MIBowhunter
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Deep-water walleyes: How low will they go?
By David A. Rose
Walleyes. Just how low will they go?
The answer to this deep-water walleye question may surprise you.
However, first you need know why some of the walleyes in your favorite lake migrate to deep water once summer’s heat kicks in. It’s not just the necessity to find cooler waters for their own comfort, but to feed on the other forage fish that have moved deeper for their supper.
Unlike most any other species of fish, walleyes have a wide temperature tolerance range. This means some could be in the shallows, tolerating water temperatures of 90 degrees or more, while at the same time, others may be swimming about in the deepest, coldest holes of the lake. So why are they in any of these places? Simple: To eat.
What this means for you is that no matter what summer’s heat does to the water temperatures, no matter how hot or how cold it becomes, walleyes will be wherever their food sources are. Once those baitfish have decided to move to deeper, colder water, the walleyes will be right behind. And chances are, because they’ve come to eat, you’ll be able to catch them.
Let’s say summer has set in, the bait has moved deeper, and the walleye have followed. You’ll find different schools of walleyes utilizing deep water in many different ways.
Some schools may be inactive and lethargic, lying right on bottom, perhaps just waiting until the moment is right to start feeding. You’ll know when you find these fish because you’ll mark them on your graph, but won’t be able to get them to strike. When a school of these fish is found, just move on until you find others.
The active fish might be cruising along, just off bottom, searching for crustaceans, insects, and minnows. These may be fish that have just started their feeding for the day. Chances are you can at least get a couple of strikes from these fish.
Best of all are the schools of walleyes suspended high in the water column over deep water, ambushing balls of baitfish as they swirl and swim just under the water’s surface. If you’re able to find the walleyes in this last scenario, and can get your offering into the strike zone, you’ll have the best chance of catching some.
Now that you know where those deep-water walleyes may be holding, you must pinpoint their exact location and decide what technique to use.
Let’s start in the extreme depths, say water that’s 25 to 50 feet deep. The best way to find fish is with a good graph. Slowly motor over likely walleye and bait holding areas like weed edges, humps, reefs, or even just a subtle change in bottom composite, like where soft bottom meets hard bottom.
Watch that graph. When fish appear on the screen, mark the area and start fishing.
Are those fish you marked even walleyes at all? Maybe. And if they are, will they be active or inactive? You’ll know in a matter of 20 minutes or so.
If you don’t get a bite, move on.
The list of techniques and rigs you can use is endless. However, the best techniques will cover as much water as possible, as quickly as possible, to find the most active of walleyes.
The bottom bouncer and crawler harness is by far one of the most popular rigs. Slow-trolling these rigs at 1 to 1.5 mph, and allowing the bottom bouncer to just “tick” the lake bottom every once in a while is the most productive. The most important factor on any crawler harness rig is the size and shape of the blade. It’s best to use harnesses with quick-change clevises so you can easily change blades.
Although it has a slightly slower approach, the standard live bait rig is another great method for catching deep-water walleyes. Just skewer a minnow, leech or crawler onto a single hook, three to four feet behind a slip sinker and drift or use an electric trolling motor to slowly move over the structure. Both of these rigs work great for walleyes that are either hugging bottom or are suspended just off bottom.
Rigs differ for walleye suspended high in the water column, but most are just as easy, if not easier, to use. Even over the deepest water, as deep as 100-plus feet, walleyes will suspend between 10 and 40 feet down. These are the most actively feeding walleyes, and they can be caught while trolling crankbaits, body baits, spoons, and harness rigs.
Walleyes can easily be spooked from these feeding areas just under the surface, so be sure to troll your bait behind planer boards — in-line or standard — to get them out from the boat and into the faces of the walleyes.
If the walleyes are suspended in the deeper, 20- to 40-foot range, you may also need to use snap-on weights to help get your lure into the strike zone. The most common technique in this situation is to let out 50 feet of line, attach as much weight you need, let out another 50 feet, and set them in the planer boards.
Deep-water walleyes are not difficult to find or catch. Locate the active fish, get your lures or baits in front of their noses, and cover as much water as possible. Next thing you know you’ll have a limit of ‘eyes swimming around your livewell.
