The walleye is a very interesting species that’s well-known for their large glassy eyes, which allow them to see very well in the dark. Since their great eyesight gives them an advantage over their prey, this species is the most aggressive during the night. The walleye has a lot to offer anglers whether you’re new to the sport or consider yourself a professional.
They will eat almost anything but they seem to be highly attracted to insects, minnows and worms. They are considered a very elusive fish that is hard to catch because they have a light bite that allows them to steal your bait away. You may not even know they were there until you reel in your line. There are several ways to fish for walleyes but one of the best and most widely used technique is discussed below.
Trolling for Walleye
Trolling is one of the most popular ways to fish for walleyes. This method allows you to cover a large area in a short period of time. This makes finding them much faster and easier than using any other method.
5 walleye trolling tips:
1. When trolling with lures, choose the color carefully based on the water conditions in which you’re fishing. When fishing in the spring or in murky water, try using a florescent or lime green, red, blue or yellow. When fishing in the middle of the summer or in clear water, dark colors work the best. They also seem to be attracted to flashy lures most anytime.
2. The hardest part of catching walleyes is finding the depth at which they’re located. Without this information, you won’t have much luck. By placing your lines at different depths when trolling you’ll discover how deep they are located faster each time you go fishing. When you start getting bites, adjust the others lines to match these and you should have a successful fishing trip.
3. When trolling for walleyes, it’s best to go fishing during the day. Trolling allows you to get the bait down to the deeper parts of the water where this species will be during the daytime hours. At night they come up closer to the surface where they are easier to catch using other methods.
4. Trolling requires using several rods at once and one of the biggest mistakes that many anglers make is having more rods than they can handle efficiently. This is not going to help you reel in more fish. In fact, it’s going to hinder your efforts and reduce the number of fish you catch. Therefore, only use the number of rods that you and your crew can handle easily. Having too many rods also makes your trip more stressful and it takes the fun out of fishing.
5. When you run across an area where the fish are biting stop, drop anchor and take advantage of it while you can.
Trolling effectively takes practice and preparation. Go over all of your gear to make sure everything is in good shape and that you have everything you need onboard. Wear comfortable clothing and take along some food and beverages to make the trip more enjoyable.
Basic Walleye Fishing Tips
The walleye can be found in all types of water but they will respond differently depending on the water conditions. For this reason, having a few tips to help you catch this elusive fish can be quite useful. Walleyes move around a lot from one location to another but they stay within the same general area. For this reason, using a GPS system to mark the hotspots and to record the time will help you locate them much faster the next time you go fishing.
Four to six pound test line is recommended for this species because it will help you to feel when they take your bait. Another reason to use light fishing line is because if the line is too thick, they may be able to see it especially if you’re fishing in clear water. You’ll also want to use small tackle and bait since they have small mouths and won’t be able to get anything too large in their mouth.
Pay close attention to the natural food source located in the water where you’re fishing. When you use something that resembles the natural food source of the walleye, they’ll respond better. This may seem like a small thing but it can make a big difference in the amount of success that you enjoy.
Walleyes tend to hideout around underwater structures so if you troll near and around drop-offs, humps and ledges you should be successful. Using electronics can help you find these underwater structures fairly easy. The walleye is a challenging species that can be lots of fun to catch. They also have a white flaky meat that taste delicious and this is another reason why they are so popular.