Lake Ontario Walleye Fishing – Where to Fish, and How to Fish & Tips

The walleye are probably best known for their large eyes that allow them to see very well even when it’s dark and the sharp teeth located in their jaws and the roof of their mouth. They are a nocturnal species of fish so the best results usually come with night fishing but this doesn’t mean this is the only time you can catch walleye. You can get some really good results on overcast days as well. The walleye are normally a dark yellow to green color with a white underside. They are equipped with two sets of dorsal fins, one of which has spines and the other has approximately twenty soft rays. They can also grow to some fairly decent sizes.


The walleye is a native fish to Lake Ontario in New York and it is one of the most sought after species in this area. In fact, Lake Ontario is considered one of the hot spots found in New York for walleyes. Lake Ontario is actually the smallest out of all the Great Lakes but many people still compare it to Lake Erie because they are close to being the same size when it comes to length and width. However, the main difference is that Lake Ontario is much deeper, which means that when it comes to volume it holds four times as much water, making it the prefect home for the walleye.


The walleye are not very cautious eaters meaning they will strike at your bait regularly. The problem is that they are known for being short strikers. In other words, they will hit your line and take your bait very often without being hooked because you didn’t even notice they were there. This is a common problem that makes it difficult for many anglers to catch walleye. However, the tips listed below will help you overcome these obstacles and have more success when you go walleye fishing.


Tips on How to Fish for Walleye


As mentioned above walleye are notorious for taking the bait and leaving you to wonder what happened. There are a couple things that you can do to prevent this from happening to you. Normally, the walleye virtually inhales the bait and surrounding water but if anything happens to spook the fish or interfere with this natural process he will not take the bait all the way. This means that you will get a very short strike that you can barely feel or he will move on without trying to take the bait. Your job is to find ways to prevent anything from interfering with this process so the walleye will completely take the bait and you will have more opportunities to catch more fish.


To accomplish this it is recommended that when trolling in choppy water you go with the waves because you need a little slack in your line when fishing for walleye. A very small amount of slack will help prevent the walleye from being scared away before you have the chance to catch him. It will also help you to know when you have a bite because the line will tighten. However, don’t leave too much slack or it will defeat the purpose and you will not have much luck.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best walleye fishing information possible. Get more information on walleye fishing on Lake Ontario here: http://www.askwalleyefishing.com/

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