Walleyes tend to congregate in shallow waters in spring if conditions are favorable, such as calm weather. Keep an eye out for weedlines, sandy or rocky bottom areas near deep water that contain walleyes.
Find Cover that covers Structure, such as emerging weedlines on a Flat or rock piles around a Point. Walleyes often hunker down just outside the Cover in order to ambush baitfish and ambush walleyes as soon as they see an opportunity.
Jigging
Walleye can often seem difficult to catch, yet their simple rules make them accessible for most anglers. Walleye feed on minnows and smaller forage fish such as shad, ciscoes, yellow perch and smelt; hence minnow-imitating lures are effective tools in finding walleye.
Classic walleye fishing techniques include trolling over structure such as reefs, humps and saddles or trolling flats like flooded hayfields or sunken reefs. When fishing lakes with fluctuating water levels, keep in mind that drawdowns will push walleye down lake while rising water will pull them up into shallow flood-zones.
In summer months when bright sunlight forces walleye into deeper waters, trolling over mid-lake structure like holes, ridges and saddles is often successful. Conversely, fall months usually favor jigging with a spinner rig – be sure to work the bait slowly with longer pauses between retrieves.
Spinner Rigs
Walleye anglers appreciate spinner rigs as an effective means of attracting fish with flash, vibration and scent at controlled depth and speed. Plus they can be fished without power trolling!
Fluorocarbon blades for walleye spinner rigs are an excellent material, making them nearly invisible and highly resistant to abrasion. Line strength will depend on your fishing waters – for clear waters with nervous fish you might choose an 8-pound test, while 12-pound line may be more appropriate in murky or densely-packed locations where big walleye reside.
With a slow-troll approach, anglers dragged a spinner rig along the bottom. When struck by an unsuspecting baitfish, this mimicked their slinking motion which often provoked walleye strikes. Grand Rapids Minnesota fishing guide Tom Neustrom enjoys using spinner rigs during fall walleye fishing as the fish lie lethargic nearer to bottom.
Soft Baits
Walleye are known to prefer minnows, red tail chubs (small ones) and fatheads in spring. Leeches in Large to Jumbo sizes also provide excellent fishing opportunities and can be jigged, attached to slip bobbers or even used under spinner rigs for added catches.
Trolling crankbaits is an effective solution in murky waters, using side planner boards to disperse their lures evenly and avoid scaring away fish. A trolling speed of between 0.8-1 MPH should be utilized.
Some anglers opt for a slow “drift and drop” technique when fishing in stained water, to mimic the slow movement of unwary baitfish finning by walleye. If trolling doesn’t produce results, try casting Soft Plastic lures rigged onto jig heads; use alternate cadences, pauses, and drag along the bottom for strikes from hungry walleye. Two ideal choices in this regard are Hot’n Tot and Ripple Runner; both models offer multiple colors suitable for stained conditions while the Hot’n Tot excels particularly effectively in green/mud environments.
Live Bait
Walleye are known to move around often and at certain points throughout the year may prefer roaming over resting. When this occurs, taking a broad coverage approach often works better.
As temperatures decline and algae clears away, walleye will be forced deeper by sunlight and clarity – therefore trolling over deeper structure like Holes or saddles of Humps would be ideal.
A jig and soft bait combo can also be effective during these instances, the key being matching retrieve speed to conditions; in warmer waters a rapid pop and snap jigging approach may work while, when fishing colder waters, Neustrom prefers using his signature lift, drag, and drift technique at night from shore or waders.https://www.youtube.com/embed/OztqDM85K-o