I have located where the walleyes are holding, my problem is I am fishing on a very fast flowing river, the fish are holding in a cut made from a slight turn in the river. I am using night crawlers with a small split shot about five to seven inches from hook. I can feel and see the bite, but I am having a hard time getting a hook set. I know it’s walleyes as I have caught five already. Do I give them line as some have suggested, or hang on to the pole and try to feel when to set the hook?

When fishing for walleye in a fast flowing river and an individual knows there are walleye hiding in a specific area, there are really a few things a fisherman can do. If an individual is having problems realizing when the walleye are taking the bait, the option of using a lighter split shot is useful. However, the best way of getting the walleye to hook set the right way is to allow the walleye to think it’s getting away. Let the walleye grab the bait and give the line some slack. Let the walleye run for a few feet and then start reeling. By this time the walleye will probably have tried to swallow the bait completely. The walleye will do this in fast moving water due to the fact that it doesn’t want the food to escape in the current either. By allowing the walleye to get a bit of distance away from the initial grab of the bait, the fish will also not swim as hard against the line which will in turn cause a yanking motion when you start to reel the walleye in. Keep in mind though; depending on the size of the walleye, getting a hook set could be awkward. For example, actually hooking the walleye might include the side of the mouth or inside of the mouth of the walleye. This is usually in smaller walleye. When a bigger walleye is on the line, then it is more apt to attempt swallowing the bait. For the best results try both methods and choose which one works best for the holding area where the walleye are.