• Walleye is a popular and tasty game fish.walleye image by Elena Vdovina from Fotolia.com
  
  Walleye are highly sought-after in the lakes in which they are found. Fishermen enjoy the challenge associated with finding and catching them, as well as the reward of fresh walleye on the table. A variety of fishing methods help and angler land walleye, which are known in some areas as walleyed pike.
  
  

Lead-headed Jigs

• The most versatile walleye-fishing method is to use a lead-headed jig. Thread a leech, minnow or nightcrawler onto the jig, or plastic grub. Select a jig that is just heavy enough that you can maintain contact with the bottom. Jigs can be used both as a search bait and to catch multiple walleye from a single spot. Anglers using jigs to cover water cast or troll them along weedlines or drop offs. If a fisherman already has located a school of walleye, jigs can be fished vertically beneath the boat so the jig stays right at the level at which the walleye are holding.
  
  

Live-bait Rig

• When walleye are located on deep structures like drop offs, humps or reefs, live-bait rigs are a good way to present the bait and entice a bite. A live-bait rig, also known as a Lindy rig, consists of a sliding sinker just heavy enough to maintain contact with the bottom, a swivel, a leader and a plain hook. As with jigs, the most common forms of live bait to use with Lindy rigs are leeches, minnows and nightcrawlers. If walleye are tight to the bottom, select a short leader ranging from 12 to 24 inches. The higher they are off the bottom, the longer leader you should use. Trolling and drifting are the two best methods for fishing Lindy rigs.
  
  

Trolling Crankbaits

• There are times when anglers are not sure where the walleye are located. Perhaps they are fishing a new body of water, or have not fished a certain body of water enough to know the seasonal patterns of the walleye. Anytime you are uncertain about the location of walleye, tie on a diving crankbait and begin trolling around weed edges and drop offs. Pick a bait that dives slightly deeper than the water where you will spend most of your time trolling. The crankbait will ricochet off the bottom in unpredictable ways, or create a commotion as it moves along. Either will elicit strikes from walleye. Once you catch a walleye, stop trolling and try to determine the exact location of other fish, and whether they are in a school. A jig is a good lure option for doing this. If you do not catch another walleye after a few minutes, resume trolling the crankbait.
  
  

After Dark

• Walleye are a light-sensitive fish species, so they do much of their feeding in low-light conditions. One of the prime times is after dark, when they move to shallow, rocky areas, or toward the surface in deeper areas, and go on a feeding frenzy. Tie on a shallow diving crankbait---long, slender ones are best---and begin trolling through the shallows or above vegetation beds. Let out 50 yards or more of line and make as little noise as possible. During the day, walleye typically congregate in large schools, but they tend to be more spread out after dark, feeding where they can.