Just remember that walleyes need to eat, so the presence of food is a prerequisite.

Cover Water Quickly

Even if you find likely locations, you will not know where walleyes are until you begin fishing. While some anglers opt for slow-moving presentations, others are more aggressive about locating walleyes. These anglers tie on a deep-diving crankbait in a shad or perch color and troll as quickly as they can while making sure their crankbait swims properly. Troll around likely locations until fish are located. Another good option is to use a heavy bottom-bouncing weight and live-bait rig to cover water.

Jigs Can Be Dynamite

Jigs are among the most popular and effective of all walleye baits. The reason: They are probably the most versatile of all baits. Jigs can be tipped with live bait or plastic bait, crawled along the bottom or retrieved through the water column, and fished in water of any depth. Jigs are especially productive after walleyes have been located with another lure. In this situation, anglers should hover over the school of walleyes and drop their jig directly into the school. Jigging the lure up and down is bound to cause one of the walleyes to strike. Jigs are also effective when cast into vegetation that otherwise would foul most lures.

Fish at Night

Walleyes are sensitive to light and to too much noise, both of which occur during the day on many bodies of water in which they live. As a result, anglers may find a school of walleyes during the day but be wholly unable to get one to bite. It is a different story at night, when the moon provides the only light and recreational boaters are mostly off the water. One of the best ways to catch walleyes at night is to troll shallow-running crankbaits in shallow areas around where walleyes spend the daylight hours. Another productive method is to rig a slip bobber above a leech or minnow and cast it to the tops of rock piles. These areas often hold minnows, and the walleyes will move to the top of the rocks to feed under the cover of darkness.