State of Ohio Record
15.95 pounds, 33 inches
World Record
22 pounds
Average Size
2-4 pounds, 14-22 inches
The walleye resembles the sauger and saugeye with its long slender body. Sharp canine teeth fill the mouth of the walleye. They have large dark eyes which are above and to the front of the muscular cheeks. The olive-yellow color of the walleye shines with the sun and is more of a rownish-olive color without the sun. White spots are at the bottom edge of the tail fin.
Walleye are found over reefs, shoals of gravel, bedrock, and other firm bottoms. Most walleye are found in deep waters, while others have found many walleye fishing in the shallow weeds near a drop-off.
When water temperature gets between 40° and 50° F walleye will spawn usually in April. The female lay as many as 40,000 eggs that will hatch in about 10 days. Eggs are deposited in tributary streams or over gravel to boulder-sized rocks in reef areas. Many young walleye will feed on zooplankton and insect larvae until they start to feed on small fish after their first year. Adult walleye will feed on shad, rainbow smelt, shiners, and whatever else is available.
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When walleye are
feeding they will hit a variety of lures. Trolling with spoons,
crankbaits, and worm harnesses is probably the most popular
fishing method for catching walleye.
Some say the main key to
catching walleye is finding them. Many walleye are found in deep
waters with flat bottoms while some remain in shallow waters weeds
near a drop off. Feeding usually occurs in low light conditions
such as dawn and dusk.
Make sure you have the proper
equipment when trolling for walleye. A variety of spoons,
crankbaits, and worm harnesses are a must. A good GPS navigation
system and fish finder will help locate the schools of walleye.
Remember presentation is
everything so if your lure is not working properly then it is not
going to catch the fish. Don't be afraid to slow your trolling
speed for inactive walleye or speed it up for the more active
ones. Everyday is not the same for walleye so keep an open
mind when trying to get walleye to bite and when you find out
what they are biting then present that lure more and fish at that
depth with other lines. Use your GPS navigation system to take
note of the coordinates where you caught the walleye for that day
and you may try fishing over that same spot.
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