By David A. Rose
Walleyes. Just how low will they go?
The answer to this deep-water walleye question may surprise you.
However, first you need know why some of the walleyes in your favorite lake migrate to deep water once summer’s heat kicks in. It’s not just the necessity to find cooler waters for their own comfort, but to feed on the other forage fish that have moved deeper for their supper.
Unlike most any other species of fish, walleyes have a wide temperature tolerance range. This means some could be in the shallows, tolerating water temperatures of 90 degrees or more, while at the same time, others may be swimming about in the deepest, coldest holes of the lake. So why are they in any of these places? Simple: To eat.
What this means for you is that no matter what summer’s heat does to the water temperatures, no matter how hot or how cold it becomes, walleyes will be wherever their food sources are. Once those baitfish have decided to move to deeper, colder water, the walleyes will be right behind. And chances are, because they’ve come to eat, you’ll be able to catch them.
Let’s say summer has set in, the bait has moved deeper, and the walleye have followed. You’ll find different schools of walleyes utilizing deep water in many different ways.
Some schools may be inactive and lethargic, lying right on bottom, perhaps just waiting until the moment is right to start feeding. You’ll know when you find these fish because you’ll mark them on your graph, but won’t be able to get them to strike. When a school of these fish is found, just move on until you find others.
The active fish might be cruising along, just off bottom, searching for crustaceans, insects, and minnows. These may be fish that have just started their feeding for the day. Chances are you can at least get a couple of strikes from these fish.
Best of all are the schools of walleyes suspended high in the water column over deep water, ambushing balls of baitfish as they swirl and swim just under the water’s surface. If you’re able to find the walleyes in this last scenario, and can get your offering into the strike zone, you’ll have the best chance of catching some.
Now that you know where those deep-water walleyes may be holding, you must pinpoint their exact location and decide what technique to use.
Let’s start in the extreme depths, say water that’s 25 to 50 feet deep. The best way to find fish is with a good graph. Slowly motor over likely walleye and bait holding areas like weed edges, humps, reefs, or even just a subtle change in bottom composite, like where soft bottom meets hard bottom.
Watch that graph. When fish appear on the screen, mark the area and start fishing.
Are those fish you marked even walleyes at all? Maybe. And if they are, will they be active or inactive? You’ll know in a matter of 20 minutes or so.
If you don’t get a bite, move on.
The list of techniques and rigs you can use is endless. However, the best techniques will cover as much water as possible, as quickly as possible, to find the most active of walleyes.
The bottom bouncer and crawler harness is by far one of the most popular rigs. Slow-trolling these rigs at 1 to 1.5 mph, and allowing the bottom bouncer to just “tick” the lake bottom every once in a while is the most productive. The most important factor on any crawler harness rig is the size and shape of the blade. It’s best to use harnesses with quick-change clevises so you can easily change blades.
Although it has a slightly slower approach, the standard live bait rig is another great method for catching deep-water walleyes. Just skewer a minnow, leech or crawler onto a single hook, three to four feet behind a slip sinker and drift or use an electric trolling motor to slowly move over the structure. Both of these rigs work great for walleyes that are either hugging bottom or are suspended just off bottom.
Rigs differ for walleye suspended high in the water column, but most are just as easy, if not easier, to use. Even over the deepest water, as deep as 100-plus feet, walleyes will suspend between 10 and 40 feet down. These are the most actively feeding walleyes, and they can be caught while trolling crankbaits, body baits, spoons, and harness rigs.
Walleyes can easily be spooked from these feeding areas just under the surface, so be sure to troll your bait behind planer boards — in-line or standard — to get them out from the boat and into the faces of the walleyes.
If the walleyes are suspended in the deeper, 20- to 40-foot range, you may also need to use snap-on weights to help get your lure into the strike zone. The most common technique in this situation is to let out 50 feet of line, attach as much weight you need, let out another 50 feet, and set them in the planer boards.
Deep-water walleyes are not difficult to find or catch. Locate the active fish, get your lures or baits in front of their noses, and cover as much water as possible. Next thing you know you’ll have a limit of ‘eyes swimming around your livewell.
