Walleye Fishing Tips

Do you want to learn how to catch walleye after walleye? Are you looking for walleye fishing tips to be more successful fishing for walleye? Walleye can be a challenging fish to catch. They are not only serious fighters, but they are also tasty. This makes walleye a regular target of anglers. In this article, we share walleye fishing tips to help you catch more walleye.

How To Catch Walleye

1.  Trolling

Trolling is a fishing method in which the bait is attached at the back of the boat and is pulled as the boat moves.  Trolling allows you to cover a lot of water as the boat moves. You can use live bait or lures when trolling.

2.  Jigging

Jigging can also be used to catch walleye. When jigging, you drop the jig and let it hit the bottom. Then after a few seconds, jerk it upward and then let it sink back to the bottom. This is actually referred to as vertical jigging. Jigging can also be done side to side instead of upward and downward. 

3. Casting

Casting is another fishing method used to catch walleye. You can use bait or lures when casting for walleye.

Walleye Fishing Tackle

A medium-action spinning fishing rod and a spinning reel in the 2500 to 3000 series spooled with a 6 to 10-pound test line will work for catching walleye. A braided or monofilament line with a fluorocarbon leader.

How To Catch Walleye From Shore

When fishing for walleye from the shore, look for shallow bays, points, spillways, and gravel beds.
You can also find walleyes near flats close to drop-offs, current breaks, seams, and rip raps. Walleye can be found close to these structures early in the morning, late evening, and at night when they prey on perch and bluegills.

One of the effective fishing methods to use when fishing for walleye from the shore is jigging. If you are not succeeding with crankbaits or jerkbaits, use jigs.

When fishing in the wind or in fast-moving water, you will need a heavier jighead to get to the bottom. Additionally, you can add a white, green, chartreuse, or curly-tail grub. When the jig hits the bottom, tilt the tip up and reel in the slack. Do this repeatedly until you land a walleye.

Moving baits work well when fishing for walleye from the bank. Use moving baits to catch walleye from the shore. They are aggressive and when they are in the mood to eat, they will go for anything, including moving baits. Spring and fall are the best seasons to use moving baits.

How To Catch Walleye In The Summer

During the summer, walleye are not aggressively feeding as in spring. You will still find them in shallow water early morning and late evening. Live and dead bait work well when fishing for walleye in summer. A jig with a float rig will work if you want to fish for walleye in the summer with lures.

How To Catch Walleye In A River

When fishing for walleye in a river, look for deep holes, sand bars, river gravel beds, points, and drop-offs. Study the water and look for currents as it makes walleye congregate in one area. Casting using lures and baits work well when fishing for walleye in a river. Vertical jigging is also very effective when fishing for walleye in a river.

How To Catch Walleye In Spring

Walleye feed heavily during spring to replenish the weight lost during winter. They are also feeding to prepare for the spawning season. Fish early morning, late evening, and at night to catch walleye as they are feeding. Swimbaits, jerkbaits, and lipless crankbaits work well when fishing for walleye in the spring.

How To Catch Walleye At Night

Night fishing is the newfound secret for anglers. Why? It is more productive than day fishing most of the time. During the day, locate the spots you want to fish for walleye at night. Look for underwater structures like jetties, buoys, points, deep holes, sand bars, river gravel beds, weed beds, and drop-offs. Make sure to mark them for reference later.

Make sure you have a bright light to use at night and don’t shine it into the water. This will frighten the fish and they will leave. Casting, and jigging using lures and baits are some of the best fishing methods to use when fishing for walleye at night.

How To Catch Walleye Ice Fishing

When ice fishing for walleye, drill many holes in areas where walleye will usually be found feeding. The more holes you drill, the better your chances of finding them. Jigging is the fishing method used to catch walleye when ice fishing. Tip your jigs with minnows or other lures to catch walleye.

Walleye Fishing Tips

1. The mouth of a tributary and the surrounding water attract walleye during the period from spring to fall. If you find a tributary, fish that area for walleye. Currents are created in lakes by inflowing tributaries.

2. Walleye move from deep resting areas to shallow, feeding spots using rocky points and sand bars. If you come across sand bars and rocky points, you just might have found hot spots for walleye.

3. Walleye loves humps. They are structures that walleye take an interest in.

4. Walleye also takes an interest in islands and reefs. When they are hit with waves, the shallow to mid-depth areas of islands and reefs produce food for walleye.

