How to Catch Walleye

Most people think that Walleye are a difficult fish to catch. They're not! The trick is to know how, when and where to fish for them. I'm lucky enough to live in Toronto, Ontario, an hour's drive away from some of the best Walleye fishing anywhere.

Here's what I do to consistently put fish on the end of my line, in the boat, and ultimately on the table.

First, don't try fishing in the daytime. This is frustrating, and slow. Go out just as the sun's going down, stay out all night if you want, and go home when the sun comes fully above the horizon in the morning.

Pick a night when there's a full moon (or the day before or after this event takes place). For some reason, fish go into a feeding frenzy at this time.

Choose a lake or river that you know contains a good population of Walleyes. I go to the Trent Canal just off of Lake Ontario.

Now for presentation. By far the best lure is a crankbait imitation of a minnow. Rattles help. A silver body, long and slender, and one that doesn't dive too deep. Anchor you boat near any shoreline (preferably one with rocks or a sandbar with weeds). Anchor just far enough from shore that when you cast, your lure just hits the place where the water meets the shoreline. Then cast there. Try to make as small a splash as possible. If at all possible, cast onto shore, then reel in until the lure hits the water. Then, let it sit there for 2 seconds, before slowly begining the retrieve. HOLD ON TIGHT!

I've caught lunker Walleyes five at a time from the same spot within 2 feet of shore using this method - it never fails to catch at least one Walleye. If you don't hook one within five casts, move to another spot.

Sometimes, they won't hit this type of lure (very rare). Another presentation I've found that works is a white plastic twister tail jig on a fluorescent jig head. Use the same method as above, or cast into deeper water, and retrieve slowly near the bottom.

If both of the above fails to work, try a large nightcrawler or live minnow suspended below a bobber so that it sits just about a foot off of bottom. If none of the above methods work, either there has just been a cold spell in the area, and the fish are sluggish and not hungry, or there are no Walleyes in the area/water you're fishing.

When you do catch them, remember to take one or two home for dinner. These fish are excellent on the frying pan, and they'll keep you comming back for more! Good luck.