When fish move in shallow, casting crankbaits for walleye may be one of the most exciting ways to catch them all year round. Walleyes move shallow for one reason; to feed, and the bites are aggressive.
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Walleyes are Aggressive, and Crankbaits Catch Them
Walleye’s are typically thought of as finicky fish and light biters by many anglers. One technique that may change your mind however is crankbait fishing for walleye. This is an aggressive technique that gets some incredible bites that you would have never expected from a walleye. There are a few very important factors that lead to success with this technique that I will discuss in this article.
Focus on Shallow Flats
As you can imagine, casting shallow crankbaits for walleye is a technique geared towards water less than 10 feet in depth. In fact, I have caught walleyes in one foot of water on this technique, so don’t be afraid to go very shallow. Not all shallow water is the same, and shallow flats seem to outperform other spots day in and day out. The shallow flats that I am referring to are large areas that have a relatively constant depth of less than 10 feet of water. If the shallow flat has weeds or rocks and is in close proximity to deep water it is generally made even better.
Depth is Relative
Depth is arbitrary when casting crankbaits for walleye and is dependent on the water of body that you are fishing. Shallow in one lake may mean a completely different thing than shallow in another lake. If the lake you are fishing in only gets to 15’-20’ at the deepest point, shallow may be less than 5’ of water. Meanwhile, it a lake reaches 100’ at its deepest point, shallow may be anywhere less than 10’. Look for spots that coincide with the appropriate depth.
Cooler Water is Best, Most of the Time
Fishing shallow crankbaits for walleye can be successful spring through fall, but it generally excels during the colder water months. I tend to favor crankbaits when water temperatures are below 65 degrees. This is simply because more walleyes push out to deeper depths when water temperatures surpass this threshold.
As I have said previously, casting crankbaits is typically a technique for cooler water. In summer, water temperatures increase and walleyes push off to deeper offshore locations. However, you will find that these same walleyes move to these same shallow flats during the night to feed throughout the summer. Casting walleye crankbaits is a fantastic way to cover water and catch these fish during the summer. For a more in-depth explanation of walleye fishing and water temperature, check out this article.
Which Type of Lake are you Fishing?
Dirty/Stained Water:
When fishing a water body that does not have much clarity (less than 4 ft of visibility), casting shallow crankbaits can be productive at all times of day. The walleyes remain up shallow during daylight because of the darker water. Additionally, the vibration and sound of crankbaits helps walleyes locate the lure prior to visually seeing it.
Clear Water:
When fishing bodies are water that are clear, you’ll find that shallow water crankbaits work best during low light conditions. During daylight, walleyes get too good of a look at the lure due to the increase in visibility. There are a few exceptions to this however, including wind and cloud cover. Walleyes can be caught in the middle of the day on shallow crankbaits in clear water if there is a strong wind blowing into a spot. This tends to push baitfish into the shallows and causes walleyes to feed aggressively. Additionally, cloud cover and stormfronts will increase your odds of catching mid-day walleye on this technique as well.
Retrieve
There is nothing special about the retrieve when fishing shallow crankbaits. Keep your rod tip down and use a slow and steady retrieve. Every one in awhile, give the crankbait a slight twitch and pause with the rod, and then continue the retrieve. A lot of the times walleye will begin to follow the crankbait when it is being reeled steadily and will bite when the retrieve is interrupted.
Specific Lures
Specific Rods
A longer rod is beneficial for casting crankbaits for two reasons. Firstly, they increase casting distance and allow you to get your lure further from the boat in shallow water. Additionally, longer rods typically have a softer tip which is crucial when fishing treble hooked baits. I prefer rods between 7’ and 7’6” in length, that are medium light power. Check out the best walleye fishing rods under $100 to learn more about walleye specific spinning rods.
Two of my Favorites:
More Walleye Fishing Information
I hope you enjoyed this article about casting crankbaits for walleye and found it to be informative. If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments down below.
For more information on walleye rods, check out Best Walleye Rods Under $100
For more information on shallow water walleye, check out this article
New to walleye fishing? Check out our guide to walleye fishing for beginners
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