5. Sand and mud flats are also possible food sources for walleye. Yellow perch and aquatic invertebrates are found there which are food sources for walleye.

6. Healthy vegetation used by minnows and perch is a target for walleye. So also are large deep beds, isolated clumps, and the outside edge of large weed flats.

7. Walleye see well in low light which makes dawn and dusk the best feeding times for walleye. Points, weed beds, flats, reefs, and shallow to mid-depth shorelines are also nighttime food sources for walleye.

8. Walleye become active with overcast skies as they diffuse light. Look for areas with a lot of forage and when there are overcast skies, fish those areas for walleye.

9. The side of structures that is hit by waves is a prime target area for walleye. The waves disrupt the water’s surface, diffusing light and facilitating feeding. Target the wave-hit side of structures for walleye.

10. It can be challenging on calm and sunny days to catch walleye. They usually go deeper into structures far away from the sunlight. Target those deep structures and the shade plants provide.

12. Using live bait to fish for walleye works almost all the time.

13. You will cover a lot of water and fish quickly when using a lure to fish for walleye.

14. Minnows, nightcrawlers, and leeches are the most commonly used live bait for walleye.

15. One of the best techniques for walleye fishing in rivers is vertical jigging. However, high winds or rains can dirty the water and put the fish off the jig bite. Try trolling the bottom when the water condition worsens.

16. One effective way to catch walleye is using trolling spoons. However, getting them deep down can sometimes pose a serious challenge. Use snap weights, in-line sinkers, diving planers, downriggers, or lead-core lines to attain the depth needed to reach walleye.

17. In early spring or late winter, when walleyes are moving up rivers to spawn, fly fish for walleye using nymphs or yarn flies that drift beneath salmon reeds or in deep holes. If you fly fish with nymphs, then this article about fly fishing with nymphs will help you catch more fly fish using nymphs.

18. During a mayfly hatch, it is a challenging time to catch walleye. Use a mayfly rig, which is a small spinner with a portion of a nightcrawler on a small hook, to increase your chances of catching walleye.

19. Take all types of live bait with you when jigging for walleye. The consensus is to use minnows in cold waters and night crawlers and leeches or soft plastics in warmer waters. However, sometimes leeches and crawlers do better than minnows in cold water especially if the water is dirty. Similarly, walleye will prefer minnows in the summer heat to other bait.

20. When trolling, alter the depth of your offerings by changing the diving bait or increasing the weight to the lines if you are using spinner rigs. The most active fish are often not at the bottom but are suspended in the water column.

How To Fish Walleye From Shore

Walleye comes to the shore more often than you would imagine as they look for their next meal. They also come close to the bank at night. Look for shallow bays and flats close to drop-offs. There are several ways to fish for walleye from the shore.

You can use jigs when you cast out into the river’s edge. When you feel the “thud” on the bottom, lift your rod tip and reel it in. Moving baits can also be used to fish for walleye from the shore. Usually, walleye are close to the shore in search of prey. They will attack moving baits as they are aggressive.

Another way to catch walleye from the shore is by using live bait. Use live bait if it is slow and you are not getting any bites. Leeches, golden shiners, minnows, and yellow perch are live bait that you can use. Dead bait also works well when you fish for walleye on the shore.

Best Walleye Baits

1. Minnows

Minnows are a highly effective and popular bait choice for anglers targeting walleye, prized freshwater fish known for their aggressive feeding habits and delicious flesh. These small fish emit a natural scent and possess lively movements that walleye find irresistible.

Anglers typically rig minnows on jigheads or hooks and present them in areas where walleye are likely to be found, such as near rocky points, weed edges, or drop-offs. The natural swimming action and scent of the minnows provoke aggressive strikes from walleye, making them a favored bait option.

Whether fished on the bottom or suspended in the water column, minnows offer versatility and effectiveness in enticing walleye into biting. With their availability at bait shops and proven success in attracting walleye, minnows provide anglers with a reliable and rewarding option for pursuing these prized freshwater fish, ensuring an enjoyable and productive fishing experience on the water.

2. Nightcrawlers

Nightcrawlers are a classic and effective bait choice for anglers targeting walleye, esteemed freshwater fish known for their nocturnal feeding habits and prized for their delicate flavor. These large, juicy earthworms emit a natural scent and possess lively movements that walleye find irresistible.

