4 Reasons That Walleyes Are Tricky To Catch

Recreation & Sports Blog

Even for a seasoned fisherman, the walleye is an elusive and tricky fish to catch. But that's part of why it's so appealing. If the process were easy, it wouldn't be so rewarding. Anglers love going after this bug-eyed fish not only for the joy of the sport but also because it provides a buttery and flaky filet with a delicious mild flavor. If you've never fished walleye before, it's a good idea to hire a walleye fishing guide to get you started and help you navigate their tricky behavior. Here are four reasons that walleye are so difficult to catch.

Low Light

The walleye has uniquely sensitive eyesight, and that means it has excellent vision during moments of low light like at dusk. Because of this competitive advantage over other animals with worse vision in the dark, the fish likes to come to shallower waters at night to feed. However, that also means that the best time to catch it is when humans are at a disadvantage in the dark. But that's part of what makes catching walleye so thrilling. If it were easy, it wouldn't take as much skill.

Choppy/Dirty Waters

Because of its excellent vision, the walleye also has an advantage in choppy or dirty water. You'll often find the fish hanging out and feeding in places where the water is muddy and difficult to see through or when the wind is churning up the waves. But while this makes for a less comfortable fishing experience and also makes it more difficult for you to see, it might also give you a slight advantage as an angler because you have a better chance of catching a walleye if you can visit a lake or pond after several days of rain or when the water is churning.

Light Touch

Another characteristic that makes walleye difficult to catch is that they have a light touch on the lure, and they are highly skeptical of lures. They won't strike a lure hard and quick. Instead, they'll trail it for a while before biting. For this reason, most anglers recommend jigging as the most successful way to catch them.

Seasonal Behavior

Another reason walleye are tricky is that they have seasonal behavior patterns. It's best to fish for them during the cooler months of spring and fall. In the spring, the walleye are spawning. During and after the spawn is when you'll find them the most active. That's when they're the hungriest. But again, it can make for tricky fishing because the spring is chilly and the weather is unpredictable. 

7 April 2020