By John Paralteau
According to many anglers nothing beats spring walleye fishing. During that time there is more daylight and while walleye are sensitive to light they are almost always hungry.
It’s not like you can throw anything at them and they will attack it. Here are five spring walleye fishing tips that will help you become a more productive while spring walleye fishing.
Locating Your Walleye
As spring arrives and the water becomes warmer walleye tend to move closer to shore or and here is something every walleye angler should know, if wild rice is found they congregate around those areas that have a sand bottom. Furthermore, they can be located near rocky points or in the weeds or weed edges, which are located near a sandy/gravely area. Sand in the bottom plays an important role for walleye because that is where they spawn. As far as spawning goes they often spawn in river current, current areas or windswept shorelines as well. During this time of the year before the spawn and shortly after they become quite aggressive and tend to hit almost anything you throw at them.
During spring the bigger females can be located in the deeper waters close to the areas mentioned above, at least throughout the day. On the other hand the smaller males are usually found in shallow waters, close to the area where the spawning will take place. Those that seek numbers should throw their jig in the shallower waters after males, while those fishing that are more interested in sheer size should hit the deeper adjacent waters.
Open Water Walleye Fishing
When it comes to open water walleyes the biggest walleyes typically stay in the range of 15’ to 25’ depths. There they feed on schools of baitfish found in the thermo cline layer. If you want to find the exact depth at which the schools are you will need a depth finder. And if you want to troll deep enough to reach them it is recommended you use Husky jerks or some other deep diving lures. Brown, blue, fire-tiger and silver colors are considered some of the best colors for open waters trolling.
Walleye Jigs
When using jigs in spring for walleyes it’s recommended you use 1/4 oz or 1/8 oz jig featuring a green, black, white or yellow scented minnow imitating plastic. Some fishermen like to put a live minnow or broken piece of worm on the jig in order to increase strikes. However, that is unnecessary, at least at this time of the year. According to many experienced fishermen the white twister tails and other plastics are the most effective ones and can be used all year long.
Daytime Walleye Fishing
As mentioned earlier, white twister tail jigs work best. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t try other colors, but many experienced spring walleye fisherman will advise you to bring a few of white twister tail jigs or other plastics that match the preferred forage for those walleyes in the system they are in. During daytime on deep weed lakes the best strategy is to jig straight down in the thick weeds by edges and pockets, look for coontail and cabbage.1
Night Time Walleye Fishing
During the low light night, the biggest walleyes come from the deep and cruise near the shoreline searching for food. For best results, you will need to put lures on that may match the size of the bait they are chasing..
We believe that you will find these spring walleye fishing tips and techniques very helpful. Fishing season will soon arrive, so sharpen your hooks, and let the games begin.