I need a Walleye mentor

[megastink]

I’ve focused on bass fishing almost exclusively my whole life. I live near a lake in PA that has trophy bass in it, but can be really tough. This year, I found two dead walleyes, both just under 10lbs. I also saw a phot of a guy holding a monster walleye at a local bait shop. I want to learn all I can about where to look, and what to throw to target walleyes. I’d like to find someone who I can bounce ideas off of, who will look at a map of my lake and give me spots they’d try, and who can educate me on seasonal patterns.

If anyone here can help, please send me a PM. I would greatly appreciate the help!

[ecoast]

https://www.walleyecentral.com/forums/index.php

[flyinghappy]

Walleye central is a great place for information. Also YouTube some of the Lindner stuff https://www.youtube.com/user/LindnerMedia. The Lindners have been doing it for years. I would look for some ledges and drop offs and see if you can mark some fish. A lindy rig with a leach or a crawler harness on a medium to medium light spinning rig should get them I would think as a simple way to start out.

[born 2 fish]

This summer a regular drop shot with a 1” piece of crawler has been great for the walleye.

[megastink]

This summer a regular drop shot with a 1” piece of crawler has been great for the walleye.

I need more info than that. Like where to look for them. The lakes out here my me are full of bass and have minimal walleye populations.

[Alumicraft145]

If the lakes have a minimal walleye population then you may be spinning your wheels. But a few tips: they feed a lot at night. They feed on baitfish. They are generally deeper than bass will be. In open water if bait around. They do like weeds. Deep if possible. Crappier the weather the better they bite. Oct Nov dec they feed alot!! Great time to catch them shallow. They wade for them here in N.Y. tHen. If you find big perch, then walleye are around. They kinda fun together at times.
If somebody said to catch walleye on lake X today without trolling... I would have about 3 things ready.
1. Big husky jerk. Some type of bait or perch color. I would fish this along any deep weed edge i could find. Also along any rocky flats that run out to deeper water. I like to fish the jerk bait right on the depth line where you can't see the bottom any more. They can be aggressive and will come right to the boat to hit it. I have caught more walleye on husky jerk than any other lure. Won a few walleye tournaments with it.
2. Jigging spoon\silver buddy. If you find some bait or structure out deeper throw some metal.
3. Grub. 1\8 1\4oz jighead. Smoke colored grub catches anything. Black... Chartreuse... drag and swim it. A little fluke or fin s fish is a good bait too.
Walleye populations run in cycles alot. Good and bad spawns. N.Y. Seems to be on walleye upswing right now. Hearing about some great fishing.
I used to ride my bike 10 miles when I was in high school to fish for walleye at night. I would fish by all the boat launches at night. They seem to follow the bait that would come up to the floodlights. You could see the eyes blowing out in deep water.
I have caught them in 80 feet, and under docks in a foot of water. I have caught them on every lure you throw for bass. A lot get caught with a bobber and sucker fishing for pike. I caught some wading for smallies in a creek. They are a very versatile fish and adapt to conditions. September is approaching. Cooler weather. Pick a crappy windy rainy day. Bundle up. Go try and catch a few. I only keep the just legal ones all the bigger ones to back. Good luck!!
Fyi my favorite day to go walleye fishing is thanksgiving. You got the lake to yourself and they are biting!!

[DrewFlu33]

I suck at catching walleye, but if it's an option I suspect that hiring a guide is going to be the quickest (and probably most cost effective) way of figuring it out.

When I took my hiatus from bass fishing I got really into fly fishing. I struggled and struggled catching trout on a fly rod for over a year before I finally just broke down and hired a guide. The one day on the water transformed me into someone who couldn't catch a trout on a fly rod to save his life into someone who could catch them most times. Once I had that base I was able to go out with a little confidence and really start figuring out the finer details. I'm confident I never would've got there if I hadn't hired the guide.

[Fishysam]

If you haven't bumped into any fishing where you are fishing their is not any in that location. So fish reaper or shallower depending on what I just said. They like wood rocks gravel and sand over mud. They are a predator just like bass. If it moves it's food. Now in a basic statement walley like long skinny lures think the shape of a jerkbait over a short fat stubby shape of a squarebill.

[fr8dog]

A flat or point with immediate access to a deep channel would be my starting point. I get them casting Bomber Long A’s or Rapala Countdowns in 4-6’ late afternoon into the evening. During the day I troll along the channel looking for them on the machine. 10-20’ using crankbaits or twisty tail jigs or 3-4” swimbaits.

[BackLash625]

All the above and leave the 30lb braid at home they'll see it. Go as light as possible.

[FowlZurk]

I fish all winter for them it has really refined my use of electronics, I literally don’t fish unless i see them on my graph. Lots of great videos and information available, might even find one on a lake/river near you.

[muskyman73]

cooler weather is usually better, overcast days, rainy days, some chop on the water, their eyes are super light sensitive - if you fish at night and use a big headlamp or flashlight, you can see the eyes in the water. Then you know they are there, that is , if its shallow enough to work.

[megastink]

What do walleyes look like on the graph? I know bass spread out over the bottom, typically on the edge of a drop. What do walleyes look like?

[DrewFlu33]

They act differently in different places, but if you're fishing for walleyes that aren't "pelagic" like the ones can be on places like Lake Erie, they're almost always hugging the bottom and tend to look very similar to bass on 2D. Their returns are a little less "tall" I've noticed and they're generally deeper than the bass on any given day.

[Walkabout7781]

Do NOT lip a Walleye! That's all I got for ya...