Closer to Canada this is typically May/June and closer to the Lower Midwest it’s April/May. Their internal feeding clock is ticking more actively during dawn and dusk regardless of light conditions during the day. The largest member of the perch family, it is native to lakes and streams throughout Canada and the north-central United States. Bill Correll, 17638 Snake River Road, Asotin Wa.Hi Bill, we are actually not a guide service but I can give you some help. As walleye grow longer, they increase in weight.
Ideally there will be a Walleye Chop, or winds just strong enough to drive waves a little less than a foot high.
Once located, focus on areas where Cover is transitioning, like the edge of a weedline. Cast 5-10 yards away from the boat and let the chop drift your Slip Float through the target area. If the bite is slow and I am marking fish, or if I am going for eater sized eyes I will use Flathead Minnows (2-3″). You tip your jig by the lips of your Minnow or the head of your Leech so they can panic lively as you fish.
They yield a good amount of meat for their size. The best way to enjoy them, for me, is broiled or pan fried.
Thanks for the article. If jigging from a boat, keep your bait right in front of you, this way you can accurately gauge your relation to the bottom as your boat drifts or slowly trolls over an area. The later is my recommendation, I like a Perch color blade for clear water and an Orange blade for stained. I sport both so I can easily switch between Live Bait and artificial, but I recommend getting started with the 6’6″ Medium for learning how to fish for Walleye. Alternate cadences and pauses, try a bunch of different actions but keep your lure in the strike zone a foot or two off the bottom. Lakes heat up first on the Northern side and hardbottom areas will be the warmest. Use a 1/4 Oz. Bait your Hook, preferably a Red Octopus Hook, with a Minnow or Leech (#6 for Leeches and Flatheads, 1/0 for Shiners). A hole is a deep pocket of the lake, usually depressing in a circular shape with the deepest point in the center. Start targeting them with live bait and get some fish on the boat. You need to put your bait and tackle to work with some classic techniques. The rod should be Fast Action either way, I highly encourage a $59.99-$79.99 budget. Flats, holes, humps, saddles and sunken islands are a few examples. As Summer approaches in July, the Baitfish population ramps up to a surplus as water temps rise and Walleye move deep in search of their ideal temperature range.
For Walleye this typically means weedlines, rocks and boulders located in accordance with a structural feature. The Point will often support a rock pile. Drifting Live Bait is ideal for lethargic Walleyes in early Spring Spawn, or when poor conditions leave Walleye timid during Late Spring and Early Summer.
When the shallow bar reaches the uniform structure of the lake, the Point often transitions into a ledge or drop off.