Selecting The Best Walleye Trolling Lures

By Olive Pate


Walleyes are indigenous to North America with populations concentrated across the northern states and a large portion of Canada. The eyes point to the side, which is the characteristic that gives this fish its name. At night, the eyes reflect light making them easily visible underwater at shallow depths. Finding the right walleye trolling lures can improve success for any angler.

Selecting the right equipment to catch walleyes depends on the season as much as other factors. Spawning season is in the spring, right before fishing season opens. The walleye spawns in rapid river currents or in sandy regions close to shore. Even after the season opens, these fish will stick nearby their spawning grounds to protect them from predators.

The fish are aggressive this time of year, so casting with a light colored jig near shore will generally attract smaller males. To catch the bigger females, anglers will have to head for deeper water during daylight hours. Try fishing near the spawning bed at a depth of around 10 feet for the most success.

When trolling in shallow waters, many anglers choose a brightly colored Rapala original floater or a thunderstick. Chartreuse, blue, red, or any other bright color works well in the spring. Keep the boat at a slow speed when fishing close to shore. As soon as the fish begin biting, kill the engine and switch to casting. Continuing to troll will only spook the fish and they will stop feeding.

Later in the day, the big females swim deeper to escape detection by feeding pike and muskie. This is when anglers should try trolling farther away from shore. Down deep husky jerks are the best lures to use for picking up large female walleye.

Walleyes move to deeper water by the middle of summer. This is when it is best to switch to natural colored lures. Silver, black, white, and brown are the colors that attract this fish at this time of year. Using bright colors will attract more pike than walleyes. The Rapala original floater and thunderstick are the best options for fishing at the mouth of a river or near rocky points. In locations with flat terrain, they will head for thick weeds where they can escape sunlight.

Maintaining proper boat speed is just as important as selecting the right lure. Fishing with a junior thunderstick or small floater in a smaller boat at slower speeds near the shore is a good place to catch females after dark. Anglers with larger boats can find the females farther away from shore during the day. When trolling in open water, a deep husky jerk or a J-13 jointed Rapala deployed to a depth of 15 to 35 feet should be successful.

Fishing for walleye in the fall is always more challenging because the fish move into open water. Thunderstick and free floating lures cast into deep pools or along the edge of river rapids are often effective this late in the season. Anglers can achieve the best success by studying walleye habits and selecting the right lure based on the season, water depth, and boat speed.




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