You may have heard other anglers talking about lakes “turning” in the fall. This happens when surface waters begin to cool and then swift winds disrupt the lake’s water currents so that all the lake’s water becomes the same temperature. Walleye fishing is generally not a very successful venture when a lake “turns.” It is best to wait a couple weeks after turnover has occurred. Shallow lakes will experience turnover sooner in the season than will larger, deeper lakes. When turnover occurs, walleyes begin to spread themselves out into more locations than they were in the summer.

After turnover, when the waters have cooled, walleye activity remains fairly high. As these fish are moving from summer to winter locales, they will be spread out across a lake. The best walleye lure to use during fall fishing is a jig. This is because after the waters have decreased in temperature, walleyes will not work hard for a meal; they will not follow and chase after bait like they would in the summertime. When using a jig, your bait can remain virtually motionless in the water, prompting a lazy fish to go for an easy meal. While leeches and nightcrawlers are highly successful live baits to employ during summer fishing, chubs and large minnows will work best in the fall.

The summer peak, the time of year before normal summer feeding patterns are established, is arguably the best and easiest time to try your hand at walleye fishing. This is because the fish are finally hungry and binging on food; because of this, they feed very aggressively and strikes can occur extremely quickly. Using live bait during the summer peak will be highly effectual. One way to fish with live bait is to backtroll and employ a slip-sinker. Backtrolling will allow you to move slowly in the water and control your boat well, so you can create patterns in the water with your bait that will attract a hungry walleye. If you are using leeches with a slip-sinker, one tip to keep in mind is to also use a floating jighead. That way, your bait is hovering atop the bottom instead of lying on the lake floor.

Summer walleye fishing presents less of a “hit or miss” angling situation because by this time, the fish have established identifiable feeding and swimming patterns. During the summer, walleyes are generally located in the depths of the water; the water temperatures have warmed enough that the deep waters are not too cold, and the sun is overhead during the day, requiring these light-sensitive fish to find refuge in deeper waters. However, if you are not having any luck fishing in the lake’s depths, try abandoning conventional wisdom and attempt to fish weedbeds. Though they are much shallower than other locations in which walleyes normally locate, they have definitely been known to make their summer homes in weedy areas. This is particularly true if you are fishing a heavily stocked lake or a non-stocked lake that is heavily fished. Weedbeds provide food and oxygen, and can become full-time homes to many walleyes. The best time to fish weedbeds is when vegetation in the area is green, normally during spring, summer, and early fall.

Since walleyes are engaged in their summer routines, you can easily identify the best times to go fishing. This is normally early in the morning and late in the evening, when these fish normally eat. Trolling crankbaits is a wonderful technique for summer fishing, especially at night because they appear shiny even in dark waters. Trolling crankbaits works well in shallow, weedy areas, but you can also cast if you are pinpointing a specific area, such as a rockbed.

The spawn time period is not a good time to try fishing for walleye, so it is best to avoid it. Just as with the pre-spawn, the dates in which spawning occurs depend on geography and water temperatures. Not all fish will engage in spawning at exactly the same time; walleyes in warmer waters will spawn first. After you believe spawning has commenced in your area, it is best to wait anywhere from 10 to 30 days after spawning before trying your hand at catching anything.

Post-spawn can also be a less than abundant time for walleye fishing. Females, who are in the process of recovering from the spawn, do not eat very much during this time. While males will eat more than the females, their feeding habits are not substantial, and they will only eat an easy meal. They will not seek out food like they might in other times of the year, so it is the angler’s responsibility to fish in a way that will lure in a walleye without much effort on its part. Now that the sun will be overhead much more than in early spring, walleyes will find hiding places away from the sun to protect their light-sensitive eyes. During this time, seek these fish out in weed beds, rocky areas, and deeper waters; however, they will not be too deep in the water because water temperatures will still be quite cold far below the water’s surface.

The best fishing technique during post-spawn is using live bait such as a shiner or chub and then fish with patience. If you hook your bait through the lips and let it rest in the water, it will make movements that will pique a hungry walleye’s interest. Attaching live bait to a jig will work well in shallow areas. The most important thing to remember is to be patient. Your potential catches are not as active during this time as they will be in the summer, so you must fish slowly in order to allow the fish enough time to become interested in your bait.

