TECHNIQUE
Technique is an important part of walleye fishing, especially once the fish have been located. Location is the most important element in successful fishing. It can only be enhanced when proper technique is applied in the most effective manner for a certain situation.
With rare exceptions, walleye are found near the bottom of a lake or river, so that's where your baits or lures should be fished. If possible, carry a depth finder of some sort in your boat. It is absolutely essential to pinpoint deep-water areas, follow weedlines, and bird-dog different bottom contours. However, a good angler will understand that although the walleye has a natural ability to adapt to different types of water, the key to locating any game fish in any environment is the food source.
Reading the Structure
Weeds become a real key to location from post-spawn right through to the fall. Spring and early summer will find walleyes in emerging weed growths on flats. Shallow water will host the vast amount of forage during the early season. As the season progresses into summer, weedlines begin to develop and fill out to a point of distinctiveness. Here is where a great deal of the action takes place for predator and prey. (Figure 3-6.)
In addition to weedlines, points, sunken islands, and reefs will attract different populations of walleyes. The thing to remember with respect to these structures is the absence or existence of cover. Structures with cover, or structural makeup items such as rocks, gravel, and weeds, will attract more walleyes than those that are bare. Let's take the classic mesotrophic or middle-aged lake as an example of keys to location. These lakes sometimes have colored waters and deep food sources can be limited, while shallower areas, four to 15 feet deep, will support a rich variety of food to be found in the cover of weeds. Game fish will be attracted to these weeds, especially to the wider weedbeds found on flats or areas of slow taper, because of the food, shaded cooler water, oxygen, and protection from other predators and natural elements.
When fishing long expanses of weed, look for areas of change. This could be a subtle change in weeds or bottom makeup, perhaps a point in the weed or maybe an inside turn caused by a hard bottom shoal. Find them and you'll be fishing highpercentage spots. Remember also that edge fish can be catchable fish, whether they're holed in the clumps, holes, or slots within the weed flat or the deeper weeds. But walleyes buried back in the thick growth are usually in a negative mood and tough to catch. (Figure 3-7.)
Walleyes in these lakes can also relate to deeper water. If the weedbed borders a quick access to deep water, some populations may spend time down the drop-off to escape midday brightness, and move up onto the food shelf during times of moderate and low light intensity. Offshore structures can also hold summertime fish: sunken islands, humps, and rocky reefs or shoals. When approaching these areas, remember, cover of some sort is important to these fish. Be prepared to fish deeper during bright days and/or on the shaded sides of structures.
The deeper, clearer oligotrophic or young lakes do not have an abundant weed growth and hard bottom is the common lake bed makeup. Walleyes have little choice except to use the deeper water near feeding grounds of forage fish, such as cisco and lake herring. Smaller walleyes may search for food on the upper levels of drop-offs and break lines as well as shallow shorelines or rocky reefs at night or during low light conditions. Larger walleyes will relate to an area just above the thermocline, feeding on schools of prey roaming the structures, such as sunken islands, reefs, and main lake points, in and around the thermocline.
Eutrophic or old lakes, on the other hand, will support a tremendous abundance of weeds growing on immense flats. Because of the size of these flats and loose grouping of fish, two approaches must be employed. First, cover lots of water. Trolling different baits will help locate the usually scattered fish. Faster-moving baits will appeal to these walleyes which are more aggressive because of the generally darker water conditions. Second, look for changes in the surrounding area. Hard bottom, weed changes, holes, and slots will hold a higher concentration of active fish. Remember, edge fish are catchable!
