I have been fishing almost my entire life and consider myself skilled in the art. Bass, Pike, Lake Trout I have no problem with, but for whatever reason I am TERRIBLE at walleye fishing. I have Lindy rigs, crank baits, jigs, slip bobbers, everything that is required.

Fishing is my main point of going to the Q and I wuold really like to improve my skills with this fish since it is so very tasty...and the fact that they elude me.

Some pointers on speed for trolling, lindy rigging, and jigging would be great. Water depth would also be helpful. Although I think I know most of those things.... Maybe it is the color, size, or style of the bait? I usually use Gulp Alive leaches on the lindy.

What am I doing wrong?

Basically I am humbly asking for help. :-[

I was in your same shoes about 20 years ago Drewfus.  Here's what I've learned and what has proven successful for walleye fishing from a canoe (in no particular order).  By no means is this an exhaustive list - more of a thumbnail sketch.

I find a lindy rig a poor presentation in canadian shield lakes.  Too much "stuff" down there to get hung up on.  Couple that with less boat control (than with a motor) and you will have a hard time finding fish.  Ditto with fishing under a bobber.

Get a depthfinder that will mark the bottom contours and structure of the lake.  Walleye tend to hang out on dramatic elevation changes, particularly mid-lake humps and drop-offs.

Learn to jig fish.  It just takes practice to learn to feel the difference b/t a rock and a fish.  Jig fishing gives you the most control of depth, speed and style of presentation.  You need to feel the bottom.

When I'm moving I troll a crank bait or stick bait that will hit at least 12'.  I prefer 16-20 however.  Color?  Meh.  Perch, silver, orange?  YMMV.  As with a jig, I like to feel the bottom when trolling.

2 truths you must master....

1)  95% of the lake is fishless, so find that 5% (see PJ post above).
2)  fish when the fish are there and feeding.


When a good looking area doesn't pan out, most likely tehy are not there /and/or feeding.  Fish it again in an hour or two,  These truths were taught to me by my friend TR.  If the spot looks good, just wait, they will come.

As a man believes in his heart.......so is he

Change that self talk for starters.......if you think you suck at walleye fishing......well you probably will. It goes like this......"Hmmm, not getting a bite, yup, I stink at walleye fishin, might as well fish for something else" and then you quit after only a little effort.

PJ and wally have given great advice.

What time of year do you typically go? Late July and August can be tough without some live bait or a 20 horse motor (speed trolling  ;) ). If you have the patience jigging is tops. Find a point and keep drifting while maintaining contact with the bottom. Careful not to oversize your line. Heavy line equals fewer bites. Keep your forefinger on the line to help in feeling that "tick" when one snaps up your bait. Be sure to "snap" back. Jigs needn't be big or heavy unless the drift is fast.

I prefer trolling. Get a depth finder and like PJ says get a lure that runs at least 15 ft. Keep it within 3 ft of the bottom. A rod holder helps immensely in this style of fishing. June and early July I expect to catch several Walleye each day just by traveling to my next campsite. Piece of cake........well, most of the time ;D.

All of the above is great advice and I only want to emphasize that to be consistently successful walleye fishing you need to be in contact with the bottom whether its in 10 feet or 30 feet. Keep whatever lure you are using within 3 feet of the bottom and make sure that you can easily touch the bottom with your lure at all times by just dropping your rod down when jigging or back when trolling.
Most beginners are very reluctant to do this because they are afraid of snags and losing lures. It does happen but there are some tricks to preventing snags and losing lures.
That's a topic for another post!

I agree with all of above posts. I always use a depth finder to locate structure. I also troll, using a rod holder, using deep diving crankbaits, usually Rapalas or Reef Runners. I have also used large, heavy swimbaits, and they work great. When I find fish, I will stop and switch to a jig with gulp or powerbait, casting toward the structure that holds fish. Vary the retrieve, popping the jig up, and keeping a tight line on the drop. It is usually the drop that will trigger the bite. I also, sometimes allow the bait to sit on the bottom for 20-30 seconds, remaining motionless, which often triggers a strike, if the fish are not aggressive.

I also don't take or use Lindy Rigs, since I don't take live bait. I use three jig sizes, 1/8, 1/4, and 3/8 oz. I choose the size according to the depth and wind. You want the lightest one that will get to the bottom and give you control of the jig. This post doubles as my tip of the month. :D

Checkout my Neversnag post.
They have a wire spring weed-guard that you rig ahead of stick baits to keep the lip from wedging into rocks.

Might be just the ticket to keep from losing those increasingly costly stick baits.

mastertangler wrote on Jan 25^th, 2012 at 2:57am:

As a man believes in his heart.......so is he Change that self talk for starters.......if you think you suck at walleye fishing......well you probably will. It goes like this......"Hmmm, not getting a bite, yup, I stink at walleye fishin, might as well fish for something else" and then you quit after only a little effort.

