Walleye Float Fishing
When I first started using a float for walleye, it was purely by accident.
I was down at Norway dam on the Tippecanoe River. If you have
fished there, you know the rocks and snags that constantly eat your
jigs. A good ole boy was casting his jig under a float and vertically
jigging it back to shore from the top down and was having great
success catching silvers. I started trying it and it worked really well. It
also works for walleye in the same situation.
It is a blast. It is also relatively simple, just watch your floats. When a
float does go under, reel in until you feel the pressure of the fish, then
set the hook. If you don't feel the fish before you set the hook, odds
are you will miss the strike. You will need to hit these locations when
time is right however. Low-light times are the best, or when you have
some wave action.
Those are not the only times you can float fish for walleye. When they
suspend in deep water is a perfect time to use this method of fishing.
If you are marking fish 30 feet down, its a simple adjustment on your
slip float and you are putting your bait right in front of their noses.
You will know you are at the right depth each time.
Another perfect application of using floats for walleyes is in the weeds.
You can position your bait so it rides right above the weeds and slowly
drift through. Active fish will take your offering more times than they
will not.
A benefit of using a float for walleyes is they won't get snagged on the
rocky bottom and you can then use a smaller line to fish with. Smaller
line is less likely to be seen by the fish. Lighter line will also flow
through the slip float easier than a bigger diameter line.
Another benefit from using slip floats is it presents the bait at a slower
pace for the walleye. So it the fish are not feeding, or in a neutral
feeding state, this may entice a bite from these normally inactive fish.
A new way I am fishing for walleye with floats is using a leech under
the float. I position the leech so it is just off the bottom and hook it
one time through the sucker end on the foot. The leech will constantly
be swimming and walleye can not resist these. Evening time when the
sun is fading, just anchor up on some shallow hump and position your
leech rigs farther down the break and wait for some action. You can
also sit in the deep water and set them up on the same break.
Depends on the situation you find yourself in.
For a few years now I have been using a jig and minnow under a float
to catch walleye coming in to spawn. I have had limited success on
this as I am getting out late for these fish. I need to get out right
after the ice is off and start catching these walleye. This method
allows me to watch three lines and present the minnows in such a way
I know I am not pulling them too fast for the walleye.
I was down at Norway dam on the Tippecanoe River. If you have
fished there, you know the rocks and snags that constantly eat your
jigs. A good ole boy was casting his jig under a float and vertically
jigging it back to shore from the top down and was having great
success catching silvers. I started trying it and it worked really well. It
also works for walleye in the same situation.
It is a blast. It is also relatively simple, just watch your floats. When a
float does go under, reel in until you feel the pressure of the fish, then
set the hook. If you don't feel the fish before you set the hook, odds
are you will miss the strike. You will need to hit these locations when
time is right however. Low-light times are the best, or when you have
some wave action.
Those are not the only times you can float fish for walleye. When they
suspend in deep water is a perfect time to use this method of fishing.
If you are marking fish 30 feet down, its a simple adjustment on your
slip float and you are putting your bait right in front of their noses.
You will know you are at the right depth each time.
Another perfect application of using floats for walleyes is in the weeds.
You can position your bait so it rides right above the weeds and slowly
drift through. Active fish will take your offering more times than they
will not.
A benefit of using a float for walleyes is they won't get snagged on the
rocky bottom and you can then use a smaller line to fish with. Smaller
line is less likely to be seen by the fish. Lighter line will also flow
through the slip float easier than a bigger diameter line.
Another benefit from using slip floats is it presents the bait at a slower
pace for the walleye. So it the fish are not feeding, or in a neutral
feeding state, this may entice a bite from these normally inactive fish.
A new way I am fishing for walleye with floats is using a leech under
the float. I position the leech so it is just off the bottom and hook it
one time through the sucker end on the foot. The leech will constantly
be swimming and walleye can not resist these. Evening time when the
sun is fading, just anchor up on some shallow hump and position your
leech rigs farther down the break and wait for some action. You can
also sit in the deep water and set them up on the same break.
Depends on the situation you find yourself in.
For a few years now I have been using a jig and minnow under a float
to catch walleye coming in to spawn. I have had limited success on
this as I am getting out late for these fish. I need to get out right
after the ice is off and start catching these walleye. This method
allows me to watch three lines and present the minnows in such a way
I know I am not pulling them too fast for the walleye.
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