If you are looking to catch Trophy Walleye fish, what is the best thing to do or not to do?

Let me first say that, walleye fishing is what you make of it and only experienced anglers understand that it is often a game of chance, and when these fish close in, there is no changing that frown.

Now the key word to focus on here is catch, and to catch you need a bait and for the cunning but aggressive walleye it won’t be just any bait.

But before we get into the feeding of this toothy creature, let’s dwell on the nature of its prey for a moment. Walleye grow from a fertilized egg to 1 ½ to 2 inches in late spring and 4 to 6 inches in fall. They start with plankton and quickly transform into small aquatic insects and then minnows.
Once they reach six to eight inches in length, to maintain their size, their diet will consist primarily of minnows. Unfortunately for walleye this becomes their downfall.
To maintain their size and continue to grow, they must eat almost continuously, and they must do so throughout their lives because they never stop growing. I think of all the factors to consider in a successful strike, water temperature would be high on the list.

In fact, it has been found that walleye feeding frenzy peaks when water temperatures reach 64 degrees F and that water temperature has a lot to do with the location of this elusive prey.

Spring

So you’ll want to look for Walleyes in the spring to collect and spawn in gravelly or sandy bays with wave-raising winds. This action is necessary to expose the spawning grounds, keep the eggs aerated, and prevent them from silting up. This is of course for ideal spawning conditions. You’ll also find them off shore bars or on open water gravel flats.

Reserve walleye spawn over a three-week period, primarily after dark, in water depths of 3 to 12 feet. However, they are highly adaptable and, if necessary, you can find them in water as deep as 36 feet. Again, the temperature of the water is important because spawning will occur when the water temperature rises to 48° and during this time and up to 10 days afterwards, the females rarely bite. Now, the good thing is that after spawning, they spend a month feeding the pigs.

Right now you will find them in 15 feet. of water or less because the low angle of the sun allows them to stay in shallow water. After all is said and done, the biggest drawback to spring walleye fishing is inconsistent weather.

Summer

In summer, walleye frequent sandbanks and points, mainly at night, feeding on crayfish and minnows. Now, as the waters warm up for the season, the walleye move further and further into the cooler, darker waters. As they move to these depths, they are often attracted to structure such as islands, underwater landforms, or deep beds of weeds. You will find that you will have to work very hard to be successful at this time of year. The reason is simply that the bait fish are plentiful and larger than what you offer.

fall

Walleyes tend to go deep in mid-September and return to the undergrowth at night. During the day they hang around the 25-35 foot mark, usually along the edge of a landing, and you’ll usually find more on steeper slopes than gentler ones. They feed more aggressively when entering deep water and midday fishing will be better. Three to four inch minnows on a sliding jib or sinking rig seem to work well. If you’re looking to catch a trophy-sized fish that touches the double-digit scale, now is the time to do it. Your method of choice will be jigging spoons or live jigs and minnows.

I am not going to tell you that this is easy because it is not. What happens at this time of year is that the walleye slowly move to the bottom or just out and the cooling of the surface water forces the warmer water below to come back to the surface. Therefore, autumn night fishing is the prerequisite, and for their efforts, large fish are caught during this period.

Winter

Early in the ice fishing season, walleye can be found as deep as 10 to 12 feet in spots along the mid-lake flats, and by mid-January you’ll most likely find them at a depth of 18 to 30 feet, at the ends of the humps or the same points along the mid-lake flats. Walleye generally move to shallower waters when snow cover is heavy, skies are cloudy, or it is early or late in the day. They usually deepen when it’s midday, when it’s sunny, or when there’s a light snow cover.

fishermen

Sorry, I guess I need to go back to the bait. Many anglers think that smell or taste is the most important in catching trophy walleye. I would disagree knowing that they are part of the Perch family and argue that the natural movement of the bait fish would be much more important in attracting a hit. So the best thing to do is to change your leeches and worms every 5 to 10 minutes. If you hook your minnows correctly, you can make them last much longer.

Now, let’s talk about those eyes. This species of fish is sensitive to light, which allows them to see well in low-light conditions that occur in deep lakes or shallow areas once the sun goes down. If you are fishing during the day, it would probably be best to cover an area with drift and bottom bounce fishing. The bounce part is just that, bounce, not drag or better yet, closer to swimming, so when you feel that contraction, you know it’s definitely your prey.

When I talk about shrinkage, it’s probably just that, a shrinkage. You can catch a stranger and inexperienced due to a snatch and grab, but most walleye test a bit before making the decision to attack, so if you’re using a jig or heavy tackle, you may miss that hit. initial. The only real place to use the heavier jigs is in fast-flowing water, like river currents.

Lake Erie walleye fishing can produce some big fish and it’s no secret that Lake Erie walleye fishing is second to none if you’re looking for trophy walleye.
Lake Huron also has some of the best walleye fishing available in the US, maybe even the world.

Walleye fishing is a difficult game to play, but anglers who use their wits will almost always figure out how to put the pieces together.