The ideal time to strike for walleye in Kentucky is sundown to midnight. Walleye will eat virtually anything placed in front of them. Favorites include small fish, crustaceans, worms and insects. Keep this in mind when making bait selections. Specifically for Kentucky waters, try live bait, crank baits, spoons and small spinner baits.
For a little variety, throw some plastic worms and grubs into the mix. Also, keep in mind the time of year for a walleye fishing expedition. In spring, walleye tend to hang closer to the water surface in preparation for spawning season. Ledges, basins and any submerged structure is a favorite hiding spot. Select small crank baits, jigs and plastic worms to lure the walleye even closer to the water surface.
As summer draws near, walleye move in directions opposite of the sun. Sunrise sends walleye to deeper water territories. When the sun begins to fall, walleye make a move towards the water surface. To take advantage of these movements, use crank baits, jigs and plastic worms. Stick close to rocky points and other structures copying the movements of a crawfish to catch walleye attention. When fall rolls in, stick to the same game plan from summer time.
Walleye movements do not change much. Change things up a bit by using a spoon in addition to the jigs and crank baits. Winter requires a bit of a change in operation. Now the walleye have slowed down considerably due to the colder water temperatures. Change the pace of bait movement to keep in line with this.
Walleye will still bite during the winter. It is just going to take extra time so dangle the bait virtually in the face of walleye to engage them into striking the line. Jigs, spoons and plastic worms are all good bait choices here. Other catching techniques include matching up bait size to the size of walleye intending to reel in.
For example, a _ to _ ounce jig matched with a 4 to 6 inch soft plastic lure plunging the deep depths of a lake or river will net large size walleye. These fish love minnows. The larger the better the meal in their eye so keep minnow baits on the larger side as well. Chartreuse-colored crank baits that can navigate the deeper depths walleye tend to hang out in will also be effective.
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