The type of hook you use for your spinner rig is dependent upon the type of bait you are using. It is best to use a double or triple hook for nightcrawlers. A single hook can be used for leeches or minnows. As far as spinner color goes, that depends on the opaqueness of the water. Silver and gold will work well in clear water, but if the water is dirty, use a bright color like chartreuse.

As previously mentioned, walleyes are most often found in deep waters. Because of this, it is important to make sure the weight of your slip-sinker causes your line to sink to the appropriate depth in the water. Generally, you should plan to have an eighth of an ounce per ten feet of depth you want to achieve. Some people add a leader to their setup; depth is also a factor when determining leader length. Short leaders will work best when you are fishing deep waters. However, if you are engaging in fall walleye fishing in which walleyes are more likely to be lurking closer to the water’s surface, be sure to attach a longer leader to your line.

As with any type of rig you are trying out for the first time, lots of practice and trial and error will help you determine how to set up your line in your favorite fishing holes.

Anglers who use slip-bobbers for walleye fishing will also add weight to their lines. Make sure your sinker weighs enough to allow your bait to sink fast, but you also need to make sure your bobber is afloat. If your bobber is being pulled underwater by excessive sinker weight, you will not be able to detect a strike visually.

Bigger is not necessarily better when it comes to slip-bobber size. You will definitely want to select a bobber large enough to see, so that when you have a bite, you can spot your bobber being thrust down into the water. But if your bobber is too large, it could create resistance on the line and this will turn off walleyes attempting to feed on your bait.

A slip-bobber rig is an extremely simple rig that is ideal for beginning fishermen because you can tell when you have a bite just by monitoring your bobber; not much intuition is required. Although this method is not as advanced as other walleye fishing methods, it can still be highly effective when you are aiming to attract a group of fish in a particular area.

Examples of plugs are minnow bait and crankbaits. If you are going to be fishing in weedbeds, crankbaits are an excellent choice. Cast out your line, then troll the weedbed back and forth so you are fishing along the tops of the weeds. Crankbaits also work well if you know of a group of walleyes congregating in a single, specific spot, such as a rock pile.

When selecting a crankbait shape, pick one that is long and thing. This will create a wide wobble in the water that walleyes prefer as opposed to baits with a tighter wobble. Bass tend to prefer shorter, fatter crankbaits.

Consider using braided line if you are going to be trolling for walleyes using a plug. Many anglers prefer braided line to monofilament line when trolling for several reasons, the biggest reason being that braided line does not stretch like monofilament line does. This will help you set your hook when you get a bite on your line.

Some jigs, such as bucktail jigs, come with feathers, plastic, or some other attractant attached. But it is definitely okay to use a plain jig and hook a minnow or leech to it. You can hook a minnow through its lips or eye sockets, but the most secure way to hook a minnow is through the top of its head. It is best to hook a leech through the end that has its sucker.

In addition to the dark, glassy eyes, walleyes are also characterized by their grayish green body that generally fades to a white or yellow colored underbelly.  A walleye’s body is long with a forked tail.  Despite the common nickname “walleyed pike,” walleyes are actually a member of the perch family.  Most walleyes live to age ten or less, but some can live to up to 20 years of age.

Walleye generally prefer moderate water temperatures, although their bodies can adapt to other conditions.  Walleyes were originally mostly found in rivers, but now they are quite common in lakes; however, they still tend to try to spawn in rivers if they are able.  The range for this fish is great; they can be found well into northern Canada but are also prevalent in the southeastern portion of the United States.  Most walleye stocking occurs in the upper Midwest region of America.

A walleye tends to travel frequently, even in lakes.  It will move to different locations and stay for only short periods of time.  The only exception to this is in the summer, when they will pick a home location where they will congregate for a longer time period.  Lake walleyes will generally move about to rock beds, weed beds, and small creeks that feed into lakes.  Popular walleye fishing spots in lakes are weedy areas and deep waters.  Because of their light-sensitive eyes, these fish will generally stay deep in the water so they can protect their eyes from the sun.  Fall walleye fishing can lead to catches during the daylight hours, because the sun is not totally overhead as it is in the summer.

With this information, you can properly identify a walleye when you see one, as well as understand how they live so you can more easily catch one of these fish the next time you are out on the water.