Any Georgia boys fish for Walleye?

[mygreenihc]

I live about 5 minutes from Lake Yonah,  which the state says is one of two lakes in Georgia that has a notable population of Walleye.  I have never Walleye fished in my life,  but I did tinker around with it one evening.  I managed to get one hit late in the evening and I believe it was from a Walleye.  Whatever it was,  my soft plastic bait looked like a shark had got ahold of it.

The biggest issue with this for me is that Walleye appear to be mostly nocturnal and Lake yonah is the mosquito capital of North Georgia.  Air raid warning sirens go off at dark...

How many of you guys have any experience fishing for Walleye?


Brad

[coldfront]

on purpose?

sometimes work tailraces below dams with rapala ice jigs/jigging raps   

other than that, they're nomadic SOB's and typically roam flats when on the feed.

[jocko]

Caught this one on Carters Lake.  I was fishing a jig for bass and was totally caught by surprise. 

I think you can target them in the day time too. 

I should have kept this one - but I didn't have a cooler.  I hear they are tasty. 

[mygreenihc]

I understand that they are very good to eat.  I want to test that theory. =)


Yes,  on purpose!  I will catch anything that will bite.  My theory is that I am not planning to do anything but sleep anyway,  so if I can find a way to fish at night I am that much better off.


I think they can be targeted during daylight hours to some extent, especially during the spawning season,  but they are primarily nocturnal most of the rest of the year.


Brad

[Lipripper]

Walleye do taste good. You can catch them in the day time but more than likely you won't find them in shallow water. You can catch them on lures but they prefer live bait better. I know when I use to go up to Canada fishing for them we used a jig and a good sized minnow or a Lindy rig with a whole night crawler or a leach on it.

[mygreenihc]

Thanks for the reply Lipripper,


So you basically use Crappie minnows?  Something that size or do they need to be bigger like small herring?


Would I want to rig it where I could cast and retrieve or rig it with a weight to take it to the bottom?


Brad

[Lipripper]

Thanks for the reply Lipripper,


So you basically use Crappie minnows?  Something that size or do they need to be bigger like small herring?


Would I want to rig it where I could cast and retrieve or rig it with a weight to take it to the bottom?


Brad

Here ya go is a little video that will answer your question 
Jig & Minnow Fishing for Spring Walleyes

[mygreenihc]

OK,  that is easy enough.  I may have to go and try that out.  I have always wanted to catch some.  When I go I will take some pictures and post them.


Thanks for the tips Lipripper.


Anybody else got any idiot proof tactics for Walleye?


Brad

[coldfront]

okay two more things:
1. lot of walleyes caught in gin clear water up north during the day
2. sure they taste good; but I hear that smallmouth taste better.

[Lipripper]

OK,  that is easy enough.  I may have to go and try that out.  I have always wanted to catch some.  When I go I will take some pictures and post them.


Thanks for the tips Lipripper.


Anybody else got any idiot proof tactics for Walleye?


Brad

Try to go on a cloudy day with a little wind blowing then look for a bank that the wind has been blowing into and cast your jig and minnow up toward the bank around a point or drop off . Depending on what the bottom looks like you can bounce it off the bottom and reel it back slow or after you cast it count it down till it's about half way down and reel it in at different speeds till you find one that they want. You will catch Bass doing it like this also . You can try fishing on and around any humps you find on your locator so use a heavy enough jig head to keep your presentation straight up and down. We catch several of them on our Road Runners when we are fishing for Crappie also.

[analfisherman]

Thanks for the reply Lipripper,


So you basically use Crappie minnows?  Something that size or do they need to be bigger like small herring?


Would I want to rig it where I could cast and retrieve or rig it with a weight to take it to the bottom?


Brad

I have done a TON of Walleye Fishing.
Walleye funatics in WI. out number Bass Fanatics EASILY 3-1.
I have buddies who fish the Walleye Circuit.
Yes, they just maybe the finest tasting fish God gave us.

Now if you want to cast for them......here's your bait!!!!!!! (or troll)
BERKLEY FLICKER SHAD!!!!!!

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/berkley/?q=Flicker+Shad&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5BADL%5D%20%5BBerkley%5D%20%5BBrand%5D%20Bait%20-%20Hard%20Bait%20-%20(Broad)&utm_term=%2Bberkley%20%2Bflicker%20%2Bshad&utm_content=Berkley%20-%20Shads%20-%20Flicker&kwid=77240739166181x1235851124848586x279233961#results-content

Best thing is, BASS love them too.
BUT so do Pike. 

If your going to fish them during Spawn....find moving water...best close to a DAM.
They don't make beds so they spawn in moving water.

To beat the crowds...who congregrate at the slow side of the dam wall...opposite side of the current wall side.

Find a deep bay closest to the wall.
You want deep....15' or more....CALM pocket....we refer to these as holding pockets.
It's where they go and rest after they have fought moving water and other spawning Walleye for long periods of time.

They hit the shores every dusk/night to feed during 'non spawn'.
That's why people think of it as a 'Night Bite'. And thier eyes are designed to see at night.

Cloudy dark days are 'better' simply because thier eyes HATE bright light.
But that just means...if it's a Blue Bird Sky........they simply are going to be DEEPER!
Avoiding the bright sun light.
Chop helps......more so if they are or your fishing 10' or less.

Walleye will school...usually by year class......and we're talking small schools.
Again, THIS IS DURING NON-SPAWN......during spawn they school as heavy as STRIPPED/WHITE BASS.

If your inclined to fish 'live bait'
Lindy rigs are best (after all, that's how the Lindys made thier name) and you then can avoid snags and cast out and 'SLOWLY' real the minnow back. 
Throwing a Night Crawler rig can be a nightmare.