MT, I don't think that way when I'm fishing. You need to know that I am a fishing addict., so when I'm out there fishing for em, I just keep pounding away and usually hooking up with smallies :P My point is, I just don't catch waldos and I feel I'm doing something wrong. That said, I'll try the point tip you gave. BTW I am usually in the park end of august / beginning of sept. I know it isn't the ideal time of year, but fish always need to eat  :P-Thanks!

After what PJ had to say I will try that out. Also, I do have a depth finder that I will have to run more (I usually use it for finding Lakers)
- Thank you

Wally, I already put most of that into practice, but the bit about trying the same spot again a few hours later is something I'll put to work. -Thanks-


KF, I will become one with bottom :) Not afraid of snags etc. and I've got a few tricks up my sleeve (or in my box) for retrieving stuck objects. -Thanks!


OS, Thanks for listing the jig sizes you use

ST, I've never heard of these but will look them up. I'm a fan of removing the front set of treble hooks on diving baits to help avoid snags


Thank you all for the input. Now I've got 7 months or so to put all this information into action and catch a mess of waldos.  ;D

We typically trip in May or June but our last 2 trips have been in August and there was a slight adjustment we had to make with finding walleye.  As the water warms, walleye will move deeper (20-30') off the same structure during the day and can be relatively inactive.  As the sun sets they will start to move shallower for food and your best fishing will come during these later day hours.  Walleye and bass will share the same habitat so if your on bass, you are probably on walleye as well; the bass are just more aggressive.  I really believe that mid-lake structure is the best structure because they have immediate access to deep and shallow water and with the wind pounding those mid lake humps and reefs all day, the baitfish are plentiful.  Rarely do I go heavier than 1/8oz jig usually tipped with 4" Gulp shad or cisco.  We have had inconsistent success with the Gulp leech.  IMO it has poor action in the water.

Lastly, I'm a bit cynical with trip reports and stories that give an impression that "walleye were everywhere."  They're not.  While they are plentiful I consider a successful walleye day with 4-5 fish.  Like you, fishing is our priority and we spend no less than 12 hours in the boat per day weather/wind permitting and in 20 years of Quetico camping, I can count on one hand the days when catching walleye was ridiculous.  Those days were just good luck and right place / right time.  But, if you see a storm brewing - get in your boat and get to a shoreline that will receive the wind and soak a minnow.   ;)

Thanks PJ. I heard before that the waldos move deeper later in the summer. I'll have to spend more time fishing the twighlight hours. Good to know about the big storm thing, did NOT know that. I'll have to fish more with the Gulp minnows and see how that works.

Thanks again

The word bottom was used 11 times on this page. I think that is important part of catching Wally.

i would like to add these thoughts as well

i prefer smaller stuff, 1/16 oz jigs are the norm with 1/8 being the largest i carry.

look for points/differences in water chop(probably a subsurface reef.

if you dont know a lake, troll a 15 or 20 ft taildancer(my personal choice) until you hit bottom. then whip out jigs

i jig using unscented soft plastics. easier to store. easier to change. easier to handle. works the same. the smell isnt that useful for casting and jigging. works for trolling/vert jigging marginally better. dont go too big. i use 3 in twisters, but mostly 4" ringworms.

the kiss method also applies. (k)eep (i)t (s)imple (s)trategy (generally the last word is different). basic colors, white, orange/brown, and chartruese. have some variety but not too much where it makes you change to the point where you dont have your lure in the water.

bottom! stay close! in canoe country your main snags are rocks. you are in a very mobile canoe, float over it and you can get it free 98% of the time.

Yikes........August! That can be tough city. Check this out.........we used to go to a Minitaki fish camp up by Sioux Lookout every year in August. We did several things to catch fish. Like PJ says the mid lake reefs are tops especially later in the summer...........we used to drift them with live suckers and chubs........big fun!

But our most luck on big fish was catching suspended Walleyes speed trolling. I have mentioned this before but you had to experience it to believe it really worked. We often got asked if we were actually trolling out in the middle of some of the arms of huge lake Minitaki. The locals couldn't believe it........even when we would bring back whoppers to the dock they would just shake their heads and go out backtrolling some more. Those were the glory years when people would be waiting at the dock to see what we had caught.

But back on topic........August......ugh! If I had to go in August again I would tailor my selection of lakes and focus on dark or stained waters. Williams, Conmee, and other lakes that have some color and are not especially deep would be my choice if I went back in August. 

