Hey fellow anglers! I know you’ve been there before: a calm and sunny day on the water, surrounded by crystal clear waters. With newly introduced zebra mussels, clear water is becoming more and more common. You know that in clear waters walleye become finicky and easily spooked, making them difficult to catch. Frustrating, right? Well, fear not! In this article, we’re going to reveal the best walleye lures for clear water fishing to increase your chances of success when faced with tough conditions.
Article Navigation:
- Challenge of Clear Water Fishing
- Matching the Hatch
- Best Walleye Lures For Clear Water
- Techniques For Clear Water
- Clear Water Location
- Bonus Tips
- More Information
Understanding the Challenge of Clear Water Fishing
There is a completely different mentality when fishing in clear water compared to stained water. The clarity of the water puts walleye on high alert. Walleyes get more keened in to presentations and can inspect lures much closer before choosing to bite. As anglers, it’s crucial to adapt our strategies and lures to these unique conditions.
The Ultimate Secret: Matching the Hatch
Now, let’s talk about the ultimate secret that will give you an edge – matching the hatch. Walleye in clear waters are used to targeting a variety of the forage that thrive in these environments. By imitating their natural prey, you’ll increase your chances of enticing walleye to strike.
Knowing a Walleye’s forage base in one of the most crucial things for every angler to know. Walleyes main food source changes depending on the time of year and specific body of water.
Unveiling the Best Walleye Lures for Clear Water
Here are some top-notch lures that have consistently proven their effectiveness in clear water conditions. Remember to match the hatch and experiment with various lure colors and styles until you find something that works.
Lure 1: Paddle Tail Swimbaits
Paddle tail swimbaits have been popular among fisherman for countless years and for all kinds of species. This lure has a minnow profile and swimming action. As of recently, lure companies have come out with some great realistic patterns that will help you match the hatch in your lake. When choosing a size for swimbait, I recommend starting within the 3″-4″ range. One again, just match the hatch.
Lure 2: Jigging Rap
The jigging rap has been a staple in ice fishing for countless years, but only recently has its effectiveness in open water been realized. The jigging rap, or other lures of the same style, are essentially heavy pieces of lead that dart left and right when snapped. This fast snap jigging action is extremely effective in clear water. Walleyes don’t have as long to inspect the lures, generating more of a reaction strike from the fish.
Lure 3: Live Bait Rig
It would be hard to talk about clear water walleye fishing without mentioning live bait. There are days when you can try just about every technique, but the only thing the walleye will eat is live bait. Nightcrawlers, leeches, and minnow are the three main types of live bait used for walleye fishing. Choose the proper live bait presentation based on the time of year.
Techniques and Strategies for Clear Water Success
Casting and retrieving techniques: In clear water, long casts are key. The further you can get your lure away from the boat, the less chances you have of spooking the fish. Use an erratic retrieve when fishing in clear water to imitate injured baitfish. Walleye are visual feeders in clear water, so adding twitches and pauses with your rod tip to trigger a bite is important.
Jigging methods and tips: Vertical Jigging can be effective in clear water conditions in the deeper depths. Opt for lightest jigs you can get away with and rig up your choice of live bait. This is a finesse presentation that is meant to actually fool the walleyes into biting as opposed to triggering them like some of the other techniques. Vertical jigging works best in the clear water in depths over 20′ in depth to prevent spooking fish. Remeber that fish caught deeper than 30ft tend to suffer from the effects of baurotrauma, so avoid targeting fish in these depths.
Trolling strategies: When covering a larger area, trolling for walleye can be an excellent method. Use crankbaits or spinner rigs at varying depths until you find a depth that works. This tends to vary day to day. If using crankbaits, I recommend trying crankbaits without rattles in clear water. There is no need for the lure to make noise to draw fish in in clear water since they can already easily see it.
If you haven’t yet already, try trolling with planar boards in clear water. This allows you to cover even more water while getting your trolling lines away from the boat.
Location Matters: Finding the Best Spots in Clear Waters
To increase your chances of success, it’s essential to understand where walleye like to hang out in clear waters. In general, start looking for walleye in areas with structure such as rocky points, drop-offs, submerged vegetation, or sunken timber. These locations often provide cover and serve as ambush points for walleye. Walleye location changes throughout the season depending on weather and prey.
Bonus Tips and Tricks
Here are a few extra tips to try out when fishing for walleye in clear waters:
- Utilize scent attractants: Apply a scent attractant to your lures to enhance their effectivenes. Walleyes can inspect your lures much closer in clear water, so adding a scent can be the difference maker in whether or not a walleye chooses to bite.
- Vary your retrieve: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different retrieval speeds, pauses, and cadences. Sometimes, a slight change in presentation can make all the difference in clear water. Walleyes like to follow lures for long periods of time. When a walleye is following a lure and it suddenly changes direction or speed, they tend to bite the lure at that moment.
- Practice catch-and-release: By releasing walleye responsibly, we help maintain sustainable fisheries for future generations of anglers.
More Information:
Congratulations! You are now armed with the best walleye lures for clear water fishing. Remember to match the hatch, select the right lures, and employ the appropriate techniques. Now it’s time to hit the water and put your newfound knowledge to the test. Tight lines and happy fishing!
The Angler’s Line is all about building a community centered around fishing and conservation, so that we can all enjoy this great resource for years to come. Make sure to always follow your local and state fishing regulations and use safe catch and release practices whenever possible.
More Walleye Articles:
- Ice Fishing For Walleye: Everything You Need To Know
- Midday Walleye: A Complete Breakdown Of Daytime Walleye Fishing
- Live Bait For Walleye: Everything You Need To Know
- Lure Talk: Full Guide On Fishing Crankbaits For Walleye
- Lure Talk: How To Fish Spinner Rigs For Walleye
- Trolling For Walleye: Everything You Need To Know
