Walleyes require the best spinning reels for fishing

How to Catch Walleye for Beginners

Walleyes can be a difficult fish to catch for beginners. If your object is to catch walleye understanding their behavior is the key. The walleye is a roaming fish throughout the year. This makes them an elusive challenge for beginners. Taking the time to know walleye behavior will increase the chances.

It takes a walleye about 3-4 years to reach legal size. The larger fish tend to be 6-8 or more years of age. An ethical fisherman will keep fish minimum size to 20 inches in length and release larger fish. This will increase the population of large walleye. The bass and musky anglers know this and practice this behavior. Walleye anglers depend on stocking programs to keep the number of fish available.

Walleye Tip

You can keep a few walleyes, however, the larger ones need releasing to breed, thereby increasing the population. Have a foam or plastic replica done for mounting a trophy. They last longer and look better.

catch walleye with proper techniques
Walleye

What Equipment to Catch Walleye

The walleye is a slender fish. The average size is 15-20 inches. There are larger walleye but the chance of catching one over 24 inches is slim. The sleek body of a walleye is more for speed than power. They do put up a good fight when larger, but few get to that size. 

Rods, Reels, and Line  

Walleye Rod

Walleye fishing is best with a medium-light or medium power rod, also the rod should have a fast action. The length of the rod should be 6 1/2 – 7 1/2 feet to allow good casting distances. You also want a rod that can detect light bites. Since walleye will be very finicky and light biters quite often. The wrong rod will not detect the light bites also.

Reel

The choice of the reel will be a spinning reel for a beginner or novice angler. Plus, a baitcaster or level wind is not suitable for most walleye presentations. I suggest a 2500 size for the medium-light rod and a 3000 size for a medium rod. The reel you purchase must be of good quality. A reel for walleye needs to be very smooth while retrieving and have a good drag. Additionally, try to get a reel with a braid-ready spool.

Line

The choice of the line will be monofilament or braid. The braided line does not stretch and will allow you to detect bites easier. The downside is a walleye flips the food around in its mouth and has a small mouth. As a result, fast hooks sets with a braided line. The hooks and baits pull out without setting.

Use a sweeping hook set with a mono leader, also an 8-10 pound line is all you need. It allows the line to sink faster and eliminates drag on the line from the current. A heavy line will have too much resistance in current, as a result, making bites hard to feel. 

Use monofilament for fast hook sets. It will stretch causing a slight delay to the hook.

Where to Catch Walleye

The hardest aspect of walleye fishing is locating the fish. They prefer deeper water most of the time. This will be the sanctuary area for the walleye. As a result, the only times they leave are to feed and spawn, usually after sunset. You will need to know the waters you fish to find them. The good news is they are schooling fish so finding one means more will be around in the area. 

Rivers

In rivers, walleye will be near dam spillways or below rapids if the deeper water is close. The water has a higher oxygen level. Walleye have a superior vision with fewer fish seeing better than they can see. These areas will have the gravel and rocky bottoms the fish prefers in moving water. In the fall, they may move to weed lines if present. The walleye tend to feed on gently sloping flats if possible and remember there has to be cover. These are the spots to start looking for walleye. Also, You should talk with other anglers as they will share where you will find walleye.

Lakes

In a lake, the same structure is what the walleye wants, however, the water will be calm. They will be in a deep section until night time when they usually go to feed. Then the fish will move onto a flat with weeds to ambush prey. The lake environment differs from rivers so walleyes have adapted to this fact. Lakes with a gravel bottom are less likely but check the area. In my experience, lakes tend to have less gravel and rocky areas than rivers.

How to Catch Walleye

Live Bait to Catch Walleye

The easiest methods tend to be the most productive. The walleye is easy to catch on live bait when you locate the fish. In the springtime, use fathead minnows and nightcrawlers rigged correctly. A slip rig with enough weight to keep the bait located where you want it is required. A walleye will drop a bait as soon as it feels any resistance from a weight. Above all, do not use excessive weight or non-slip rigs.

The slip rig consists of a sinker, leader with a hook, tied to a swivel about 18-24 inches long; also place the sinker above the swivel on the mainline. This allows the line to pass through the sinker eliminating any tension. This the Lindy rig made popular by the Lindner brothers. The choice of bait matters also. Fathead minnows work well early season. As the year progresses add leeches into the choice of bait if available. In the fall small suckers about 4 inches will yield nice-sized walleyes.

Jigging

The angler that does not want to sit and wait can use jigs. These are the most popular walleye lure. They can have bucktail tied on, or use a soft plastic grub. The round head will lie flat and stand up jigs will keep the hook up off the bottom. The addition of live bait on a jig will greatly enhance how effective they are in catching walleye. Learning to use jigs is easy but does take some time.

The jigging method is simple but does require a little finesse. There are options on how to jig. Raising the rod tip is the start of the action. You can use a fast snap or a slow lift to move the jig. The key is keeping the line tight while the jig falls. Do not drop the rod tip until the jig hits bottom. You then reel down and repeat the jigging action. Try variations of the snapping action. The fish dictate what they want.

It will take a little time to become good, although, you will find just practicing how to jig will catch you fish. Walleyes will hit a jig lightly often or just feel like added weight. Always be attentive and prepared for light hits and feeling a little weight with this method. This is why a lighter rod and braided line work better for walleye fishing.

Spinners or Spinnerbaits

The third method that produces good numbers of walleyes is spinners or spinnerbaits. The smaller ones work better as walleye have smaller mouths than largemouth bass. The walleye can easily see the flash of blades and feel the vibration. Try running these lures along rocky shorelines, humps and weed edges. 

This article is a basic approach to catching walleyes. The sport of walleye fishing has many techniques and nuances. Add techniques as you gain experience. There are anglers that have invested years at becoming experts at catching walleyes. The goal of fishing is to have fun and relax so try to keep it simple.

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Keeping fishing simple for tight lines and bragging rights

John McIntyre




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