Well, here's my 2 cents.  First, when it comes to fishing I've got nothing on many of the folks on this forum - I'm definitely a newbie.  This last season was only my second time fishing on a trip.  Mind you I had a pretty good teacher who helped me get up to speed in a hurry plus I read a lot.  I'm definitely into Wally's and while I haven't as yet caught any of what you'd call trophy sized fish, in both Quetico, 2 years ago, and Wabakimi last year I caught lots, mostly between 2 and 4 pounds.
Like you, Drewface, most of my fishing is done in August so I know that if I want Walleye I'm either going to have to go deep or fish at outflows.  Also, although I have caught Walleye during high sun times of the day, they really don't like bright light so fish at dawn or dusk (if you're up to night fishing, even better) or on an overcast day and you'll have the best luck.
Me, I'm lazy so I keep it pretty simple.  I find jig fishing boring - I'd rather cast and catch nothing then sit with a jig so I'm definitely not the guy to talk about the virtues of jig fishing.  I pretty much stick to stick baits.  My favorites are Taildancers, L.C. Pointers and L.C. Stayzees. My 3 favorite colours when fishing stained water are yellow, yellow and yellow (actually charteuse is also a favorite.) 
In late summer I know I've got to get down there so I'm using deep divers, typically something that will get me down to between 12 and 20 feet although I have to say, it's been my experience that if I can get their attention, they'll come up some and nail the bait. 
When trolling I keep it pretty slow.  My wife is my tripping partner and although she likes going out fishing with me, she doesn't like to fish.  So she's my trolling motor.  She's in the bow and paddling pretty easy.  You don't want to be going too fast according to my experience.
I don't travel with a depth finder.  If you can find topo maps that include the lakes, that can be helpful for sure.  But mostly I use my eyes.  What I'm looking for are shore lines and points with small boulders and rocks that drop off pretty quickly.  I'll either troll along the shore (best to pick one that the wind is blowing into) or sometimes shore fish casting out and bumping my lure along the bottom as I reel in (shore fishing is a great way to lose lures!)  I like to practice walking the dog and other such techniques although I'm not really sure that Walleye care one way or the other.  Unlike bass, Walleye aren't particularly aggressive fish so you've got to get the lure in front of them when they're hungry.  But keep in mind that they school, so where you find one, whether trolling or casting, you'll find more.  I've had quite a few experiences where I've hauled one out with every cast for a 1/2 hour and then nothing.
You can also catch plenty of Walleye at outflows.  There I use L.C. Pointers mostly and pretty shallow - 3-6 feet.  In Quetico I had really good luck at most outflows and Chatterton Falls was the absolute bomb.  But this year in Wabakimi, I didn't have that much luck around outflows - not sure why.
Walleye aren't the most exciting fish to catch but boy are they good eatin'.
By the way, if you're in Quetico and looking for Walleye be sure and take a trip to Jesse - outstanding fishing.
Next year I'll be making my first trip to WCPP and I expect amazing fishing, Walleye and trout.  Only 6 months to go!

Kerry said

Quote:

So she's my trolling motor.

Are you some sort of magic wizard?  Either that or you must be doing something seriously right.

I have to agree with Phantomjug ... when walleye fishing in August into September, you have to fish at 20 -30 feet to consistently catch fish during the day. It is certainly tougher to fish deeper at 20-30 ft  in August vs 10 -20 ft in late June or July ( when I usually go).

Mid lake reef stucture near deep water and rocky points that taper into deep water are key. Focus on areas that get hit with wind. I concentrate on walleyes when and where there is the "walleye chop". If there are calm waters I move to focus on smallies.

I like to jig and take the aforementioned advice of other QJ fisherman and go as light as you can. However, I often use 3/4 oz. Northland Whistler jigs a lot with a Gulp minnow or leech a lot...especially when fishing in August when fish are deeper. The "extra" sound and vibration of the blades on these jigs seem to help attract walleyes. I also use 3/4 oz Lindy slip sinker setups with floating worm harness with a Gulp worm, minnow or leech to cover a lot of deeper  water and find fish. ( in June and July 1/2 oz slip sinker) I will then go to a jig when I find concentrations of active fish. I have begun to follow the ways of many QJ folks like Mastertangler and use Reef Runners and Deep Taildancers to troll deep structure. They are very effective.

Early morning and towards nightfall you should hit 5 to 10 feet depths reefs near windswept shorelines and narrows between islands or weed edges. Walleyes will come to these spots during low light times. But during the day...head DEEP ... thats where they are in August.

Heed the advice of the many good fisherman that frequent QJ and you can find walleyes during the "dog days" of August. 

PhantomJug wrote on Jan 26^th, 2012 at 3:26am:

Kerry said Quote: So she's my trolling motor. Are you some sort of magic wizard?  Either that or you must be doing something seriously right.

