How to Fish For Walleye

The Walleye is probably considered one of the tastiest fish in the USA. It's mild, pleasant flavor is enjoyed by many. Catching Walleye can be tricky, though. They are not common in most bodies of water like Bass & Panfish. You'll have to look and fish harder to catch Walleye! Are you ready to go after the tasty, wily Walleye? Here is what you need to know to get you started fishing for Walleye:

When to fish:

Many anglers will tell you that fishing for walleye is best during the spawning season. Walleye spawn during the end of March until the end of April depending on the location. The best time to catch the walleye is after spawning when they are heading back to the deeper water. The best water depth is about six to thirteen feet. The water temperature should be around fifty degrees. You can catch a male Walleye anytime before, during and after spawning, but the females do not eat during spawning. Keep in mind that the male walleye eats smaller portions after the spawning process.

Where to fish:

If you place yourself at the mouth of streams and rivers just as spawning is ending, you will have a better chance of catching the walleye. Another are to sit and wait for the walleye is just outside the mouth of a stream or river, just before they start heading out to the deeper water. It is always best to wait until spawning is done before trying to catch a walleye. They are more active and tend to start eating more than they do during the spawn.

What to fish with:

When you are fishing for walleye after the spawn, use live bait. The smaller the bait the better off you will be. A small minnow or even a small leech will attract the attention of the walleye. If you choose to use artificial bait, you will want to use chartreuse and orange baits or maybe even a lead head jig. Remember that walleyes are short strikers. They inhale the bait as well as anything around it. You want to have something that will hook right inside their mouth for easy removal. If you move your line to fast, you will disrupt the flow when they strike causing you to lose the fish and more than likely the bait.

Other options:

The second best time to catch walleye is in the fall. Walleye feed more just before the winter. At this time, you want to use large live bait or even larger artificial baits. The bigger the bait, the more likely the fish is to attack. You can use a night crawler, but they are smaller and the walleye will go for bait that is larger than waste its time on your night crawler. Determining which bait to use is going to be decided by weather and water conditions as well. If you are fishing the weeds, you are going to use a lead head jig and the artificial bait. You will use the drop and sink method of fishing the weeds.