Nightcrawlers are rigged on hooks or jigs and presented near the bottom in areas where walleye are known to congregate, such as along rocky points, weed edges, or drop-offs. The enticing aroma and wriggling action of the nightcrawlers provoke aggressive strikes from walleye, making them a favored bait option.

Whether fished during the day or night, nightcrawlers offer versatility and effectiveness in enticing walleye into biting. With their widespread availability and proven success in attracting walleye, nightcrawlers provide anglers with a reliable and rewarding option for pursuing these prized freshwater fish, ensuring an enjoyable and productive fishing experience on the water.

3. Leeches

Leeches are a highly effective and natural bait choice for anglers targeting walleye, prized freshwater fish known for their aggressive feeding habits and delectable taste. These aquatic invertebrates emit a distinct scent and possess a subtle yet enticing movement that walleye find irresistible.

Leeches are rigged on hooks or jigs and present them near the bottom in areas where walleye are known to frequent, such as along rocky points, weed beds, or drop-offs. The natural scent and movement of the leeches provoke aggressive strikes from walleye, making them a favored bait option.

Whether fished during the day or night, leeches offer versatility and effectiveness in enticing walleye into biting. With their availability and proven success in attracting walleye, leeches provide anglers with a reliable and rewarding option for pursuing these prized freshwater fish, ensuring an enjoyable and productive fishing experience on the water.

Best Walleye Lures

1. Crankbaits

Crankbaits are a versatile and highly effective lure choice for anglers targeting walleye, esteemed freshwater fish known for their aggressive feeding behavior and sought-after flesh. These lures typically consist of a hard plastic or wooden body with a diving lip and treble hooks attached, designed to mimic the appearance and swimming action of small baitfish or prey.

Anglers can choose from a variety of crankbait sizes, shapes, colors, and diving depths to match the preferences of walleye in different conditions. Crankbaits can be cast and retrieved, trolled behind a boat, or worked along the bottom to cover a wide range of water depths and areas where walleye are likely to be found, such as rocky points, weed beds, or drop-offs.

The lifelike movement and realistic appearance of crankbaits provoke aggressive strikes from walleye, making them a favored lure option. With their versatility and proven effectiveness in attracting walleye, crankbaits provide anglers with a reliable and rewarding option for pursuing these prized freshwater fish, ensuring an enjoyable and productive fishing experience on the water.

2. Jerkbaits

Jerkbaits are a versatile and effective lure choice for anglers targeting walleye, esteemed freshwater fish known for their aggressive feeding habits and prized flesh. These lures typically consist of a hard plastic or wooden body with a slender profile and multiple treble hooks, designed to imitate injured baitfish or prey.

Anglers can choose from a variety of jerkbait sizes, shapes, colors, and diving depths to match the preferences of walleye in different conditions. Jerkbaits are worked with sharp, erratic twitches of the rod tip, imitating the darting movements of wounded baitfish.

This action triggers a predatory response from walleye, enticing them to strike. Jerkbaits can be fished in various locations where walleye are known to congregate, such as rocky points, weed edges, or drop-offs. With their lifelike movement and realistic appearance, jerkbaits are a favored lure option for anglers pursuing walleye, providing excitement and success on the water.

3. Blade Baits

Blade baits are a highly effective and versatile lure choice for anglers targeting walleye, esteemed freshwater fish known for their aggressive feeding habits and prized flesh. These lures typically consist of a metal body with a flat, blade-like shape and one or more treble hooks attached.

Blade baits are designed to flutter and flash as they sink through the water column, mimicking injured baitfish or prey. Anglers can vary the retrieve speed and depth to match the preferences of walleye in different conditions. Blade baits excel in cold water and can be fished near the bottom in areas where walleye are known to congregate, such as rocky points, weed beds, or drop-offs.

The enticing fluttering action and flash of blade baits provoke aggressive strikes from walleye, making them a favored lure option. With their versatility and proven effectiveness, blade baits provide anglers with a reliable and rewarding option for pursuing these prized freshwater fish, ensuring an enjoyable and productive fishing experience on the water.

The Bottom Line

The walleye is a tasty fish that is challenging to catch. It is one of the prime targets for anglers. In this article, we share walleye fishing tips to ramp up your fishing game to catch more walleye whether for the fun of it or for your dinner table.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced angler, we hope these walleye fishing tips will help you learn how to catch more walleye. Bass fishing tips will help you catch more bass when you go fishing. Similarly, you can read this article on striped bass fishing tips to help you catch more striped bass.