Who can explain the secrets of the cosmos, Grasshopper.  Sometimes its just plain dumb luck.
But I'll tell you this, she can also paddle 11 hours and tote a 60 pound pack.  I don't buy lottery tickets or go to Vegas - my ship's already come in.

Hey Drewfus, if you PM me your email I would be willing to disclose the location of some hidden mid lake structure.  I don't know where you trip but if you're in the northern half of the park I have some places that 99% of people paddle over.

Kerry your ship has DEFINITELY come in. Thanks again everybody for their tips. I just know the next time I go for walleye I'll be boating them by the 100s (note sarcasm ;D )  Seriously though, thank you a lot of the help. 7 months as of the 24th, plenty of time to practice.

1.  Depthfinder.  With it, you're fishin.  Without, you're just wishin.

2.  Troll until you hook up with walleye

3.  Slow down and jig or cast cranks until the bite stops.

4.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

Pretty much everything else you need to know...lures, depths...has already been covered. 

The only other thing I will say is when you hook up while trolling, pay attention to the conditions around you and then try to duplicate as many of them as possible as you search for your next spot.  You'll quickly find out which of the variables matter on this particular day and which don't.

A partial list of what to watch for (in approximate order of importance):
Depth
Bottom content
Location (reef, point, saddle, flat, open water, weeds, etc)
Wind direction
Sun direction/penetration
Lure speed
Lure action
Lure color

After awhile you can go from lucky, chance encounters to targeted fishing with a high probablility of success if the fish are active...and you'll be on the most active fish in the lake more than likely.

There's not much I'd quibble with in this thread. I've covered much of the same water for a lot of years and have found some go to places and I use those conditions as examples on new to me lakes and it works rather well. Adding that experience to these comments...


Magicpaddler wrote on Jan 26^th, 2012 at 1:10am:

The word bottom was used 11 times on this page. I think that is important part of catching Wally.

Snow_Dog wrote on Jan 29^th, 2012 at 2:34am:

1.  Depthfinder.  With it, you're fishin.  Without, you're just wishin.

Yeah, it's kinda like that. The last three years I've borrowed depthfinders and as much as I hate to admit it, it does take a big ol' chunk of the "wishin" out of the Walleye equation.

I had heard waldo likes transition bottom areas, such as gravel meeting mud. Has anyone heard anything similar?

Here's my take.  Fish like to do 2 things:  Eat and reproduce.  Walleye are lazy.  Transition areas, like gravel to sand, rocks to mud etc...  offer both opportunities in the shortest distance.  Kind of like living between the chinese buffet and and a cat house.

PhantomJug wrote on Jan 31^st, 2012 at 4:29pm:

Here's my take.  Fish like to do 2 things:  Eat and reproduce.

I can't quite figure out why but I seem to have a certain affinity to that statement.........(pun intended  ::) )

Thanks everyone for the advice.  Only thing I can add is personal experience of shore fishing a rocky point at dusk that had been thrashed by wind all day.  Water was very stained, but the Waldos were crushing baitfish in 2-4' of water.  The best performing lure was a white skirted spinnerbait with silver blade, kept no deeper than 1' during the retrieve (solves the snag issue as well).  Had fun for about 30 mintues, and then the frenzy turned off like a switch.

JJcanoeguide,

I think your last comment, then it turned off like a switch, is an important one.  Some times they bite and some times they don't.  The important thing is to have confidence that what you are doing will work and continue to fish.  It seems that most of my fish are caught in short bursts.  It seems that if you take an 8 hour day of fishing, most of your fish are probably caught in groups of less than an a half hour or so.  Obviously, some times are better than others and some places are better than other.  But just as in life, you got to put the time and effort in if you want to catch fish.  I think fishermen are like gamblers, we only remember the good times.  We will keep betting as long as we win every now and then.

Westwood

Westwood is certainly onto something here...........

When people find out I'm a fish-a-holic I often hear the comment......."Oh I don't have the patience to fish"

Inside I can't help but crack up at that comment..........Patience while fishing is probably one of my least emphasized attributes. While I may have discipline to achieve a slow retrieve if I think that is the key, I would not describe my fishing style as one of patience.

I am always trying something new if I'm not getting a bite unless I am confident in my presentation. It is not uncommon for me to put something on......make 5 casts.......dislike what I see.......and slap something else on only to repeat the entire process another 5 casts later.........eventually I get where I want to be and that is when perseverance kicks in. I think patience and perseverance are often confused. I'm not a patient fisherman but I'm never bored either........there is always something new to try..........some where new to go..........a different wrinkle, a different line test, a different speed......